A Brother’s Love

Cecilia frowned. She didn’t want her recovery to be exposed now.

As long as she remained “gravely ill,” nothing she did would attract much attention. Who would suspect a dying woman of plotting for the throne?

Cecilia planned to use this advantage to secretly build her own power base. Only when she had accumulated a loyal following would she announce her recovery at the right time and formally enter the race for the crown.

So she quickly put her veil back on, lay down on the bed, and waved for Mary to bring them in.

“Cecilia, are you feeling any better?”

“Mm, I feel much better… *cough*… *cough*”

She clenched her fist against her mouth, bent over, and coughed lightly, putting on a convincing act.

Having been ill for five years, no one knew better than she how to fake sickness.

The room was dark, the veil concealed her face—she wasn’t afraid Eck might notice anything.

But Eck immediately grew anxious.

“Don’t talk. Just listen to your brother.

“I didn’t come for anything important. I just wanted to see you.”

He couldn’t bear to hear his sister cough. Ever since Cecilia’s diagnosis, her coughing had become Eck’s nightmare. Each cough reminded him that his dear sister was slipping toward death.

Aside from Cecilia herself, Eck was the most concerned about her condition.

He dared not tell her the real reason for his visit: the doctor said she had at most one more year to live.

Eck knelt on one knee, took Cecilia’s small hand, cradled it in his own, and spoke as if to himself or making a vow:

“I swear, your brother will find a way to cure you. The world is vast—there must be some medicine, some magic that can save you.

“We have so many colonies, such a powerful fleet. I refuse to believe they can’t find a cure for tuberculosis.

“Cecilia, you have to wait for me… you have to wait for me… don’t leave us.”

His voice was soft, but in the silence of the night, it was crystal clear.

Cecilia easily caught the tremble at the end of his last sentence.

Was her brother crying?

What an idiot…

Those faded memories sharpened again.

Every time they chatted, he’d pretend to be casual, subtly probing for things she liked, then gift them on her birthday.

As the first heir to the throne, he’d even squeeze in time to learn magic tricks from the court magician just to make her laugh…

But back then, bedridden and bitter, Cecilia hadn’t appreciated his care. She’d wallowed in her misfortune, blaming fate, growing gloomier by the day.

Now, with the haze finally lifted, looking back, those tiny, overlooked acts of tenderness shone all the brighter against the darkness of those five years.

For a moment, Cecilia wanted to remove her veil and tell Eck with a smile that she had long since recovered—that she’d only been teasing him all along.

What a funny, crying-and-laughing expression her brother would make.

Just imagining it was delightful.

“Five years ago, I would have done that…”

But not the Cecilia of today.

No matter how much Eck loved her, he was still the first heir to the throne—the biggest obstacle to her becoming queen.

Cecilia couldn’t let Eck take the crown. He would be a good brother, but never a good king.

She decided to keep pretending.

One day, when everything was settled and the crown was firmly on her head, she would surprise him with the good news.

“Brother, do you remember the question you asked on the yacht?”

“Huh? Which question?” Eck was confused.

“You asked if I liked the tea set you gave me.”

Cecilia smiled sweetly. “I loved it.”

“Oh… you still remember that? You seemed pretty annoyed that day. I thought you hated it.”

“How could I? You were always trying to pry out my preferences. You must have known exactly what Cecilia liked.”

“So… so you knew all along?” Eck’s face flushed as his little scheme was exposed.

“Hehe, I don’t dislike this side of you, big brother.”

Cecilia looked up at the ceiling, as if reminiscing.

“These past years, you’ve visited me the most, haven’t you? Father and Frank seem so busy, coming only occasionally.

“Brother, do you know how they’ve been lately?”

Afraid Cecilia would overthink, Eck quickly replied:

“Yes, yes, they’re both very busy, so they don’t have time to see you.

“These past few years, the Cross Eagle Empire has been restless. Father often travels abroad to stabilize the situation, so he’s frequently out of the country.

“Especially these days, with the aftermath of that disaster still unsettled, he has to handle state affairs while attending various慰问 events.”

“Is his health alright? Won’t he overwork himself?” Cecilia asked with concern.

“No, no, Father has always been careful about that. Don’t worry about him—take care of yourself first.”

Cecilia nodded, already calculating in her mind.

‘Father is old but still healthy. That means the struggle for the throne won’t start too soon.

‘From what I’ve observed, Father dislikes ambitious people. My brothers probably know that too, so no matter their thoughts on the crown, they won’t make any big moves now. I still have time to prepare—no need to rush.’

After asking about her father, Cecilia inquired about the second prince, Frank.

Eck’s face showed hesitation at the question.

“Well… Frank? I only know he’s always busy with this and that. I can’t really tell you what he’s up to… Should I call him over so you can ask him yourself?

“Ah, you know his personality. He likes to do everything alone and always keeps it all so mysterious…”

Cecilia was speechless. She could only probe indirectly: “Don’t you ever bother to ask what Second Brother is doing, Eck?”

“Uh… I’m busy enough with my own royal duties every day. I really don’t have the time.”

If Eck weren’t watching, Cecilia would have shaken her head and sighed right then.

As the first heir, he had no wariness of the second heir, let him act freely, and was completely ignorant of his activities.

Not only that, but he himself lacked ability, vision, and was overly emotional…

He was practically a walking pile of flaws.

Ah… my dear brother, how can I trust you to be king?

Eck couldn’t see her expression or know her thoughts. He only noticed her sudden silence and assumed she missed their father and Frank.