The sun had long set. Dinner was over. A warm bath had washed away the fatigue of travel. And now, night had fully settled in.
After spending three days traveling each way and a full week in the Dragon’s Village, we had been gone for nearly two weeks. Now that we were finally home, there was a sense of both liberation and quiet comfort that was hard to describe.
「Feels like I’ll be able to sleep soundly tonight.」
Sinking into the living room sofa, I stretched my bath-warmed body and murmured to myself.
「Bark… yaaawn…」
「You feeling fresh now?」
「Kyuuun…」
Freshly bathed, Chocola smelled wonderful, his fur soft and clean. But he didn’t seem pleased about it, curling up with a sulky look and turning his head away.
「Come on, you know you had to be washed. You’d just keep getting dirtier otherwise.」
「Fsshh…」
「Still, Chocola really trusts you, Sui. He won’t let any of us bathe him.」
Karen, wearing a faint smile, sat down beside me.
「Come here.」
「Bark!」
At her call, Chocola perked up and hopped onto her lap, resting his front paws on her legs as he began to playfully nuzzle her.
「Good boy.」
「And yet, after sulking at me, he goes straight to you for attention…」
「Bark? Kyuuun.」
For a while, Chocola wagged his tail as Karen gently stroked his fur.
Then—
「Chocola, Pochi’s in the stable now.」
「Bark…! Waun!」
Mother had opened the living room door, calling out to him.
「Thanks for taking care of Pochi, Mother.」
「He worked hard these past few days. But it seems like he got some good exercise out of it.」
「Kuuun…」
Chocola turned his nose toward me. I gave his head a pat, and he then did the same with Karen and Mother before trotting off. He was heading to the stable, where he would spend the night with Pochi.
「See you tomorrow. Sleep well, Chocola.」
「Wauf!」
Since I was already at the entrance, I took a detour to check on Mint, who was curled up in the garden’s corner, nestled within her petals. It wasn’t quite the way a normal child would sleep, but it was a beautiful and dignified sight, filling me with a sense of quiet peace.
「It’s a little earlier than usual, but since we just got back, maybe I should turn in soon…」
Sitting back down on the sofa, I let out a deep breath. Despite the bath’s warmth melting away most of my exhaustion, I could still feel the fatigue lingering in my body. It seemed that no matter how much I relaxed, nothing reset quite like a good night’s sleep in my own bed.
And then—
Just as I murmured my thoughts, Karen, seated beside me, wore an expression that suggested she felt the same way.
And behind her—
Mother had appeared at some point, a mischievous smile on her lips, and in both hands—
A bottle of liquor and two wine glasses.
「Already heading to bed? Then… how about just one drink before that?」
※※※
「I see… a nightcap. So this is another kind of evening drink.」
The wine poured into my glass was just a small amount, and there were no snacks to go with it.
It was likely meant to help us ease into sleep—a quiet moment of togetherness before bed.
When I thought of drinking at night, what came to mind was the occasional beer my father had with dinner.
Since returning home, I had often seen my mother enjoying wine in much the same way.
But—
「Back when you two weren’t born yet… every now and then, your father and I would drink like this. After completing a big request, or on the night we returned from a long journey.」
Holding her glass in one hand, Mother spoke with a nostalgic smile.
「But after we took in Karen, we stopped doing it entirely.」
「Why?」
「Partly because we didn’t travel as much anymore… but raising a baby is a battle. A baby sleeps, wakes, and cries without regard for day or night. There’s never a moment to truly rest. We were always scrambling to respond, never knowing when we’d be needed next. There wasn’t any time to sit down and have a drink.」
「Hmm… I’m sorry. I don’t remember any of that, though…」
「It wasn’t something to feel bad about. If anything, it made me happy—to share in the struggles that Luis and Exea had gone through before me.」
She pulled Karen close and placed a kiss on her hair.
「And then, before long, I was carrying Sui-kun. Of course, I couldn’t drink while I was pregnant… I thought I’d be fine since I’d already been through it with Karen, but Sui-kun had terrible night cries. He was usually calm, sleeping peacefully, and in the daytime, he was all smiles—but once night fell, he would cry and cry without stopping. Before long, Karen would start crying too, caught up in the moment.」
「Hmm… sorry about that. I don’t remember any of it, though…」
「The more trouble you gave us, the more precious you became. Both to me and to Kazu-kun.」
Next, she reached out and held me the same way.
「Even when you and Karen were past the age of needing constant care, we never really went back to our old habits. Spending time alone together seemed less important than watching over you two as you slept. I didn’t want to waste even a second of it by being drunk.」
With her lips still curved into a gentle arc, Mother gazed into the distance.
There were things in her heart that she would never fully lay bare to us.
They were precious memories shared only between her and Father, moments just for them as husband and wife.
So, we simply swirled the deep red liquid in our glasses.
「Then this is exactly like those nights, isn’t it? Coming home from a long journey… taking a moment to unwind before heading to bed.」
「Yes, that’s right.」
I took in the scent of the wine.
A soft, soothing sweetness that eased away the weariness.
A warmth that wrapped around me, gently leading me toward sleep.
「Sui-kun, Karen. You’ve both done well on this long journey.」
「Hmm. Viole-sama, Sui. Good work, both of you.」
Mother lifted her glass slightly.
Karen followed suit.
I looked between the two of them and nodded.
「Mother, Karen. Thank you for everything.」
The wine I swallowed carried the taste of the night.
Tonight, I will surely sleep soundly.
——————————————————
That concludes Volume 11 – Gentle Days Go By.
This was a volume depicting peaceful, uneventful days. However, now that Sui has turned twenty, perhaps his way of seeing the world, the way he carries himself, has changed—just a little.
Next up is Volume 12 -That Which is Inherited.
The peaceful days continue… but perhaps a small disturbance is on the horizon?
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