TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 82

“Zeman, come with me for a moment.”

Edward suddenly stormed forward, grabbed the bewildered Zeman, and marched him outside.

Albin stared after them, stunned, blinking in complete confusion.

“Uncle Edward must have something urgent going on.”

Albin didn’t think too much of it and went to check out his brother’s room.

The guest rooms Edward arranged were all high-quality, and technically identical, but Albin soon noticed something different.

“My room has more stuff than my brother’s!” He chuckled.

“Uncle Edward must’ve prepared it for me.”

Even though Edward was Laf’s priest, Muen still felt that someone like him couldn’t be up to anything good.

Muen absentmindedly opened his suitcase and began tidying while asking:

“Little brother, do you want to sleep together tonight?”

“Yes! I have lots to talk to you about.”

Albin leaned close, whispering,

“But don’t tell Dad, okay? I told him yesterday I could sleep alone.”

Ah. No bragging allowed. A faint hint of regret flashed through Muen’s eyes.

Just then, something small tumbled out of his suitcase.

Albin crouched down to help pick it up—and saw clearly what it was.

“Popcorn?”

He stared at the fist-sized ball of popcorn. Pressing it lightly, he realized this looked like something Muen had recently crafted.

“Brother, did you make this? Is this a little cloud? You said you were making merch for me—where is it?”

Thinking it was his brother’s handiwork, he examined it curiously.

The fluffy white popcorn ball had two tiny red dots on it. A squishy toy?

He returned the popcorn ball to Muen—then noticed the suitcase was full of them. Some were big as a palm, some small like the one he held, some flatter like soft rice cakes, and some triangular like rice balls.

When the suitcase opened, the little creations practically popped out like real popcorn.

Was his brother missing rice that badly? Actually… he kind of missed it too.

The food here was either rock-hard bread or rock-hard flatbread that had to be soaked to eat—really not tasty at all.

Hearing Albin’s confusion, Muen fell silent.

He looked down at the things he’d made and couldn’t help remembering Padma’s teasing when he saw them.

“They’re all Albins I made.”

His tone was pitiful.

“Ah…”

Albin froze, then pointed at the white puffs in shock.

“All of these?”

Muen nodded lightly.

…Alright. He admitted that making merch was harder than he expected.

Maybe he should develop a magic spell that automatically made merch—it might be easier.

Lost in thought, he was suddenly pulled back by Albin’s excited cry.

“They’re amazing!”

Albin threw his arms around Muen’s waist, eyes shining.

“Brother, you’re amazing!”

Muen whispered,

“You don’t have to say that. I know they’re terrible.”

He still remembered when he made Albin’s kindergarten crafts. When the teacher learned they had no parents at home, she lowered the grading standards for Albin’s assignments.

Albin beamed up at him.

“As long as I know you made them for me, I’m soooo happy!”

“And they’re not bad at all!”

Albin messed up his own fluffy white hair, pulled another popcorn ball from the suitcase, held it to his cheek, and said loudly:

“See? It looks just like me!”

Grinning, he added:

“But brother, don’t only make me—you should have some ‘you’ around me too!”

He encouraged Muen to make some black popcorn balls as well.

Looking at his little brother with hair as fluffy as a baby lamb, Muen felt his heart fill with soft wool.

“Alright.”

His little brother—so cute!

Truly, no merch could ever be cuter than his brother.

On the other side of the temple, Padma had taken Jade for a walk in the forest. On their way back, they unexpectedly heard sounds of fighting.

Holding his breath in excitement, Padma followed the noise, eager to see a good show at the Temple of Love.

But when he arrived, he found the ones fighting were Edward and Zeman.

Though “fighting” wasn’t quite right—

it looked more like hands-on combat training.

Tch. Boring.

Padma’s expression fell immediately as he turned to leave—until he heard Albin’s name mentioned in their conversation.

Zeman stood over Edward and said:

“Edward, what kind of madness is this?”

Edward lay on his back on the grass, panting as he caught his breath.

“I just suddenly regretted something… If I had agreed to take Albin away back then, he might be calling me Dad right now.”

After all—he had raised that golden-apple little brother for so many years!

He had no idea how many years the golden apple had actually existed, but mentally, he figured he could count as the boy’s father.

Ever since learning Albin’s identity moments earlier, he couldn’t stop imagining it.

Zeman said coldly:

“You’re not the type to regret things like that.”

“Albin is the Love Goddess’s child.”

Zeman froze. He stared intensely at Edward, judging whether he was joking.

“Did the Love Goddess tell you that herself?”

“No, I have no solid proof. It’s just the conclusion I reached. Do you remember the siblings I used to tell you about when we were young?”

Zeman remembered.

When Edward was young, he always liked to tease Zeman, often mentioning an obedient and adorable little brother—but sometimes he contradicted himself and called that sibling a little sister.

But later, Zeman learned that after the Queen of the Rose Kingdom passed away, the King was so heartbroken he never remarried, nor did he have any children besides Edward.

So Zeman had always assumed Edward was just messing with him.

Edward continued,

“Albin is the sibling I talked about back then. It’s just that he didn’t have a human form at the time. Eight years ago, he was stolen by a traitor from the Temple of Love…”

Zeman pressed his lips together, thinking.

Was Edward planning to take Albin away? The Temple of Love…

If Albin really was the child of the God of Love, then the temple would indeed be his true home.

At that thought, Zeman felt a sudden, breath-stealing panic rise within him.

Edward noticed his reaction and let out a long exhale. With a swift motion he flipped up from the grass, casually brushing off the leaves and dirt with a small spell.

He nudged Zeman with his elbow, eyes sharp, lifting a clenched fist as he declared firmly:

“My regret is my own business. But if you dare say anything about giving him to me to raise as a son again, I swear I’ll actually do it—I’ll plant this fist right across your face.”

Zeman stared at him in surprise.

“That child chose you as his father,” Edward said, looking him straight in the eyes.

“It was never you choosing him—it was him choosing you. Don’t betray that choice. And that kid still has me backing him up. After all… I am his big brother.”

Being treated as a little brother himself, and then watching his “younger brother” adopt another “younger brother”—

…Well, that didn’t sound too bad, he supposed.

Just a brother gaining a dad, not a brother being kidnapped.

Not a big problem.

But Zeman replied,

“I won’t betray him. And also…”

He glanced sideways at Edward.

“You’re not his only big brother.”

If someone wanted to hold Zeman accountable, Muen would probably line up before Edward.

Edward: “…”

He forced a smile that wasn’t really a smile.

“I really am about to punch you.”

Zeman answered calmly,

“You can’t beat me.”

Edward’s eyelid twitched.

Zeman then asked,

“Do you want Albin to call you ‘big brother’ from now on?”

Edward looked torn.

“Feels like that would make me… downgrade you for no reason. No way! How about you call me big brother? I should’ve made you my little brother back when you were young and clueless. Now you’re just impossible to deal with.”

“Not happening.”

Though he rejected it outright, Zeman suddenly thought—

If he had called Edward “big brother” when they were kids, then by seniority…

Would he be calling Albin big brother now?

Zeman stumbled a step, then silently erased that horrifying thought from his mind.

The two walked farther away, their voices slowly fading.

Padma, however, stood frozen where he was, overwhelmed by a strange rush of emotion.

Albin is… a god’s child?

A deity—something he loathed even thinking about—

and Albin—someone whose mere presence filled him with joy—

were related?

Was that kid also one of the gods?

Padma’s brows tightened. His body swayed as he took a step back.

He should have realized it long ago. If the God of Night called him “little brother,” Albin’s identity was never going to be simple.

Gods… Albin…

Contradictions and confusion surged violently within him.

That night in the Temple of Love, Albin slept more sweetly than he ever had.

He felt as if he’d dreamed something ancient and long, but when he woke, he remembered nothing.

When he woke up, his big brother was still fast asleep—nothing unusual. After washing up, Albin went to get breakfast.

But he had woken late—the temple cafeteria had already closed. Fortunately, Edward had saved a portion just for him.

“Thank you, Uncle Edward!” Albin replied sweetly.

Edward looked conflicted.

“Um…”

“Hm?” Albin blinked, waiting for him to continue.

“Little Albin… you should call me Brother Edward.”

Albin looked puzzled.

“But aren’t you and Dad friends?”

Edward shot Zeman a silent, grinding-teeth glare.

“Doesn’t matter. Just call me big brother.”

“Okay! Brother Edward!”

Albin was startled by how naturally it came out of his mouth—it sounded so smooth.

The usually dignified Edward couldn’t stop himself from grinning idiotically. He gently patted Albin’s head.

“May you have a lucky and beautiful day.”

Soft white magical particles shimmered around Albin like some sort of blessing buff.

Albin gasped.

“Is this magic?”

“It’s a blessing spell from the God of Love.”

Edward had just finished speaking when several attendants approached him, clearly needing to discuss something.

He frowned but had to excuse himself.

“Sorry, there are New Year events these days. A lot is going on and I can’t spare the time. Today, Zeman will take you around the city.”

Albin nodded.

But just before Edward left, he tugged on his sleeve and smiled:

“Then I wish Brother Edward a lucky and beautiful day too!”

Edward floated away like a flower petal, dragged off by the attendants.

After breakfast, Zeman took Albin into the city.

Albin wanted to bring the others, but Muen was still asleep, Jade had gone to the forest, and Padma was missing since early morning—

so in the end, it was just the two of them.

Walking through the peaceful streets of Rose City, Albin found himself standing once again before the statue of the Holy Mother—the same place he had visited yesterday.

Seeing his expression as he stared at the statue, Zeman remembered what Edward had said and felt even more certain.

“Albin, do you want to know who your mother is?”

Albin froze and turned to him.

“Dad knows?”

He meant his parents in this world.

Thinking it over—based on what he knew—he had apparently been adopted by the Old Lord of Bramble City as a child, his real parents unknown.

He had been a fool when he was young.

Had he been abandoned? Sold?

Or, like that baby used as bait for monsters, were his parents slaves of some lord?

After being adopted by Uncle Jacques, he had tried to investigate, but too much time had passed, and both the old lord and the butler were dead. He found nothing.

“I want to know.”

He looked at Zeman with firm determination.

Zeman placed a hand on his shoulder and said slowly:

“Your mother is right behind you.”

Before Albin could react, he instinctively turned around—

only to see the Holy Mother statue.

Was Dad joking?

Albin was confused. His father didn’t seem like someone who made jokes like this.

He stared at the statue. A strange shock rippled through his heart.

He suddenly sensed something—something unbelievable.

Zeman’s voice came softly from behind:

“According to what Edward told me… your mother may very well be the God of Love, Laf.”

Albin’s mind exploded into blankness.

He stared dumbly into the gentle, loving gaze of the statue.

So this… was his mother?

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