I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother

 

Carcel hadn’t killed or wiped out everyone in the Marquis of Petrian, but it was undeniable that many people had perished in the fire he caused that day.

Fire. Yes, it had been fire. The magic Carcel used on the Marquis of Petrian.

The spell that had recently targeted Theo was also fire-based. Out of all the types of magic, why fire?

If they had truly wanted to deal with Theo decisively, there were simpler methods. Poison in Theo’s food, for instance, could have easily ended him.

Charlotte shivered at the horrifying thought. She clung to her conclusion.

“There must have been a survivor from the Marquis of Petrian.”

In the original story, it was stated that the people of the Marquis of Petrian had all died. But Charlotte hadn’t finished the book.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if, later in the plot, an antagonist dramatically revealed themselves as a surviving member of the Marquisate seeking revenge.

Of course, this was just speculation. The idea of a Petrian survivor was less likely than the possibility of someone else targeting the Heinst family.

But Charlotte’s instincts, honed from reading countless romance-fantasy novels, told her otherwise.

A survivor from the Marquis of Petrian—yes, that had to be it.

‘But it was said that both the direct and collateral lines were wiped out.’

That fact had been clearly stated. Those family members had been executed, leaving no room for doubt.

So Charlotte considered another possibility.

“An illegitimate child.”

A child born out of wedlock, unacknowledged as a legitimate member of the Petrian family.

Perhaps this child, having lived elsewhere, had survived the fire that engulfed the Marquisate 16 years ago—the man with golden hair and blue eyes.

If he knew Theo was a Rosito, then he himself might also be a Rosito.

‘Why didn’t I think of this sooner?’

When viewed as part of a fictional narrative, the theory made a lot of sense.

A hidden heir from the fallen Marquis of Petrian seeking revenge against Carcel, the man believed to have destroyed his family, would certainly make for a compelling story.

Having formulated her theory, Charlotte headed to the library to confirm it.

Fortunately, the library held a noble registry published before the fall of the Marquis of Petrian.

She immediately searched for details about the last Marquis of Petrian. The most significant information she sought was his appearance.

The registry, designed to help noble children recognize prominent figures, included physical descriptions alongside other details.

The description of the Marquis of Petrian read: blond hair and blue eyes, tall and slender.

Blond hair and blue eyes. It matched the description of the man Carcel had mentioned.

Of course, blond hair and blue eyes weren’t uncommon in the empire.

Charlotte herself and Theo both had blond hair and blue eyes, after all.

But seeing the description in writing made something click in Charlotte’s mind.

That man with golden hair and blue eyes must be an illegitimate child of the Marquis of Petrian.

For Carcel to address this threat, he would inevitably have to confront his memories of Edgar.

“There’s no more time to delay.”

Charlotte still didn’t know how Carcel would react once he recovered his memories.

The more she got to know him, the harder it became to predict his response. He was a man of contradictions—his exterior often masking his true nature.

But the time had come.

To protect Theo, Carcel, and herself, Charlotte had to act.

After forming her hypothesis about the Petrian survivor, Charlotte made her way to Carcel with a heavy heart.

She clutched the pendant he had given her so tightly that her palms grew sweaty.

When Carcel opened the office door and saw her tense expression, his own face darkened.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

He gently took her arm, leading her into the office and speaking with urgency.

It was only when Charlotte saw the dampness on his fingers from wiping her cheek that she realized she was crying.

“I…”

“Sit down first. I’ll have them bring us tea.”

“No, tea isn’t necessary. I need to speak with you privately.”

Carcel hesitated, clearly concerned by her insistence, but ultimately refrained from pulling the bell cord. He guided her to the sofa instead.

“Take a moment to calm yourself, then tell me what’s troubling you.”

Charlotte took several deep breaths, trying to steady her nerves, but her heart refused to settle.

Abandoning her attempt to calm down, she handed him the pendant she had been holding.

Carcel’s expression hardened further as he looked at it. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated.

“You’re returning this to me… does that mean…”

His voice faltered, trembling.

“Are you asking to break off the engagement?”

The way his voice broke over the word “engagement” made it clear how deeply the thought pained him. Realizing his misunderstanding, Charlotte shook her head vigorously.

“No, that’s not it.”

She flipped the pendant over to reveal the engraving of Edgar’s name.

Carcel’s eyes widened as he stared at the name.

“This is…”

“You remember how I mentioned I could undo enchantments? This isn’t exactly that, but something similar happened.”

“…”

Carcel took the pendant from her and examined it closely, lost in thought.

“While I was still learning to control my ability, I accidentally triggered the enchantment on this pendant. That’s when the name appeared.”

“…”

“And after hearing about your dream, I thought it was time to show this to you.”

“Edgar… Heinst.”

Carcel’s voice was barely above a whisper, as if he were in a dream.

“He was real. He really existed. But why…?”

He seemed to be asking himself as much as her. Then, his tear-filled eyes rose to meet Charlotte’s.

Even if he didn’t consciously remember, his heart clearly did.

Charlotte prepared to tell him everything she had kept hidden, but before she could speak, he asked first.

“Charlotte, do you know about Edgar Heinst?”

His voice was calm, almost emotionless, but Charlotte felt certain he already suspected the truth.

Lying would only erode his trust. So she answered without hesitation.

“Yes, I know about him.”

Carcel’s expression tightened as he gritted his teeth.

“…How do you know?”

Was he accusing her of being a spy? Of approaching him with ulterior motives?

Fear twisted in her chest, and Charlotte found herself unable to speak.

Carcel waited patiently, not pressing her, but the silence in the room grew suffocating. Finally, Charlotte forced herself to answer.

“It happened when I visited the late Duchess’s portrait with Theo.”

Her voice trembled with emotion she couldn’t suppress.

Carcel’s hardened features softened slightly, and he reached out to take her hand.

Encouraged by his touch, she continued.

“I wondered why you were sitting off-center in the portrait. It seemed unbalanced. Didn’t you ever think it was strange?”

Carcel murmured, almost to himself, “I never… noticed. Why didn’t I?”

Perhaps there was some enchantment preventing people from questioning it. Charlotte, being a Rosito, had been unaffected.

“Anyway, while I was lost in thought, Theo approached the portrait, and I followed to stop him. That’s when I touched it, and the magic broke.”

“…”

“And in the empty space, another figure appeared—someone who looked just like you.”

She swallowed hard before finally saying the name aloud.

“Edgar Heinst.”

Carcel drew in a sharp breath.

“It was written below his image.”

Silence fell once more. Charlotte hesitated before continuing her explanation, carefully omitting any mention of the original story.

She wove truth with half-truths.

“I was shocked. But Robert insisted it was a family secret and that I couldn’t tell anyone—not even you. And the next day, Randru tried to erase my memory of it.”

“…”

“But the spell didn’t work on me, so I’ve remembered everything.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because Robert said it was a family secret.”

Carcel fell silent again, weighed down by the gravity of her words. Finally, he spoke.

“Robert… said that?”

“Yes. And as your contract fiancée, someone who’s supposed to leave eventually, I thought it wasn’t my place to know.”

“Then why are you telling me now?”

Charlotte thought of how much pain Carcel had endured every time Edgar’s memory surfaced.

“Because I can’t bear to see you suffer anymore.”

Her voice cracked as she smiled faintly through her tears.

“Carcel, do you… resent me?”

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