Side: Ratz
"Uh? Hmm...?"
I felt a strange discomfort in my body.
How should I put it... I felt sluggish, or maybe I had no appetite.
It's 6:00 PM. Normally, I'd be finishing work, hopping in the bath, and cheering for dinner, but...
The hot days have been dragging on... maybe I've caught something?"
Lately, it's been nothing but desk work in rooms with the air conditioning blasting. Even though I'm a former adventurer with a level that's now off the charts, it seems some things never change.
"But even if I have no appetite, if I don't eat, Onii-san will worry..."
That is absolutely unacceptable. Onii-san is a stubborn one who pushes himself too hard but refuses to let us do the same. If he finds out I don't have an appetite...
'Tonight's 'nighttime fun' will be cancelled! I cannot allow that!!'
Today is my day to have Onii-san all to myself!
For us wives, having him all to ourselves at night is a dream-like time that nothing can replace. Whether it's swinging our hips endlessly, getting headpats, having my chest kneaded to my heart's content, or perhaps a change of pace in the bath—the possibilities are endless!!
If Onii-san senses I'm unwell, he'll just dote on me and tuck me in for a nap... That's nice in its own way, but that can happen on any other day. To have that happen on an "all-you-can-eat Onii-san" day would make me cry literal tears!
"For now, maybe an invigorating bath will change things?"
With that thought, I head toward the bath.
* * *
"Aaaah, I suppose you could call this a privilege."
I'm soaking in the tub, feeling quite wonderful.
The training grounds and general residents have normal baths. Meanwhile, we have an open-air bath! The boost to one's mood is on a different level.
Well, there are bathhouses with open-air tubs and family baths available as leisure facilities for everyone. It's not that we're the only ones being decadent, but having it for free, whenever we want, without needing to clean it ourselves is fantastic!
For other facilities, to provide jobs for the residents, the automatic cleaning function only applies to the water itself. Everything else has to be scrubbed by hand.
"Ah, the fatigue is just melting away~ Now if only my appetite would come back."
"Ratz-oneechan, do you not have an appetite?"
"Are you okay?"
As I speak, adorable voices reply to me.
"Oh, Aslin, Filia, and Labyris. Since when were you there?"
"We came in a little bit ago, and Ratz-oneechan was just relaxing."
"Indeed."
"...You look quite exhausted, don't you?"
"Well, work has been strangely hot lately. Are you girls feeling alright?"
""We're great!!""
"...These two are full of energy. Though, I understand what you mean, Ratz."
"You're the dungeon's general manager, after all."
"...In terms of position, I'm second only to Seraria-sama."
For a while, we enjoy the tub in silence. Of course, Aslin and Filia are playing with their "rabbits." It's a heartwarming sight.
"Come to think of it, you haven't been joining Onii-san in the bath much lately."
"That's true. These two have finally settled in, you see."
"Ah, I see."
These three children used to be glued to Onii-san and always bathed with him. The reason was the anxiety of "Maybe I'll be thrown away." or "I'll be alone again." In the beginning, whenever Onii-san disappeared for even a moment during the night to talk to someone, they'd walk through the hallways crying and searching for him.
"But they still want to stay in the same room, right?"
"Of course. You always want to be with the person you love."
"Are we not enough?"
"If you tell them to sleep together with you, they'll come. You know they've already been staying over at Seraria-sama's and Elju-sama's places, right?"
"Ah, now that you mention it."
"Well, that's the difference, I suppose. In terms of attachment, Yuki is the strongest."
"That's true."
"When they were slaves, we talked to them, of course, but we didn't try to get too close, did we?"
"That was because... we didn't know how we'd be treated from then on. If we got too friendly, saying goodbye would have been too painful."
"And then, when the lid was opened, we were freed from slavery. And the one who treated those two with the most care and importance was Yuki. I worked hard too, mind you. But an 'Older Sister' and an 'Older Brother' are different."
"Back then, we were too busy just grasping the situation."
"That's true. I was too. But maybe that's why those two were able to understand Yuki's kindness so purely."
"Both of them could barely even eat properly at first."
Well, "basic education" here isn't much compared to where Yuki comes from. Eating with their hands, no forks or spoons. Simple tunics for clothes. Their hair was a mess; their bodies were somewhat okay, but they were far from "clean." Onii-san taught them everything, one thing at a time, patiently and without getting angry.
During their first meal, perhaps because it was too delicious, they ate so fast they got their yukatas dirty. They were on the verge of tears thinking Onii-san would scold them, weren't they? Well, Onii-san looked surprised, but he didn't get angry; he just took them back to the bath to get them clean again...
"That Onii-san from that time, huh... even I would fall for him."
"Don't worry, you've already fallen for him hard."
* * *
After enjoying the bath and chatting, I spent some time relaxing in my room until dinner, but...
"Uu... I really do feel sluggish. My appetite is still kind of off..."
This is bad... At this rate, tonight's fun will be taken away!?
This is a matter of life and death!! Ratts, now is the time to show your spirit as a woman!!
"Yo, Ratz. Aslin said you seemed a bit tired?"
"Ack!?"
Crap, I forgot to tell Aslin to keep her mouth shut! I-I've been found out?!
"N-No, you've got it wrong! I'm fine. It's just your imagination!!"
"Well, it's probably heat fatigue. I've made dinner to match."
"Huh? Heat fatigue?"
"When you can't keep up with the summer climate and lose your appetite or feel sluggish, it's called Natsubate (heat fatigue)."
"Ah, yes, that's exactly how I feel... Dinner?"
"Dinner. You can fix heat fatigue with dinner. Don't worry, today's my day with you, so this should set you right."
"O-Onii-san..."
Honestly, I nearly teared up.
Instead of just telling me to rest, he acted in a way that took my feelings into account. Ah, even if the heat fatigue doesn't go away, I won't let him sleep tonight—and I won't sleep either.
"Something smells amazing!!"
"Hey, Tori, I told you not to run. Whoa, that does smell good~" (Riel)
"Oh, Yuki! What is this scent?! I'm so hungry I can't stand it!" (Derieu)
"It smells like it would go great with booze!!" (Milly)
"Milly-san, are you drinking again today?!" (Narjia)
"Chi-neesama, it smells wonderful, doesn't it?" (Elju)
"It does. Honestly, being with my husband makes every day something to look forward to." (Seraria)
"...It doesn't... quite reach... the level of... fried tofu." (Kaya)
"What is this mysterious, lovely scent? Is this handmade by Yuki-sama again?" (Sheila)
One by one, the residents came gathering, lured by the smell behind me. Only then did I truly notice the aroma myself, and my appetite was instantly stimulated.
"Hehe, I'm glad you asked! Tonight's dinner is Unajū (Grilled Eel over Rice)! Eat up!"
With that, Onii-san led everyone to the banquet hall.
"Though I've put out plenty of plain kabayaki too, so if you run out of rice, just grab more!"
* * *
And so, dinner became a battlefield.
"""The last piece is..."""
"""...MINE!"""
Of course, my sluggishness and lack of appetite vanished completely as I joined the fray.
"...Guess I'll go make some more. Why do they always eat more than I expect?"
Well, if it's Onii-san's cooking, it's guaranteed to be a hit.
Do your best! I'll be doing my best tonight!!
