I’ll Live A Long Life to Adore My Absolute Fave—Currently My Stepbrother!

Bruno-kun and Brother were geniuses: together, they had created a new medicine before they had even turned ten years old. Under the leadership of Bruno-kun, Father and a handful of his elite people have created a medicine that renders the ‘Launen disease’ as no longer deadly.

Bruno-kun explained to me that his earth magic could promote growth, blah blah, and that Brother’s ice magic could freeze the ingredients, blah blah… and then I was totally lost. Anyway, it was okay as long as I understood that this feat wouldn’t have been possible without Bruno-kun and Brother. Other people had also contributed; the ones who were good at fire magic did the drying, and many other professionals did a lot of work on it.

However, the medicine couldn’t fully cure the disease once consumed, rather only relieving the symptoms, so the seizures would become less severe and would no longer be life-threatening. In other words, it was like an upgraded version of the ridiculously expensive medicine that had been around for a while. With greater efficiency and affordability.

Still, this was a breakthrough, and it was the best medicine to prolong my life, which was only just able to be beckoned back by my absolute fave with dead facial muscles every time I had a seizure. The fruit itself was only temporarily effective, but they had somehow made it so it could continuously suppress mana release from the body, even though I had no idea of the mechanisms behind it.

And ever since they had confirmed that melon trees were able to grow properly in the greenhouse, it seemed that my father had expanded it and brought in all the trees at the same time that the medicine was completed.

Before I realized it, the greenhouse had doubled in size. For a place that I frequented everyday to suddenly grow bigger even though it had still been normal during my visit the day before – I thought my senses had gone wonky. Anyway, I was so surprised that I couldn’t speak: actually, I was rather surprised I didn’t have a seizure.

The melon tree, which was indeed a new species, was going to be named ‘Alba’ because I had discovered it, which I did my best to stop. Please stop it. It’s just too embarrassing to use my name. Please just name it normally, ‘melon’.

When I had desperately tried to persuade Father, who had been gleefully proclaiming that it was an ‘Alba tree’, he looked incredibly disappointed and repeatedly asked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to name it after you?” he kept on asking me again and again. 

I’d rather not. Really, don’t do that. Seriously, at least for my sake, please don’t. 

After such negotiations, the new melon species somehow ended up being registered under the name ‘Legare’ (to connect1). I was quite relieved that the name of the new drug was also called ‘Legare’. Personally, I still believed it should have been called melon, but Bruno-kun said it didn’t sound good so my proposal was rejected.

That was how I became less afraid of seizures, and I was able to live to the year when Brother and Bruno started attending junior high2. However, it made me very sad to see him off as he rode the carriage everyday to school. Brother was eleven years old, while I was only seven. I, who still had a long way to go to grow up, would see him off at the door every morning. I felt so lonely.

There was no such thing as primary or elementary school in this world. This was because among the nobles, they usually would hire private tutors to teach the children at home based on the various customs of their families.

Around the time the children had mastered their basic education, they would be next sent to junior high so they could expand their social skills and to help them learn how to apply their knowledge. Kids who had been playing all the time would surely face difficulties from the start of school.

Bruno-kun and Brother would surely be fine, but I wouldn’t be. I would be in deep trouble. I needed to start studying seriously. After all, I would be going to school in four years.

I stood sullenly at the doorway until the carriage disappeared, and when Brother had gone, I went back into the house with a heavy heart and began my own studies.

I could manage to read and write, but I couldn’t remember the history and family tree of the Duke’s family at all. There were so many similar names, and I had to remember so many things, like what my ancestors did for the royal family generations ago, and how many generations ago the head of our family was granted new territory by the royal family for his valour in battle.

It all made me want to throw up. I just wanted to finish my studying by saying, ‘Like I care!’. However, it seemed that it’d be an embarrassment if a noble couldn’t remember things like that. 

When I’d tilted my head in confusion and wondered why it was considered a disgrace, my tutor said, “For example, if you talk to the Empress Dowager and she brings up the topic of what the Duke during her time had accomplished, if you respond weirdly, as a result, your family status will be lowered.” 

Just one conversation can have that effect. The noble world sure is scary.

So I growled and recited the names of each person. But I knew. I knew that when I was done with this family tree, I’d be forced to memorize a list of all of the noblemens’ names, or something like that. Brother must have learned it very quickly. In any case, the tutor seemed to be someone who had taught Brother as well, since he would always compare us. 

Whenever I heard him talk about it, I was genuinely impressed by how great Brother was, but when  I kept asking him how the latter studied, he would give me a disapproving look.

But I’m the one who knows best how much I’m not good at studying.

When the tutor had left, it was time for lunch. Mother and Father usually would eat with me. They asked me kindly how my studies were going, but all I could say was that I was doing my best. When I had whined to Father about it before, he had immediately wanted to cut off my tutor’s head, and I desperately tried to stop him; since then, I had been a hardworking man. Because if I let that tutor quit, I wouldn’t be able to learn how Brother had studied. Such a waste.

After dinner, I would head to the library in the house and read every book I could find on magic studies and magic circles. It was a way to pass the time until Brother arrived home. But when Brother and Bruno-kun came back from the academy, they would go to the greenhouse and the laboratory after only lightly greeting me, so I was usually left behind. I felt lonely.

I was almost jealous of Bruno-kun, the boy who saved my life. It was not fair that he got to be with Brother all the time. But I couldn’t exactly say those things either, because he was still working hard for me. I was so sullen.

Ah, but I was really looking forward to the fact that in another four years, I would be able to attend junior high, because I would be able to go to school together with Brother—a final year student at that time—for one whole year. That’d be enough motivation for me to live on.

And what a thing to be happy about, now that there was a possibility that I could live to see Brother attending high school.

I was not sure exactly how old I was when I actually died3; maybe it was explained in the additional paid personal story, but it wasn’t anywhere in my memories, so I couldn’t say for sure that I was totally safe now, but I’d like to think that I would survive the crisis.

The game spanned the three years between the time when my absolute fave was 16 to when he was 18. The main story took place in the Royal Academy. Until then, it was only five more years; if I could stay alive by then, I would be able to say, “I’ve survived!”

But in order to get through these years, I’d need to learn a lot of things. I still hadn’t gotten permission to use magic yet. Even my attribute was still unknown.

Because of this, I decided to start self-learning magic that even I could use—the magic circles. Magic circles basically required almost no magic power to operate, and in order to draw one, all one needed to use was magic ink, but I didn’t have that kind of ink, so I was just practicing with regular ink and a pen. As I loved to draw, it seemed to suit me quite well, and I was enjoying the whole process very much.

I stopped drawing and looked up to see the setting sun shining through the window. It’s almost time for Brother to come home, I thought as I stood up and hurried to the door, trying not to run. 

It was routine for me to give him a welcome home hug. This was something that Brother himself had suggested to me when I had cried unbecomingly because I didn’t want him to go to the school on his first day.

“I’m also sad that I won’t be able to be with Alba, but I have to become a great adult and continue to protect this house together with you. So that I can go to school cheerfully, will you give me a hug every morning? When I come back, will you give me a big hug and praise me for my hard work for the day? If you do, I’ll also give you a big hug and lots of praise. If Alba isn’t feeling well, I’ll come flying to your room, okay?”

I couldn’t help but agree when he spoke so proudly. After all, it was a luxury to be able to indulge in Brother’s tight hugs twice a day. So, I hugged him tightly and said, “Good luck with the school, Brother.” 

When he hugged me back, my crying face turned into a dere face. Behind me, my mother had muttered, “As expected of Orsis-kun…” but I wondered what she meant. Maybe I should just ignore it.

As I hurried to the door, Brother was just coming in with Bruno-kun.

Brother, who was in the middle of his second growth spurt, had grown much taller, and his body was now supple, yet beautiful and slender. Bruno-kun was still a little smaller than Brother, but I remembered he was bigger than Brother in the game when they were standing side by side; from here on, he would change to wearing glasses and would start growing taller.

But even though I was no longer in mortal danger, I was still weak and puny, and the gap between me and Brother was gradually widening; I had actually grown quite a lot since I came here. To put it comparatively.

Although it was improper, I impatiently ran up to Brother and hugged him with all my might.

Brother smiled as he hugged me back, rubbing his cheeks over my head as he greeted me with a gentle voice, “I’m home, Alba.”

“Welcome home, Brother. I’m glad you made it back safe and sound.”

“Thank you.”

As the two of us exchanged our first hug since morning, Bruno stopped us with an exasperated voice.

“Come on, Orsis. Let’s go to the lab. You’ve already had your morning hug with Alba. Isn’t it about time you separated from your brother?”

“Don’t be so mean, Bruno. This is my oasis. I’m tired of being at the academy and now I can relax here.”

“I know you’re tired, but there should be a limit.”

“If you’re jealous, Bruno, you can hug your little brother too. Not Alba, but your own little brother.”

“Eh, no! Why do I have to hug him?”

Brother walked away from me as he bickered with Bruno, exchanging words like ‘You poor little thing’ and ‘You guys are an embarrassment’.

Oh, that’s right. I have to leave Brother, don’t I? Someday.

…It’s a bit impossible. I don’t think I can handle the idea of being apart from Brother. What can I say? I’ve lived all my life to adore Brother with my own eyes, so if I have to leave him, I’d have no hope of living. 

Bruno-kun, what an absurd thing you’ve just said.