The Strongest Brother Lost His Memory

“Roystan’s the type to break things just for the hell of it. And didn’t he run off in this direction just a moment ago? It’s obvious!”
Ethan stomped his foot anxiously.

I stared at the broken bracelet in silence before murmuring,
“But we don’t have proof. Without evidence, we can’t accuse him.”
Roystan wasn’t an idiot. Of course, he had thought this through before doing it.

“If we handle this poorly, he’ll turn it around on me, claiming I broke it by accident and am trying to frame him.”
At my words, Julian’s eyes gleamed dangerously as he muttered,
“Don’t worry, kiddo. He can’t have gone far. We just have to drag him back here and beat the crap out of him. He’ll confess everything in no time.”

“…What?”
“That’s how I’ve always handled things.”
“…Handled things where, exactly?”

“The butcher shop. Anyway, just leave it to me, kid. There’s only one cure for a bastard like that—a good beating. I’ll keep hitting him until my crutch turns red.”
“Wow. That’s… a completely delinquent way of solving problems.”
Julian ignored me and turned to storm off in the direction Roystan had disappeared.

“Nope! You can’t just go wandering off when you don’t even know the way! That leads to the back garden! He’s probably not there!”
Ethan quickly intervened.
“Rosie, you only ever stayed in the annex, and Julian, you don’t remember, so you wouldn’t know—but whenever things don’t go the way he wants, Uncle Murloc drinks himself stupid and causes a scene in the back garden!”

Hmm. If that’s true, then tonight, without a doubt, he’ll be drowning himself in alcohol and throwing a fit.
There haven’t been many days where things have gone as badly for him as they did at today’s monthly meeting.
“That’s why even the servants avoid the back garden on days like this. Roystan wouldn’t have gone there either!”

“Damn it. Then where did he go?”
Julian’s eyes darted around before his fist clenched in realization. He suddenly declared with determination,
“Wait—Murloc? That’s the bastard who tried to hit Rosie earlier, right? Should I go over there real quick and beat the hell out of him instead?”
At that, Shulva grabbed Julian’s waist, his expression screaming, Please, for the love of God, get a grip! You’re twenty-four!

I slowly lifted my head, a smile creeping onto my lips.
“No, brother. Don’t stoop to beating up our delinquent uncle like a delinquent yourself. Besides, you’re injured—you wouldn’t even be able to hit him properly. And let’s not bother looking for Roystan either.”
“Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

Julian looked at me, confused. Ethan also had no idea what I was thinking.
I narrowed my eyes and said,
“Thanks to you, Ethan, I just came up with a really good idea.”

Then, I patted his arm and smiled.
“So don’t blame yourself for this. The one who did wrong is someone else entirely, and when that happens, you just have to pay them back tenfold.”
“…Pay them back?”

“Yep.”
Julian blinked at my firm answer, and I nodded with certainty.
“Tomorrow’s breakfast is going to be so much fun.”

 
****
 

The Next Morning
I had woken up early and finished getting ready for breakfast.
Today was the day I would officially move into the room Grandfather had given me, Flora.

Last night was my final night in the annex. From now on, I wouldn’t be living here anymore.
“Did you sleep well?”
As I stepped outside, all dressed up, I saw Ethan sitting on a bench in front of the annex, reading a book.

“Huh? Ethan?”
The moment he saw me, he started rattling off words at a rapid pace.
“It takes fifteen minutes to walk to the main building. Since you’re out this early, that means you’re planning to stop by Julian’s room and go with him, right?”

I blinked in surprise.
Ethan closed the thick tome he had been reading and stood up naturally.
“Hm. The estimated movement range has increased, but it’s still within the margin of error, so it should be fine. Shall we head to Julian’s room together, then?”

“…Huh?”
I tilted my head, puzzled.
“You’re coming with me? Why?”

“We’ve been on the same boat since yesterday.”
“So… that means you came all the way to the annex just so we could go to the dining hall together?”
“Of course.”

Ethan adjusted his glasses, clutching his book to his side.
“If I stay near Julian, Roystan won’t bully me. Julian stays with Rosie. So, if I stay with Rosie, Roystan won’t bully me.”
“…Couldn’t you just stick to Julian, then? Why drag me into it?”

“Julian is emotionally volatile and highly self-conscious. He is still in adolescence. It is best to avoid unnecessary entanglement with a stormy youth. It’s exhausting.”
“….”
It was depressing that I couldn’t even argue with him.

“In any case, my decision to stay close to you is purely logical.”
Ethan talked a lot. He didn’t stop chattering the entire walk to Julian’s quarters.
“It’s definitely not because you’re the first person in this house who’s ever sided with me. It’s also not because you look cute. Or because your smile is adorable.”

“….”
“It’s not because you’re scarily brilliant at scheming either. Or because I realized I absolutely must never make you my enemy. And it’s certainly not because the way you sweet-talk people into doing your bidding is incredibly amusing.”
“….”

“These are not irrational or impulsive reasons. I am not that kind of emotional person.”
“….”
“If I want to stay near you, I need to get close to you. And now is the only time to do that.”

“Uh… okay?”
“If Julian regains his memories, he’ll probably stop me from even coming near you.”
“Hm…”

“It’s obvious even without seeing it. Our dear Rosie-Rosie is his one and only sister. He’d throw a tantrum, rolling on the ground, screaming his lungs out. That’s the only logical conclusion.”
Well, Ethan was technically my older cousin—he was a year older than me.
And thinking about it, the old Julian would’ve absolutely done something like that.

“Alright then.”
I slowly nodded.
“Just make sure to stick to the plan at breakfast.”

“Obviously. This all started because of me, so of course, I should step up too.”
And so, I ended up heading to Julian’s room with Ethan.
With no other choice, I helped Julian—who was still relying on his crutch—move toward the main building.

‘But why… why am I in the middle?’
Julian on my right, Ethan on my left.
Even when we arrived at the dining hall, they naturally sat on either side of me as if they were shielding me.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
This was the Noart Family Breakfast.
And it was my first time attending as a recognized member of the family.

‘I have to brace myself.’
The dining hall was an extravagant display of Noart’s wealth, from the gilded plates to the silver cutlery.
Even the relatives were dressed to the nines this early in the morning, their expressions severe.

Even Murloc, still reeking of alcohol, was dressed in formal attire despite the ungodly hour.
‘They’re definitely going to attack me.’
The relatives knew exactly how Julian had won Grandfather’s favor in the past.

So, there was no way they would welcome me, the new favored one, with open arms.
They were probably watching for any chance to crush me before I could take root.
Their sidelong glances at Julian and me weren’t subtle in the slightest.

And then, once everyone had arrived—
The doors opened.
The last to enter was Grandfather.

A man whose mere presence—his sheer size and piercing gaze—was enough to make everyone shrink back.
 
****

The Breakfast Meeting Was Brutal.
“Felide, handle it. You have three months. After that, you’ll cover the deficit out of your own pocket.”
“Father!”

“And Monica, what is the meaning of this report? Explain to me why you’ve done such an incompetent job!”
Grandfather was absolutely livid.
‘No wonder everyone lost their minds over that 1.37 trillion gold.’

Just listening in, I could see why Julian had been chosen as the heir.
Because his two uncles and aunt? They were ruining this family.
“If you lack brains, at least don’t be greedy! If you have no skills, at least don’t indulge in excess! If you have no sense, stay the hell out of politics!”

Grandfather’s rage thundered through the hall. He was definitely a man with anger issues.
“I want everything restored to order immediately! And I mean immediately!”
Meanwhile, Murloc hesitantly spoke up.

“Father, about the heir’s position… Julian isn’t in a state to hold it right now.”
“I’ll handle Julian’s work personally for the time being. I was the one doing everything to begin with.”
Grandfather’s voice was ice-cold.

“Looking at the three of you, there’s no way I’d entrust it to you instead! If you want recognition, prove your worth!”
In that freezing atmosphere, I quietly focused on my meal.
I had once thought Julian had handed me all the best food in the world.

But it paled in comparison to the meals served in the main estate.
“This is only available at breakfast.”
Ethan, apparently in full agreement, mumbled as he ate with fervor.

“I must maximize my sensory enjoyment within the limited time frame.”
“…You talk so much now, but why were you so quiet before?”
“There was no one to listen.”

“….”
“That’s why I’m glad you’re attending breakfast now. This is not an emotional statement. It is a completely rational, logical conclusion. Humans have an inherent need for communication.”
And Julian…

“Wow, this is delicious. Damn… Money really is the best. Holy shit… incredible…”
Was scraping every last bit of sauce off his plate, completely ignoring etiquette.