ATHO Chapter 34

Chapter 34 – Planning an Escape

Chapter 4: Liberation from the Past, Part 3

Novel Title: 嫌われ者の俺はやり直しの世界で義弟達にごまをする (As the Hated One, I Flatter My Stepbrothers in a World Where I Get a Second Chance)

Author：赤牙 (Akakiba)

Art：古澤エノ (Furusawa Eno)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: シャルル (Charles -MC), リエン (Lien -ML1) & ジェイド (Jade -ML2)

*Please read at freenovels.net, the original site of translation. TQ*

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“Huh…? Uh, yes…”  

Not understanding what he meant, I nodded, my face flushed bright red. The sour mood he had earlier vanished, replaced by a delighted expression as Jade kissed me again.  

“Hey! That’s not fair, Jade! You’re hogging him!”  

“You had him all to yourself earlier, so don’t complain now.”  

“Ugh, fine!”  

Sandwiched between them as they embraced me, the anxiety that had weighed me down began to dissipate.  

The ones who cared about me and stayed by my side weren’t connected by blood.  

They were my true family.  

For a while, being with them helped me forget about my uncle. But when night fell and I was left alone, his presence crept back into my thoughts.  

Unable to sleep, I opened the window to let in some air. As I stared at the moonlight streaming in, my mind drifted back to my uncle.  

He must hate me.  

In both my first life and this one, I was nothing but a convenient source of money to him. It didn’t matter how much I suffered—or even if I died.  

“We’re bound by blood. Don’t think you can escape that fate,” his words echoed in my mind, sending a chill down my spine.  

“It’s like a curse…”  

To my uncle, I’m the last family he has by blood. Perhaps that’s why he clings to me so desperately. No, it isn’t me he’s clinging to—it’s the marquisate’s wealth.  

I’m sure he’ll come for me again.  

When that happens, will I be able to push him away?  

Despite everything he’s said and done, I can’t truly hate him.  

―――In my first life, he was the one who extended a hand to me.  

Even if it was for his own gain, to a lonely person like me, that hand… his presence… was something I clung to.  

“Uncle Lyle… why… why…”  

I felt overwhelmed with sorrow and frustration.  

Not knowing what to do with these emotions, I stifled my sobs as tears streamed down my face.  

That night, I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I lay awake, thinking aimlessly about my future.  

Many events from my first life had repeated themselves in this second one, albeit in different forms.  

While some outcomes had changed—like my parents surviving—others, like my uncle’s behavior, remained unchanged.  

If I inherit the title of lord, calamities similar to those in my first life will surely strike the domain again and again. Up until now, I’ve managed to overcome them with everyone’s help, but I can’t keep relying on that.  

In the worst case, the Wahlman marquisate might fall into ruin, just like before.  

The more I thought about it, the more I saw only the bleakest outcomes.  

Finally, I arrived at a single conclusion.  

“I… I can’t stay here.”  

***  

The next morning, as I entered the dining hall, everyone greeted me with their usual smiles.  

Seeing their faces brought me a sense of comfort.  

―――I want to protect these smiles.  

That thought confirmed that the decision I made last night was the right one.  

From that day, I began preparations to leave the estate.  

I decided my destination would be the neighboring kingdom. As I arranged for transportation and mapped out my route, the reality of leaving began to sink in, filling me with a profound sense of loneliness.  

“I promised to make my family and everyone in the domain happy. I can’t allow myself to feel lonely…”  

When this second life began, I was desperate to avoid the worst outcomes from my first life. I worked hard to ensure Mother, Jade, and Lien wouldn’t come to hate me.  

But now, I’ve formed a deep bond with them as a family.  

Especially Jade and Lien—they’ve become irreplaceable to me.  

This time, I want them to walk the happy futures I once stole from them.  

“…Alright. No more second-guessing.”  

With renewed resolve, I continued my preparations.  

Several days passed, and the day I’d chosen for my departure was drawing near.  

I finalized my work and handed over responsibilities to Jade and Lien to ensure everything would be fine in my absence.  

Their concern about my sudden delegation of duties was evident, but I endured the pain of lying to them. It was all for their happiness—and for the happiness of everyone else.  

Trying to maintain normalcy on what would be my last days with them, I buried myself in work. At some point, Jade tilted his head curiously.  

“Um… Charles Nii-san?”  

“Hm?”  

“Your report is upside down, you know?”

“Uh… Ah! I-it really is.”

Jade chuckled softly as he pointed out my absentminded mistake of staring at an upside-down report.

“Are you a little tired? You’ve been going to the trading company often lately, so I must have put too much burden on you.”

“No, that’s not it at all. But Jade, aren’t you overdoing things yourself?”

“I’m fine,” Jade said, smiling gently, showing concern for me.

Handling both the trading company and assisting me, you’re truly amazing, far more than I could ever be.

That’s why I’m relying on you to take care of the domain, Jade.

As I watched him with these thoughts in mind, my honest feelings slipped out.

“You know, Jade. You’re managing the trading company and doing an excellent job as my assistant in handling the lord’s duties. Honestly, I think you might be better suited to inherit the role of the lord.”

“…What are you saying? Only you, Nii-san, can be the lord. It’s because it’s you that I want to support you. So, please, don’t say such things.”

Jade immediately dismissed my words.

“Yeah… you’re right. Sorry for saying something strange.”

I apologized with a wry smile and returned to work.

In the afternoon, Jade went to inspect the territory with Father. Meanwhile, I worked alongside Lien, engaging him in conversation.

“How’s the trading company? It’s about to start operating fully, right?”

“Yeah. Finally, Jade Nii-sama and Marianne have come to an agreement, so we’re in the final stages now. When it comes to display and marketing strategies, Marianne has a great sense for these things, so Jade Nii-sama doesn’t interfere. It really feels like we’ve finally made it to this point.”

“I see. Sounds like everything’s going well.”

Watching Lien’s cheerful smile as he spoke, I felt relieved.

The trading company’s progress seemed smooth, and I was truly glad. Marianne’s letters mentioned how well she was getting along with Jade and others while working together.

Imagining everyone happily working at the trading company brought me peace of mind.

If everyone continues to work together, they’ll surely be fine even without me.

“Hey, Lien. Can you keep supporting Jade from now on?”

“Of course! …But, Nii-sama, is there something wrong?”

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*Translator’s Note: I don’t know why, but I kinda like the plot where the MC runs away and ML(s) will chase after him. Hahaha. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Nii-san/Nii-sama/Onii-san = (Big/Elder) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. Jade would call Charles ‘Nii-san’ while Lien would call him ‘Nii-sama’.

Next update: 2025.09.27

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