I Accidentally Saved The Male Lead’s Brother

Sweat dampened not only Carcel’s forehead but also his back, soaking his shirt. His palms, still clutching Charlotte tightly, were equally clammy.

It was a night filled with agony and cruelty.

Charlotte gritted her teeth and waited for Carcel to calm down. If it would help him recover, she was willing to stay by his side for days, even weeks.

“It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll stay with you.”

She whispered meaningless reassurances while gently stroking his head.

Meanwhile, the magical stone embedded in Carcel’s engagement ring began to emit a bright light.

Though it managed to stabilize his mana slightly, it wasn’t enough to fully quell the storm. His mana continued to surge violently.

‘Even holding him isn’t enough.’

Looking at Carcel’s pale face, Charlotte recalled the laws of the original novel: the deeper the physical intimacy between a Rosito and their compatible partner, the more effectively their mana could be calmed.

Raising her head, she met Carcel’s gaze. His lips were bloodless, pressed tightly together as he struggled against the tempest of his mana.

Her heart ached at the sight. This wasn’t how she wanted things to unfold.

She couldn’t bear to see him suffer like this.

Releasing her arms from around his neck, she carefully cupped his cheeks.

His tightly shut eyes opened, and their gazes locked. A silent understanding seemed to pass between them.

Then, Carcel tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers.

This kiss was far deeper than the light brush of lips they’d shared before.

Despite his turmoil, he kissed her with surprising care, exploring her lips as if committing every detail to memory. Though his breaths were ragged, he was cautious, nibbling on her lower lip gently.

Charlotte responded instinctively, moving closer as his hands pulled her waist tighter against him.

What began as an effort to calm his mana evolved into something far more profound. Even after Carcel’s mana stabilized, he didn’t pull away.

Instead, he deepened the kiss, his passion increasing.

His tongue slipped past her lips, intertwining with hers in a way that left her breathless. Charlotte instinctively tried to match his pace, but she was overwhelmed by his intensity.

Her heart raced, her mind blank, her entire body tingling with warmth.

Charlotte closed her eyes briefly, then wrapped her arms around his neck.

She wanted to feel him closer.

‘Why did I never imagine this before?’ she thought, pressing herself against him. She felt a growing longing—an inexplicable need to connect with him on a deeper level.

Carcel angled his head and captured her lips again, this time even more passionately.

The world seemed to shrink until it contained only the two of them.

By the time Carcel finally pulled back, both were gasping for air. He brushed a light kiss on her swollen lips, then trailed soft kisses across her face—her eyelids, her nose, even her slightly flushed cheeks.

“Did you… remember anything?”

Charlotte’s voice quivered as she felt his lips move to her neck. The sensation sent shivers down her spine, rendering her unable to think clearly.

Thankfully, Carcel soon moved back to place one last gentle kiss on her lips before pulling away entirely.

“Yes,” he whispered.

Tears welled in his eyes as he embraced her tightly.

Resting her face against his shoulder, Charlotte patted his back gently, silently reassuring him.

‘It’s okay. I’m here. You can share everything with me.’

Perhaps understanding her unspoken message, Carcel hesitated before murmuring,

“There’s something I want to tell you.”

“I’m listening.”

“If you hear it…”

He trailed off, clenching his jaw as a pained groan escaped him. He buried his face in her neck, as if trying to hide from the weight of his confession.

Charlotte felt as though she could hear his unspoken words:

‘If you hear this… will you still stay by my side?’

It wasn’t an easy tale for anyone to hear. The twin brother he had lost, Edgar. The madness that had consumed him. The burning of the Petrian Marquisate.

For most, such a story would be incomprehensible, unbearable.

But Charlotte could bear it—not because she already knew the story from the novel, but because of one simple truth.

“I love you.”

Her words caused Carcel’s eyes to widen.

“So no matter what you tell me, I’ll stay by your side.”

Before she could finish, Carcel kissed her again.

This kiss was gentler, almost tender, yet it held the same intensity of emotion.

Charlotte clung to his shirt, responding with equal fervor.

When their lips finally parted, Carcel ran his thumb over her lips, swollen from the kiss.

‘Why does it still feel like we’re kissing?’ Charlotte thought, catching her breath as she avoided his gaze.

Carcel waited until she recovered, then began to speak.

“As you may already know, I had a twin brother—Edgar Heinst.”

His tone was heavy as he continued.

Though Charlotte already knew the story, hearing it from him stirred emotions she hadn’t anticipated. She listened intently, offering silent support.

“From birth, I was a Rosito.”

Carcel paused and began unbuttoning his shirt.

Charlotte’s eyes widened in surprise as she instinctively looked away, though curiosity soon made her steal a glance.

By the time he reached the third button, he stopped and placed his hand over his left collarbone.

“It should be here…”

Realizing what he was searching for, Charlotte softly asked,

“The Rosito mark?”

Carcel nodded.

“Yes. Sir Randru must have hidden it, but I’m not sure why it’s not visible now.”

“Hold on.”

Charlotte reached out and traced her fingers over the area he indicated.

His breathing grew heavier, his warmth palpable in the quiet room.

When her fingertips brushed against his skin, a faint glow lit up the space. As the light faded, the mark appeared—a black pattern etched just below his left collarbone, identical to the one on Theo’s back.

Both Carcel and Charlotte stared at it in awe.

“It’s real,” Charlotte whispered.

“So, it was true…” Carcel murmured, bowing his head.

The reality of the memories now flooding his mind overwhelmed him.

“Edgar was my compatible partner,” he said quietly. “We were together from the moment we were born.”

He began recounting their childhood—bits of memory, some of which Charlotte knew, and others that were new to her.

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

Charlotte wiped them away silently, holding his hand and listening as he reached the darkest part of his story.

“That day… it was just like any other. Edgar and I shared the same bed. I woke up briefly to use the bathroom. But then…”

Carcel’s voice cracked. Charlotte intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing his hand in silent encouragement.

“I heard Edgar scream. When I ran back to our room, the window was open, and he was gone. I ran to my father, crying. He told me not to worry, that everything would be fine…”

Carcel’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“But Edgar came back… as a lifeless body.”

He closed his eyes, his shoulders shaking.

“I lost control. I…”

His voice broke completely.

“I burned the Petrian Marquis to the ground.”

Charlotte didn’t know how to respond.

She couldn’t decide whether to express shock, pity, or understanding.

In the end, she followed her instincts.

Pulling him into an embrace, she gently ran her fingers through his hair.

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past.”

“Can you accept someone like me?” he asked, his voice trembling.

Charlotte answered without hesitation.

“What do you mean, ‘someone like you’? You’re still Carcel Heinst—the man I love.”

Her smile, though filled with tears, was warm and genuine.

Carcel clung to her, silently crying in her arms.

And so, the cruel and painful winter night wore on, bit by bit.

 I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter !

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