ATHO Chapter 54

Chapter 54 – A Picnic

Chapter 5: A Happy Ending, Part 10

Novel Title: 嫌われ者の俺はやり直しの世界で義弟達にごまをする (As the Hated One, I Flatter My Stepbrothers in a World Where I Get a Second Chance)

Author：赤牙 (Akakiba)

Art：古澤エノ (Furusawa Eno)

Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)

Protagonists: シャルル (Charles -MC), リエン (Lien -ML1) & ジェイド (Jade -ML2)

*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*

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Thanks to the early wake-up call from Armand and Sophia, we left earlier than planned. The weather seemed to celebrate their birthday as well, with a cloudless blue sky stretching above us.

After a two-hour ride in the carriage, we arrived at our destination. A lush green meadow surrounded the lake, and the twins’ eyes sparkled as they exclaimed, “Wow!”

As soon as the carriage door opened, the energetic pair dashed outside.

“Armand, Sophia! Don’t go too far!”

“Okay~!” they called back in unison, their cheerful voices echoing as they ran around happily.

While watching over the two, we unloaded our belongings from the carriage and spread out a picnic blanket. Mother and Jade distributed the tea we had brought, and we all relaxed together, sipping our drinks.

Before long, the twins returned, saying, “We’re hungry!” Covered in leaves from tumbling in the grass, they stood before us. Jade and Lien helped brush them off, and once they were clean, the two ran excitedly to the picnic basket, their eyes shining.

“Alright, shall we eat now?”

“Yes!”

When Mother opened the basket, packed with all their favorite treats, the twins cheered in delight. Too hungry to wait, they eagerly bit into their favorite sandwiches even before we could officially celebrate their birthday.

“Hey, hey. Don’t stuff your mouths so full—you’ll choke.”

“We’re fine!” they replied with their mouths full, munching happily. Seeing their enthusiasm made all of us smile. The sandwiches and fruit, which had seemed like plenty, disappeared in no time. The twins sighed contentedly, saying, “We’re full!”

With their hunger satisfied, the twins begged to play by the lake next. 

Their parents, who had been too busy with work recently to spend much time with them, eagerly took their hands and headed to the lake.

The sparkling water and the sight of the four of them playing joyfully warmed my heart. Watching them, I noticed Jade and Lien looking at me curiously.

“What’s up, Nii-san? You look happy.”

“Hm? Watching Father and Mother having so much fun just makes me feel content.”

“They do look like they’re enjoying themselves. But I hope they don’t overdo it at their age.”

“Haha, if you said that in front of them, they’d definitely be mad.”

“I kind of want to see Jade Nii-sama getting scolded.”

“Lien… Don’t you dare snitch.”

Their exchange made me chuckle, and soon all three of us were laughing together.

“Family really is a wonderful thing,” I murmured, to which Jade and Lien smiled and nodded.

Hearing Armand and Sophia’s energetic voices calling us from afar, Jade and Lien offered their hands to me.

“Nii-san, shall we go?”

“Armand and Sophia are waiting for us!”

I took their hands and headed over to where everyone else was.

After playing to their hearts’ content, we finally headed home as the sky turned a beautiful crimson at sunset.

“Hey, Armand. The sunset’s so pretty, isn’t it?”

“Yeah… It really is…”

The gentle sway of the carriage seemed to lull Armand and Sophia to sleep. Armand dozed off on Jade’s lap, while Sophia clung to Lien and drifted off as well.

“Oh my, such adorable sleeping faces.”

“They had a lot of fun today. Even I’m tired now,” Jade said. Though our parents also seemed exhausted, their faces softened at the sight of the twins’ peaceful expressions. As I stroked Armand’s head, a wave of sleepiness began to wash over me, too.

“Nii-sama, are you feeling sleepy?” Lien asked.

“A little, yeah.”

“Those two were so energetic, we were all just trying to keep up.”

“Exactly.”

“Lien, you were running around with them nonstop. You must be exhausted.”

“My legs feel like jelly. I might not be able to work tomorrow.”

“You can rest, but you’ll pay for it later when you’re swamped,” Jade quipped.

“True enough,” Lien laughed.

The rhythmic clatter of the carriage and the sound of everyone’s voices and laughter were a comforting melody as the day drew to a close.

My eyelids gradually grew heavy, and I rested my head on Jade’s shoulder.

“Huh? Looks like Charles Nii-sama has fallen asleep.”

“He’s sleeping so peacefully, isn’t he?”

“Nii-sama seemed to have a lot of fun playing too. Let’s let him rest.”

While everyone was having this conversation, I drifted into sleep with my head leaning against Jade’s shoulder, and I began to dream.

It was a dream of ordinary days spent with my family. My father and mother were there, and beside them, Armand and Sophia were happily playing. On either side of me were Jade and Lien, smiling at me with such kindness.

In my dream, I wished that this happiness could last forever.

***

“Happy birthday, Niisan.”

“Happy birthday, Charles Nii-sama!”

It was the morning of my 32nd birthday.

I woke up in bed, sandwiched between the two people I love most. Greeting them with a “Good morning,” I was immediately showered with kisses on my cheeks and lips.

“Haha, that tickles.”

“Ehehe, I’m glad we get to see Charles Nii-sama’s smile again this year.”

Lien said this as he buried his face into my chest.

“Yes, knowing you’ve lived past the age you died in your first life brings some relief.”

Jade stroked my head and planted another kiss on my forehead.

Seeing the relieved expressions on their faces, I, too, was glad to have safely reached another birthday. While I had no intention of leaving the two of them behind, fate could be cruel. It’s precisely because we don’t know when the end will come that I want to cherish every single day.

“I’m so happy to be here with the two of you.”

When I smiled at them, they smiled back at me, just as warmly.

“Hey, Charles Nii-san, since it’s your day off, how about we go somewhere? We’ll go anywhere you want.”

“Well… As long as I’m with you two, that’s all I need. But is there somewhere you’d like to go?”

“Hmm… If possible, I’d like to go somewhere where the three of us can be alone.”

“Oh, oh! I know a place for the three of us!”

Lien’s voice was bright with excitement.

“How about the lodge deep in the eastern forest? We could relax there together.”

“Oh, that place. We used to go there a lot when we were kids, but it hasn’t been used much recently. It’s quiet and nice.”

Everyone agreed with Lien’s suggestion, and we decided to head to the eastern forest. After packing light, we mounted our horses and set off. The crisp air of the forest, now that summer was over, made riding feel refreshing.

An hour after departing the manor, we arrived at the lodge. When I opened the old wooden door, dust rose into the air, likely because it hadn’t been used for years.

“Wow, we definitely need to clean up before we can use this.”

“Lien… Were you planning to make Nii-san clean on his birthday? I thought you’d prepared it in advance.”

Jade narrowed his eyes and gave Lien a cold stare.

“Ugh… It was really just a spur-of-the-moment idea. I’m sorry…”

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*Translator’s Note: Yo… Only the three of them together? Can you guys guess what’s gonna happen? Hehe. -K

*GLOSSARY: 

• Nii-san/Nii-sama/Onii-san = (Big/Elder) Brother

☝🏻I’ll be using these throughout my translation. Jade would call Charles ‘Nii-san’ while Lien would call him ‘Nii-sama’.

Next update: 2025.10.17

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