"Right, right, you're the best little sister in the whole world."
Smiling as he looked at Yukino, Ryuya noticed a shift in the girl's mood.
How to describe it? It was the look of someone who had confirmed something and felt happy about it.
After eating with Yukino for a while, his sister soon spoke up.
"I'm full (^▽^)."
Although she was at the golden age of eighteen, unlike her sister Haruno, Yukino's development was... somewhat underwhelming.
While her face was undoubtedly that of a rare, exquisite beauty, in terms of figure, she could only manage not to drag down the team's average.
She neatly divided the half-eaten food on her plate and placed the other half in front of Ryuya. This wasn't the first time Yukino had eaten out with him, and she knew her brother would never waste food.
"You... your appetite hasn't improved at all. What if you stop growing?"
Looking at Yukino's sweet, satisfied expression, as if she had achieved some milestone, Ryuya said helplessly.
"If I stop growing, I stop growing. You'll protect me for my whole life anyway, right, Ryuya?"
She said this somewhat nervously, not daring to look up. She was a little afraid Ryuya might say something else, because words like these were practically a confession!
"Not just for this lifetime, I'll continue in the next one too."
Fortunately, Ryuya didn't refuse. Instead, he gave an answer that made Yukino even more excited.
She looked up, her beautiful eyes seeming to swirl with emotion. A sweet smile on her face, she looked at Ryuya, about to say something more when...
"Sir, Miss, pardon the interruption. This is our restaurant's latest complimentary beverage, a gift for you."
A server appeared, placing two glasses of brightly colored cocktails on the table before excusing himself.
"Alcohol?"
She wasn't in the habit of drinking, but the cocktails looked really appealing. And since it was a Western restaurant, the drinks were likely low-alcohol cocktails.
Gently licking her lips, a cherry-colored glint flashing, Yukino looked questioningly at Ryuya, as if asking, 'Brother, can I have a little?'
"Go ahead, go ahead."
Completely unable to resist Yukino's not-unreasonable little requests, Ryuya had no reason to refuse.
"But Yukino, let's be clear, only one glass. No more."
"Understood."
Nodding lightly, feeling a bit stuffy and warm, Yukino picked up the cocktail. As the slightly sweet, spicy liquid went down her throat, she licked her lips in aftertaste. It was actually quite tasty.
"Not bad. Ryuya, you have some too."
Finding the complimentary cocktail wasn't as unpleasant as she imagined, but rather had a faint fruity aroma, Yukino actually wanted a bit more.
'This way, maybe I could use the alcohol as courage tonight to finally break through the years of just being siblings with Ryuya!'
"You... no more for you."
Cocktails might seem low in alcohol, but they can be quite potent, with a strong delayed effect. Not wanting Yukino to get drunk, Ryuya downed his own drink in one go.
They chatted casually for a while longer until they were fully satisfied, then headed home.
On the way back.
"Ryuya, can I ask you something?"
Her snow-white skin was tinged with a faint blush, a precursor to the alcohol affecting her body.
But her thoughts were bolder than before. Yukino even dared to intimately link arms with Ryuya, leaning half her body against him.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Do you... like Eriri?"
Even though she had asked during dinner, Yukino wanted to ask again to be sure.
"Just friends and classmates. I think she's nice. But as for lovers or a romantic relationship? No feelings there."
Shaking his head, even though Ryuya was a King, he wasn't the type to add every beautiful woman to his harem.
For someone with no emotional foundation, he truly wouldn't be with them.
Just look at Uruk back then. So many beauties from the other tribes admired the Sun-Crowned King, but aside from Gilgamesh and the others, Ryuya had no involvement with anyone else.
Ultimately, he had bottom lines and principles regarding feelings and relationships. He was definitely not a stallion who would take every one that came along.
"Hehe, that's good."
Her speech slightly slurred, her walk a bit unsteady, even her neck flushed with a faint rosy hue, Yukino was clearly drunk.
"Yukino, get on."
He regretted letting Yukino drink, 'But using magecraft to dispel the alcohol seemed like overkill.'
After a moment's thought, Ryuya proactively crouched down, gesturing for Yukino to climb onto his back.
"Huh? Is it okay?"
Seeing Ryuya was going to carry her home on his back, Yukino, who hadn't experienced this in a long time, remembered the last time he carried her was probably back in elementary school.
Emboldened by the alcohol, her usual shyness diminished, the young girl gently lay on Ryuya's back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"Ryuya, have I gotten fat?"
Her watery eyes seemed to glisten with moisture. Quietly resting her head against Ryuya's back, he could even feel her breath as she spoke.
It seemed like something soft brushed against his neck for less than a second before parting, but Ryuya could still tell it was Yukino's tongue.
'This girl...'
Shaking his head with a wry smile, Ryuya realized his little sister was truly bold, 'Sticking to me so defenselessly like this, hadn't she considered the consequences?'
"You're not fat. My Yuki-chan isn't fat at all."
"Mmm, that's good."
She really liked the address 'Yuki-chan', but because it was so intimate, she hadn't heard Ryuya call her that in a long time.
Letting out a soft 'Mmm', she thought how bold she had been just now, daring to make such a bold move. She hoped Ryuya hadn't noticed.
But...
As the sounds of the night surrounded them, the unique stifling heat of a midsummer evening welled up in her heart, tangling Yukino's thoughts into a mess.
"Oni... chan..."
Her body completely limp, barely able to distinguish dream from reality, Yukino only wanted to freeze this moment in time.
Her flushed, feverish cheek pressed tightly against Ryuya's back, her heart overflowed with incredibly complex emotions.
It wasn't shyness, yet her heart raced, and she broke out in a sweat.
It wasn't nervousness, yet her thoughts were chaotic, her head spinning.
It wasn't joy, yet sweetness wrapped around her heart, love filling her world.
She didn't know how they got home, nor how Ryuya put her down. She only remembered clinging tightly to the man's body at the end, continuously, endlessly pouring out her feelings.
"Onii-chan... I like you."
"I really like you..."
The emotions held in her heart for so long were finally spoken aloud.
Feeling an unprecedented joy, Yukino's last memory was of being held in Ryuya's arms and receiving his answer.
"Me too, I like my Yuki-chan the most."