“Yes, it’s a war all right! A holy war!”
The group of followers raised their voices and cheered. Mother was gifted at winning people over. That was probably why she was infamous for starting so many problems in Sanctoria.
Only now did I realize she’d been doing the exact same thing to me—pretending to fear a lifelong imprisonment to manipulate me into helping her. She knew I’d be able to get close to my own brother. I was the pawn she used to get the cursed book back.
“No…! Big Brother isn’t…!”
I tried to stop them, but their excited cries drowned my voice out. No, this isn’t what’s important right now.
I raced back into the hallway, retracing my path to the room with the fireplace. I scraped the book out with a fire poker, but it was hardly more than ashes at this point.
“Damn it!”
I sprinted out of the manor. Two horses were tied together, so I mounted one and let the other run alongside me as we raced back to the Rhuddlan territory.
When the first horse got too tired, I mounted the next one to finish the journey.
The Sanctorian devotees would need to prepare before they went and captured Big Brother. If I got there before them, maybe I could keep him safe now that he’d turned into a cat.
“Big Brother…! Big Brother…! Forgive me…! It’s all my fault!!”
I screamed and pleaded as I raced down the dark road. If only I could’ve stopped caring for that woman and cut her loose. No, that’s not it either. I was just too foolish. Big Brother has no reason to be proud of me! I’m a complete imbecile…!
My horses sprinted for as long as they could, but they were spent now. I gave the tired animals to a passing coachman, exchanged them for one of his, and rode this last horse all the way back to the hot spring resort.
I thought Big Brother’s personal guards, or the ones from the palace, would stop me when I showed up without anyone escorting me, but they cleared a path for me to pass… almost like they already knew what was going on.
“Big Brother!”
I burst into the room I was sharing with him and Siraiya. But the four of them were gathered around the table, eating.
“Back in time for dinner, I see?”
Big Brother sounded like he was teasing me. But he wasn’t any sort of cat at all. He was still just a human with a pair of cat ears on his head.
“B-Big Brother…? Why aren’t you…?”
My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor, drawing a “Good grief” from Big Brother. He walked over and knelt down next to me.
“This isn’t the time for lounging around on the floor, is it? Tell me everything that happened, Rutherford.”
“Ah…! R-Right…!”
I didn’t know why he hadn’t transformed into a cat, but that didn’t change the fact that Mother and her devotees were coming here to capture him. Still overwhelmed, I stammered out a confession about Mother’s conspiracy, the cursed book, and my foolish mistakes.
“Forgive me, Big Brother…!”
With that final apology, Big Brother placed his hand on my shoulder.
“It’s all right. I knew you only came to this resort because your mother was using you as her pawn.”
“…What?!”
“The book I gave you was a fake. I could never give my political rival something he might use against me. Why, I had a good laugh when you ran off with that book without a second thought. You’re still so naive, Rutherford.”
“You…laughed…?”
I felt like I was going to collapse all over again. Big Brother had seen straight through me. Behind him, Lady Cynthia’s eyes went wide. “Your Royal Highness…” she murmured.
“We’ll be preparing to leave as soon as possible. Whose side are you going to take, Rutherford?” Big Brother asked me, his eyes serious. “I’m sure you understand that we’re on the verge of a civil war. Now is the time for you to decide on your allegiance.”
“…!”
I gulped. He was right. I was past the point of begging for mercy. My only way forward was to pick a side. But I already had my answer.
“…That woman isn’t my mother anymore!” I declared once and for all. “Please let me come with you, Big Brother! I promise to protect you!”
“Very well. Fifteen is a pretty young age to leave the nest. I’m impressed, Rutherford.”
“That’s not… I made a stupid mistake. I have no right to even look you in the eyes…!”
I hated myself for what I’d done. But Big Brother stood up and extended his hand to me.
“I think I’m more than talented enough to make up for my little brother’s missteps. Aren’t you honored to have a brother as brilliant as me?”
“Big Brother…”
He sounded prideful, but I could tell he was just trying to stop me from spiraling any further. Big Brother was always righteous and caring. He wanted to be a good older brother for my sake, so I needed to live up to my role as his little brother.
“I vow to never betray you again, Big Brother.” I took his hand, stood up, and watched as he smiled at me, looking satisfied with my answer.
“You need to get changed, Prince Adelberd.”
When Siraiya said that, I realized they were all still in yukata. It definitely wasn’t easy to move around in those things.
But then we heard a commotion outside. I could make out the sound of steel colliding with steel. It’s already starting!
“That was faster than I expected,” Big Brother sighed. “We must have underestimated their first wave of men. There’s no time to change. Come on, everyone. We’re going to escape through the secret exit we prepared.”
Everyone sprang to action at Big Brother’s orders. I didn’t know about this secret exit, but once we entered the courtyard and followed the stepping stones, we came upon a small door hidden in one of the bushes.