I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother

Charlotte hid behind Cesar, the knight who followed her from behind as she walked through the forest, and stared blankly at the child.

The child, who looked around the age of three or four, was left alone in the forest without any family member or servant.

“Big brother, where is he?”

Why is a child alone in the forest? Did you walk alone and end up here after losing contact with your parents?

Normally, she would've thought so and would try to find the child's family.

However, Charlotte didn't give Cesar any order…

It was because of the dark, red blood soaked in the child's clothes.

It wasn't only present in his clothes.
There was blood on the child's golden hair and plump cheeks as well.

Cesar, who was on guard and had his sword pulled out, only watched the child walk around at the unexpected sight.

The child kept looking around, poking his chubby cheeks as though he was about to burst into tears.

“Pulled, tied.
Big brother.”

Upon noticing Charlotte and Cesar, he curled up like a frightened squirrel.

But he only stayed that way shortly after blinking a few times and looking around.

Soon after, he began to tread carefully towards the two.

At Charlotte's call, Cesar sensibly hid his sword.

They lowered down their guard knowing that even if someone with a sword were to suddenly appear from behind the child's back, Cesar could still respond quickly.

He excelled in handling swords, enough to be noticed in the capital.
Among his many advantages, the biggest one he had was his speed in detection.

The child, who had come close to Cesar, faltered once more when he saw him.

Charlotte stepped forward and came close to him, wondering if he was now relieved.

The child, who was looking up at Charlotte, had an expression that seemed to be asking, 'Older sister, did you see my brother?'.

If he had looked at her with that expression at another time, she would have thought he looked lovely and cute, however, his blood-stained clothes, hair, and cheeks made him look rather cold instead.

The child, who had been looking up at her for a long time, sat on the floor and began to sob when he didn't get the answer he wanted.

Upon hearing the child crying, Charlotte was brought back to her senses.

“Are you all right, baby?”

She approached the child despite Cesar's dissuasion.

The child answered breathlessly.

“I don't know where older brother is now.
He was over there earlier.”

TL/N: This was pronounced wrongly.

The child raised his hand and pointed to the bush from which he had come out.

The child's pronunciation was so unclear that Charlotte could not understand his words properly.

But I could see that something had happened at the place where he had pointed his finger at.

Charlotte was taking a walk in a small forest in Baron Rania's territory located in the north.

Of course, it was a peaceful place with no predators.

If a certain area of this place is covered in this much blood, then this is definitely a serious matter.

It was unusual for a child to walk around alone as well.

I had a bad feeling.
A feeling of blood flowing at Baron Rania's territory, which used to be quiet and peaceful.

Charlotte shook her head and struggled to shake off her ominous thoughts.

“I think his brother is nearby, so please search around the area.”

“If that's the case, I'll be stopping by the mansion first to send more people──”

“We don't have time.
If this blood was his brother's, he would have been seriously injured.
We need to find him as soon as possible.”

What if they are perhaps too late? Charlotte did not utter the words she has been thinking of.

Despite Charlotte's emphatic words, Cesar did not move an inch.
For him, it was of utmost importance to protect the young lady from any danger lurking beneath the shadows.

’

Charlotte spoke to him once more, but this time she made her words sound firm.

“Sir Cesar, I'm from the Rania family.
If anything happens to the young child, I'd have to take care of him.
My father taught me that it is one of the most important virtues a noble must have.”

At her words, Cesar had a perplexed expression and soon glanced at the knight with a bright expression behind him.

The knight, who had been learning swordsmanship from Cesar for years, nodded after recognizing the meanings of his every gesture.

“I'll go check it out.
If anything happens, I'll call your right away.”

Then, he hurriedly went to the place where the child had pointed at.

Charlotte looked at the back of the distant knight and carefully held the child's hand.

“Come on, baby.
Let me take a look at you for a second.
That's all right with you, right?”

The child, who had been looking around nervously, nodded silently after he noticed Charlotte smiling brightly.

Charlotte began to examine his body while wiping the child's face with a handkerchief handed to her by her maid, Emma.

Charlotte was able to rest assured with Emma's help because she rolled up the child's sleeves and pants as she looked at his arms and legs and lifted up his top as she scrutinized his stomach and back.

'Fortunately, he is not hurt anywhere.'

The child was covered in so much blood that I was worried he'd be severely injured, but he was unexpectedly fine.

The only injury he had was a small scratch on the back of his hand, presumably from a tree branch.

Further details would have to be made by a professional.
But for now, she's certain that the blood, which stained the child's clothes, was not his.

'Then did the child's brother really get hurt?'

Charlotte, who had a serious look on her face, began to look inside the child's clothes after.

'There must be evidence left by his brother somewhere in his clothes.'

After taking a closer look at the child, he seemed somehow different.

He had small, plump hands with very clean nails, and the clothes the child was wearing looked more luxurious than Charlotte's clothing.

He seemed so noble that she thought he was a child of a noble or someone with immense wealth.

Then, if that's the case, she should be able to find a clue somewhere in his body that would let her know of his origin.

She, alone, could not be recognized well, but the bottom of her skirt was embroidered with a symbol that belonged to the Rania family.

This place was such a small country that it was not possible for a person to wear such luxurious clothing.
As Charlotte knew of that, she concluded that the child must have come from a different place.

'I don't know why you've come this far, but….'

First of all, she needed to find his family immediately.

Charlotte looked closely at the symbols embroidered inside his sleeve.

A roaring lion with a huge sword under it.

It was a symbol that Charlotte was aware of.
No, actually, no one in this empire wouldn't know of such a symbol.

One of the three dukes in the empire.

As soon as Charlotte knew of his origin, only a word floated in her head.

A child who looks about three to four years old, the Duke of Heinst, a forest, and blood.

Charlotte's face turned pale in an instant.

At the same time, a knight's voice was heard from deep inside the forest.

Upon hearing the knight's voice, Cesar was the first one to walk towards him. Find authorized novels in Webnovel, faster updates, better experience, Please click www.webnovel.com/book/i-accidentally-saved-the-male-lead%E2%80%99s-brother_21827036505855105/prologue_58591573226605647 for visiting.

Charlotte looked at Cesar's back, left the child to Emma, and began to walk towards the same direction as Cesar did as if she had been possessed.

The sight she expected to see was a six-year-old child lying down.

But what unfolded before her was a completely different sight.

“There must have been an ambush.”

There were five men, who had strong builds, soaked with blood on the ground.

One of them was wearing a uniform with a symbol of the Heinst family, whereas the other four were dressed in black from head to toe.

’

They even wore a mask on their faces.

Anyone can tell they're assassins.

'The assassination of Theodore Heinst.'

The main incident of the original novel, which she had forgotten.

'That child was the male lead's brother?'

The little boy, whom Charlotte Rania met today, was the brother of the male lead, who was killed at the age of three in the novel she read.

 

Three years ago, Charlotte Lania fell into a novel titled 'The Duke's Contract Wife.'

The beginning was similar to any romance fantasy novel.
She had an accident on her way home from class, and when she opened her eyes, she woke up in an unfamiliar world.

'Oh, my God.
I had only seen it in the novel.'

It was absurd and unbelievable, but her situation was clearly the reality, and she could not deny it.

Sadly, Charlotte had no choice but to admit that she died in an accident and that her soul had crossed the dimension and possessed a body of a daughter of a Baron.

But she didn't realize from the beginning that it was the world of fiction.

That's because Charlotte Lania was not mentioned in the original book.

An extra would be seen for a moment and disappeared.
However, Charlotte was just an ordinary noble who never appeared, regardless of the flow of the original novel.

Hence, she learned that this was a world of fiction when she heard the name Heinst, one of the Empire's three greatest Dukes, especially the name of 'Carlisle.'

It was about half a year after she learned about this world.

'Carlisle Heinst? Isn't that the name of the male lead?'

Although there had been so many novels that she had read, she remembered the name simply because she read 'The Duke's Contract Wife' before she died.

Charlotte wasn't surprised after learning that she possessed a book character that was typically common in a romance fantasy novel.

What's the difference between possessing the character and reading the book, anyway?

There was nothing to care about unless 'Charlotte' was the heroine, the villainess tormenting the heroine, or the supporting character who died while sitting next to the heroine.

Even if this place was a novel, her life would not be notably different.

'I will just have to stay the same as the usual Charlotte, I guess.'

The Lania estate where she came to live was a small, secluded countryside estate located in the southern end of the Empire.

So, there was no such thing as being caught up in a social or political conflict like in the original novel.

She just had to get along with her family just like now. Find authorized novels in Webnovel, faster updates, better experience, Please click www.webnovel.com/book/i-accidentally-saved-the-male-lead%E2%80%99s-brother_21827036505855105/chapter-2_58591597117362423 for visiting.

It would be nice to meet a decent man at the right time, get married, have a family, and maybe create a business.

She was pretty much relieved with that expectation.

Yet, just until a little while ago, until finding a child named Theodore Heinst.

'How could the younger brother of the male lead….'

She tried to recall the hazy story of the original novel.

'The Duke's Contract Wife' began with the male lead, Carlisle, sobbing at the funeral of his younger brother and vowing to avenge his younger brother's death.

According to the book, his brother, Theo, was found dead in a forest when he went missing on his way to a nursing home.

He might have been chased by an assassin, but the novel did not specify what happened precisely.

But the location was on Lania Barony's estate.

Charlotte sighed as he watched Theo, who was tired and asleep in her arms.

The Duke's people were almost driven to death by assassins on Lania's estate.

Charlotte, who knew the nature of her father, Baron of Lania, was sure that Lania wasn't involved in this incident at all.
Baron Laina cherished his people, especially children.
The possibility of him attempting the child's assassination was almost zero.

'But will Carlisle think so, too?'

Carlisle, who lost his brother, killed those who were even slightly involved in the assassination without mercy.

Without any formal trial, he slaughtered them by himself.

’

What would he think about this situation? Wouldn't he think Lania is involved?

'Even if you know that Lania is not involved in the end, the result will be the same.'

A nobleman is responsible for everything that happened on his estate.

In other words, he'd probably blame the noble who owned the estate for what happened in it.

Everyone in the mansion might be executed if Carlisle held the Lania family accountable, even though he knew they were not involved.

Lania family had only the title of a Baron, but they were a vain aristocrat whose life was no different from ordinary people's.

Even if they protested against the Heinst family, such a humble family would not stand any chance.

In fact, in the original book, Charlotte Lania was caught up in this incident and died.

'I don't want to die again.'

She cried out of frustration.

For the past three years, she has been accepting her identity as Charlotte Lania.

It was unfair enough to die in an accident in her previous life, and she had to die again? Just because of one child?

'I will never let that happen.'

Charlotte gnawed her lip as she looked at the child.

'I'm the one who saved this kid.
I will live.'

Charlotte was thankful that Theo was alive.
If the child had been found dead in the woods just like the original, the Lania family would have been truly put to their forever rest.

The child is alive.
She found him and is now sound asleep in her arms.

If she took good care of the child until Carlisle got here, and if she claimed she saved him and took good care of him,

'Wouldn't he spare us, then?'

So, Charlotte decided to take care of the child.
When he met with his brother, Carlisle would show us mercy if Theo said he likes us.

Hoping it would turn that way, Charlotte hugged Theo tightly.
But she still couldn't hide her trembling hands.

Theo never woke up until the carriage arrived at the Lania mansion.
He must have been exhausted because he was scared and walked around the forest with such a small body.

“Shall I hold him, young miss?” asked Cedar, who opened the carriage door.

Charlotte, who was wiping Theo's sweaty forehead, shook her head.

She felt like Theo would wake up from his sleep as soon as she handed him to Cedar.

She didn't want to surprise him, so she wanted to let him sleep like this for now.

Charlotte got off the carriage with Theo in her arms.

As soon as she took a step, she stumbled for a moment, but fortunately, she didn't fall down thanks to Cedar's quick grip.

She smiled at Cedar in gratitude and headed to the mansion.

The mansion employees did not know what had happened because of circumstances they had not informed about Theo in advance.

The employees who gathered to welcome Charlotte were shocked to see her appearance and made a fuss.

“Oh, my God, young miss, who is that child?”

“What's with this blood? Doctor! Go get a doctor right now!”

As the surroundings became noisy, Theo rubbed his face on Charlotte's shoulder and whined because his sleep was disturbed.

Charlotte calmed down her employees by putting her finger on her lips.

“It's not my blood.
The kid didn't get hurt, so everyone, calm down.
But, just in case, please call a doctor.”

“Where are mother and nanny?”

“Both of them are in the backyard.”

“Thank you.
Oh, by the way, he is staying in our mansion, for the time being, so get him everything he might need.”

Charlotte left the maids behind and headed for the backyard.

As she walked into the backyard, she wondered how to explain the situation to Baroness Lania.

’

No matter how hard she tried to think, she couldn't think of any reason to say.

No matter how she tried to explain the current situation to Baroness Lania, she couldn't lie, and it seemed inevitable that the Baroness would be surprised.

Hence, she decided to just tell her the truth.

The Baroness, who was holding scissors in one hand, greeted her.

“Yes, Charlotte.
How was your walk?”

She turned to Charlotte with a smile.
When she found Theo in Charlotte's arms, her face went slightly stiff.
Charlotte's nanny, who was standing next to her, also turned pale.

Her daughter, who went out for a walk, brought a blood-stained stranger.

It would be strange if she could maintain her composure after seeing this sight.

Charlotte approached the two with a smile.

The Baroness handed over the scissors to the nanny and carefully examined Charlotte's body, just as she did to Theo.

“What happened? Are you hurt?”

“I am fine, so please don't worry too much.
More than that,..”

Baroness gave Theo a quick look, and she calmly grabbed Charlotte's arm.

“Your arms must be hurt.
Let's sit down and talk.”

Charlotte went to the table in the corner of the backyard and sat down.
Then the nanny skillfully took Theo from Charlotte's arm.

“I will hold him for you.
Your arms must be hurt.”

Just like the nanny said, Charlotte's arms were already starting to hurt.
It was natural because she had never held a child before.

Charlotte smiled at the nanny, rubbing her tingling arms.

Theo must have fallen asleep deeply because when the nanny held him, he didn't wake up.
Instead, his expression seemed more comfortable than before because he liked the nanny's arms, who had raised many children.

“So, tell me, what's going on?”

Charlotte paused at the Baroness's urging.

Charlotte decided to be honest and tell her the truth, but she couldn't say it properly when she tried to.

“Speak slowly.
We have plenty of time.”

The Baroness held her hands tenderly, thinking Charlotte was shocked.

The slightly rough baroness' hands were as warm as the sun shining from above her head.

When she first woke up as Charlotte Lania and confused by the unfamiliar surrounding, Baroness held her hand just like this.

Baronesses, then and now, had a strange power to make people comfortable with her presence.

Maybe that's why Charlotte could start to tell the incident with a lighter heart.

How she met Theo in the forest, Theo being a Heinst duke, and the guard and assassin were all dead in the attack.

Baroness Lania was quite surprised by Charlotte's story.

She thought something unusual would have happened since a child was covered in blood, but this was way beyond her expectations.

She couldn't believe that a young child of the Duke of Heinst would get involved in anything like this.
However, she hid her shock and listened to Charlotte to the end.

“I think we should send communication to the Duke of Heinst and protect this child until someone comes to pick him up.”

“Yes, we should do that.
We could at least do that.”

“And I will ask Sir Cedar to investigate this.
It's hard to figure out what happened with our own capability, but we are going to let the Heinst Duke know as much as we know to prove that we have nothing to do with this.”

Baroness Lania nodded quietly.
Charlotte continued.

“It would have been better if we had father or brothers here, but I will be in charge of this because no one's here right now.”

Charlotte decided with a determined face.

Her brothers, four and six years apart from her, were now in the Capital.

Her father, Baron of Lania, left the estate yesterday to deal with some urgent matter.

Therefore, Charlotte was the only person who could be person in charge of this incident now, as it would take about a week for them to return.

Baroness Lania was about to say she would take care of it, but Charlotte stopped her.