TYHL SSS 03 🍷💫

~Special Side Story 3~

Yesterday, out of nowhere, my second older brother summoned both me and Liam.

“I think the bond between us three siblings is facing a crisis lately.”

“……?”

“……?”

“What’s with those question marks?! Am I the only one who feels this way?!”

“You said you’d give me a monster egg shell, Void. At this point—after tricking your own brother with a lie… yeah. I guess our sibling bond is in danger.”

“No, back then…! We played hide-and-seek together, gathered herbs, rode sleds, and even spun windmills together!”

“Brother, are you saying you want to be spun like a windmill right now? What exactly do you want to do?”

“Let’s strengthen our sibling bond!”

……And with that, he dragged us to a huge lake near the Regillus Mountains in the north.

A place called the Ice Lake, because even in summer the water was freezing cold.

If you stayed still, a cool breeze would gently blow by, making it a perfect summer retreat.

Ah—are you asking if I caught a cold because I overdid it there?

No.

“Alright! From now on, we begin the Nth Three-Siblings Friendship Meeting! Cheeeers!”

“Cheers!”

Half of it was…… just a hangover.

“Void, you’re telling me to drink this useless poison that only destroys brain cells—”

“Brother Liam, this is all memories! Cheers, cheers!”

“……Cheers.”

“Kaah!”

“Wait, youngest fairy. Considering your alcohol breakdown speed, you should only take one sip every twenty minutes—”

“One shot!”

“……Huh?”

I drank wine excitedly, ran around, twisted my foot, and fell straight into the lake—splash!

‘So that’s how it happened…’

Thanks to that, I earned myself a feverish cold on top of it.

‘Damn it. I shouldn’t have gotten carried away racing Void.’

Reckless pride really does lead to disaster.

To be fair, the one who suggested the race like we were kids again was Void.

Because of that, he seemed to feel guilty. He even sat himself down for reflection, like a punished child.

Somehow, that sight was funny… and a little sad.

“Brothers, I’m fine now, so you should go. Dad isn’t even at the castle, so you must have things to do—”

Just then, the outside grew noisy, and—

Bang! The door flew open.

My eyes widened on their own.

“Eh? Dad?”

A large shadow completely filled the doorway.

“You…!”

Dad, who was rarely this out of breath, roughly ran a hand through his hair.

In his huge hands were thick blankets, ingredients, medicinal herbs, and even a wooden doll (…why?) all jumbled together.

“Father? Weren’t you going to Ipsen with Mother and Grandfather?”

“Yeah. That’s right, but…”

After replying to Liam, Dad strode over.

He tossed his thick riding gloves aside and pressed his hand to my forehead first.

“I heard Ruby suddenly got sick, so I came back first. The other two will meet Count Camelan and return later.”

“Ohh.”

“Ha… that really startled me.”

Anyone could tell he had rushed back in a panic.

Only then did Dad look down at the random things he was holding and make an awkward face.

“It’s been a long time since you were sick, so I panicked a bit.”

“I—I’m okay, cough.”

“What do you mean okay? Your face is completely pale.”

Dad sat beside the bed and gently stroked my hair.

“What did you even do? Don’t tell me you overworked yourself again without telling me?”

“No, it’s just that…”

I did drink alcohol though……

Maybe because my answer wasn’t clear, Dad’s expression immediately turned serious.

“Ruby. I told you to take it easy with Magic Tower work. Honestly… ever since your mana core broke, both Rose and I have been anxious more times than we can count.”

“……”

“I know Khalid helped fully restore it, but… sigh. Seeing you so weak again, I wonder if there really are aftereffects left.”

No, what’s left is just a hangover……

I feel extremely guilty.

Sorry, Dad.

I quietly pulled the blanket up to cover my nose and lips.

Dad let out a small, helpless laugh. His eyes looked a little distant.

“You’re still a kid who likes burying your face in blankets… what were you trying to do anyway.”

I was trying to hide the smell of alcohol……

“I told you before. You can quit all your work if you want, just don’t get sick—um.”

At that moment, Dad short-circuited a little.

“J-just don’t get sick.”

It seemed impossible for him to ignore things any longer.

Unable to hold back, Dad sharply turned his head.

“And what exactly have you two been doing this whole time?”

The backs of two grown sons sitting against the wall. It was impossible not to look.

“……Self-reflection?”

“Why?”

“For moral reasons. Or because experience tells us we should.”

“Everything my brother said is correct.”

I didn’t want to lose, so I wiggled myself upright too.

“Ruby, why are you getting up now—”

“I’m turning myself in to see the light.”

“……?”

Exactly one minute later.

“In the mountains. Drinking alcohol. What?”

Dad’s anger mark appeared—powerfully!

Liam shook the hangover cure lightly.

‘That was close.’

After being bombarded by Father’s scolding, it felt like his ears had bled for the first time in a while.

“If you’re going to drink, you should’ve stayed quietly at the estate. What were you thinking?”

“Well, we wanted to feel like it was a picnic for once…! And honestly, if we drink at the estate, Hazel and Adolf won’t let us drink much!”

“Well done. Very well done.”

Void’s excuses made Leviathan rubbing his forehead vividly come to mind.

“I knew it… things were too quiet lately.”

Only then did Leviathan realize—

That even when children grow up, parenting never ends.

The scale of their mischief had only grown larger than when they used to run around the castle as kids.

‘Not me, though.’

He had only looked after his immature siblings. As a guardian. He definitely hadn’t enjoyed it.

“Then how is the youngest fairy?”

Liam asked while putting on his freshly cleaned glasses. A servant replied.

“After taking her medicine, she is asleep. She also drank the hangover cure you made, Young Master, so she should feel better soon.”

“You didn’t tell her there were monster byproducts in the ingredients, right?”

“Of course not.”

“They’re good for the body, but it’s troublesome when people keep asking about the materials.”

“Hoho.”

Liam let out a long sigh.

“The hangover should be fine… but the cold will probably last.”

“Since she fell into the Ice Lake, she’ll likely be sick for at least a week.”

“Sigh…”

The lake was cold because ice mana stones were buried at the bottom. If someone fell in, the cold mana would remain in their body.

In short, you caught a terrible cold.

Even with medicine, symptoms only eased slightly—you were stuck sick for a full week.

“If only we could get Flamegrass, the cold would disappear immediately.”

Liam muttered while tapping a plant encyclopedia.

“Come on. That’s like a dream. Digging up a mountain with a shovel would be more realistic.”

True. Even herbalists might only see such a legendary plant once in their lifetime. If it existed, it would be offered to the imperial family, not circulated on the market.

‘…There actually is a place where it can be found.’

But it wasn’t somewhere humans could reach.

Ruby recovering naturally would be faster. At least her symptoms were mild.

‘I can see why Father went wild.’

Second round of reflection begins.

But there was still a final boss left.

‘Mother… once Mother returns…’

What should he do?

Should he retreat to his spiritual homeland—the Academy—and reflect some more?

“But what suddenly started the drinking party? Did something happen to Young Master Void?”

“No, not really.”

Liam barely pulled himself back into the conversation.

“He just seemed… a little lonely.”

“Lonely…?”

“Once the youngest fairy gets married, there won’t be many chances like this.”

“Ah… after the engagement party, it probably hit him for real.”

The servant nodded as if understanding.

Liam also understood Void’s feelings. That was why he couldn’t stop his siblings as they smoothly headed toward mental collapse.

“Don’t you brothers have girlfriends? Please date someone!”

“Huh…? Why does alcohol taste sweet?”

“Hurry up and date and marry, and show me cute twins like Senior Oberon’s… I’m… hopeless anyway…”

“Why are you hopeless?”

“Kal says he doesn’t like babies.”

“Really?”

“…What? You’re not surprised?”

“Why would I be? He hates everyone by default. Except you.”

“No! He’s just shy. He’s cute, kind, affectionate, and—”

“Bullshit, drink up~!”

It felt like a counseling session happened too… but why can’t I remember it clearly?

‘Did all my brain cells die?’

Come to think of it, at some point, I think I was holding an entire bottle of wine……

“Anyway… Khalid seems like he has worries… when he comes back… I should talk to him…”

In those blurry memories,

only one thing remained clear—

The sight of Rubian, curled up like a little ball, muttering softly.