Volume 3 Chapter 18 Is The Strength Of Sake Masculinity？
On the kitchen counter, there are fried octopus, marinated sardines, a cheese and salami platter, and stick bread.
And then, there are many bottles of liquor.
"I had brandy cake for the first time. It's delicious. It has an adult flavor. Maybe I should try making it myself next time..."
The cake is moister than a regular pound cake, filled with dried fruits and nuts.
When I take a bite, even though I've never had brandy, the sweetness and a nice smoky aroma fill my nose, and I start to feel warm all over.
Eir-Eir wanted to eat the brandy cake, but for now, they are making do with fried octopus.
While Eir-Eir munches on the fried octopus, Sir Roxas tilts his wine glass filled with red wine and says, "You eat a lot, round dumpling," while trying to give him some cheese, only to have his finger nibbled on.
Watching Sir Roxas, I feel a bit anxious.
Is it really okay for Sir Roxas to drink liquor from such a fragile-looking glass like a wine glass?
He might break it.
"Princess, who do you think is the strongest drinker among us?"
When Sir Rail asked me, I blinked in surprise.
I had never really thought about that.
I figured Mr. Tsukuyomi and Mx. Margaret drink liquor often and can drink for a long time, so they must be strong drinkers.
"...Mr. Tsukuyomi?"
"Who is that? A new guy's name coming from Lydia's mouth...!"
"Mr. Tsukuyomi is a merchant, Sir Stefan. Mr. Tsukuyomi's partner is an octopus."
"What does that mean...?"
Mr. Tsukuyomi is a single man, but he loves Hyomon very much, so I think there's no need to worry.
Sir Stefan seemed concerned that many of my friends are single men, so I just wanted to clarify.
Now that I think about it, I hadn't really noticed, but there are a lot of single men.
The only single woman is FraFra.
FraFra and Eir-Eir are girls. Also, Mx. Margaret's gender is unknown.
"Indeed, Tsukuyomi is strong with alcohol since he's a man of the sea. So, besides Tsukuyomi..."
"Sir Rail is a hero, so he must be strong with liquor."
"That's true. A hero is someone who empties the liquor store during a victory feast. And if there are jars, they break them, and they take treasures from the castle's treasury."
"Brother, I've been thinking for a while, but that sounds more like a thief than a hero."
"You don't understand, Roxas. A hero is someone who breaks the mold."
"Is that so? If you say so, brother, then it must be true."
"Roxas is still being swayed by Rail, as always. How nostalgic."
Sir Stefan looks at Sir Roxas and Sir Rail like he's watching little kids in the family.
They've always been like this.
Sir Roxas is drinking red wine, while Sir Rail is drinking white wine.
It seems Sir Roxas isn't very strong with liquor, as there are more empty bottles in front of Sir Rail.
"Your Highness, I miss that protective side of you."
"I have 2 younger sisters. I thought of you all as my younger siblings... Lydia!"
"Yes...!"
Suddenly called by Sir Stefan, I jump a little.
Eir-Eir also shakes and trembles.
"I have 2 younger sisters, but I care about Lydia too. It's not cheating..."
"I don't think caring for your sister is cheating...! Besides, Sir Stefan and I are no longer engaged..."
"...That's true."
Sir Stefan nods deeply and then quickly downs his whiskey.
I wonder if that's okay. After being sick, isn't it bad to drink too much liquor?
"Your Highness, take it easy. Considering the time lost, you are still only 16."
"Lucian, it's fine just for today. There are nights when you want to escape with alcohol."
"...I understand how you feel, but if you turn to alcohol at your age, it won't lead to anything good."
Mr. Lucian is trying to calm Sir Stefan.
Since he has many subordinates, Mr. Lucian is very caring.
He gently moves the whiskey bottle away from Sir Stefan and pours water into a glass instead.
"...Your Highness has received a serious injury."
"There's nothing we can do about it. Besides, going back to your fiancée now is not an option."
"It's sad for Your Highness, but having the curse lifted and everything going back to normal wouldn't be interesting, right? Things are just getting good. I'm still cheering for Roxas."
"Isn't it wrong to find this amusing?"
"Yeah. A hero is someone who can build or break relationships with their friends."
"Is that really what a hero is...?"
"It is. By the way, I've noticed that Ciel isn't drinking much."
Sir Rail, who was quietly talking with Sir Roxas, lightly glared at Sir Ciel, who was sitting next to me.
"I don't usually drink much. When I get drunk, my thinking gets slow..."
"Ciel seems strong, but when it comes to alcohol. Plus, being good at drinking is like a symbol of manliness, right? Unlike Lucian, Ciel doesn't seem very manly, so I think this is a chance to show your manliness."
"Is being strong with alcohol a sign of manliness, Sir Rail?"
I swallow a bite of brandy cake and take a sip of honey milk latte.
My body feels warm, and my head is getting a bit fuzzy.
"Don't you think it's manly?"
"Sure, the knights seem to drink liquor a lot."
"If Ciel, looking like this, was chugging whiskey, wouldn't everyone go 'Wow, that's amazing!'?"
"I think Sir Ciel suits coffee more. Besides, he's only drinking water. He lives on just water and solid food..."
Thinking about Sir Ciel's life of only water and solid food makes me feel sad.
Tears start to well up in my eyes.
"...It's really a pitiful situation, isn't it? I'll be careful."
"Sir Ciel, please make sure to eat delicious food and live well..."
"I'll do my best."
Sir Ciel wipes the tears from the corners of my eyes.
I tightly grab Sir Ciel's arm and plead.
When I look up at him with teary eyes, Sir Ciel smiles gently at me.
"Wait, Ciel. Why aren't you feeling excited when the adorable Lydia is looking up at you with teary eyes like an angel...! You should be as flustered as Roxas and break some dishes, bow down to her cuteness...!"
"Your Highness, you're drunk. Calm down. I understand how you feel, but please calm down."
Mr. Lucian is trying to soothe the confused Sir Stefan, who is drunk on liquor.
It seems tough.
"The princess doesn't feel much manliness from a man who is strong with alcohol. So, what kind of man do you like?"
"What kind of man...?"
"Yeah. What kind of man do you like? Like a hero, or someone with glasses, or a prince, or a knight captain, or a mage, something like that."
"Well... I like men who don't cheat."
Sir Stefan clutches his chest and looks down.
I didn't mean to blame Sir Stefan. It was just something that couldn't be helped.
"By the way, Ms. Lydia. The brandy cake has a surprisingly high alcohol content. We should wrap it up soon..."
"...I'm sleepy, Sir Ciel, I'm so sleepy..."
Maybe because I felt sad thinking about Sir Ciel's life, my head is getting even fuzzier.
The world around me sways and starts to distort.
Just as I felt like I was going to fall from my chair, I felt someone lift me up, and I closed my eyes, feeling the comfort of strong arms.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)