Tensei Saki ga Shoujo Manga no Shiro Buta Reijou datta Chapter 25

“O, Onii-sama?”

I thought I had been getting along with my cousin, and I’ve always been beside him. And yet…

(This smile Onii-sama has, this is the first I’ve seen it…)

Ryuze always wears a gentle, refreshing smile which could disarm anyone.

To that haughty Britney as well, he always showed a smile full of affection. Willingly holding in his arms that greasy, sweaty body without batting an eyelid. He was that kind of person.

However, the expression he has on now looks much more natural on him.

As I thought, the usual soft smile my cousin had on was not his true face.

“I wish I hadn’t heard you say that but… Well, so be it. You don’t seem to have any ambition after all.”

“O, of course I don’t.”

“Well then, as we had planned in the beginning, you will be doing your best to get married, right?”

As he starts speaking his true intentions, I suppose I’m glad he’s not trying to cut me off like the rest.

It seems he deemed me a little trustworthy.

“I understand. Until I find a fiancé and become their wife, I will do my best in this territory.”

“If you are truly my ally, there are other ways.”

“Nn? Is it alright if I don't find a fiancé?”

“Presently, it would be better for you to quickly marry into another family. Please do your best to make an influential connection.”

“What pressure-! Please don’t unreasonably give so much pressure on my social debut!”

I unintentionally spoke my true feelings.

(This is bad, Onii-sama had only been feigning friendliness in front of me.)

There were even deeper layers behind Ryuze’s smile.

“Britney. You, have a considerably fascinating character inside, huh.”

“Gfuu, Gufufufu.”

I thought to misdirect him by laughing, but it seems my smiling face is as uncanny as ever.

Aa, I don’t want to be here anymore.

“I know you have been making great efforts recently. The soap you had invented really saved me. For that matter, I am thankful.”

“… Onii-sama, the wine and horses you’ve produced seem to give much more stable tax revenue though.”

“It is better to have a wide range of income sources. That shampoo and rinse won’t keep for a long time is their only downside.”

“Uu, that’s true. The latest version of shampoo uses the same mixture of honey and essential oils I use in the soap but… it only keeps for about a month. The rinse is the same way, and every time I see it I feel like I have to use it. Therefore, growing more lemons is very important.”

“Maa, lemons are used because they’re effective.”

Before I knew it, we began talking about work.

“In any case, do your best at the upcoming party. I would like to nominate Ricardo, but…”

“He’s unreasonable because he had dumped me in the past. That said, even I would like if our connection to the Astaru earldom wasn’t cut off.”

“I see. When he came by the other day, I thought I felt a pulse between you two.”

That’s definitely a lie! I gave a tsukkomi in my mind as I left my cousin’s room.

As I was wishfully thinking about giving that response… that’s right, isn’t it?

(… Nn?)

Which reminds me, Ryuze had said “you don’t appear to have any ambition after all.”

Due to my recent activity, was he worried I was aiming to become the next Earl?

(I’m probably overthinking it. I don’t think there’s any way I could take over from Onii-sama.)

Very few female Earls appear in this world.

In the absence of a male Earl, sometimes it seems a woman would take the place of Earl, but normally in the case where there’s no male successor the woman’s husband would become Earl.

(That said, although it was a considerable while ago, there was a story where all of the male successors were fools, and exceptionally a woman was nominated… I learned that in my history classes.)

At any rate, that should be irrelevant to the Hakusu earldom.

Umm… Author-san??? Why are you foreshadowing that Britney will succeed the earldom?

Anyway, seems Ryuze was worried she had begun to aim to become Earl. I don’t know why his face turned so ominous though… I guess her potential to become a competitor worries him that much?

Thank you all once again for your comments and reviews. Positive group think works wonders on me and motivates me to translate more.

Happy Holidays!

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Chapter end