【English version】As the only “brave” in the world

#2

Hanging from the ceiling so high that you couldn't see the top unless you turned your head up 90 degrees, there was a chandelier so large that it almost made you sigh.

The pillars of the hall are decorated with flashy patterns and are as thick as beech trees. The floor is spotless and made of highly polished marble.

The Tsukuyomi family gathered in a large hall inside the castle and were drinking aperitifs in preparation for the course dinner they were about to eat.

However, since Kaname and Zenichi are underage, what they are drinking is 100% orange juice for Kaname and oolong tea for Zenichi.

“I want to further strengthen our ties with Japan!”

Masasi Tsukuyomi ostentatiously put down the light white wine he was drinking and announced loudly at the dinner table.

Kaname looked surprised and dropped the knife he had been looking at with interest. Zenichi lifted his shoulders up and down and picked it up.

“After all, I think this country and my family would be richer if we had more money!”

He let out a loud laugh that seemed to be in a good mood, and this time he opened a glass of red wine. I poured the wine into my glass, gulped, and happily took a sip of the appetizer the waiter brought me.

"Dad, if you want money that much, you should just send Kaname into the entertainment industry."

Zenichi sighed and said to Shoji. Shoji, furious, slams the table covered with cloth.

"No matter how much money you want, it's wrong to show the cute members of your family in public! You always do that!"

"Well, Masasi-san, Zen'ichi is joking. Isn't that right, Zen'ichi?"

Shoji's wife, Kaoru Tsukiyomi, chides him for acting exactly like Zen'ichi. I looked at Zenichi with praying eyes, but Zenichi smiled faintly,

“No, I’m being serious.”

replied.

“Koraaaaaa!!”

Zenichi quickly moved his body and dodged the fork that was thrown from Shoji's hand.

"Dad, by the way, don't forget that I know where and what to throw when Dad runs out."

“You really are always...!”

Zenichi laughed out loud and deftly moved his fork and knife as he took a bite of the appetizer. It was so watery that it looked like water droplets were falling on it, and a blue scent hit my nostrils. The perfect symmetry of the left and right sides gave a sense of the chef's care.

“Um, would you mind if I serve you the next dish?”

the waiter asked apologetically. Shoji finished his third glass of wine, his face turning red, and said, ``Of course,'' he said, changing his rough tone.

"Sweet potato soup for Zenichi, carrot soup for his wife, potage of broccoli stems for her husband, and vegetable soup for Kaname. Please enjoy."

Soup was poured into a glass bowl and served in front of me. Although the plate itself is quite large, the actual amount of soup is not that big. It looks like you can eat it all at once.

After the waiter left to prepare the next dish, Kaname quickly replaced Zenichi's soup with his own.

"Blue!"

“Zenichi doesn’t like sweets that much, right?”

"What you're trying to say is, 'I don't want to eat vegetables.'"

Kaname had a blatantly dissatisfied look on his face. Zenichi posed as if he had done it, then whispered in his ear, ``It's a secret,'' and then glanced at Shoji and Kaoru.

Zen'ichi and Kaname weren't looking, engrossed in small talk. Zen'ichi put the bowl to his mouth and sipped vigorously.

He scooped up the ingredients in one go with his spoon, placed the bowl in front of him, and swallowed it.

Basically, his face lit up and he expressed his gratitude just by the shape of his mouth. Zen'ichi said with his mouth that it couldn't be helped, and then slowly began to enjoy his own soup.

It's a dining table that doesn't seem like it belongs to royalty.

To the general public, one might imagine the imperial family elegantly serving food in a luxurious hall like this, but in reality, it is probably not much different from the dining table in an ordinary household.

They devoured the food that was brought to them one after another, and even finished the dessert cake made with rich chocolate.

After returning to his room, Kaname happily jumped into the king bed.

``Today was fun too,'' he said as he exhaled happily.

I'm sure this happiness will continue forever.

I'm sure for many years to come.

But within just a week, the words I repeated every night in bed stopped being uttered.