BIA Ch. 79

“You two are both my sons. You two are real brothers, so why are you so eager to tear each other apart?”

At Cedric’s sudden roar, Chester reflexively tried to make excuses.

“Wh, what do you mean? When were we ever eager to tear each other apart… that kind of…”

“That never happened? I clearly heard things and saw things with my own eyes, so where are you lying? And look at what the guys under you are doing. What are they learning to treat each other like enemies? Looking at how things are now, it’s nothing compared to Seymour and Roger’s time.”

At Cedric’s scolding, Chester shut his mouth without a peep. Perhaps seeing Chester get nothing but insults after trying to make a rash excuse, Bran didn’t bother denying it.

“We fight because we’re brothers.”

He put down the wine glass he was holding and spoke calmly.

“It’s because we want to go in a better direction. That’s why we bother to advise each other, get red in the face, and fight. If it was someone else, I would have just left them alone.”

“You’re good with words.”

Cedric scoffed. As if his throat was dry, the old man took a sip of wine. As soon as he put the glass down, he looked at Bran again and said,

“So, the fact that you’re only thinking of shooting each other when I die is also because you’re brothers?”

“Of course not.”

Bran answered with a smile. Compared to the gruesome conversation, his smile was too composed and relaxed. Anyone could see that he was planning to kill Chester as soon as Cedric died. Isaiah felt a bit sorry for him. Although it might look pathetic here, it would be better to lie low, but since he was a man who had never acted that way in his life, he couldn’t even imitate it. If it were Chester, who was used to acting pathetic, he would have pretended to die to express his unfairness.

“What do you mean ‘of course not’? If I step down like this, everyone in this neighborhood, even the rats, knows that whoever becomes the next boss, the other side will be annihilated that day.”

“That’s just a rumor, Father! That can’t be true!”

As expected, Chester immediately shouted as if he was wronged.

“Who on earth is saying such things? It’s absolutely not true. Like you said, Father, we’re brothers. If I kill my brother and become the boss, who would respect me? That will never happen. I can swear on it.”

But it was too much. He was pounding the table with his fists and even stomping his feet to appeal to his innocence and his determination as the next boss, but he really didn’t sound trustworthy. If the boss position was passed to a guy like him, the organization would be ruined within a year, not to mention internal strife.

Chester, you moron. If I were Cedric, even if I was going to pass it on to you, I would have changed my mind after seeing what you just did.

As Isaiah clicked his tongue inwardly, Manny let out a small sigh next to him. It seemed he had the same thought.

“Can you really swear on it?”

Cedric asked sternly.

“Of course, Father.”

Chester answered quickly.

“I don’t know about Bran, but I really, really cherish and respect Bran as a brother. Bran has many things that I don’t have. If I become the boss, I’m thinking of treating him well enough by utilizing those, thos, good, well, those parts I mentioned earlier. I’ll gladly ask for his advice too. Yes, that’s right.”

He was so excited that he was rambling with all sorts of flowery words. Anyone would think that Cedric had already decided to pass the boss position to him.

“Bran, what about you?”

This time, Cedric asked Bran, who was sitting on the opposite side. Isaiah watched with a nervous heart, worried that Bran might be too honest.

“I feel the same way.”

Fortunately, Bran answered briefly. Isaiah let out a silent sigh of relief. And the next moment, he was disgusted with himself. So what if Bran said something foolish? Even if he didn’t get the boss position because of that, it was his fate, and what did it have to do with him that he was so nervous?

“Okay, so that’s what you say.”

Cedric nodded. Judging by the deep worry on his face, which was different from his words, he must have seen through his two sons’ obvious lies. Well, who would believe it? As Cedric said, it was a story that even the rats in this neighborhood wouldn’t believe.

“I understand. If you say so, it must be true.”

Finally, after a long silence, Cedric spoke.

“But I still find it hard to believe. So, for the next ten days, prove it to me in front of me, in this house.”

“Yes…?”

At the unexpected words, Chester stared at Cedric with wide eyes. Bran also stopped reaching for his wine glass.

“Both of you will stay in this house for the next ten days starting today. When you finish work, come straight back, have dinner together, and spend the evening together, like normal brothers. Sleep in the guest room on the second floor. And have breakfast together in the morning. Of course, I’ll be there too.”

“Father!”

Before Cedric could finish speaking, Chester jumped up from his seat.

“This doesn’t make any sense! No, how old are we that we have to spend the evening together? And even breakfast? I can’t do it!”

“Shut up! What’s so hard about that?”

Cedric slammed the table roughly. Then, a thunderous voice echoed through the dining room.

“You said you’re brothers, right? Your grandfather and great-uncle lived together their whole lives, you know? That’s normal in Ireland! There are tons of brothers who live in the same house even after they get married, and what’s so hard about ten days! Not a year, not a month, but just ten days! And you can’t do that? When you’re brothers?”

“Ah, no, that’s, it’s not that I can’t do it…”

At Cedric’s angry roar, Chester quickly lowered his tail and groveled. He shamelessly blamed Bran.

“I, I meant that Bran wouldn’t be able to do it. Yes… Bran is always so busy. He always finishes work late…”

“I don’t mind.”

Bran replied briefly. He even added while picking up his wine glass.

“No matter how busy you are, you have to make time for your family.”

Right? He raised his glass toward Chester with a relaxed smile, and for the first time, Isaiah thought Bran was a bit annoying.

“Good. It’s ten days from now. You’ll be staying in this house together for ten days. And next Friday, the 25th, all the members of the organization will go to church together for service. Pastor Benjamin will tell us who will succeed me as the new head of this organization. He will personally grab the new boss’s shoulder and give a blessing prayer during the service.”

“Father.”

Chester looked at Cedric with a surprised expression. Cedric nodded calmly.

“Yes. It’s not an announcement of the successor. That day, the boss of the Kalisz family will change. I’m completely stepping down.”

“Father.”

This time, Bran and Chester called out to Cedric at the same time. Cedric pretended not to hear and shouted loudly toward the living room.

“Raymond!”

“Yes, Boss.”

As if he had been waiting, Raymond answered quickly and rushed into the dining room. He took out a tightly sealed envelope from his bag and handed it to Cedric. Cedric held up the envelope and said in a solemn tone.

“If I die before that, Raymond will open this. It contains the details of all the businesses currently run by the Kalisz family, and the remaining profits and all my assets will be donated to society.”

“Yes…?”

Chester stared at his father with a dumbfounded expression. Bran said nothing. He just seemed to have guessed what was coming next, and his eyes darkened.

“It’s not just me. If either of you dies or gets seriously injured, this envelope will be opened.”

Finally, Chester seemed to realize that the situation was going to hell.

“This will is valid until the end of the service on Friday the 25th. For the next ten days, cherish and love your brother as you would your own body, and get along well.”

“This is a dream…”

Chester mumbled as he lay on the bed. He had been repeating the same things for an hour, like “it’s a dream,” “it’s a nightmare,” “it’s hell,” so it seemed like he was in quite a shock.

“There’s no need to be so frustrated. You were going to kill Bran right after the successor announcement anyway. I don’t think anything has changed.”

Manny had been trying to comfort Chester with the same words for an hour. But Chester didn’t even pretend to listen and just groaned. Manny glanced at his watch with a look of annoyance, then said in a very bright voice.

“How about thinking of it this way, Chester? Rather, this might be the last chance. If you try to get along with Bran for the next ten days, and try to please the Boss,”

“That’s the worst, you idiot!”

Chester bounced up and slapped Manny on the cheek.

“It’s not about Father’s will! It’s that I have to face Bran and have a good time for ten days that’s fucked up! And I even have to sleep in the same room as that bastard! In this cramped room! Leaving my perfectly good room and having to stay in this, this shitty…”

Chester stopped talking, clutched his chest, and fell back onto the bed. It seemed like he was having trouble breathing just thinking about it. Manny also bowed his head next to him with a miserable face.

Is it that bad? Isaiah honestly didn’t understand, but he didn’t show it. If he did, Chester’s paranoia, which had barely calmed down, would probably flare up again. In the worst case, he might have to be stuck in this house for ten days too.