《I Will Not Be a Villain! I Will Be Happy With My Brother!》


 CH 1

    Something ebbed faintly in the darkness, melting and flowing. My body, my consciousness, everything was hazy, and I had no idea who I was, where I was, or what was happening.


    (I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something important¡­)


    My thoughts slipped away as I tried to grasp them. I could feel something flowing into them gradually, and then I heard an unfamiliar voice.


    ¡°In a place like this¡­ Is this true¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Yes, according to the maid who came to inform us, it is this underground basement.¡±


    ¡°Has the spell been lifted?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been done.¡±


    The voice grew closer and closer. But I remained motionless. No, I could not move. But, in the meantime, it was getting closer, and before long, the door creaked open.


    ¡°¡­Bright¡­¡±


    My eyes were hurt by the light that came in.


    ¡°¡­Un? Make it a little brighter. There¡¯s something over there.¡±


    The floor rattled along with the voice, and I knew someone was nearby, but I couldn¡¯t tell who it was. When the voice said, ¡°Light,¡± the room brightened even further. Then, there was an audible gasp, and the footsteps stopped beside me.


    ¡°Ah! O¡¯ my lord. How could anyone do this to such a small child? O¡¯ God!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better to get him out of here first instead of reciting a prayer! Head to the temple immediately and get something to wrap around him!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Listening to the voices one after another brought my previously submerged consciousness to the surface. My previous state of breathlessness echoed as the previously quiet area suddenly became brighter with light.


    ¡°He¡¯s moving, he¡¯s breathing! Just in time¡­ All praise to God!¡±


    ¡°David-sama, slowly, slowly.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I know that already.¡±


    The words were accompanied by a soft touch on my shoulder.


    (¡­What?}


    I¡¯m scared¡­. The very first emotion I experienced was fear. I wondered if my message reached him, since his voice spoke to me with somewhat nostalgic ring to it.


    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. Edward Harvin, right?¡±


    (Edward¡­ Me¡­?)


    The next thing I remembered was a feeling of discomfort. The man behind the voice, however, was unaware of this and continued speaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m your uncle, David Grandes Finley. The brother of your father Leonard. Everything is alright now. You did well.¡±


    (David? Leonard¡­?)


    Something seemed to be obstructing my mind. No. Not only was my head heavy, but so was my body. As if he were handling something delicate, the man who called himself my uncle gently picked me up and wrapped me in a warm blanket.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright now.¡±


    He kept saying these words to me over and over. But I could not quite make out what he was saying. Is this ¡®Edward Harvin¡¯ he mentioned really my name?


    And where am I?


    Why am I here?


    What was I doing?


    What did he mean by I¡¯m fine now?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Questions flooded my head. But I could not get my voice out.


    ¡°¡­You can¡¯t speak? Don¡¯t push yourself. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    For the third time, he uttered the word ¡°alright,¡± and his kind blue-gray eyes peered into my face. A voice came out of my mouth at this time.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why these words came out of my mouth in the midst of all the swirling doubts. But I found myself saying them as I breathed. Then, with a hand I could not move until now, I braced my head and shrank back.


    ¡°S-orry, I¡¯m¡ªsorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    The person, who identified himself as my uncle, took a small breath and fell silent. Then, after a few moments, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Why are you apologizing? There is nothing to apologize for. Edward, you¡¯ve done well. Well done.¡±


    I felt a few warm drops of something fall onto my face. I knew they were tears and that the man holding me, my uncle, was crying, but I couldn¡¯t figure out why he was crying. However, the people around me appeared to be crying as well.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Come on, let¡¯s go with your uncle, Edward. First, we must take you to the temple to have your body examined.¡±


    ¡°Tem¡­ple?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I will have you healed in the places where you are hurt or in pain.¡±


    With that, he wrapped his arms around me and slowly stood up. My consciousness melted away again in his arms, wondering why we were going to a temple instead of a doctor.

 CH 2

    Warning!


    There are mentions of abuse in this chapter. Please skip this chapter if you can be triggered by such content.


    My name is Edward Harvin. I am four years old. A child born to the Harvin family of the Kingdom of Lepherite. But I will soon be Edward Finley. Because my uncle, Marquis David Grandes Finley, has come to pick me up and adopt me.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone is looking forward to Edward¡¯s arrival. I told you before that I have a son named Alfred, so I hope you will get along with him. He¡¯s five years older than you, so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll play with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Thank you very much. I¡¯ll be a good boy.¡±


    ¡°Edward is a good boy just the way he is. It¡¯s alright.¡±


    I wondered if my uncle had a habit of saying, ¡°It is all right.¡± His beautiful short blond hair was slicked back, and he smiled as he looked at me with his kind blue-greyish eyes.


    It had been nearly a month since I had been rescued from Count Harvin¡¯s secret room. In the Kingdom of Lepherite, there was something called healing magic, and a healing mage at the temple could cure even the most life-threatening diseases and wounds. However, the temple attendant told me that while injuries and illnesses could be cured, it was impossible to mend a malnourished body or a heart scarred by cruel words and violence.


    I didn¡¯t understand much, but after being treated at the temple, I was taken to a quiet inn in a nearby town, where I slept, woke up, ate, and slept again¡­  Until I was well enough to ride in a horse-drawn carriage to the Finlay estate, I spent a great deal of time doing this and was given exceptional care. My personal maid, Marie, was there with me as well. When I heard that Marie had made it home safely, I was overjoyed.


    I learned a few things from the Marquis while I was at the inn. I was told that I had been abused by my real parents and that my father had died in an attack by bandits. On receiving the news, my father¡¯s brother, Marquis Finley then had come to pick me up. That was the first thing he told me. But somehow, I knew more than that¡­


    For the first time in my life, I was riding in a carriage, and we were making our way without incident toward the Finleys¡¯ territory. I assumed I was surrounded by wheat; With the large, golden grains that swayed gently in the wind. A beautiful, lush field. While pretending to look outside, I took a deep breath.


    After receiving treatment at the temple, I caught a fever. My uncle told me that I must have been tired. He smiled gently, telling me that my wounds have healed and that I should be at ease and get some rest. However, I believed that my four-year-old body had probably reached its limits, the likely reason why I had a fever in the first place. It was hard to believe but I had other memories than that of four years old Edward.


    You think I¡¯m just confused by all that¡¯s been going on? Nope.


    I am indeed Edward Harvin.


    It was true that I am four years old, but I had a certain ¡°memory¡± in my mind that wasn¡¯t mine. And it was something that couldn¡¯t be explained by the word ¡°delusion,¡± just because I was confused. Because the world inside this ¡°memory¡± was so different from this world that I, a four-year-old, would never have imagined it.


    Moreover¡­


    ¡°I think we¡¯ll get there in the afternoon, so if you¡¯re tired, you can go back to sleep. I¡¯ll wake you up before we arrive.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you¡­ very much.¡± I closed my eyes, ignoring my fidgeting and mounting restlessness, and thanked the Marquis for his kind remarks.


    Then, I, Edward, matched my memory with the ¡®memory¡¯ I had recalled to confirm them.


    The Lepherite Kingdom was a thriving nation that followed the shape of an inverted triangle, sandwiched between the ocean to the south and towering mountains to the north. To Lepherite¡¯s east and west are neighboring nations that go by the names Eastern and Western. countries, respectively. In Lepherite, nearly everyone possesses some level of magical ability to use magic.


    Within the kingdom, people are divided into royalty, nobility, and commoners. The nobility is led by the Duke, followed by Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons, and then those with fiefdoms and others without fiefdoms. As for the Finley family, they were the most powerful of all the marquise families, ruling over a northeastern fief.


    Leonard, Edward¡¯s biological father, was the third son of the previous Marquis Finley and a younger brother of David, the current head of Finley. Unable to inherit the Marquis¡¯s title, Leonard married into Count Harvin¡¯s family as a son-in-law after he came of age.


    However, he became what is known as a ¡± playboy¡± after he got married and continued to engage in reckless sexual behavior, without caring about his wife and newborn son, Edward. As for the old Count Harvin, all he wanted was to have a connection with Marquis Finley.


    Emilia, the Harvin family¡¯s daughter who chose L¨¦onard as her groom, had likewise assumed that weddings between aristocracy were commonplace. But Emilia gradually directed her animosity from her husband; who continued his philandering behavior after they had a child, toward their son, Edward.


    From the beginning, Emilia had little interest in her son, Edward. She delegated all childcare to the nursemaid and never picked up her child, talked to him, or even looked him in the eyes. Gradually, she began hitting her young son and skipping meals. And, as for the nursemaids, they could not possibly care for the child of a guy who had betrayed their darling young mistress.[1].


    Since Emilia, the true owner of the house, and the nursemaids who were supposed to look after Edward were acting like this, the other maids were left in a situation where they could not do anything. As a result, even at the age of two, Edward could neither speak nor walk correctly.


    It was Marie, who became Edward¡¯s personal maid, that saved him. Marie, the granddaughter of previous Viscount Eastin, an old friend of the old Count Harvin¡¯s, had come to the Count directly and requested to take care of the child under the pretense of being Emilia¡¯s lady-in-waiting. After all, she was taken aback to see Edward¡¯s condition, who was about to turn two years old. Therefore, Marie told him that if Edward was the heir of the next Harvin, he would have to have a personal maid at his side.


    As she was hired directly by the family¡¯s patriarch, neither the butler nor the nursemaid could raise any strong objections when she was immediately made Edward¡¯s personal maid on the same day she was hired. In the end. it was thanks to Marie that Edward was able to speak, express his feelings, and move his once too-thin body normally. However, there was only so much that a young maid could do.


    Footnotes


    [1] Referring to Emilia. Their master.


    Translator¡¯s Notes


    Just to make things clear here:


    ¡ùEdward is Leonard¡¯s son. His biological father is the current acting lord of Harvin (or acting Count) since he married into Harvin¡¯s family, by marrying Emilia Harvin.


    ¡ùDavid is the older brother of Leonard, and the current Marquis Finley after inheriting the title from his father.


    ¡ùMarie is the granddaughter of Viscount Eastin which makes her a lower noble and also Emilia¡¯s lady-in-waiting. Please note that Viscount Eastin is an old friend of the old Count Harvin, not Edward¡¯s father (acting Count).


    The hierarchy of nobility is as follows (from lowest to highest): Fiefholders (Peerage nobles), Baron, Viscount, Count, Marquis, and Duke


    Hope this made sense!

 CH 3

    Warning! Please note that there¡¯s mentions of abuse in this chapter.


    In the years that followed, Edward¡¯s biological parents regularly abused him and neglected to provide him with adequate nutrition. To make the situation worse, something terrible happened the day Edward turned four years old. Leonard¡¯s latest paramour had finally made it to the estate.


    Naturally, Emilia was fuming with rage and immediately dismissed the woman before giving up on Leonard who was not present, for good. Instead of forcing her husband out of the Count¡¯s home; she actually left with another man on the next following day.


    Incredulous at Emilia¡¯s decision to run away with another man, Leonard stormed back to the mansion and began screaming, punching, and kicking at Edward, demanding to know where his mother had gone and why he, as his father¡¯s child, had not intervened to prevent the elopement. After Edward passed out, it was Marie and the butler, who had been aloof until then, who intervened to prevent him from continuing the assault.


    As the next in line for the throne, it was deemed unwise to let Edward pass away before a decision was made by the old Grand Count[1]. Leonard then rushed out with several guards in search of his wife and the man, not wanting Count and Countess Harvin, who was living in a mansion he built for their retirement in the territory to know about Emilia¡¯s elopement. Later on, he died.


    Although he was said to have been attacked by bandits, the fact that the Count and Countess had already been informed of Emilia¡¯s elopement and departure from home, as well as the manner in which he was killed so expediently and deftly by bandits of unknown origin, could only suggest he was discarded by the Harvin family.


    ¡°Look, Edward. I can see it. That¡¯s our mansion.¡± The marquis gently jolted me awake and pointed to a large mansion built on a gentle hillside with lofty mountains and dense forests in the background.


    I then opened myself after seemingly falling asleep while thinking about my memories.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I hope you like it. Feel free to tell me if there¡¯s anything you want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, milord.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right, Edward?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ F-father-sama¡­[2]¡±


    ¡°Hmmm~~ There¡¯s no need to call me formally though. Well, I guess you¡¯ll slowly get there,¡± my stepfather laughed.


    Hmmm. Wait, where was I? Ah, right.


    My stepfather and Marie filled me in on some additional details before we left the city where the temple was located. Thanks to the help of my stepfather, the Finley family¡¯s steward, and Marie, I was able to build up enough energy to take the carriage ride.


    A group of traveling merchants discovered my father after they heard he had been attacked by bandits, and they reported the incident to the Harvin home. Furthermore, because a piece of my father¡¯s belongings that belonged to the Finley family was discovered at the site, one of the merchants who knew the Finley family well also sent word to the Finley household. Upon hearing the news, my father rushed to the main Harvin¡¯s[3] residence.


    But you know, it was all thanks to Marie that I¡¯m still alive like this.


    And also, during my stay at the inn, I couldn¡¯t help hearing gossip about my father. The people there gossiped that the third son of old Marquis Finley, who married into the Harvin¡¯s family, brought nothing but trouble to the Harvins, and now with the Harvin¡¯s young mistress eloping with another man, was really something that shouldn¡¯t have happened to the Count¡¯s family.


    Apparently, I was in the midst of things that shouldn¡¯t have happened, and consequently, I evolved into a being that had no place in it. I mean, in the same way that my mother did not want my father, my grandparents saw me as an unwanted child.


    It was Marie who sensed this and aid me. It was she who took me out of my room after being covered in wounds caused by my father¡ªpatched me up, said sorry a lot, and hid me in a hidden room in the basement located inside the mansion. Although I couldn¡¯t fathom why Marie would act in such a way at the time, I still put my faith in her words.


    ¡°I will definitely save you, Edward-sama. Please wait for me,¡± she said this while crying, before riding her horse to the Finley house with a glimmer of hope.


    Marie is amazing!


    So, on her way there, she ran into my stepfather, who was also on his way here, and explained the situation to him, asking for his assistance, and escorting him to Harvin¡¯s mansion.


    It was exactly five days later since Marie left before they found me. During that time, I barely remembered what I did. However, I did remember traces of food like cookies; long-lasting food, and drinking water while I was in the basement.


    My stepfather was caught off guard when he saw the mansion¡¯s seemingly ransacked state and the lack of servants¡¯ presence in the area. Nonetheless, thanks to Marie¡¯s defensive and concealment spells, which she had placed as a precaution at the entrance to the hidden room, I managed to survive without being discovered by the unknown enemies that ransacked the mansion.


    Later on, after Marie disarmed the spell at the door¡¯s entrance, my stepfather¡¯s group located me and immediately rushed me to the temple for treatment by the healing mages. While I was being treated, my stepfather took my real father¡¯s remains and informed Count Harvin that he would be adopting me as his son.


    My stepfather never mentioned these things to me, but they must have been difficult for him. Even though I¡¯m only four, I have a ¡°memory¡± of him when he was twenty-one, so I kind of knew what was going on.


    After all, his brother is no longer alive, Lady Harvin has eloped, and I, the eldest son, was found dying in a depressing mansion. It seems that my father and the family¡¯s steward pulled all sorts of strings to get me into their house as ¡°peacefully¡± as possible. And Marie, who went to great lengths to save me, has become my maid at Finley¡¯s house.


    I think that all of these must have been ¡®true¡¯, based not only on what I¡¯ve been told but also on rumors I¡¯ve heard and what I¡¯ve deduced from my ¡°memory,¡±. Therefore, I¡¯m sure I couldn¡¯t be that far off from the truth. Nonetheless, he in my thoughts didn¡¯t seem like a different entity. Instead, that man¡¯s ¡°memories¡± are completely ingrained in me, as if he was me. That¡¯s all.


    Hmmm~~ I guess, in his world¡¯s terminology, I¡¯ve been reincarnated as Edward? Anyway, I have Edward¡¯s memories and heart of a four-year-old, while inheriting some but not all of his ¡°memories¡± of his life until he was twenty-one years old in a different world than this one.


    And¡­That is how I found out. How is it that he, a stranger from another world, knows so much about me?


    Well, that¡¯s because this world is identical to the one described in the book he was reading, ¡°The Silver World Where My Beloved Child Fell.¡±


    And in that novel, I, Edward Finley, am one of the protagonist¡¯s enemies, a ¡°villainous son¡± who murders his own stepbrother, whom he is about to meet for the first time.


    ???


    Translator¡¯s Notes


    This chapter is a bit lengthy so I¡¯ll try to clarify what¡¯s going on in Edward¡¯s head as he narrates the story. Basically, Edward here is referring to the ¡®memory¡¯ as something foreign, while he can recall them, his initial reaction is not really accepting the memories as part of him immediately, but rather acknowledging that it¡¯s there, inside his mind.

 CH 4

    The horses slowed down as the carriage entered the compound through a massive gate.


    ¡°Look, everyone is waiting for you outside to greet you. And there¡¯s the young baroness[1] who saved your life.¡±


    ¡°Marie!¡±


    Marie had arrived before me and was preparing with the marchioness[2] so that I could enjoy my time here in peace and quiet. Despite the fact that she was dressed similarly to the other maids, I recognized Marie right away. With her slightly dark brown hair neatly tied up and gentle, tawny-colored[3] eyes, she was a petite but dependable maid of mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re crying, Marie.¡±[4]


    ¡°I¡¯m just relieved to see him alive and well. This humble servant cannot express how grateful she is to you all.¡±


    ¡°Marie is¡­ a kind and a strong woman. I, towards Marie, like you very much.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    The horse-drawn carriage rolled to a halt in front of the main entrance. After a brief pause, the door quietly opened, letting a gust of fresh air inside.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Due to the living conditions I used to live in before, this body was still quite small for a four-year-old boy, and my tongue couldn¡¯t help but speak in lisps. My own father would remark every once in a while, that I didn¡¯t look anything like him, with my milk tea-colored hair and peridot green eyes. I also had nothing in common with my mother, who had given birth to me, or with my grandparents on the Count¡¯s side.


    ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    My stepfather exited the carriage after a man who appeared to be a butler bowed reverently and glanced at me. I too stepped off the carriage in the arms of my stepfather, who extended his hand to me and said, ¡°Come here.¡±


    As a result, I was embarrassed because I looked like a baby. In the presence of the numerous servants stationed at the door, a stunning woman and a young boy stood out of sight.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    My heart skipped a beat at that very second. The boy, who had the same beautiful blond hair as my father and blue eyes the color of the bright sky, seemed familiar to me, despite the fact that I had never seen him before.


    Ah, this is definitely the world of that story. And I am the ¡®villainous son¡¯ who kills this boy who is going to become my older brother.


    I felt a pain in my chest as my stepfather smiled and kissed the beautiful woman on the cheek in front of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve returned, Patricia. Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Welcome back, dear husband. We¡¯ve all been doing well and looking forward to this day.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great to hear. It¡¯s a little chilly in here, so let¡¯s go inside and I¡¯ll introduce him to you all,¡± my stepfather said this as he walked away with me in his arms.


    In addition, I didn¡¯t fail to notice the oldest son of the family¡¯s shocked expression when he saw this scene.


    ¡°Erm,. My lor¡ª¡­ Father, I-I can walk.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯d like everyone to see how well Edward and I get along first, you know?¡±


    ¡°Oh, my goodness, you and Father are such good friends already. Well, I hope that you will get along well with Mother when you enter the house.¡± The beautiful marchioness softly laughed as she said this.


    I could only nod and respond briefly to her reaction, ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°The salon[5] has already been prepared for all of us. So, why don¡¯t you come over there and have some tea while you introduce me to this adorable son of yours, Dave. Of course. To Alfred, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do that. Come on, Alfred.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    Eventually, I was led to a lovely room called the salon without greeting the people who greeted me when I arrived. The salon of Marquis Finley was an opulent and beautiful room, decorated with many rare flowers, especially at this time of year. There were several couches and tables, as well as a glass door that led out to the backyard garden. When a large number of people gather, the garden could also be used as well.


    ¡°Sit here and wait a moment. Let¡¯s say hello to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The couch was so soft and comfortable that you could almost burrow halfway into it. Until now, I had never sat on a sofa quite like this one. As if that weren¡¯t enough, the pastries lining the table in front of me were the most vibrant and pretty I¡¯d ever seen.


    ¡°¡­Fluffy¡­Pretty¡­.,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a voice.


    The Marchioness then smiled, her pink-amethyst eyes softly narrowing, her long, beautiful cream-yellow hair neatly gathered into a blue-gray flower hairpiece.


    ¡°Did you like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I replied, flustered, to the marchioness¡¯s words.


    I should not have started talking before getting permission from my stepfather, the marquis. But my stepfather didn¡¯t hold it against me. He came up beside me, looked around, and then opened his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank you all once more for your efforts while I was away. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the situation, but this is Edward, the son of my late brother Leonard. As of today, he is officially the Finley family¡¯s second son, Edward Finley. He is a child who has been missed. I ask that all of you to support this boy and take good care of him.¡±


    At their master¡¯s words, the servants who had been waiting at the far end of the room all bowed in unison.


    ¡°Now, Edward, can you introduce yourself? Don¡¯t worry if you can¡¯t, no one will laugh at you or get mad at you for it,¡± My stepfather spoke softly to me, prompting me to slowly and nervously rise from the couch and bow.


    In the novel according to his memory, Edward was unable to introduce himself to anyone or respond in any way to his stepbrother who had gone out of his way to greet him, creating an invisible rift between them at the start.


    But not for me! After all, aside from being four years old, I should have twenty-one years of ¡®memory¡¯ and communication skills. Maybe.


    I slowly opened my mouth, pressing down on my pounding heart. ¡°N-Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Edward¡­ F-Fin-ley. I¡¯m four years old. I promise to be a good boy. P-pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Ah! I¡¯ve done it now! People will think I¡¯m a useless child despite the fact that the combined total of this ¡°memory¡± and I are both twenty-five years old.


    Tears welled up in my eyes and I was about to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± when someone said¡­


    ¡°Well, well, well! What a cute greeting! It¡¯s magnificent, Edward! I am Patricia Randall-Finley, and I will be your mother beginning today. Calling me formally would make me sad, so please just call me Mother Patty.¡±


    ¡°M-mother Patty.¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right,¡± my stepmother said, spreading her arms and gently embracing me. She also smelled very fragrant.


    ¡°Patty, Edward is frozen in surprise. Calm yourself down. Edward, please address me as Father[6]as well, not esteemed Father. ¡±


    A little bit.


    ¡°F-Father.¡±


    Orders began to pour in one by one. But I¡¯m not going down without a fight.


    ¡°Please be kind to Alfred as well.¡±


    Following my stepfather¡¯s words, a young man with a nervous expression approached me. His unkempt blond hair was tied around his shoulders with a ribbon that matched the color of his eyes. They were gentler and brighter than my stepfather¡¯s eyes, the color of the sky on a sunny day, and shone so brightly that I felt I could be sucked into them. I could see my reflection in them, frozen in surprise.


    ¡°Alfred Grandes Finley. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    I stared at the hand that was extended to me, accompanied by his words, and then quickly opened my mouth,¡°Yes, Afuure¡­ Afuree¡­¡±


    Ugh, move, my tongue! Move it!


    ¡°Arufu¡­re¡­¡±


    One more time!


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Did I just, get laughed at right now?


    ¡°Al, that¡¯s not very polite.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother.¡±


    ¡°S-sorry!¡±


    Ah, my first greeting! Oh, my first greeting! I should have been careful with it the most, but now it¡¯s ruined!


    The stiff-faced young boy in front of me who was seeing me become teary-eyed again at the prospect of the future, later opened his mouth with a troubled smile. ¡°I apologize. Please don¡¯t cry. Edward, who is trying so hard, is adorable. I wasn¡¯t teasing you, nor was I angry with you. Just call me Al. ¡°Can you say that?¡±


    ¡°Al-sama[7].¡±


    Then my stepbrother immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s make it Al nii-sama[8].¡±


    Is that fine? Are you sure?


    ¡°Al nii-sama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Eddie. Let¡¯s get along from now on.¡±


    ¡°Un! Al nii-sama. Please get along with me as well!¡±


    My stepbrother smiled brightly at my words.


    Footnotes


    [1] Marie is a daughter of a baron. So, it makes sense to call her ¡®young baroness¡¯.


    [2] A title for the wife of Marquis.


    [3] Light brown


    [4] Marchioness speaking to Marie.


    [5] A reception room.


    [6] David is asking Edward to call him Otou-sama instead of Chichiue-sama  (a more formal way to call father). Hope this clarifies.


    [7] I decided to put -sama prefix here to highlight that Edward is addressing Alfred formally here.


    [8] Nii-sama means brother, albeit a formal, respectable way to call one¡¯s brother.


    Translator¡¯s Notes


    All of them have their own nicknames at this point.


    Dave = David. Patricia calls her husband Dave when they¡¯re together.


    Patty = Patricia


    Eddie = Edward


    Al = Alfred

 CH 5

    ¡®The Silver World Where My Beloved Child Fell¡¯ is classified as a light novel, a classic story in which the protagonist saves the world into which he has been reincarnated. The main character, dubbed ¡°Beloved Child,¡± was born in a small village in the Kingdom of Lepherite. Then, in the aftermath of an incident, he began to remember that he had been reincarnated from another world, and while retrieving his memories, he fought to defeat a horde of demons that had upset the world¡¯s balance.


    In the Kingdom of Lepherite, magic is generally divided into six attributes (fire, water, wind, earth, light, and darkness), followed by other derivative magic such as ice and lightning. In rare cases, some people were given special magic called ¡°skill,¡± or were granted divine protection called ¡°blessing.¡± Oftentimes, it was still unclear how blessing magic worked, and it would often manifest itself in a person¡¯s later years.


    In addition to having the blessing of the Beloved Child of Light, the protagonist had none of the six attributes, but rather possessed the holy attribute, which was rarer and more powerful than the light attribute. It was this fact that caused all sorts of ripples to spread. Obviously, there were also a group of friends who aided the ¡°Beloved child¡± and helped save the world.


    The published manga series had that person in the ¡®memory¡¯ captivated, by how the comic¡¯s wonderful illustrator brought the characters to life. The manga, which was faithfully and attractively drawn without destroying the novel¡¯s original setting, soon became wildly popular. There were even plans to make the story into an anime series.


    In addition to defeating the onslaught of demons, the [Beloved Child] and his companions became entangled in various conspiracies within the kingdom and were nearly caught in a trap. Their adversaries included not only demons but also real people. There were devious adults in the kingdom¡¯s heart, as well as a ¡°villainous son¡± who appeared in the light novel.


    And that ¡®villainous son¡¯ is none other than myself, Edward Finley.


    In ¡°The School Chapter,¡± Edward played the role of antagonist, showing his hatred for the ¡°beloved child¡± by getting in the way as the ¡°beloved child¡± tried to assemble a group of friends. In the early chapters of the school chapter, I murdered my stepbrother, Alfred Grandes Finlay, and was sentenced to commit suicide myself.


    For some reason, the person inside the ¡®memory¡¯ was very fond of Alfred Grandes Finley, the ¡°villainous son¡¯s¡± stepbrother. Alfred, in contrast to Edward as a child, was a quiet, gentle boy with a strong sense of justice who appeared to be harboring a secret. In spite of his mild demeanor, he had the courage to state his beliefs unequivocally, a trait that was further highlighted in the manga. There was also a connection between him and the friends who supported [Beloved Child], in which Alfred was occasionally depicted in their memories.


    Although he was killed for antagonizing Edward, there was a scene depicting him thinking of his stepbrother in his own way, and in the scene where Alfred finally died, the person in the ¡°Memory¡± wept as he thanked his god-like painter!


    ¡­I think? Many things baffled me, but I had such ¡°memory¡± inside my head.


    But in this world, I never want to witness the final moments of my Al nii-sama. No, it shouldn¡¯t happen. Of course, I don¡¯t want to be killed either!


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s have some tea. Edward, you should rest after eating the pastries. You must have been exhausted after the long journey. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~ That sounds nice¡­¡± The expression on my stepfather¡¯s face softened and warmed.


    ¡°Eddie, I heard that these pastries are currently the most popular in the capital. Have some.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you very much! ¡­Mother Patty.¡±


    ¡°So cute! How in the world can you be so cute?¡±


    ¡°Patty.¡±


    Mother Patty stopped and elegantly covered her mouth with a fan when she heard Father¡¯s voice. When brother Al noticed this, he pointed to the brightly colored pastries with his beautiful fingers.


    ¡°Look, Eddie. These are new pastries called macarons.¡±


    ¡°Pretty¡­ Al nii-sama, this is my first time eating them!¡±


    ¡°There are many different flavors to choose from. So pick any kind you like.¡±


    ¡°So many flavors! I¡¯m so excited!¡±


    ¡°Red is strawberry, green is apple, pink is¡ª¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°Hehehe:


    ¡°Al, darling?¡±


    ¡°Eddie is adorable. I¡¯m grateful you¡¯re my brother.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m glad Al nii-sama is my brother too!¡± My brother Al, whom I had only met today, gently stroked my soft milk tea-colored hair as I said this with my reddened face. However, his actions right now only caused my face to redden more.


    Even though I had a ¡®memory¡¯ other than being four years old, I had no idea what was going on with the person in that ¡®memory¡¯.


    That is why I will not be forcing this interaction. Besides, the words that come out of my mouth are like this no matter what I do, and it is impossible for me to speak even longer words. If I can move my mouth a little better, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to have a better conversation¡­ than I do now.


    ¡°¡­Could I please have the red one?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Mother had it all ready for Eddie. You can eat all you want.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it.¡±


    I bit into the pastry, which was sweet with a hint of sourness that made me happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s very, very delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Oh, Al nii-sama, please have some too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    As she sipped her tea, Mother Patty, who was watching us, smiled. ¡°I¡¯m so glad. It looks like you two are getting along nicely already. Eddie, I hope you¡¯re looking forward to dinner. You need to add some more meat on you. I wonder what¡¯s your favorite food?¡±


    Mother Patty¡¯s words made me think as I held the last of the red macarons in my hands. However, nothing came to mind.


    What¡¯s my favorite, I wonder?


    Marie did her best to bring me food back then, but there were times when I couldn¡¯t find anything to eat, and on those occasions, Marie would give me slightly salty cookies.


    ¡°My favorite¡­ I don¡¯t know it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. Then, is there anything you don¡¯t like?¡±


    I thought about it again after being asked.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Mother Patty¡¯s expression changed to one of mild sadness before she laughed in response to my troubled expression, ¡°Then let¡¯s make a lot of your favorite foods from now on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I found one of my favorite foods. The red macarons, I love them!¡±


    I bit into the macaron in my hand. As soon as I told them, I noticed that all three of them were beaming. It seemed that my introduction to my new family went well. Unlike in the novel, I think we were having a harmonious time.


    ¡°Hehe, Eddie, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll enjoy the green, pink, purple, and yellow macarons, too, right?¡±


    ¡°Eh! Al nii-sama, that¡¯s a big problem!! I can¡¯t possibly eat that many!!¡±


    When I panicked, Father laughed at me and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright, there¡¯s no need to rush. The chef will whip it up for Edward again, no matter how much you want.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Erm, erm, I know it¡¯s not food, but I really like Father¡¯s phrase, ¡®alright¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu. That¡¯s what you always say.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Is that so? That¡¯s something I didn¡¯t realize. ¡°However, it¡¯s nice to hear Edward say he likes me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to get Eddie to tell me he likes me soon too.¡±


    ¡°I-I also like the way Mother Patty hugged me!¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Then I should shower you with hugs.¡± Mother Patty hugged me again, and I quickly popped the rest of the macarons into my mouth.


    It would be a catastrophe if I stain the dress. But this makes it difficult for me to breathe!


    ¡°~~~!¡±


    ¡°Patty, that¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s let him rest now.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, yes. Let¡¯s give you another hug later.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take Eddie to his room. Let¡¯s go, Eddie.¡± Brother Al extended his hand towards me.


    ¡°Oh, erm, yes¡­¡±


    I hurriedly wiped my hands, which were a little sticky from the macarons, and grabbed my brother¡¯s hand. His hands were beautiful, warm, and bigger than mine.


    ¡°Alfred, Edward, see you at dinnertime.¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear Father.[1]¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    we both responded and began walking hand in hand, and I noticed Brother Al walking slowly to match my steps.


    ¡°Fufufu,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh to which my brother turned to me and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡°Is Eddie happy to walk with me?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    As I ascended the stairs, I reminded myself once again, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a ?villainous son?.¡±


    And I definitely don¡¯t want to hurt ani-sama. So, I will never, ever, be a bad boy! I¡¯ll greet everyone properly and get along with everybody. Then I¡¯m sure it will be different from the novel.


    ¡°Al nii-sama.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for getting along with me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Eddie too, thanks for getting along with me as well.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Even me. Not anyone else, but me!


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    My feet came to a halt, seemingly at the door to my room. Marie and another maid who had quietly followed us opened the door.


    ¡°I like you, Al nii-sama!¡±


    I hugged him tightly for a moment before rushing into the room. What a bold thing I had done, even though I was extremely happy and unsure of my next move.


    When I nervously turned around, my brother greeted me with a chuckle and a wave from the door, saying, ¡°Me, too.¡±


    ???


    Footnotes


    [1] There¡¯s a difference between the way Alfred and Edward call their father here. Alfred is calling David in a more formal, old-fashioned way ¡®chichiue-sama¡¯ which basically means ¡®exalted father¡¯ while Edward is calling him ¡®otou-sama¡¯, although formal, albeit more endearment calling in this context.


    Translator¡¯s Notes


    And there you have it! One happy family! So, what do you ppl think about the characters? I would love to hear your comments below.

 CH 6

    ¡°Marie, Al nii-sama said today that he would read the book with us.¡±


    Marie greeted me with a chuckle and a ¡°Good morning. Edward-sama,¡± as I sat up in bed. ¡°First and foremost, please accept my morning greetings.¡±


    ¡°Right. Marie, good morning.¡±


    ¡°Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep?¡±


    ¡°Un. This bed feels really comfortable.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Now let¡¯s wash your face, straighten your hair, and change your clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nodded my head as I got out of bed.


    At the same time, the other maids entered the room. At the same time, the other maids entered the room. To avoid startling me, Marie was the only one who attended to me at first. After that, the other maids would come and assist me in getting ready, and they would clean my room while I was away for meals.


    Every day, I slept in a clean bed, wore clean clothes, ate delicious meals, and shared sweets with Mother Patti, and both Father and Brother paid me visits whenever they could. I felt like I was all better already, but everyone told me I needed to get healthier. ¡®The temple healed my injuries, and I¡¯ve been taking it easy ever since¡­¡¯


    ¡°Marie, I¡¯m much better than I used to be, aren¡¯t I?¡± Once Marie had finished getting me dressed, I asked her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. But I think it would be more fun if you were healthier,¡± she said.


    ¡°More fun?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If you get better, you might be able to take more walks in the garden, and we might even be able to take you on an outing somewhere.¡±


    ¡°O-Outing?¡±


    ¡°Hmm~ Yes, I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a big festival here in Finley¡¯s territory sometime during the winter.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a festival?¡±


    ¡°It sounds like we¡¯ll be thanking God for the year, celebrating, and doing fun things together.¡±


    ¡°How fun! That must be very exciting.¡±


    ¡°It is, indeed. However, the current Edward-sama may become tired and develop a fever in the middle of the festival.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡®That may indeed be true. Since I¡¯m four years old, I don¡¯t have much physical strength, so I get tired easily and often have a fever. In my previous home, they probably thought my condition was a hassle.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not all,¡± Marie continued. ¡°When you get much better, Alfred-sama might be able to teach you how to use swords and magic. Perhaps you could even go horseback riding together.¡±


    ¡°With Al nii-sama, swords, and magic! Also, the horse! I-I want¡­ it¡­¡±


    Marie really knew what my weaknesses were. While slowly rubbing my back, which was coughing with excitement, Marie picked me up and left the room, saying, ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°Ma¡­rie¡­ I can walk.¡±


    ¡°Please allow Marie to assist you down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Un¡­ Okay. Please look after me.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Marie walked with a slight sway, which made me feel good.


    ¡°Marie, I¡¯ll be¡ªhealthier.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you will. But you¡¯ll have to eat a little more to do so.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat much.¡±


    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s all because due to Marie¡¯s own incompetence.¡±


    I had a feeling I understood what Marie was saying, but I shook my head, thinking it was something a typical four-year-old wouldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Marie is not a bad person. It¡¯s because I have a tiny tummy.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu¡­ Then, let¡¯s make your tummy a little bigger from now on.¡±


    ¡°Eee~ Don¡¯t overfill it! I don¡¯t want my stomach to burst like in the picture book!¡± I was afraid that if I ate too much, my stomach would explode, just like the magical beast Wolf in the picture book I was reading the other day.


    ¡°Good morning, Eddie. Are you getting spoiled this morning?¡± Brother Al called out to me at the bottom of the stairs.


    I was embarrassed to be seen being carried, so I quickly requested that Marie let me down. ¡°Good morning, Al nii-sama. Erm, I was just talking to Marie.¡±


    ¡°What were you talking about?¡± Brother Al then took my hand in his.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat without my tummy bursting like a wolf.¡±


    ¡°A wolf? Tummy?¡±


    ¡°Erm. It¡¯s all about me getting better.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m not really sure, but if it makes Eddie feel better, I¡¯m glad.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to it, too.¡±


    The conversation veered off at times, but Brother Al simply smiled at me. That day, Brother Al read me a picture book about a knight who fought demons. I was a little nervous because I had only seen picture books about the Hungry Wolf that Marie had read to me.


    ?If I am the only one who can fight the demon and save my country, I will go.?


    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my eyebrows upward[1] and speak out.


    ?¡°No, I will not let the princess go to the demons. I will defeat the demons.¡± To protect the princess, the knight went into the forest alone.?


    ¡°Wow¡­ Alone.¡± ¡®Why didn¡¯t the other knights go with him? Aren¡¯t there many knights in the castle? But now is not the time to talk about such things. I wonder what will happen.¡¯


    ?In the dimly lit forest, a terrifying demon finally appeared before the knight.?


    ¡°T-This is terrible!¡±


    ¡°Eddie, calm down. It only just came out. Brother Al patted me on the back as I panicked and continued.


    ?The blue-faced, fanged demon said to the knight, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you and take the princess!¡±?


    ¡®Wah! The princess will be taken away by the demon! What should I do!¡¯


    ?¡±I won¡¯t let that happen. I won¡¯t let you take the princess,¡± the knight swung the golden sword given to him by the king toward the demon. ?


    ¡®Amazing. Please do your best, knight.¡¯ I cheered for the knight in my heart.


    ?The demon flew and dodged the sword.?


    ¡°¡­To be able to fly! This demon¡­¡±


    ?The knight swung his sword again and again at the demon. How long had it been so? Just as the demon was about to claw at the weary knight, the golden sword suddenly shone.?


    ¡°Eeeehhh?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but straighten my back and scream, and Brother Al patted me on the back. ¡°Eddie ¡­¡­ it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just the sword glowing.¡±


    ¡°I-Is that so¡­¡±


    When Brother Al saw me stumble back to my seat, he resumed reading the rest of the picture book.


    ?The forest became as bright as daylight, and the demon shut its eyes due to the blinding light. Now! With his golden sword, the knight slashed at the demon once more. The demon screamed loudly and dissipated into the light.?


    ¡°Knight-sama is incredible!¡±


    ?The knight returned to the castle and told the king and princess that he had defeated the monster. Thus, the knight became the country¡¯s greatest hero and lived happily ever after with the princess.?


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m glad that the princess didn¡¯t get caught by the blue demon. Al nii-sama, it was really exciting and fun. Thank you very much,¡± I said, bowing deeply.


    ¡°I agree. This is the first time I¡¯ve enjoyed ¡®Princess and Knight¡¯ so much.¡±


    My brother wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief and slammed the picture book he was reading to me shut for some reason. From that day onward, I fell in love with the picture books my older brother read to me. Not only did he read me picture books, but he also showed me his sword practice, taught me how to make delicious sweets, and even magically created a ball of water and let me touch it.


    I was so happy to be with my brother.


    Translator Notes


    Another eventful day for Eddie


    [1] In the raws, it says ü¤ò°Ë¤Î×Ö¤Ë (raising eyebrows in the letter of 8). Basically, Eddie¡¯s brows knit together like this letter 8: °Ë.

 CH 7

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get you a souvenir.¡±


    I replied with a teary-eyed ¡°yes¡± as my father told me this. After hearing from Marie that there was a winter festival in Finley, my father asked me, ¡°If you want to go, should I take you?¡± Furthermore, when I found out that my brother was going with me, I was really happy and looking forward to it.


    But three days before the winter festival, I caught a fever. And although my father had already left, my fever was still flaring up and down. I couldn¡¯t eat a lot, but I was trying my best to eat. ¡®Why is my body so weak?¡¯


    ¡°I wish I had a strong body,¡± I said in a small voice while lying in the bed, to which Marie replied, ¡°First, let¡¯s bring your fever down.¡±


    ¡°Now, Edward-sama, if you can drink this medicine well, you will receive a reward.¡±


    ¡°A reward?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Marie chuckled.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll drink.¡±


    I was not a fan of the bitter, powdery medicine, but I was curious about the reward, so I asked her to prop me up and took the medicine as best as I could.


    ¡°Blergh!¡±


    Marie immediately gave me some sweet fruit water to drink and said, ¡°Well done.¡±


    ¡°¡­What is the reward?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, please,¡± Marie opened the door and talked to someone.


    ¡®And then¡­¡¯


    ¡°Alfred-sama has come to visit you.¡±


    ¡°Eh! Al nii-sama? Eee~?¡± ¡®Why? Didn¡¯t he go to the festival with father?¡¯


    I was so surprised, but my brother truly appeared in front of me.


    ¡°Eddie, how¡¯s your fever? Well done for taking your medicine.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s really me brother! The real, Al nii-sama!¡¯


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to the festival?¡± When I said this, my brother smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about going with Eddie this year. It was a shame we couldn¡¯t go this year, but let¡¯s go together next year.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡±


    ¡°Get well soon and let¡¯s read together again, shall we? What kind of stories do you like, Eddie?¡±


    ¡°I like the stories you like, Al nii-sama!¡± When I answered him, he laughed happily and said, ¡°I¡¯ll choose one for you.¡±


    ¡®And then.¡¯


    ¡°The chef made snow candy so that Eddie¡¯s fever would go away soon.¡±


    ¡°Snow?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that cold, though. But since you took the medicine so well, I¡¯ll give you one of these,¡± saying this, he received something white and round, which really resembled snow, from Marie.


    ¡°Okay, here, take it.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Erm¡­ Ahhhh¡­¡±


    Thinking that I looked like a baby, I opened my mouth as I was told and a piece of it went inside my mouth. ¡®Sweet and yummy!¡¯ But when I closed my mouth, it just melted away.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone! It¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°Un. Yes. It¡¯s like a snowflake that¡¯s not cold, right? Only one for today. When you get better, I¡¯ll have them make more.¡±


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s really like snow. Sweet snow!¡±


    ¡°Un, I¡¯m glad you like it. Now, let¡¯s get some sleep so the medicine will work.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Al nii-sama, thank you very much for your visit,¡± I thanked him and laid down on my bed. I slowly closed my eyes, wishing I could eat the snow candy again.


    ¡®Just then.¡¯


    ¡°I hope Eddie¡¯s fever goes down soon.¡±


    Along with the words, something slightly cold touched my forehead and¡­ left.


    ¡®Eh, what¡¯s that, just now?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a spell. Good night.¡±


    I heard the door slam shut after the sound of the voice, and I squeezed my eyes shut, holding my heart, which was pounding for some reason. It was two days later when the spell worked, and I was able to eat the snow candy again.


    ???


    Translator¡¯s Notes


    Can they both get even cuter?

 CH 8

    It had been almost a year since I came to the Marquis Finlay¡¯s household as I spent my days with my brother, father, and mother, all of whom were kind to me. A year in the kingdom of Lepherite ran from the first month to the twelfth month. The six days of the month were light, fire, wind, earth, and moon, while a month consisted of five weeks of thirty days. A short while ago, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, I turned five years old.


    ¡®It is true that we are supposed to have an unveiling party when I turn five, but my father and mother decided to hold the party only for those who are close to us when the weather gets warmer in the spring. Mother in particular is very excited about what kind of clothes she was going to make.


    But that¡¯s not the only reason why we decided on spring. The other reason is that my health will be better when it gets warmer. By the time summer comes, I will be a big brother.¡¯


    In the novel inside my ¡®memory,¡¯ there was no mention of me having a younger brother or sister. Therefore, I was happy to think that this might be another proof that things were different from the way the novel unfolded. ¡®I hope things will continue to get better and better.¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to do now that a baby girl is on the way. So, I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    The doctor told me that my small size, lack of physical strength, and fever were all due to the fact that I hadn¡¯t eaten enough food at the Count¡¯s house or taken many walks during the daytime. For serious injuries or illnesses, one could go to the temple to be healed by a healing mage, but for a slight fever or cough, people would consult a doctor and take medicine.


    So, according to the doctor, it was very important for me to eat well and be physically active from the time I was an infant until I was about three years old, and it would take time to make up for what I lacked during that period later.


    ¡®I¡¯m doing fine. I¡¯ve even grown a little taller. But my hair has probably grown longer than my height.¡¯


    My fluffy hair, which was just touching my shoulders when I first arrived, now reached a little above the middle of my back, knotted with a blue ribbon. This ribbon was given to me by Brother Al.


    Before my birthday, my brother Al asked me, ¡°What color do you like?¡± and I replied, ¡°I like the beautiful blue color like Al niisama¡¯s eyes.¡± He was a little surprised when I told him this, but then smiled happily and eventually gave me this ribbon for my birthday. I was happy that everyone complimented me on how good it looked on me.


    ¡°It would have been nice if my hair and eyes were the same color as my brother¡¯s.¡±


    ¡®Instead of milk tea-colored hair and green eyes that didn¡¯t look like anyone else¡¯s. I don¡¯t really like this color.¡¯ Even grandfather Harvin used to get angry at me for not looking like him. I wondered what color of hair and eyes the newborn baby would have. As I was thinking this in a daze, I heard a knock at the door before it opened.


    ¡°Edward-sama, Mason-sensei has come to see you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    When I turned five years old, I had a teacher who taught me about etiquette and academics. However, since they told me not to overdo it, the class was held only once per week. And today, was the day my teacher came to teach.


    ¡°Hello, Edward-sama.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Howard-sensei. Nice to meet you.¡±


    The guy who came in was a tall guy with blue hair who wore glasses, with beautiful gray eyes, which looked cool. His name is Howard Chris Mason and also the next head of the Viscount Mason¡¯s household as well as a friend of my father¡¯s.


    ¡®By the way, Howard-sensei¡¯s child will eventually become one of ¡®Beloved Child¡¯s companions.¡¯


    Hence, I was surprised to learn my lessons from the father of someone who could have been hostile to me. Since I had been at peace ever since I arrived here, I tend to forget about the ¡®memory¡¯ of the novel. However, if I ended up forgetting too much, I might be on a route toward becoming a ¡®Villainous Son.¡¯


    ¡°You look fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t oversleep as much these days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m overjoyed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I also enjoyed the sweets that sensei gave me the other day with Mother Patty. They were very delicious. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you liked them. I¡¯ve brought different kinds of pastries for you today, so please enjoy them today. Let¡¯s pick up where we left off last week with a little bit of history of this country and arithmetic.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m a little bad at history. It¡¯s hard to understand when there are a lot of similar names. Although, I am pretty good at arithmetic.¡¯


    The reason for this was simply because it was there, inside my ¡®memory¡¯. Apparently, in the world described in Memory, even if you weren¡¯t a merchant, you had to study some very difficult calculations. I didn¡¯t understand everything, but the arithmetic I was currently doing now should be fine.


    People might call it cheating, but I decided that since I had to work so hard not to become a ¡°Villainous Son,¡± it was nice to have at least one reward like this.


    ¡°Although history is hard to remember, but there are many things we can learn from it. Because there are many times when the answers are hidden in events that we have forgotten.¡±


    ¡°This is difficult¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Suppose, for example, that something very troubling just happened to you and you don¡¯t know what to do,¡± Howard-sensei said, pushing his glasses up a bit.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I would like to find out if something similar happened in history, how it was resolved, or what went wrong. If you know this, it will give you a clue as to what to do next.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Even if it is difficult to do now if I can remember what I have heard, I may be able to do one more thing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d be happy if I can do more.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu~~, Edward-sama is very honest and soft-headed[1].¡±


    ¡°Eh? Is my head soft?¡±


    Howard-sensei chuckled amusedly when he saw me touching my head. And, as for the other teacher, it was Theodore, the Finley household¡¯s butler.


    When I tried calling him Theo-sensei, he would tell me to just call him ¡®Theo¡¯ instead, saying that he¡¯s the same as Marie. To that, I replied, ¡°I understand. In general, Theo taught me about etiquette and also about the background of the Finley household. In addition, he also said he would teach me about language and writing.


    While the letters of the alphabet here were similar to in the ¡®Memory¡¯, however, I couldn¡¯t understand them which made me to practice hard. After all, the kingdom¡¯s letters were more difficult than I imagined. And then, while I was feeling happy that I was getting better at writing, Theo suggested that I write a letter to my family.


    ¡°A letter to everyone? Even though we live together?¡±


    ¡°Yes. First, I think it would be best to write to someone who can immediately correct any mistakes. And,¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Because we live together, it might be a good idea to write down things we normally wouldn¡¯t say. Like things that make us happy, things we want to try, and feelings of gratitude.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    As I started to think that it might be a nice idea, Theo added, ¡°If there¡¯s something you¡¯re a little embarrassed to say face to face, you might be able to convey it in a letter.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Theo. I¡¯ll try to write a letter to my father, mother, and to Al nii-sama.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Please give it to me at the next etiquette lesson.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± I took a deep breath and looked at the beautiful paper that Theo had given me.


    And one week later¡ª


    ¡°Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, may I have a moment of your attention, everyone?¡± Theo spoke up, smiling during dinner. It was finally time.


    ¡°Oh sure, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Edward-sama has become quite good at writing and hence he has written a letter for everyone. Please receive them.¡±


    Nervously getting up from my chair at Theo¡¯s words, I went to hand out the letters to everyone. They had already been checked by Theo and were said to be very nice letters filled with sincere feelings.


    ¡°Father, here¡¯s your letter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I will read it carefully and write a reply.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Mother Patty, here¡¯s your letter.¡±


    ¡°Well, thank you. I will also write a reply. Can I read it now?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Al nii-sama, here¡¯s your letter.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Eddie. I will also write a reply.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡± Although I was a little embarrassed, everyone started to read my letter with a happy expression.


    Father said, ¡°I see! Yes, yes,¡± looking very pleased.


    While Mother said, ¡°Ma~ Ma~ Ma~! enjoying herself.


    As for my brother¡­


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Why is my brother¡¯s face getting redder and redder? Did I write something funny? Even though Theo looked at me at it properly and told me it was fine.


    ¡°Al nii-sama?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. ¡­¡­.. Thank you, Eddie. I¡¯ll, uh, I¡¯ll write you back.


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    Then he carefully put the letter back in the envelope.


    ???


    Alfred¡¯s POV


    ¡°To Al-niisama,


    I was very happy when you called me ¡°Eddie¡± for the first time. I love you, Al-niisama. Thank you for reading books with me.


    Thank you for showing me the swordsmanship practice the other day. It was very cool, and the magic with the water was also wonderful. And thank you very much for the present of the blue ribbon, just like the color of Al-niisama¡¯s eyes.  I was very, very happy. It feels like I¡¯m always with Al niisama. I will cherish it.


    From Edward¡±


    I received a letter from Eddie. He told me that he had started to learn how to write and had been wanting to write a letter to his family for practice. Both Father and Mother also seemed happy to read the letter. Of course I was happy too, but¡­ What should I write back? I unintentionally muttered. looked down once more at the words on the beautiful pale green letterhead, which must have been written with great effort.


    And thank you very much for the present of the blue ribbon, just like the color of Al-niisama¡¯s eyes.


    I was very, very happy.


    It feels like I¡¯m always with Al niisama.


    I will cherish it.


    ¡®His fluffy milk tea-colored hair, which was getting longer, was tied with a green ribbon that the maid had prepared.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯ll give him a ribbon with his favorite color,¡± I uttered while thinking back to the time asked him, What color do you like?¡¯ to which he replied, ¡°I like the pretty color like Al niisama¡¯s eyes.¡±


    In truth, giving someone a ribbon in your own favorite color is usually reserved for someone you like. Of course, Edward probably didn¡¯t know that.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell my stepbrother, who answered happily, ¡°That¡¯s great!¡±, that he was wrong. So I gave him the ribbon he wanted. Eddie was so happy, and even though our parents were a little surprised, they were glad we were getting along. Whenever I saw the light blue ribbon, which looked great against his milk tea-colored hair, I felt happy too.


    But¡­ ¡°When it¡¯s time to put into words like this, it¡¯s really embarrassing, or what should I say¡­,¡± I groaned as I picked up my pen.


    ¡®To Eddie, thank you for the letter. I also love Eddie very much. The ribbon looks really good on you. I was so happy when Eddie wore my colored ribbon.¡¯


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this like a love letter!! No, it¡¯s different. That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡®Thank you for accepting the ribbon¡­¡¯. ¡°No, the blue ribbon looks really good on you¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± I held my head in my hands.


    ¡°Should I just not mention the ribbon? Um, what about a book? Should I write about a sword? A magic one? Huh? Was it cool?¡± I crumpled up the paper and let out a big sigh.


    ¡°Calm down. What am I getting so worked up for? Honestly¡­,¡± Didn¡¯t Father say it himself? What am I thinking, treating my younger stepbrother, who sincerely admires me in this lonely environment, like this!


    And it was easy to tell from the small body of a four-year-old, the childish way of speaking, and the occasional frightened eyes that accompanied the words ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s why I have to cherish him.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± After taking another breath, I remembered Eddie¡¯s happy smile.


    ¡®Al niisama!¡¯


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± And so, I turned back to the writing paper.


    ¡®To Eddie,


    Thank you for your letter. I love you too, Eddie. When you smile, it makes me happy too. Let¡¯s continue reading books together, eating delicious sweets, and having lots of fun from now on.


    From your big brother Al.¡¯


    Then, a while later I heard from Marie that Eddie was very happy when he read this letter, causing me to be very happy in response. I wanted to protect that happy smile of his when he happily came over saying, ¡°Al niisama!¡±


    ???


    [1] It means open-minded. The original phrase is î^¤¬Èá¤é¤«¤¤ (atama ga yawarakai) = Literal translation would be soft-headed.

 CH 9

    The winters in Finley territory are quite cold. The Harvin Countdom[1] where I was born was a little further south, and it never snowed even in the winter. However, in Finley¡¯s, snow accumulated. The winter festival is held to give thanks for the year, and people make statues of gods with the accumulated snow. Last year, I couldn¡¯t go to the winter festival because I had a fever, but another one would be coming up soon this year.


    ¡°What is it like? ¡±


    ¡°There are all sorts of things. They sell delicious food, handmade cute toys, beautiful decorations, clothes, and more.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like so much fun!¡±


    As I said that, my father ruffled my hair. ¡°Yeah. But if you get too excited, you might get a fever again. This year, Alfred¡¯s friends are coming to play, so be friends with them.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be friends with them. I won¡¯t be a bother to Al niisama and the others.¡±


    My brother laughed at my words and said, ¡°No one will bother Eddie.¡±


    This year, since Mother is pregnant, Father has been busy with various things besides the festival. I was thinking that I might not be able to go to the festival, but I was very happy when he said he would take me with him.


    I asked him, ¡± Father, you say a word of thanks to God, and then the festival begins, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s an important job for the lord of the territory.¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing Father looking cool.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I have to do my best so that Edward¡¯s first festival will be a fun one too.¡±


    Smiling at my father¡¯s words, I drank hot milk and thought about buying souvenirs for my mother and the baby. ¡®I wonder what would be good. I hope I can decide by looking at various stalls.¡¯


    ¡°Does Al niisama have many friends?¡±


    ¡°About three. They¡¯re all the same age as me. Oh, and there¡¯s also the child from Eddie¡¯s teacher¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Is it Daniel Cress Mason, Howard-sensei¡¯s child?¡±


    As I thought, he¡¯s one of the members of the Beloved Child¡¯s group.


    ¡°Yes. And then there¡¯s James Cornell Stanley. His father, Lord Stanley is the commander of the Royal Guard and is very strong.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Hmm. This is one is also a member of Beloved Child¡¯s, I believe.


    ¡°Also Martin Raymond-kun. Count Raymond household has held the title of Grand Wizard for generations. Martin¡¯s father is an amazing magician.¡±


    ¡°¡­So he¡¯s very good at magic, huh?¡±


    You know Martin-kun, right? He¡¯s the one who restrained me with magic in the novel.


    ¡°I want to be friends. I absolutely want to get along.¡±


    Because if not, it would be troublesome. If people thought I was a weird kid, I would definitely, definitely be in trouble!


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everyone is not the kind of person who bullies little kids. They want to meet you because they know that I love Eddie so much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to meeting everyone,¡± I replied while becoming a little teary-eyed inside.


    ???


    Feeling restless with the approaching Winter festival, I took out a paper and pen I was given when I initially started writing, ¡°Let¡¯s write down anything I can remember about what happened.¡±


    In this world, paper is a luxury item, but in the world of ¡°Memory¡±, it seemed relatively easy to obtain. I wish it could be like that here too, I thought.


    Um, first of all, there¡¯s Al-niisama. I killed him before I enter the academy. Why did I kill him? I think I definitely said something to him. ¡°Brother is in the way¡­¡± What was he getting in the way of again?


    ¡°Ermmm¡­¡±


    I know that using magic to kill is wrong, but I can¡¯t recall why. Anyway, I¡¯ll remember to write it down later.


    Next is Howard-son, sensei¡¯s Daniel Cress Mason-kun. His father had already become the head of the viscount family by the time I entered the academy. Daniel-kun is extremely intelligent, as evidenced by his ability to enter the Prime Minister¡¯s office when he grows up. He¡¯s the type of person who comes up with numerous strategies, to the point where I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯s thinking. But, since Howard-sensei has also taken care of me, let¡¯s be friends with Daniel-kun as well.


    And then there¡¯s James Cornell Stanley-kun, whose father is the captain of the Royal Guard. It¡¯s been said that his son is just as skilled with a sword. Although, he looks scary with his red hair. He hated me a lot. In his mind, Al-niisama was his closest friend, and he hated me for killing him.


    Then there¡¯s Martin Raymond-kun. He¡¯s a magician. He¡¯s the one who used magic to capture me and tied me up with a rope. He really loves magic and admires whenever the ¡®Beloved Child¡¯ uses special magic, I think. ¡°


    So, if I were to try to stop ¡°Beloved Child,¡± I could forget about getting any kind of mercy from him.


    No way, I don¡¯t want to be caught and killed. I have no intention of harming or killing my older brother. If we become friends now, they might warn me first if I¡¯m about to become the villainous son, so let¡¯s try my hardest to get along with everyone. Oh, and there¡¯s an important person. I think he¡¯s a member of the royal family. A prince. I can¡¯t remember his name. Although, until we become friends, I doubt I¡¯ll have any contact with him. He¡¯s a prince, after all. So let¡¯s avoid getting too close to him.


    In any case, there¡¯s the Beloved Child. Beloved Child and I are the same age. It would be inconvenient if they[2] were in a different grade because I will most likely interfere with them in various ways in the story. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the Beloved Child can use rare magic such as light magic and special holy magic to purify things.


    Hmm, there¡¯s a distinction between when I remember things clearly and when I don¡¯t. But if I remember it too clearly, I¡¯ll lose my identity, so I think this is fine. Anyway, I have no intention of being mean or interfering with ¡°Beloved Child,¡± so they are free to do as they please.


    Of course, I won¡¯t interfere with anyone else either. I¡¯ll make an effort not to be disliked. As for me, I¡¯ll just stand here in the corner and silently root for the world to be saved. Is this all right? Will I be all right? I hope I won¡¯t be condemned. Well, that¡¯s it for now. I¡¯ll jot down the details as they come to mind. Even if I don¡¯t remember it clearly, I believe that having that ¡®Memory¡¯ has the potential to change the situation.


    Even now, Al niisama and I are good friends, and Mother is expecting a child. Furthermore, there was no story in the novel about Al niisama, me, or the Beloved Children¡¯s group attending the Winter festival. So long as I behave well and don¡¯t do anything to offend or draw attention to myself. To avoid becoming a ¡°villainous son,¡± I¡¯ll get along with the members of the Beloved Child¡¯s group! Okay, I have a plan and I¡¯m ready to go!


    ???


    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Edward Finley. I¡¯m five years old. Pleasure meeting with you.¡±


    Daniel, Teacher Howard¡¯s son, was the first to arrive. His blue hair, similar to his father¡¯s, had a silver sheen and sparkled. He was slightly taller than Brother Al and had lovely, slanted blue eyes. He appeared strict, and I was nervous, but I believe I was able to greet him properly because Theo had taught me proper manners.


    ¡°Thank you for the introduction. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Daniel Cress Mason. I heard from my father that Edward is a very excellent student. I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you.¡±


    When Daniel smiled, I smiled back and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Since Theo had told me that when I was younger, it was better to take compliments from people older than me literally, I took it that way. ¡°Howard sensei¡¯s lessons are difficult, but they are very important, so I will do my best.¡±


    Then, Daniel looked surprised. I thought that when he made that kind of face, his tough attitude softened a bit.


    ¡°¡­Wow, Edward is amazing. I don¡¯t think there has ever been a five-year-old who praises my father¡¯s lessons before. I¡¯m sure my father would be very pleased.¡±


    ¡°Ah, thank you very much. Um, please just call me Edward or Eddie.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you. Then I¡¯ll call you Eddie-kun. Please call me Daniel.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Daniel-sama.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Alfred. I wonder what Eddie-kun calls you?¡±


    My older brother, who was standing next to me, gave me a small smile and said, ¡°He calls me Al-niisama.¡±


    ¡°Al-niisama¡­that¡¯s nice. I don¡¯t have an older brother, so I admire you a little. Hey, Eddie-kun, if you don¡¯t mind, could you call me Danny or Dan-niisama, at least during the festival?¡±


    ¡°Dan-niisama? Is it okay, even though you¡¯re Al-niisama¡¯s friend?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. He¡¯s my father¡¯s former student.¡±


    Ah, when Daniel-kun smiles, his eyes droop a little, and he looks kind. He looks like a fairy from the picture book I saw the other day.


    ¡°Yes, Dan-niisama, I¡¯m overjoyed! Thank you very much!¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Nice to meet you, Eddie-kun.¡±


    ¡®See, everything worked out fine, didn¡¯t it?¡¯ my elder brother¡¯s eyes were telling me. I like Father¡¯s ¡®It¡¯s alright,¡¯ but I also like my brother¡¯s ¡®It¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ I reasoned to myself.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m looking forward to the festival!¡±


    All right, let¡¯s keep it up like this!


    The day before leaving for the winter festival was bitterly cold, accompanied by a heavy snowfall. Today, the other two members of Beloved Child¡¯s group had finally arrived. I was concerned that the festival would be ruined by the heavy snowfall, but Mother Patty assured me, ¡°It snows like this every year.¡± I couldn¡¯t recall much because I had a fever and slept a lot around this time last year..


    ¡°I see. But since it¡¯s cold, please make sure to cover yourself with a blanket, Mother Patty.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Eddie. You¡¯re such a kind child. I¡¯m so happy to be your mother. Make sure to enjoy the winter festival without getting injured or catching a cold.¡±


    When I nodded and said ¡°Yes,¡± Mother gently stroked my head.


    I really want to hug her, but she told me to just pat her belly until the baby arrives. Mother¡¯s belly isn¡¯t very big yet, and you wouldn¡¯t know she¡¯s pregnant just by looking at her, but she seems to be in pain or can¡¯t eat with me at times, so I¡¯m hoping spring comes sooner.


    Footnotes


    [1] Territory reigned by a count.


    [2] Since its not mentioned clearly in the raws whether the Beloved Child is male or female, I¡¯ve taken the liberty to use they/them pronoun for now.

 CH 10

    And the ¡®Beloved Child¡¯s companions arrived by carriage that afternoon.


    ¡°Welcome from afar. I am David Grandes Finley, Alfred¡¯s father. Has the snow been kind?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for inviting us. I¡¯m James Cornell Stanley, McWade Cornell Stanley¡¯s eldest son. It¡¯s a privilege to be invited to Marquis Finley¡¯s legendary winter festival. We were able to enter the territory before the snow got worse, so we had time to enjoy ourselves.¡±


    Despite the fact that it was our first meeting, it was clear that James, the son of the commander of the Royal Guard, was more than a head taller than my older brother. He had a strong, well-built body for a ten-year-old, and his neat, red short hair and sharp, determined, golden eyes exuded strong resolve beneath. Although his current appearance was that of a child, he resembled James in my ¡°Memory.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for including me. My name is Martin Raymond, and I am Kenneth Lagrall Raymond¡¯s second son. Thanks to you, I was also able to proceed as planned. I¡¯m looking forward to attending the winter festival for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    Like James, I recognized Martin from ¡°Memory.¡± When Martin met the ¡°Beloved Child,¡± he was able to freely manipulate the four elemental magics of fire, water, wind, and earth, as well as the light attribute healing magic. He was about the same height as my older brother, with dark brown hair loosely tied in the middle of his back and stunning blue-green eyes. He has a bit of a ¡°tough girl¡± vibe, but in high school, it was said that he had a ¡°chilling, cold charm¡± that made people shiver whenever he smiled. It seems¡­ I guess? Yup. Such a memory¡­


    ¡°Enjoy your time until dinner, Alfred.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father.¡±


    In addition, I¡¯d like to introduce Edward, my son who joined our family late last year. Like Alfred, I would appreciate it if you could get along well with him. Please introduce yourself to everyone, Edward.¡±


    ¡°Hello, my name is Edward Finley. My age is five years. It¡¯s a pleasure to finally meet you.¡±


    In response to my greeting, James was the first to speak up. His family was also a member of a marquis family. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Edward-sama. My name is James Cornell Stanley. I¡¯d been looking forward to meeting you ever since I found out you were Alfred¡¯s adorable younger brother. Please be kind to me.¡±


    I appreciate the greeting, Stanley-sama. I am delighted to be able to join you at the winter festival. Please take good care of me.¡±


    ¡®Phew, I managed to say it without stumbling. I did my best.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Edward-sama. My name is Martin Raymond. I, too, had been looking forward to meeting you ever since I heard about you from Alfred-sama. Please take care of me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your greetings, Raymond-sama. I¡¯m glad that we can both go to the winter festival. Thank you very much,¡± I said, bowing my head, noting that Daniel appeared to be very happy next to my older brother.


    ¡°All right, everyone. I¡¯ll see you later. Please excuse me.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for the intrusion,¡± I said as I followed my father out of the room. After that, I bowed my head once more and started to leave when my brother called out to me, ¡°Eddie, would you like to talk with everyone for a while?¡±


    ¡°Is that all right?¡±


    ¡°Everyone is eager to have a moment with you, Eddie. Is Eddie welcome to join us, Father?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s fine, Edward, to carry on as usual.¡±¡±Yes,¡± I nodded to which Father also nodded before leaving the room.


    What should I do now? Should I go next to my brother?


    ¡°Eddie, come sit next to me.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­Al nii-sa¡ªaniue .¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to do things as you usually do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Eddie, you can do what you normally do with me, too,¡± Daniel said with a laugh.


    ¡°Uh, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise not to bother Eddie during your stay?¡±


    ¡°Danny, don¡¯t trouble Eddie,¡± said Al.


    ¡°I¡¯m not bothering him. Right? It¡¯s fine if you sit next to me and Al. ¡°Come on,¡± he said as he patted the chair.


    ¡°Uh, okay¡­ Dan nii-sama,¡± I said as I took a seat between Al and Daniel.


    The other two sat across from us, looking surprised. Then, as if on cue, tea and sweets were delivered to us, and each of our servants waited by the wall.


    ¡°What? Are you already close to Edward, Danny? And him addressing you as ¡®nii-sama¡¯ at that?¡± Martin stated as he looked at me.


    ¡°How unusual. ¡°You¡¯re usually such a pain to get along with,¡± James said, holding his tea and looking at both me and Daniel. Brother Al was smiling wryly beside him.Eh? Was Niel[1] really such a difficult person?


    ¡°That¡¯s not nice, Jim[2]. Eddie-kun here is a student of my father¡¯s. He¡¯s very obedient and talented.¡±


    ¡°Really? Howard- sama¡¯s? Howard-lessons sama¡¯s must have been difficult even for a five-year-old.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, Eddie is a hard worker who is also cute. Since I don¡¯t have a younger sibling of my own, I requested that he address me as ¡°nii-sama¡± for the duration of my visit.


    ¡°Oh, maybe I should ask to be called by name as well. Raymond-sama doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for such a festive occasion, does it?¡±


    I lowered my head slightly and looked at my big brother as I caught a fleeting glance. ¡®Al nii-sama, what should I say in times like this? Is it okay for me to be an ignorant five-year-old who doesn¡¯t understand the tricks of the trade? B-But, it¡¯s better to get along even a little bit here, right? I guess?


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, please call me Eddie,¡± I said with a smile, and after a moment¡¯s pause, Martin chuckled.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you Eddie-kun. Please call me Martin.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Martin-sama,¡± I bowed and glanced at my brother, blushing slightly and giggling. It was all because I didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.


    ¡°Good for you, Eddie.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go by James too,¡± James said on his own.


    ¡®This is great.¡¯ ¡°Thank you. Jay¡ªmes-sama, I look forward to working with you.¡±


    ¡®Ah, but it¡¯s a little difficult to say. James-kun[3]. Between in my head and out loud, there¡¯s definitely a difference, huh¡­ Although I thought my pronunciation had improved, it¡¯s difficult to say sounds that I don¡¯t usually use.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ it¡¯s a little difficult to say. Would it be easier calling me Jimmy?¡±


    ¡°¡­Jimmy-sama.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s a childhood nickname. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d hear it here,¡± James smiled, reaching for his tea once more.


    ¡°So, Eddie, I¡¯m counting on you. Isn¡¯t everyone here nice? I don¡¯t have any friends who would harm a small child like you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Al-niisama. Thank you very much. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all.¡± I bowed my head once more.


    ¡°You seem nervous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so stiff.¡±


    ¡®Al-niisama, Daniel-kun, it¡¯s a disaster¡­¡¯


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s scary to be surrounded by your brother¡¯s friends, isn¡¯t it? But I was relieved that you could properly greet us and engage in conversation. To be honest, I was concerned that Eddie-kun would be a crying and tantrum-throwing child, but he appears to be doing well.¡±


    ¡°Marty, you¡¯re not showing any mercy to a kid you just met.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But I¡¯m praising him. Eddie-kun seems to be doing well, you know. Hey, Al.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Marty. He¡¯s a really cute younger brother of mine.¡±


    After my brother helped me, we all ate sweets and drank tea together. In a surprising turn of events, I learned that James enjoys sugary treats. And for some reason, I was compared to a squirrel or a rabbit in terms of cuteness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy the winter festival together,¡± everyone said with a smile.


    For the time being, I don¡¯t believe they regard me as a bad kid.


    When I left the room, I waved my hand and laughed happily, but it wasn¡¯t exactly aristocratic. However, as I closed the door and began walking, Marie complimented me, saying, ¡°You did well.¡±


    ???


    Footnotes


    [1] Edward is addressing Daniel or Danny with another nickname here.


    [2] Jim is nickname for James.


    [3] Note that since MC here is still 5 years old, he couldn¡¯t properly pronounce certain words correctly, perfectly befitting of a 5 years old.

 CH 11

    ¡°Wow¡­it¡¯s really made of snow. It¡¯s amazing!¡±


    In the middle of the town stood a large snow sculpture. Colorful little shops lined up in what seemed like a vast park.


    ¡°Hey, Eddie, do you think it moves like a golem?¡± Daniel said, pointing at the large statue of a god.


    ¡°Huh? It moves? Does it really move? Is that true, Dan-niisama?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯ll light up and move at night. It looks like the real thing, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What?! It moves and lights up? Martin-sama?¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s a little scary. Let¡¯s not look at it at night.¡¯


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t move. It¡¯s glowing because it is illuminated by a magical tool so that we can see it better at night. The festival goes on for three days, day and night. Danny and Marty are already enjoying themselves. Come on, Eddie, it¡¯s about time our father comes out to greet everyone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Al-niisama. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a relief that it doesn¡¯t move or light up. It would be troublesome if it got damaged. And what if someone stepped on the statue of a god? It¡¯s a festival, after all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, right, Eddie¡¯s perspective is really fun.¡± Daniel nodded happily.


    ¡°I want one too. Something like this.¡±


    ¡®Which one? Martin-kun, do you have a thing for small animals? What, like a stuffed animal?


    My brother hugged me tightly and said, ¡°I won¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    I looked at the stage-like area made in the plaza where our father would soon come out, feeling a little distant. Grandes, the capital of the Finley duchy, is a large town located about half a day¡¯s carriage ride from our mansion. We departed yesterday morning and arrived in the evening. We stayed at the lord¡¯s mansion in Grandes, and the next morning, we came to the large plaza to observe our father¡¯s speech.


    The Finley duchy was once a place that only had grasslands, stones, and forests, but now it¡¯s one of the richest territories in the kingdom with extensive farmland, including wheat, vegetables, and fruits, as well as grazing land, making it not only prosperous in agriculture but also in animal husbandry.


    My older brother explained to me that the Winter Festival is a time for people to express gratitude for the year¡¯s blessings by sculpting a statue of the gods, offering crop tributes, and praying for a good harvest the following year, after the harvest season has ended.


    In the plaza, many people were waiting for the announcement of the start of the festival. Near the front, were important people such as nobles and their guards, followed by important people from the city and their guards. Behind them were the city¡¯s leaders who organized the festival, and the knights who protected the city guarded the entire square. All townspeople were waiting around them for the announcement. It was quite complex and confusing scene.


    Snow statues were also placed in parks and streets where food stalls were set up, with the main street leading from the square to the park serving as the main attraction. I hadn¡¯t seen them all yet, but there were special statues of Finley territory gods, as well as spirits and sacred beasts. I heard there were also snow statues depicting mythological scenes, as well as a play being performed in front of one of them. It¡¯s a huge festival, and I¡¯m very happy and excited about it.


    Suddenly, there was a loud cheer.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Father!¡±


    Father, who had a different face from the one we had seen at home, appeared on the stage. His golden hair was sparkling, and his blue-grey eyes glanced at us and softened.


    ¡®Wow, Father is so cool!¡¯


    ¡°The fact that we were able to welcome this day safely this year makes me truly happy,¡± his voice was heard throughout the city, amplified by magic. ¡°This year¡¯s harvest is dedicated to the gods of the kingdom and our great father, God Grandes of Finley. We pray for the gods¡¯ protection in the coming year. I hereby declare that the Winter Festival will begin immediately.¡±


    A deafening cheer rang out. Then, from behind my father, several light flowers rose to the sky.


    ¡°Wow! Al-niisama, the light flowers are blooming in the sky!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re called fireworks. The mages of the territory are the ones who set them off. They¡¯re going to do it at night on the last day too. It¡¯s beautiful, like stars falling.¡±


    ¡°I want to see it!¡±


    ¡°Okay, then Eddie, you need to try your best to stay awake,¡± James with red hair placed his hand on my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best! I have stamina.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, stamina is important.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡®I can¡¯t get sick and be a bother to my older brothers. I must get along with everyone no matter what.¡¯


    ¡°You musclehead¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Marty.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t do that. You need to be careful about how you speak. And Eddie might be scared of you¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of Jim-sama, Dan-niisama.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right~~Eh~~, I really want my younger brothers to learn from you. What¡¯s with this ¡®ho-yo-ho-yo¡¯[1]-like atmosphere?¡±


    ¡°Ho-yo-ho-yo¡­¡±


    ¡®Huh? What does that mean? After squirrels and rabbits, the next thing stuffed animals, and then ¡°ho-yo-ho-yo¡±? What¡¯s that?


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, didn¡¯t I? That my younger brother is cute. Now, since it¡¯s impossible to go around with Father today, we¡¯ll go with the guards. Let¡¯s start by looking at the statue and then head to the park.¡±


    ¡°Do we have to walk too?¡±


    ¡°No, Eddie. Don¡¯t believe him.¡±


    ¡°You really never get bored, do you?¡±


    ¡°Right? I¡¯m jealous of my father who¡¯s private tutoring once a week.¡±[2]


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. We have to be careful not to get lost.¡±


    ¡°Then, hold my hand, Eddie. Don¡¯t go too far from the guards.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Al-niisama!¡± ¡®Yay! I¡¯m holding hands with my older brother and going to the festival!¡¯


    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s hold hands next, Eddie-kun.¡±


    ¡°After that, my turn.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, then me next!¡±


    ¡®Daniel-kun, Martin-kun, James-kun¡­ Yay! Is the plan to become good friends going well?¡¯


    ¡°Thank you very much, everyone. It¡¯s nice meeting you three. Brother, everyone is very kind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad. You became friends so quickly. It¡¯s because Eddie is a good boy.¡±


    In response to my brother¡¯s words, I murmured in my heart, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m desperate,¡± and tightly squeezed my brother¡¯s hand back.


    ¡°The god enshrined over there is Lephelize-sama, the creation god of the Lepherite Kingdom.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the most important god, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡®A very powerful-looking god, like a knight with a sword at his waist. Oh, wait, he¡¯s much greater than a knight. He¡¯s a god, after all.¡¯


    ¡°Well, I suppose that¡¯s true. And the god enshrined here is Grandes-sama, the earth god of Finley¡¯s territory.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s the god of our territory, isn¡¯t he? The earth god seems strong and kind.¡±


    ¡®This god has a beard and looks very gentle. He is holding some kind of plant and a round ball-like object in his hand.¡¯


    The snow sculpture was much larger than when viewed from the square Everyone occasionally stopped and explained things to me, who was seeing it for the first time. Additionally, By the way, the road with the snow statues of the gods had pedestals for dedications to each god, and carriages were prohibited from passing. Both nobles and commoners walked to pay their respects, so magic was used to melt the snow beautifully and prevent slipping and falling.


    ¡®Magic is amazing.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Grandes-sama, the god of the land, that we can harvest plenty of wheat, vegetables, and fruits. This snow statue was made for the festival, but there is a proper bronze statue enshrined in the temple.¡±


    ¡°The temple. The place that fixed my injury before.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a different temple. There is a temple in each land, you see.¡±


    ¡°I see. Do I have to go to the temple?¡±


    ¡°Uh-uh. During the festival, it¡¯s decided that we offer our prayers to the snow statue here, so it¡¯s alright. Eddie¡¯s prayer of gratitude will also reach the gods in the shrine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Strawberries, grapes, apples, chestnuts, they were all plentiful and delicious. I appreciate it so much!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. They turned into delicious sweets, didn¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Well then, we¡¯ve offered our prayers of gratitude to the gods, shall we go to the park and check out the food stalls?¡± Daniel stepped away from the snow statue and said so.


    Upon hearing that, I couldn¡¯t help but shout, ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey! Don¡¯t get too excited and fall over, okay?¡±


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m alright!¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t feel okay at all.¡± James said, feeling exasperated.


    ¡®That¡¯s awful, James-kun.¡¯


    ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s the difference between ¡®food stall[3]¡® and ¡®temporary stall?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re similar, but food stalls sell food, while ¡®temporary stalls¡¯ are small festival shops that sell various things,¡± my older brother replied.


    Martin smiled and continued, ¡°Yeah, usually you¡¯re not allowed to buy and eat on the spot, but you can get away with it at times like this, so it¡¯s fun.¡±


    Then James next to him murmured happily, ¡°I hope they have galettes[4].¡±


    And Daniel added with joy, ¡°Finley has plenty of wheat, so I want to try something unusual.¡±


    Everyone seemed to be having fun, so I also said, ¡°It would be nice if there¡¯s something delicious,¡± and firmly held my brother¡¯s hand so as not to get lost. He noticed and smiled back, gripping my hand in return.


    ¡®Heehee, it¡¯s so fun and happy to walk holding hands.¡¯


    Footnotes


    [1] ¤Û¤è¤Û¤è(hoyohoyo) is a Japanese onomatopoeic expression that represents a state of being carefree, happy, and leisurely. I guess James here is saying that being around Eddie makes the atmosphere relaxing, or comfortable.


    [2] Daniel is saying he¡¯s jealous of his own father, Howard tutoring Eddie since the latter gets to see Eddie every week. LOL


    [3] In Japanese context, both ÎÝ̨ (yatai) and ³öµê (d¨¥ten) refer to temporary or mobile shops, often found at festivals, events, or on the street. However, there are some subtle differences in their meanings and usage.


    ÎÝ̨ (yatai) refers to a small, traditional food stall or cart, often with a roof and wheels, that serves street food, snacks, and drinks. ÎÝ̨ (yatai) are typically set up in a specific location for a limited period, such as a week or a month, and are often associated with traditional Japanese festivals, such as the summer festival (natsu matsuri) or the cherry blossom festival (hanami). On the other hand, ³öµê (d¨¥ten) refers to a temporary shop or stall that can sell a wide range of products, including food, beverages, clothing, accessories, and souvenirs. Unlike ÎÝ̨ (yatai), ³öµê (d¨¥ten) can be set up anywhere and anytime, such as on the street, in a park, or at an event. ³öµê (d¨¥ten) can also be more modern and may not have the traditional design and atmosphere of ÎÝ̨ (yatai).


    In summary, while both ÎÝ̨ (yatai) and ³öµê (d¨¥ten) are temporary or mobile shops, ÎÝ̨ (yatai) refers specifically to a traditional food stall or cart that is often associated with traditional festivals, while ³öµê (d¨¥ten) can refer to any temporary shop or stall that sells a wide range of products and can be set up anywhere.


    [4] A type of Flat cake, commonly known pastry in French cuisine.

 CH 12

    We headed to the food stalls in the park with our escorts. There were many stalls in sight. Joyful music could be heard from everywhere, and the delicious smells wafting from here and there. ¡°Wow! Al, they¡¯re grilling something over there! Oh! There¡¯s meat hanging there! Ahh! The fire¡¯s big! It¡¯s a big pot!¡±


    Calm down, Eddie,¡± my brother said, patting me on the back as if he were used to it.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fun! ¡°


    ¡°I never get tired of watching.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡±


    Martin and Daniel nodded at each other.


    What? What¡¯s so fun about it? The food stalls?


    ¡°Should I carry you?¡± James said, to which brother replied, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Eddie, don¡¯t let go of my hand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Al-niisama. I¡¯ve calmed down now. Excuse me, everyone.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re interested in, don¡¯t hesitate to speak up. It¡¯d be boring if you kept it to yourself after looking forward to it for so long,¡± Brother Al said.


    ¡°Yes, Al-niisama. But I can¡¯t eat that much, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s split it. We can try a variety of things that way,¡± James suggested.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll be embarrassed if Theo-san says anything,¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even Theo knows that festivals are special,¡± Brother Al reassured me.


    Then James smiled mischievously and said, ¡°All right! You can try a bite of mine too.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s all buy different things and Eddie can try them. Festivals are the only time you can do something like this. Come on, tell Dan-niisama, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Eddie. Everyone¡¯s waiting. Come on.¡±


    Is it okay? Can I say anything?


    ¡°Nii-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Look, they¡¯re waiting for you. Eddie.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    And so, we all enjoyed the stalls together.


    The winter festival lasted for three days. On the first day, we saw snow sculptures and enjoyed the food stalls. On the second day, we watched a mythological play and went to the food stalls again for a little bit. The simmered meat was delicious, and even though one piece was enough to fill me up, I couldn¡¯t resist.


    And today was finally the last day. We¡¯re going to check out the booths and shops in town. Since everyone had different goals, we walked around together for a little while and then split up. I thought we would need fewer guards, but in the end, my father, who is the lord, accompanied us, so we had more guards than I expected.


    ¡°It¡¯s fun just watching the stalls!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is. So what do you want to buy, Eddie?¡±


    ¡°Souvenirs for Mother Patty, and maybe something for the baby too¡­¡±


    ¡°Buy something for yourself too. It¡¯s your first festival. It¡¯ll be a good memory.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father. Are you done with your work today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I know how much Eddie was looking forward to the stalls, so I¡¯m glad I could come with you.¡±


    Hehe, my father is calling me Eddie today. I like being called Edward, but it¡¯s also nice to be called Eddie like everyone else.


    Since my father is the lord, he¡¯s very busy during the festival. He came to see the play based on yesterday¡¯s mythology, but he couldn¡¯t join us for anything else.


    When I said, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped,¡± he looked really sad. So I added, ¡°I¡¯ll be happy if we can do something together tomorrow, even if it¡¯s just a little,¡± and he looked happy and joined us in the afternoon after finishing his work.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty. How about this one?¡± I found a beautiful hair ornament in the shape of a flower. My mother¡¯s hair was a soft creamy yellow and her eyes were pink amethyst. She was wearing a flower hair ornament when I first met her.


    ¡°These flowers are pretty like the color of mother¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. It would definitely look good on her. Hmm, it would be nice if there were some blue-gray in it. Well, it¡¯s okay since the base is gold.¡±


    ¡°Embedding small dewdrops like morning dew in the leaf motif might be good too.¡±


    When Brother Al said that, Father nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. Can we do it right away?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask the shop owner if there is a metal craftsmen here,¡± said the attendant, who quickly went to talk to the vendor.


    ¡°Um, Father? Can I add a little blue stone to this one that Eddie chose?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you may.¡±


    ¡°David-sama, if the stone is still on its small plinth small base, it can be easily embedded in the workshop behind the shop. Please just confirm the placement of the stone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to check that out. Look at something else while I¡¯m gone,¡± said Father as he went to the back of the shop.


    I didn¡¯t quite understand what was going on, but it seemed like it was settled. That¡¯s good.


    ¡°Eddie, look at this treasure box with a bird pattern,¡± brother called me, showing the treasure box in his hands.


    It was a beautiful box with a small bird holding a leaf in its mouth, as if it were flying.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s cute! I can put the ribbon that Al-niisama gave me in there.¡±


    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s right. Also, the leaf that the bird is holding is the same color as Eddie¡¯s eyes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! Oh, the bird¡¯s eyes are blue, just like Al-niisama¡¯s! This is it! I¡¯ll choose this one for as a souvenir from the festival!¡± I exclaimed excitedly.


    The leaf and the bird¡¯s eyes were not painted on but rather small stones were mosaic-like arranged on the box, making it sparkle.


    ¡°Thank you for finding this for me, Al-niisama.¡±


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯m glad you like it,¡± Brother Al replied.


    ¡°Um, Al-niisama, are you not buying anything?¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see. I think I¡¯ll look around a bit more,¡± Brother Al said, as I looked around to see what else was there.


    Then, I heard Father calling out to us, ¡°Eddie, come take a look.¡±


    We went over there, and with a smile, Father showed us the hairpin from earlier.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s beautiful! This stone is the same color as Father¡¯s eyes! I¡¯m sure it will suit Mom Patty!¡±


    There were beautiful blue stones scattered around the flower and leaf pattern, making it even more glittery than before!


    ¡°Well, please give this to Mother as a souvenir from Eddie,¡± he said.


    ¡°Is it alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Eddie picked it out, after all.¡±


    When Father said that, I gently put the beautifully wrapped hairpin into the bag I was holding. I also bought a treasure chest I saw earlier and some stationery and envelopes with snow patterns and star-like fireworks designs as my own souvenirs. And I got a really warm-looking knitted hat too!


    The knitted hat had two shades of blue that resembled Father¡¯s and Brother¡¯s eye colors, cream that matched Mother¡¯s hair color, green like my eyes, and snow-white, all intricately woven together in a mysterious way. When I said, ¡°It has everyone¡¯s colors!¡± both Father and Brother smiled.


    Since we don¡¯t know the baby¡¯s color yet, I bought a fluffy white lamb plushie, like snow. It¡¯s so soft and cute. There are many sheep in Finley, so I hope it will protect the baby. My brother bought some picture books about a snow magician and said, ¡°Let¡¯s read them together.¡± I was incredibly happy because I really love it when he reads picture books to me.


    ¡°Well, see you tonight. Make sure to dress warmly, as it¡¯s cold.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father. Good luck with your work.¡±


    Unfortunately, it was time for Father to return to work. The festival ends today, so he must be busy. After the closing announcement, beautiful fireworks will light up the sky, so we¡¯re going out tonight as a special treat.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head to the meeting place with everyone.¡±


    Once we meet up, we¡¯d all return to the mansion together along the road where the Finley family¡¯s large carriage can pass, have dinner, and head out to the night city.


    It¡¯s finally time for the glowing snow sculptures and fireworks to spill stars.


    My first time in the city at night was so beautiful. The pure white snow statues were gently illuminated by the magical lamps that my brother told me about, floating in the night. But it wasn¡¯t scary at all. How should I describe it? Uhm, awe-inspiring?


    Yeah. Somehow, it felt reassuring to have them there, and a sense of gratitude naturally welled up in me.


    ¡°Even when they glow, they¡¯re not scary at all. Grandis-sama has given us so much, like growing grains, vegetables, and fruits, and the food at the stalls was delicious.¡±


    Of course, I¡¯m grateful to the kingdom¡¯s gods for protecting us all, but I¡¯m especially thankful to Grandis-sama for protecting the Finley domain and providing us with so many delicious blessings.


    I bowed once more to the snow statue of the kind-faced, bearded god and asked for his continued guidance before heading to the designated place in the square.


    ¡°Is there anything else we forgot to buy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. How about everyone else?¡±


    ¡°I think I got everything I was asked to get.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    James now consistently refers to himself as ¡°I¡±[1].


    Still, it seems that both Martin and James had things they were asked to buy. I¡¯m a bit curious.


    ¡°It seems like Eddy is curious about what we were asked to get.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    How on earth does Martin-kun know what I¡¯m thinking?


    ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s because you¡¯re so honest, Eddie-kun. It¡¯s easy to tell. Finley is known for its livestock and wool products. My territory doesn¡¯t get too cold, but thin, warm fabrics are popular. Just like that knitted hat you have there. You found a nice one.¡±


    Upon hearing that from Martin-kun, I happily grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°My father, mother, brother, and I all have our colors in this snow.¡±


    Everyone smiled upon hearing that.


    ¡°I really like this. Want to try some?¡±


    James-kun handed me a small object wrapped in golden paper. It¡¯s small enough that it should be okay after dinner. What is it? As I wondered, James-kun unwrapped the gold paper and popped the contents into my mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet! Huh? What is this? Delicious!¡±


    ¡°Caramelized walnuts and nuts.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really tasty. It¡¯s sweet, but there¡¯s a slight bitterness too, like an adult flavor?¡±


    In an instant, the four of them burst out laughing.


    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s Eddy for you. You¡¯re really great. Stay like this forever, okay?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Stay like this? Martin-sama, I¡¯ll grow up, you know?¡±


    No matter how much I dislike being the ¡°villainous son,¡± I can¡¯t stay a child forever, can I?


    ¡°Really, you¡¯re such a wonderful little brother. I¡¯m envious, Al.¡±


    ¡°This offbeat sense of humor is spot on.¡±


    What happened to Martin-kun, James-kun, and Daniel-kun? At times like this, I rely on Al-niisama.


    ¡°Al-niisama.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Eddie?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not offbeat, am I? I¡¯m standing up straight, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re the same as always, my precious little brother.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡±


    I did it! I¡¯m his precious little brother. Ufufu.


    [1] Informal ¡®I¡¯

 CH 13

    ¡°Look, our father is coming out. It¡¯s the finale of the festival.¡±


    Father appeared on the stage where the opening declaration was made. The priest was with him too.


    ¡°Did everyone enjoy the three-day festival? Let¡¯s give thanks to the gods and pray once more for a fruitful year next year.¡±


    Everyone in the square looked up at the sky and prayed. I also prayed earnestly with gratitude. Then, fluffy white snow began to fall from the sky.


    ¡°¡­Pretty.¡±


    The snow seemed to shimmer and sparkle, and I couldn¡¯t help but mutter to myself in awe.


    Even though the snow is really cold, why does it make me feel so warm inside? I wonder if the feeling of gratitude from everyone reaches the gods. Perhaps this glittering snow is a gift from the gods.


    ¡°It¡¯s a strange thing, this glittering snow. It looks like next year will be a bountiful year. Actually, there is one more piece of good news. The holy water in the temple was also shining brightly. It seems that everyone¡¯s feelings of gratitude have reached the gods. I hope that everyone will continue to support this territory together. With this, this year¡¯s festival comes to a close. May everyone stay healthy. Let¡¯s meet again.¡±


    At the same time father¡¯s speech ended, the light illuminating the snow sculpture gathered and spun around in the square before disappearing with a burst into the night sky. Then, with a poof, a flash of light bloomed over the plaza, which had been darkened for a moment. The flowers bloomed one after another in the night sky accompanied by loud sounds. The blooming flowers were even more sparkling than the snow earlier, and eventually, they fell on us like falling stars.


    ¡°Fuu, fuwaaa! It¡¯s beautiful! Ni-sama, it¡¯s beautiful! Flowers and shooting stars are falling! Twinkling¡­ amazing! Wow, aah!¡±


    I stretched on my tiptoes and reached out my hand towards the sky. But the light never reached my fingertips and gradually dissolved and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Nevertheless, I couldn¡¯t help but reach out my hand.


    Blooming, falling gently, and turning into stardust. I was captivated by the beautiful light of the night¡¯s magic. And then, as the last of the many blooming lights burst and fell into stardust, all the light disappeared and the lights of the city lit up simultaneously.


    ¡°Aww¡­ it¡¯s over¡­¡±


    Saying that, I blinked rapidly, and my older brother smiled and answered, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s over. It was beautiful, wasn¡¯t it?¡± and took my hand that was a bit away from him, our hands rejoined once again.


    ¡°Yes! It was so, so beautiful! It¡¯s the first time I saw anything beautiful like that. It went ¡®boom¡¯ and sparkled so much, it was amazing¡­ ah¡­¡±


    I was so excited that not only Daniel but also the people around me noticed me. I had screamed so loudly because it was so beautiful.


    ¡°Um, um¡­ I¡¯m sorry I got carried away and screamed so loud¡­¡±


    My stomach felt cold, and the words I hadn¡¯t used for a long time came out of my mouth.


    But before I could say it all, my older brother spoke up, ¡°Children are supposed to get excited, right, Eddie?¡±


    ¡°Nii-sama¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Everyone, didn¡¯t Eddie make you guys feel happy because he¡¯s so honest and cute?¡±


    ¡°Dan-niisama¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, it was really beautiful. Someday, I want to show Eddie a magic that is just as beautiful and one that he¡¯ll be happy about.¡±


    ¡°Martin-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back before we catch a cold. It was a wonderful festival, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Jimmy-sama¡­¡±


    ¡°Eddie? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying? Are you in pain?¡±


    When my brother asked, I shook my head.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m just happy. Thank you for being so kind to me.¡±


    As I held back my tears, brother hugged me like Mother Patty would and called for Marie, who was among the guards.


    ¡°I really wanted to carry you, but I don¡¯t want to drop you and cause an injury. Eddie, everyone is kind to you because you are kind to them. Now let¡¯s go home and rest. Today was quite an adventure, watching the stalls, the night city, and the fireworks.¡±


    As Marie carried me, I replied with a slightly blushing face, ¡°Yes,¡± while laughing and crying to my brother.


    It was a fun, beautiful, and peaceful day.


    ¡°Are you really leaving like this?¡±


    As I said this with my bright peridot green eyes becoming teary, the three of them smiled with a slightly troubled expression. We were supposed to get along to avoid being disliked or killed, but we had a lot of conversations and spent time together, making saying goodbye very sad.


    ¡°Edward, don¡¯t cause trouble for everyone,¡± said my father with a wry smile.


    ¡°Yes, father¡­ but I thought we could all go together to Finley¡¯s estate.¡±


    The morning after the festival ended, I was surprised to hear that everyone was going back to their own homes from here.


    ¡°At this time of year, everyone is busy preparing for New Year¡¯s Eve and New Year¡¯s Day. We had a good time together, so don¡¯t make that face.¡±


    ¡°Yes, father. Jimmy-sama, Martin-sama, Dan-niisama, it was really fun being together. Thank you very much.¡±


    ¡°I had a great time too. Let¡¯s meet again, Eddie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Jimmy-sama!¡±


    ¡°I also had a lot of fun. It was great to be together. I might come to your father¡¯s house to teach you in the future. Stay well and let¡¯s meet again, Eddie.¡±


    ¡°Dan-niisama! I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± the three of them hugged me tightly, laughing ¡°fufufu¡± as if they could hear the voice of my heart. They called me Eddie. And¡­


    ¡°Eddie, this is from the three of us. It¡¯s a commemoration of the winter festival where we became good friends. We found it yesterday and decided it was perfect. Open it, please?¡±


    A small green box was handed to me. I untied the gold ribbon and inside was a small teddy bear in a milk tea color, similar to my hair color. In the basket held by the bear was a bag of caramelized adult-flavored sweets that James gave me yesterday.


    ¡°I remembered the tradition of giving a teddy bear to cherished children in my territory, hoping they grow up healthy and strong,¡± James said, looking a little embarrassed.


    ¡°Thank you very much. I¡¯ll treasure it. Please take care, everyone, and let¡¯s continue to be good friends,¡± I said, holding the bear tightly and trying my best to hold back my tears as I watched the carriages leave one by one.


    I waved a lot. I felt so happy and lonely that I had almost forgotten about the novel¡¯s ¡°Memory¡±¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Brother.¡±


    He patted my head and wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t rub your eyes with your hands,¡± he said, using a handkerchief.


    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get on the carriage.¡±


    I got on the carriage with Brother Al, holding the teddy bear I received. Marie and another guard were with us. Father and the steward were in the carriage in front of us. The rest of the luggage and souvenirs were already loaded.


    ¡°You received a wonderful present,¡± Brother Al said.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the same color as my hair. I¡¯m happy.¡±


    ¡®No one had the same hair color as me, so I felt a little lonely.¡¯


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a beautiful color. It¡¯s not brown or cream, but it has a slight pinkish hue, a gentle color that suits you.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Beautiful? A gentle color? My hair color?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I know! I¡¯ll put a ribbon on it.¡±


    ¡°A ribbon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right here on the neck. Since you¡¯re also wearing a ribbon on your hair, so I¡¯ll put a matching ribbon on the teddy bear too!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea! Thank you, Al-niisama!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It will definitely look good on him. When we get back, I¡¯ll give this teddy bear his ribbon as a present.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much! Al-niisama!¡±


    The carriage slowly headed towards our home. I fell asleep along the way and dreamed that I had put a blue ribbon on the teddy bear, just like mine, and I was so happy.


    Upon arriving at the mansion, I gave Mother Patty a hair ornament souvenir, which she was very happy to receive. After giving her a souvenir for the baby, Mother still hugged me although the present was still a bit too early. Her long-awaited hug was very gentle, and I realized once again how much I love her.


    Then, Brother Al brought the bear a ribbon as promised.


    After that, we arranged and put away the things we bought. During teatime, I talked to Mother Patty who couldn¡¯t go to the festival, about many things like food stands and fireworks. We also ate the sweets that Father had bought as souvenirs without realizing it. I had so much fun even after returning home.


    But the next following day¡ª


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    I had a fever for the first time in a long time.


    ¡°Edward, you must not apologize so quickly. It¡¯s very strange for a noble to apologize, so you mustn¡¯t say it lightly. Besides, didn¡¯t you make friends with everyone at the Winter Festival? You fulfilled your duties properly. You¡¯re just tired. Rest well.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with Father¡¯s words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told Mother and Alfred not to visit you just in case. You might have caught a cold.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡®Of course, that was to be expected. I¡¯ll endure not meeting Mother and Al-niisama since it would be troublesome if they caught my fever.¡¯


    ¡°Father, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I don¡¯t get a fever that easily. I have water and ice attributes after all.¡±


    ¡°Water and ice!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know that! Father is so cool!


    ¡°¡­Show me magic next time. Ice magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. It looks like the medicine is taking effect. Goodnight, Edward.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­And, don¡¯t tell me next year not to bring me to the festival because I had a fever, please.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Let¡¯s go together again next year.¡±


    Relieved by his answer, I closed my eyes.


    The next day, my fever went down. It was amazing that it went down in just one day. Although I couldn¡¯t eat with everyone yet, I properly ate my meals and took my medicine.


    As I lay in bed, I looked at the shelf where I displayed my souvenirs and felt happy. The blue ribbon bear plushie and the snow rabbit preserved by magic were lined up, and next to them was a treasure box shaped like a bird.


    ¡°Hehehe, Martin¡¯s magic was amazing. He squeezed and spun, and then a rabbit appeared out of the snow.¡±


    When I asked how he made such a big snow statue, he quickly made a small rabbit snow statue in his hand. At first, I was scared, but he turned out to be a really nice person.


    ¡°Blue ribbons really do suit bears, don¡¯t they? What else should I put in the bird¡¯s treasure box?¡±


    ¡®Right now, I only have a spare blue ribbon from Al-niisama in the treasure box. But it would be nice to put something else in there, too. It¡¯s a really happy thing to have more treasures.¡¯


    As I was thinking about such things, Marie came in.


    ¡°Edward-sama, Alfred-sama has come to visit.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But Father told him not to visit.¡±


    ¡°He said it¡¯s okay if your fever has gone down.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­I want to see him, but¡­¡±


    I really want to talk to him about how fun the winter festival was. But, but¡­


    ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯ll have to resist seeing him because I don¡¯t want to infect my brother¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m a little sad, Eddie.¡±


    ¡°Al-niisama!¡± I exclaimed and sat up halfway at the sound of his voice, and Marie quickly covered me with a small blanket.


    ¡°I heard your fever has gone down. I¡¯ll be going back soon, but just for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°¡­.S-Soon?¡±


    That made me sad.


    With a gloomy expression on my face, Brother Al chuckled and walked into the room.


    ¡°I wanted to give you this. I hope you get better soon,¡± he said, holding a container with a round lid covered in drawings of stars and flowers in various colors. ¡°It¡¯s a candy made of sugar. I found it in Grandis and bought it for you. Don¡¯t eat too much, okay? I¡¯ll leave now because I¡¯m worried about you. Let¡¯s read a book together when you get better. The new book we promised to read.¡±


    ¡°The picture book we saw at the bookstore? I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯ll get better soon.¡±


    ¡°Okay. See you later. Take care of yourself.¡± Brother Al said, leaving the room.


    I feel really lonely, but there¡¯s nothing to be done about it. I¡¯ll have to get better soon.


    Thinking that, I gently opened the lid of the container Brother Al had given me and looked inside.


    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s so pretty¡­ and cute¡­¡±


    Inside were small candies in the shapes of stars and flowers, just like the ones drawn on the lid, in a variety of colors.


    ¡®Orange, yellow, green, white¡­ and¡­¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s in Al-niisama¡¯s color!¡±


    ¡®A beautiful blue star flower, just like the ones I like.¡¯


    ¡°There¡¯s only one of them.¡±


    Nodding in agreement to Marie¡¯s words, I popped it into my mouth. It was really sweet. While savoring the gentle sweetness, I hoped I could go to the winter festival again next year. And I realized that physical strength is important, so I closed my eyes quietly.


    The next day, my fever had completely gone down. I was eating caramelized sweets and drinking tea with my mother. It was a rare occasion for just the two of us to have a tea party.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you recovered quickly. But still, it¡¯s wonderful to see the snow glowing,¡± said my mother.


    ¡°Yes. Father said that next year is likely to be a prosperous year, so I¡¯m glad,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s right. And since Eddie will be a big brother next year, I hope it will be a good year,¡± said my mother with a smile.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do my best to become a wonderful older brother like Al-niisama,¡± I answered.


    My mother smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±