Chapter 73

"Abua!"

At that moment, the kids who were giggling and playing with each other handed me a cookie that was half-eaten.

"Are you giving it to me?"

"Maise!"

"Hehe!"

Realizing what Hongdan meant by her excited wriggling, I took the cookie, and the kids looked at me with bright eyes, eager to see when I would eat it.

"Oh, you're so good."

"Kyaruruk!"

Feeling their sincerity was adorable, I put the cookie in my mouth without hesitation, which made Hongdan giggle and hug my neck, peppering my cheeks with kisses.

Knock knock.

"Your Highness, it's Amy."

I was trying to suppress a smile from the endless cuteness when Amy's cautious knock and voice made me compose myself and clear my throat.

"Ahem, what is it?"

"A guest has arrived."

"Without any notice? Did they forget all about manners?"

"That's... Princess Winry."

"What? Where is she now, show me!"

Of course, there are always exceptions.

Hearing my firm words, Amy seemed a bit taken aback and didn't say anything for a while.

* * *

"Big Brother!"

The green-haired little girl, who had been admiring a simple but neat and pretty flower bed, ran up to me and hugged me tightly as soon as she saw me.

"Have you been well?"

It had been almost half a year since I left for the fief, and this was the first time I saw my sister's face.

"I really missed you, Big Brother."

"Yeah, yeah. Are you hurt anywhere?"

As I patted her back and stroked her head, she blushed and looked up at me, then moved a little away from me.

"You're too much. Not even a single letter all this time."

"Haha, sorry. I was a bit busy."

"Hmph... Seeing the state of the fief, I guess you were lucky. I understand."

"By the way, where's Baris?"

"That guy... "

Winry frowned and narrowed her eyes.

Then she sighed and her eyes sparkled as if she had noticed something.

"But Big Brother, who are these kids...?"

Only then did she notice Hongdan and Cheongdan, who were clinging to me from behind.

The two kids, with tense faces, only poked their heads out, which made Winry smile.

"You... are so cute!"

"Au!"

"Kyaa!"

Unable to resist, Winry lunged at the kids, hugging them, making Hongdan and Cheongdan wriggle in surprise, but Winry wouldn't let them go. Instead, she rubbed their cheeks and squealed with delight.

"Abua!"

"Shirero!"

I remember they liked it when I did it, but there seems to be a difference between a parent and a non-parent.

"Let's go inside."

Finally, seeing the kids' SOS signals, I stopped Winry, and she seemed to come to her senses.

"Phew... I must have lost my mind for a moment."

But she kept glancing at the kids, as if she would hug them for days if given the chance.

With a reluctant expression, Winry followed me into the parlor, where she watched the kids cautiously reaching for cookies and her eyes sparkled.

"Au! So cute! Big Brother, who are these kids? Are they fief residents?"

"They're kids I'm taking care of."

"Big Brother?"

"First, they're my daughters."

"Wow..."

Winry shook her head in amazement.

"Big Brother always seems to be doing something new. Really..."

"I have my reasons; I need to take care of them."

"Well, if that's the case, I have nothing to say... "

Perhaps because they were so cute, even as they played and giggled, they kept glancing at Winry to gauge her reaction.

Winry, breathing heavily, stretched out her hands.

"Hey, kids? Do you want to come to big sister's arms?"

"Uuung..."

Of course, they wouldn't.

The kids, making sad faces, burrowed into my arms, and Winry made a sad face too.

"Hongdan, Cheongdan, you should get along with big sister, okay?"

As I smiled softly and stroked their heads, they seemed to want to meet my expectations.

After a while, they slowly and hesitantly moved toward Winry, holding out the cookies they had in their hands.

"Kookie..."

"Are you giving it to me? Really? Kyaa!"

Was it that good?

"Uuung..."

"Uuung..."

Unable to resist, Winry hugged the kids, rubbing their cheeks against hers, making Hongdan and Cheongdan wriggle with mild distress.

"So cute! Kids, do you want to come with big sister?"

"Shirero!"

"Abua!"

A sharp refusal.

Despite the kids' firm rejection, Winry's squeals of delight made me sigh.

"By the way, I thought you were busy with fief affairs. How did you come here?"

After the maids placed the teacups and left, I asked, swirling the tea in my cup.

"Big Brother... Recently, the attacks by bandits have decreased, and the fief has been quite peaceful. Aren't you paying attention?"

"Haha, sorry."

If we had exchanged letters, I wouldn't have been so out of touch, but I've been quite busy.

"Really, I was so surprised. When you said you were coming to this wasteland-like fief, I was so worried... But you succeeded in a huge business... Moreover, I saw dwarves in the entire village."

"I'm getting some help."

"Really... Dwarves are a race that rarely come out into the world, right? I've never seen one before. Dwarves."

Is she the only one?

The people in the fief also often look at the dwarves as if they were exotic creatures.

Of course, since they will be staying for a considerable time, they will eventually get used to it.

"I want to treat you properly, but the fief is in this state... It will take a few more months to stabilize."

"I came unannounced, so I can't complain. Actually, I came because... "

She had a bitter expression, and the cheerful look she had earlier was gone, replaced by a worried one.

"Big Brother."

"Hmm?"

"The power of the Sacred Mark... Can you use it?"

"The power of the Sacred Mark?"

At my calm question, Winry hesitated and then carefully spoke.

"Big Brother is so busy, and it's not right for me to ask this, but... "

"Don't worry, just tell me."

I've only had the Sacred Mark for a short time since I woke up from a coma, but I'm confident I can help my sister.

What could I not help with?

Encouraged by my words, Winry finally spoke.

"I'm really sorry, Big Brother... "

"Come on. Don't hesitate. I'll help even if it's impossible."

Perhaps reassured by my words, Winry finally broke down and started crying.

"Big Brother... The person I love is on the brink of death... Even the priests and doctors have given up... "

Her words, filled with sobs, gave me a strange feeling.

"Even the priests and doctors have given up?"

"Yes... So, I thought maybe the power of the Sacred Mark could do something... "

Yes, this feeling. It's like something big is about to happen.

30. The Omen of the Plague

Perhaps reassured by my presence, Winry, who had been crying, couldn't stop and eventually fainted from exhaustion.

She was completely exhausted and fell into a deep sleep, so I had no choice but to put her to bed without hearing the full story.

"She must be exhausted. It seems she has been under a lot of mental stress."

"Let her rest. She must have had a hard time coming here."

The distance between Ordem Fief and here is considerable. If she traveled for days without rest, she must be very tired.

That much must mean the person she loves is very important to her.

When I stroked her forehead, a slight fever passed through my fingertips.

Using a bit of my remaining energy, I cast a healing spell, and her previously pained expression seemed to ease.

"Uuung..."

"Does it hurt?"

Seeing Winry asleep, Hongdan and Cheongdan, who had followed me in, seemed to instinctively realize she was in pain and asked with worried faces.

"She'll be fine after a good rest. Let her rest, okay?"

"If it hurts, it's not good."

"Hongdan will stay by her side."

Then they crawled into the bed, hugging Winry tightly and falling asleep.

Not to be outdone, Cheongdan, after checking my reaction, also crawled into the bed from the other side, hugging Winry and closing her eyes.

Normally, I would have stopped them, but the kids are essentially bundles of energy that emit elemental power, divine power, or mana.

Having them nearby would likely help with her recovery.

After watching Winry sleep, I left the room only after Hongdan and Cheongdan were completely asleep.