Chapter 8: The Breakfast Argument

Chapter 8: The Breakfast Argument

In the early morning, Bran was woken up by the sound of Danny getting dressed. He got out of bed helplessly. The black cat Huahua was dissatisfied and scratched her claws against the bedpost. Bran habitually patted Huahua’s butt a few times to stop this wasteful behavior. Bran, used to being alone, had not slept well last night. He felt very awkward having an extra person in the room, so he decided to make some changes.

Sitting at the dining table, Bran was lowering his head, thinking about how to bring up the topic, when his eldest brother Adam said to the Duke, “I want an attendant too.”

Before the words finished, the second brother chimed in, “Me too.”

The Duke didn’t even look at the two brothers and directly refused, “No.”

The eldest brother said, “That’s not fair. Bran can have one, why can’t I?”

The second brother added fuel to the fire, “Exactly!”

The worry is not scarcity but inequality. This principle holds true everywhere, Bran thought to himself with a silent laugh. He looked up at his sister sitting across the table, who seemed eager to join in, and then at his little sister who had been forcing her way between the black cat Huahua and himself these past two days. He spoke up, “He’s right!” Then he casually smoothed his little sister’s floating hair.

The Duke repeated in a tone that brooked no argument, “No.”

The eldest brother was somewhat angry and said, “You’re biased! Just because Bran is an idiot, you treat him the best! It’s always been like this!”

These words caused a bit of guilt and greater displeasure in the Duke and Duchess, and also drew the attention of everyone in the dining room. The Duchess scolded, “How can you say that about your brother!”

“It’s okay.” Bran cut in, interrupting what the Madam was about to say next. “I know, it’s not bias.”

Bran grinned at the Madam and continued, “It’s mainly because our family is poor. Because we are poor, there isn’t enough to go around. Because there isn’t enough, if I have something, you don’t.”

The eldest brother grew furious and argued, “Nonsense!”

“It’s true,” Bran went on to explain. “I’m an idiot, so no one thinks I can survive the Coming-of-Age Ceremony. They just want to compensate me as much as they can. But you are different, eldest brother, second brother, Third Sister, and little sister. You are smart and strong. You will surely complete the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and return with honor.”

This sudden statement made the dining room fall quiet. Even the angry eldest brother muttered sheepishly in a small voice, “I didn’t mean you’re an idiot.”

“Mm, I’ve only become a little less idiotic recently,” Bran continued with a grin. “It really is because our family is poor. Do you know that all the equipment for an attendant needs to be provided by the lord he serves?”

Just then, Bran felt someone tug his clothes. He turned his head to look at his little sister Xirui. The Little Loli asked with a face full of worry, “Are you going to die?”

Before Bran could feel touched that his little sister cared, her next words hit him hard. “When you die, can you give Huahua to me?”

Looking at the Little Loli’s expectant face, Bran replied with a sour expression, “Okay.”

Then, Bran lifted his head again and picked up the thread. “Look at Danny, how much money must that set of equipment cost?… Our family is poor, so we can’t afford that many people.” Bran repeated what Danny had said about the equipment yesterday. Because his mood, just affected by the loli, suddenly improved, he grinned at the Duke. A sense of retaliatory pleasure filled his heart.