Chapter 51
Savoring Happiness
In the end, we returned to the royal capital without ever properly meeting Abel face-to-face.
I wondered if I should try to befriend him now, before it’s too late, but unlike the village chief’s son or someone close by, he lived all the way on the edge of the village. There was just no natural opportunity to meet him.
It’s unfortunate, but once he awakens as a Hero, he’ll surely come to the capital, so I hope we can become friends then.
Before that, though, I have to finish the cure for magic overload.
For now, the golden lycoris that Lan stored for me is growing in the greenhouse.
Apparently, the plant naturally spreads by sprouting new shoots from its roots, and with Lan’s magic constantly bathing it, it’s multiplying nicely.
Robert-sensei has already started experimenting with the pollen for various studies.
Please do your best until the medicine is complete!
“Leti, drawing again?”
“Please look, Brother. This is you with the golden lycoris.”
What I proudly showed him wasn’t the “azure-robed warrior descending on a field of gold,” but rather a painting of my beautiful brother standing in a garden of golden lycoris.
For a devoted follower, fan art is a sacred object—a source of life itself.
Of course, I’m blessed to be able to look at the real Brother right beside me.
But we can’t stick together every second of the day.
Well, I would love that, obviously, but since Brother is the ducal heir he has lectures, sword training, and other duties, so it’s impossible.
So I thought I’d carry a drawing of him everywhere… but…
If I were Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, maybe I could produce something passable, but heavy, medieval-style portraits just couldn’t capture Brother’s beauty.
So I decided to draw him myself.
In my previous life, I’d doodled fan art a little, but I’d never made a serious piece.
But a true fan never spares any effort for the sake of their beloved.
With that spirit, ever since waking up in this world, I’ve been drawing Brother constantly.
You could say I’ve become a master of Brother-illustration.
At first, I couldn’t even hold a pencil properly, so I started with crayons, and my drawings were terrible.
But the more I drew, the more I improved, and as I gradually became able to capture Brother’s brilliance, drawing became fun.
Eventually I became comfortable sketching in pencil, and now I mostly paint with watercolor.
Adding delicate color over pencil lines feels like… as if a world that could only become bleak and monochrome—one where Brother becomes the final boss—is being filled with warm, gentle colors instead.
“You drew me again?”
“Of course.”
I am the Brother-Art Meister, after all.
Ah, but sometimes I draw other subjects too.
“This one is Moko.”
A drawing of little Moko—white, round, fluffy—smelling the flowers in a golden field of lycoris under a bright blue sky.
His current puppy-like form with ears and a tail is adorable too, but that round fluffy form is just irresistibly cute.
“You drew him very well.”
“Thank you!”
Praise from Brother is the greatest joy in the world.
Whenever I’m happy, Moko gets happy too, and he started wagging his fluffy tail wildly next to my palette.
“And this one is still a draft… Brother holding the holy sword.”
The holy sword Gran Avert is currently transformed into my personal butler, but its true sword form is really cool.
So I wanted to draw Brother wielding it at least once.
Lan, in his butler form, wasn’t very pleased about a non-contractor holding the sword in a drawing, but I convinced him by saying I’d draw it really cool.
“But… it looks lonely like this,” Brother said.
Then he picked up a pencil.
“Mind if I add something?”
“Of course not!”
Ah—Brother… drawing on my illustration!
Is this… is this a collaboration!?
I will treasure it as a family heirloom forever!
Brother drew with confident, steady lines.
Could this be…
“You’re drawing… me?”
“Yes. It’d be lonely if I were all alone, wouldn’t it?”
Next to Brother holding the sword, he drew me—carrying Moko.
Me, Brother, Moko, and the holy sword.
They are the precious family I gained after reincarnating in this world.
Feeling warm and full of happiness, I took the pencil back and added a tiny drawing of Father in the corner of the page.
“Now the whole family is together.”
“Really.”
Brother and I looked at each other and smiled.
I was so happy it made my chest ache.
I wished these peaceful days could last forever.
Soon Brother would begin attending the academy.
And two years after that, Hero Abel and Princess Fiona would enroll.
There’s still time before the story of the novel begins, but I’ll do everything I can to keep Brother from becoming the final boss.
I’ll protect his gentle, happy smile forever.
First step: complete the cure for magic overload.
I’ve smashed my own death flag—and I definitely won’t let Brother become a final boss.
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“I love you very much.”
“I love you too, Leti.”
I set my pencil down and hugged him.
Wrapped in Brother’s arms, I felt happiness beyond anything words could describe.
