I Watched My Scheming Brother Crash and Burn

On the day I return to court in triumph, my fiancee, Isabel Hartwell, welcomes me at the city gates. My career is flourishing, and I'm about to marry the woman I love. As far as I'm concerned, my life can't be more perfect. A victory banquet is held in my honor. By the time I'm pleasantly buzzed, Isabel's mother, Katherine Mercer, raises her glass to me with a smile. "Nicholas, my daughter has waited three long years for you. Now, you're finally back!" The entire room bursts into laughter. My ears burn as I search for Isabel through the crowd of guests raising their glasses. She lowers her head, trying to hide her smile. Perhaps sensing my gaze, she looks up. Our eyes meet, and hers crinkled with delight. My heart skips a beat. I quickly lower my head and take a drink to hide my embarrassment, only to nearly choke on it. My fellow soldiers immediately begin teasing me. Even my younger half-brother, Stephen Aldridge, leans over with a smile. "Congratulations, Nicholas. You'll soon be the Hartwells' son-in-law. When you make it to the top, don't forget to help me out." I ruffle his hair, warmth filling my chest. My career is thriving, the woman I love will soon be my wife, and I share a close bond with my family. What more can I possibly ask for? Then, I look up and freeze. A golden prophecy appears out of nowhere, hovering in midair. "In two hours, Stephen will be found lying beside Isabel with his clothes in disarray. Everyone will catch them in a compromising position. Isabel will be forced to marry Stephen, and she'll eventually succumb to depression and die." I sober instantly as a chill sweeps through me. After all, Stephen is none other than my younger half-brother, who has just raised a toast to me. Chapter 1 My fingers trembled around the wineglass as I slowly turned my head. Stephen Aldridge was still seated beside me, dressed in a pale silver suit that made his features appear gentle and unassuming. A sweet, obedient smile played on his lips. Yet, his eyes were fixed on Isabel Hartwell across the crowded room. There was admiration in his gaze, along with tenderness and an unmistakable longing that no young man could hide when he was looking at the woman he loved. I felt a chill run down my spine, but I didn't let my emotions show. I set down my glass, then used my drunkenness as an excuse to leave my seat and make my way over to Isabel. She was speaking with several other ladies when I leaned into her ear and dropped my voice into a gentle whisper. "Isabel, can we talk somewhere private?" Isabel looked up at me in surprise, but when she saw how serious I was, she rose and followed me out of the antechamber. Moonlight spilled across the grounds as I led her to a secluded walkway in the inner courtyard. "What is it?" she asked softly. "You don't look well." I turned to face her and took her hand in mine. Her fingers were cold, and they curled slightly as my palm closed around them. "There are too many people here tonight," I said quietly. "I think you should head home earlier. I can't shake the feeling that something's wrong, and having you here is only making me more anxious." Her brows drew together. "It sounds like you're feeling anxious. Are you sick? I'll send someone for a doctor—" "No, that won't be necessary. I'll be able to relax once I know you're safely home. I'll come see you first thing tomorrow morning." Isabel studied me, her eyes clear and luminous in the moonlight. In the end, she didn't press me for an explanation and merely nodded. "Alright, I'll go. Take care of yourself, and don't drink too much." I turned to my attendant, Adam Bracken. "Escort Ms. Hartwell back to her room. Use the side gate so no one notices you leaving. Don't come back until you've seen her safely inside." Adam nodded and left to carry out my orders. I watched Isabel walk away until she disappeared at the end of the walkway, the hem of her dusty-rose gown over the stone steps before vanishing into the darkness. For a while, I remained where I was. Only after the night breeze had carried away the lingering scent of jasmine did I turn and head back inside. Chapter 2 When I returned to the grand hall, Stephen was making the rounds with a wineglass in hand. I sat down and patted him on the shoulder. "Stephen, you've had quite a bit to drink tonight. You should head to your room and get some rest." He blinked at me with those wide, innocent eyes of his. "But I'm not tired yet. The banquet's only just started." "Do as I say." My voice remained gentle, but my expression made it clear that I wouldn't take no for an answer. "You've already toasted to several people, and you can't hold your liquor. If you keep drinking, you'll wake up with a headache tomorrow." I beckoned to one of the attendants from the Hartwell residence. "Take Mr. Stephen to one of the guest rooms in the back and let him rest. Prepare a hangover remedy for him and then post someone outside his door. Don't let him wander off." Stephen opened his mouth as though he wanted to protest, but I patted the back of his hand. "I'm only looking out for you. We have a house full of guests tonight. If you get drunk and make a fool of yourself, you'll embarrass the entire Aldridge family," I said. Only then did he flash me an obedient smile. "Alright. Whatever you say, Nicholas." The attendant led him toward the inner courtyard. I watched until he disappeared at the end of the walkway. Then, I withdrew my gaze, lifted the wineglass in front of me, and drained it in one gulp. The cool wine slid down my throat and settled in my stomach. I had done everything I could. Isabel had already left, and Stephen was confined to the guest room with someone guarding the door. In theory, my plan was foolproof. But the prophecy had warned me that it would happen in two hours, and less than half an hour had passed. I gripped the empty glass so tightly that my fingertips turned white. By the time the banquet began winding down, the entire residence remained quiet. I finally allowed myself to relax, but while I was seeing the guests out, a scream rang out from the inner courtyard. The guests exchanged bewildered looks. Isabel's mother, Katherine Mercer's, expression shifted in an instant. Gathering her skirts, she rushed toward the inner courtyard before anyone else. I slowly rose and followed at the very back of the crowd. Along the way, I heard the helpers whispering among themselves. Their voices were hushed, but bits of their whispers still reached my ears. "Why is there a woman in Mr. Stephen's room?" "And at the Hartwell family's victory banquet of all places…" My hands curled into fists by my sides, my nails digging into my palm. The guest room door stood wide open, and a crowd had already gathered outside. I pushed through the onlookers and stepped inside, where Stephen was the first person I saw. He was huddled near the edge of the bed. His pale silver suit was rumpled, and the open collar revealed a faint red mark near his collarbone. Behind him lay a woman in a thin nightgown, her back turned to the crowd. Her hair spilled across the pillow, and her plain white nightgown had slipped down to expose a part of her shoulder. She had a slender figure, but with her face turned toward the wall, no one could tell who she was. A dusty-rose gown lay crumpled on the floor beside the bed. I recognized both the fabric and the color. Isabel had worn a dusty-rose gown to the banquet. The room erupted into chaos. "My God! Isn't that Ms. Hartwell's gown?" "Is she the woman in Mr. Stephen's arms?" "This is outrageous! The future bride was found in bed with her fiance's half-brother, and at her fiance's victory banquet, no less!" The color drained from Katherine's face. She clutched the doorframe as her body swayed. A maid standing behind her quickly caught her and steadied her. Katherine's lips trembled as she pointed toward the bed, but she struggled to form a single syllable. The commotion at the door seemed to wake Stephen. His eyes fluttered open in a daze. He first looked down at the woman in his arms, then raised his head and stared at the room full of people. Confusion and panic quickly filled his doe-like eyes. "I-I have no idea what happened…" He released the woman and drew back, his voice still hoarse with sleep. "I fell asleep because I was drunk. Nicholas, why is your—why is she in my bed?" His voice grew quieter with every word. Finally, he lowered his head, his ears turning bright red as tears clung to his lashes, looking like the very picture of an innocent young man who had been falsely accused. Anyone who saw him like this would've felt sorry for him, but his words unmistakably implied that the woman in his bed was Isabel. Chapter 3 Margery Ashford shoved her way through the crowd. She rushed to the bed and broke down sobbing. "My poor son! He was completely innocent, and now someone's taken advantage of him!" Turning to Katherine, she cried, "Mrs. Hartwell, you owe us an explanation for this! Someone got my son drunk and left him in this room. Then, he woke up with a woman in his bed. "He was passed out cold. There's no way he could've done anything. Someone obviously set him up!" Someone murmured from the crowd, "But Mr. Stephen was clearly the one holding on to the lady—" Margery spun around and shrieked, "My son was drunk! How could he have made the first move when he wasn't even conscious?" Katherine's face went from pale to ashen. She pushed to stand up. Despite the tremor in her voice, she still carried the commanding presence of the Hartwell family's matriarch. "Ms. Ashford, your son compromised a young woman's reputation, yet you're trying to turn this around on us?" Margery lifted her chin and finally stated her true intentions, saying, "What's done is done. They were found in the same bed, and now both their reputations are ruined. "If you ask me, Ms. Hartwell should marry Stephen instead. She'll still be marrying into the Aldridge family either way, so what difference does it make which son she marries?" The moment she said that, several people in the crowd began voicing their agreement. "She has a point. After they were found together in bed, they can't simply pretend nothing happened." "But Ms. Hartwell was originally engaged to Mr. Nicholas…" "These are exceptional circumstances. Their families need to contain the scandal before it gets any worse. They can't let Ms. Hartwell's reputation be destroyed." "Besides, Mr. Stephen is an Aldridge. It's not as though Ms. Hartwell would be marrying beneath her status." Their words pierced my ears like daggers. I stood at the front of the crowd, staring at the two figures huddled on the bed. Tears clung to Stephen's lashes, while Margery carried on sobbing. My fists tightened until my knuckles cracked, and I clenched my jaw so hard that my cheeks began to ache. Katherine had gone deathly pale, and only then did Stephen climb out of bed. He stumbled toward me, grabbed the hem of my pants, and looked up. His wide, innocent eyes brimmed with tears, while his voice came out hoarse and shaky. "Nicholas… I'm so sorry. I-I had too much to drink. By the time I woke up, I was already in the middle of this situation. Please forgive me…" He clutched my pants until his knuckles turned white. Tears streamed down his face, and his shoulders shook as he sobbed. To anyone who didn't know the truth, he looked like the victim in all of this. Margery rushed over, dropped to the floor, and wrapped her arms around my leg as she cried, "Nicholas, please have mercy on your brother! He's young and naive. He wouldn't even know if someone was setting him up. You can't turn your back on him now!" Some of the onlookers sighed, while others shook their heads in disapproval. Most of them had already turned toward Katherine, waiting for her decision. Katherine's lips trembled before she finally said, "Nicholas, about the engagement…" She left the sentence unfinished, but everyone knew exactly what she meant. I clenched my fists tighter, digging my nails deep into my palms. Despite the pain, I didn't loosen my grip. Katherine spoke again, sounding as though the words took every ounce of strength she had. "Nicholas, after what's happened, we have to protect Isabel's reputation." I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. The prophecy had said that everyone would catch them in a compromising position, and now the entire room had gathered to witness it. It had also said that Isabel would have no choice but to marry Stephen. Now, Katherine was starting to give in, Margery was still wailing, Stephen was still begging, and every guest in the room was watching me, waiting to see what I would do. But I refused to believe that the woman I had personally sent to her room had somehow ended up in this guest room. Chapter 4 Every guest in the room was staring at me, waiting for me to speak. Isabel's father, Ambrose Hartwell, finally emerged from the back of the crowd, his face red with embarrassment. "Nicholas… I sincerely apologize on behalf of my family…" I slowly lowered my gaze to Stephen, who remained on his knees. He looked up at me with tears clinging to his lashes, but the corner of his mouth briefly curled into a smirk. It vanished so quickly that I almost missed it. I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I had tamped down all my anger. My voice came out hoarse. "Stephen, get up." He shook his head between sobs. "I won't get up until you forgive me, Nicholas." His performance brought several ladies in the crowd to tears. "Don't be so hard on him, Mr. Nicholas. Mr. Stephen is a victim in this, too." "They're both young. Once someone is that intoxicated, they don't know up from down." "They were found in the same bed. You can't just punish them and pretend it didn't happen." I drew a deep breath and was about to speak when hurried footsteps sounded from beyond the crowd. "Mr. Nicholas!" The voice was barely above a whisper. It was Adam. My heart jolted, and my clenched fist loosened slightly. Was Adam already back? Had he taken Isabel to her room safely? Adam leaned in close and whispered so quietly that only I could hear him. Once he had finished, he stepped back and stood silently beside me as though nothing had happened. My expression remained unchanged, but suddenly, everything clicked into place. Margery continued to wail beside me, "Nicholas, please let them marry one another. I'm sure Stephen will treat Ms. Hartwell well for the rest of his life—" I looked down at Stephen. "Stephen, you said you drank so much that you had no idea what happened. When you woke up, there was a woman in your bed, correct?" He nodded through his sobs. "Yes… I swear I have no idea what happened." "You don't know who she is, how she entered this room, or why she was lying beside you in her nightgown. You don't know anything at all. Is that what you're saying?" Stephen nodded again as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I've been framed…" I straightened up and swept my gaze across the room, taking in the faces of every guest before finally turning to Katherine. "Mrs. Hartwell, you said that after what's happened, protecting Isabel's reputation should be our priority." Her eyes were red as she gave a strained nod. "Alright," I said. "Since everyone has already decided that the woman in that bed is Ms. Hartwell, why don't we have her turn around so we can see her face before we discuss this any further?" Stephen's sobs abruptly stopped, and the guests exchanged uneasy glances. "Isn't that Isabel Hartwell?" "Isn't General Aldridge being a little cruel? Doesn't he care about her dignity?" Stephen's lips trembled before he uttered in a strained voice, "S-She was facing the wall. I didn't see her face." "You didn't see her face? You've been holding her for over an hour, yet you never saw her face before deciding she was Isabel?" My question rendered him speechless. Realizing that the tide was turning, Margery scrambled to her feet and blocked the bed, her voice rising to a shriek. "This isn't appropriate! She's an innocent young woman! How is she supposed to live with the humiliation of being found in this state? Nicholas, you're deliberately trying to ruin her reputation!" "Margery, you were just demanding that the Hartwell family marry Isabel to your son. Why weren't you worried about ruining her reputation then?" I asked. Margery's face turned bright red. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't come up with an answer. Just then, heavy footsteps approached from outside the room. The crowd automatically parted, allowing a grim-faced man to enter. It was Father. His brows were drawn into a deep frown. The moment Stephen saw him, fresh tears filled his eyes. He released my pants, shuffled forward on his knees, and threw his arms around Father's leg. "Father, someone set me up!" he cried. "I was drunk, and I didn't know what was happening. When I woke up, everyone was already in the room. Please help me, Father!" Margery rushed over and clung to Father's other leg, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. "Walter, please! Stephen was innocent, and now he's been humiliated. You have to help him!" Father looked down at them, his Adam's apple bobbing. His gaze darted between me, Katherine, and the woman who remained asleep on the bed with her back to the crowd. His expression turned thunderous. Just as Katherine was poised to speak, Father raised a hand to stop her. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse yet left no room for argument. "Mrs. Hartwell, now that the two of them have already… found themselves in this situation, the Aldridge family will take full responsibility for your daughter. "I understand that marrying Isabel to Stephen would be unfair to her. I'll make sure the wedding gift is generous enough to compensate for it." Katherine's face paled. As I watched Father stand protectively in front of Stephen, refusing to hear another word, something sharp lodged in my throat. Just then, Father stepped forward and slapped me across the face. I slowly turned back to look at him. His anger hadn't subsided. "You're his older brother, yet you let him get embroiled in a scandal like this! How can you stand there without saying a word?" I lowered my head and let out a quiet laugh. Then, I gestured toward the bed. "You're right, Father. We need to settle this, so why don't you go see for yourself who is actually lying in that bed?" Father frowned and gave me a puzzled look. I said nothing more. Instead, I took a step back and cleared his path. Father approached the bed, bent down, and brushed aside the strand of hair covering the woman's face. Moonlight fell across her features, and Father's expression instantly shifted.