🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 23
A Small Measure of Understanding
“…Now that you mention it, that does sound right. After tea parties, she often returns to her room to lie down. Apparently, there are times when she sleeps until nightfall.”
“And how many times a week does that usually happen?”
“Considering Mother’s stamina, two or three times a week… though lately, with the increase in visitors, it may have been more than that. Why do you ask?”
At that question, I hesitated for just a moment.
But if I didn’t say it, we would never move forward.
“I think I might know something. It’s possible that Lady Marguerite has been reacting to cookies and feeling unwell because of them.”
“Cookies? But no kind of poison has been found.”
Brother Rolant looked startled. That was understandable—being suddenly told that a favorite sweet might be the cause would be hard to believe.
“It’s something called an allergy. When certain components in food don’t suit the body, symptoms can appear.”
“But Mother has liked them since she was young.”
“Even if there’s no problem in childhood, some cases develop in adulthood. For example, repeatedly consuming the same food can make the body gradually become hypersensitive.”
At my explanation, Brother Rolant looked at me with clear disbelief.
“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“It may not be a well-known concept in this country yet. But… I experienced it myself. I thought it might help, even a little…”
I took a small breath and clenched my trembling fingers tightly.
These weren’t Lilibel’s memories—they were mine.
Still, it must have sounded far too sudden to be convincing.
Silence fell. A breeze rustled through the garden, gently brushing my hair.
Brother Rolant remained quiet for a while. Then, letting out a soft breath, he spoke.
“…Mother is fond of cookies, pound cake, and brioche. For lunch, she often has sandwiches, and for dinner, soup and bread. She doesn’t seem to eat very heavy foods. Is that of any use to you?”
I looked up at once.
His eyes were steady, the glow of the sunset blending with his red hair.
“W-well… if wheat flour is the cause, then I think that could be a problem.”
With wheat appearing so frequently, the possibility was high.
“There are many allergy symptoms—coughing, fatigue, headaches, and hives. In severe cases, it can even be fatal.”
“What? Even without poison?”
“For some people, it can be worse than poison.”
Even in the modern world, where understanding of allergies had advanced considerably, there were still people who dismissed it as mere pickiness.
Food that doesn’t suit the body is poison to it.
I looked straight at my brother.
“Brother, would it be possible to change Lady Marguerite’s meals, just a little?”
I knew the pain of allergies all too well.
I used to love shrimp, but at some point, I could no longer eat it. At first I didn’t realize, and then slowly came the heartbreaking thought—maybe it’s shrimp.
My sudden proposal must have confused him.
Since the basis of dealing with allergies is elimination, removing wheat for a few days and seeing whether her condition improves would be enough.
“What should we do?”
“First, I’d like you to completely remove foods derived from wheat.”
“I see… She might get discouraged. That woman.”
Brother Rolant gave a wry smile. If her favorite foods suddenly disappeared, Lady Marguerite would surely feel unsatisfied. Those habits are surprisingly hard to give up.
“I’ll think of substitute foods. Even sweet treats can be made without wheat… and I can make sure the nutritional balance is perfect.”
As I spoke eagerly, eyes shining, Brother Rolant stared at me, momentarily dumbfounded.
Then he muttered quietly,
“…You’ve changed somehow.”
“H-have I…?”
“You used to stay quiet, like a shadow. But you’ve always liked reading books, haven’t you, Lilibel? You must have learned these things there.”
“Y-yes. That’s right.”
Let’s go with that.
And the thought that he actually knew Lilibel, even a little, made me unexpectedly happy.
“I’ll talk to Mother myself.”
When he said that calmly, warmth spread through my chest.
“…Thank you, Brother!”
As I bowed instinctively, Brother Rolant averted his gaze, looking slightly embarrassed, and murmured,
“But substitute foods and nutritional balance… You’re quite knowledgeable, Lilibel.”
“Yes! …In fact, if it’s about nutrition, I still have so much more to say!”
And from there, I couldn’t stop.
“Brother, if you want to build muscle, protein intake is essential.”
“Muscle is something you build through training, isn’t it?”
He gave a wry smile. But he wasn’t denying it—if anything, he seemed a little intrigued.
“No, diet is important too. Brother, if you want muscle, please make sure to eat plenty of game meat and legumes. Eggs and dairy products are also very important.”
“Game meat…? Like wild boar or Morius bird?”
Those sounded like creatures from this world, unfamiliar to me.
(Well, boar meat and chicken, basically.)
I translated it into modern terms. Both were excellent foods for building muscle.
“Yes. Boar meat is low in fat and rich in protein. Chicken, in particular, is easy to digest and ideal for recovery after training.”
As I spoke enthusiastically, Brother Rolant blinked in surprise.
“What else?”
“Dried lentils or soups made by simmering mountain nuts are also recommended. Beans are rich in protein, and nuts are packed with valuable oils and vitamins. They’re great for recovering from fatigue too.”
“I see.”
“And dried river fish grilled over fire is healthy as well. Fish fat is different from animal fat—it improves blood circulation and is gentler on the heart and muscles.”
I smiled.
If only there were something like protein powder here, we could build the perfect muscles. I should look into that someday.
“In any case, what you eat is really important!”
I neatly wrapped up my passionate lecture.
Brother Rolant seemed to search for words for a moment—then suddenly burst out laughing.
“…Hahaha!!”
He was laughing openly.
“W-what is it?”
“It’s just—when you started talking about food, you were like a completely different person!”
“But it is important…”
As my brother laughed uncontrollably, my voice grew smaller.
I had worried so much about facing him, yet once it came to this, I’d unleashed a torrent of words.
I’d gotten carried away, hoping for both his and Lady Marguerite’s health to improve.
After laughing his fill, Brother Rolant gently placed a hand on my head. It was large—awkward but kind. The hand of Lilibel’s half-brother.
“…But I understand. If you’re that serious about it, we’ll try putting it into practice.”
He grinned and shrugged lightly.
“If Mother’s condition improves, there’s nothing better than that.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. We’ll start by cutting out wheat and watch her condition for a while. In the meantime, we’ll need to think about what nutrients she might be lacking.”
Those words made me happier than I could express.
I placed a hand over my chest and nodded firmly.
“Thank you, Brother. I’ll do my best—for Lady Marguerite, and… for your muscles too!”
“For my muscles, huh? Ha, that’s reassuring.”
His joking laughter felt strangely ticklish.
The stiffness from earlier had completely melted away.
(…Maybe Brother Rolant simply hadn’t known Lilibel very well because they’d grown so distant?)
It felt like we were talking naturally now.
Before I realized it, the garden sky had turned crimson.
Clouds drifted gently across the fading light—red and soft, like someone quietly stroking my back.
It was that kind of evening.
