By Some Unbelievable Twist, I Became the Villainess’s Older Brother

“You just said we couldn’t.”

Zyla pouted, and Enoch scratched his chin.

“Now that I think about it, I believe I’ve heard that we can.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Zyla’s face brightened at once, and she clapped in delight. Enoch chuckled at the sight.

A child was prettiest when she smiled, after all. As Enoch watched Zyla fondly, he heard someone open the playroom door.

“Zyla. Are you in here?”

“Hm?”

Enoch turned his head. The person who entered was a young woman.

The first thing he noticed was her long, curly, vivid blue hair. Her eyes soon met Enoch’s.

Watching her stop short, Enoch rose and gave a slight bow. When she started and dipped her head, Enoch looked at her and slowly shifted his gaze.

‘Who is she?’

She had entered Zyla’s playroom so naturally. Of course, he had never seen her once during the past month, but judging from her behavior, she couldn’t be a complete stranger to the original Enoch.

At that moment, a name surfaced in Enoch’s mind.

‘Neyra Hasgen.’

That was right. She was Neyra Hasgen, the eldest daughter of Baron Hasgen, whose family had served House Laochenes as vassals for generations.

There were only two years between her and Enoch. But unlike Enoch, who did nothing beyond his duties as heir, she served as Zyla’s tutor.

“Miss Neyra.”

Zyla called to her from beside him. Apparently sensing it was time for her lessons, Zyla closed the picture book and rose. The child looked dejected, but it couldn’t be helped.

Enoch smiled at her.

“Miss Hasgen. Please take good care of Zyla again today.”

“It is only my duty, Young Duke. Then…”

“Ah, yes. I will leave you to it.”

Enoch opened the door and passed her as she stood beside it with her head bowed. After leaving Zyla’s playroom, he moved at a leisurely pace, thinking he ought to go to his bedroom and take a nap.

But he soon had no choice but to stop when he saw the butler practically running up the stairs to the second floor. The sight of the man’s wrinkled face panting for breath made Enoch look at him with concern.

“Butler? What is the matter?”

“Young Master!”

The butler was already old and had trouble with his legs. As expected, taking the stairs two or three at a time had been too much for him. After rushing to Enoch, he bent over and panted.

With both hands braced on his knees and his waist bent, he struggled for breath and wiped away the sweat running to the tip of his chin.

“What in the world has happened?”

“Well, you see… He has…”

“He? Surely…”

There was only one person who could send the butler into such a commotion. Enoch clenched his teeth and descended the stairs with some irritation. Startled, the butler hurried after him.

Running breathlessly down the stairs behind Enoch, the butler called to him.

“Young Master!”

Enoch already knew what he would say, so he waved a hand to tell him not to worry.

“I know. That man… no, our most distinguished guest has arrived, hasn’t he?”

With a tense expression, the butler nodded vigorously. The sight of his thin body trembling badly was unpleasant to behold.

Enoch pressed his lips together.

He couldn’t begin to fathom what the distinguished person who had lately visited the ducal mansion so often was thinking. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, Enoch crossed the hall and headed for the entrance.

But before Enoch could take another step, the butler rushed over and stopped him.

“Young Master. Not that way. This way…”

“Where? The drawing room?”

“Well…”

The butler was sweating as he shook his head. Instead, he pointed toward the door beside the drawing room on the first floor.

Frowning, Enoch followed the gesture, then stopped short. The place the butler was hesitantly indicating was none other than Enoch’s study.

“…My study?”

When Enoch asked for confirmation with his eyes, the butler furtively looked away as though too ashamed to face him. He merely nodded again and again.

“Well… yes.”

“How ill-mannered… Fine, I understand.”

Though Enoch had muttered quietly, the butler apparently heard and asked, “Pardon?” But the moment he saw Enoch’s cold expression, he did not ask again and sealed his lips.

Whenever Enoch occasionally made such a frightening face, the butler’s own face turned pale. Thanks to that, Enoch had learned that before he transmigrated here, Enoch had never once shown the servants an unpleasant expression or spoken harshly to them.