Chapter 17 : Issues

“Ruby… is acting strange?”

My heart sank.

Is something wrong with Ruby?
She looked fine earlier—what could the problem be?
Worry piled up, making it hard to sit still as I twitched.

“Calm down.
It might be my mistake, so just listen first, okay?”

“Oh… okay.
Right.
First, tell me—what’s strange?!”

No use.
Trying to calm down, my racing heart wouldn’t settle.

If something’s happened to Ruby, I…

“You saw earlier, right?
Ruby hanging out with that kid her age.”

“Yeah.
Sion, was it?
I remember.”

I’d felt a bit happy thinking she’d made a friend her age.
Could they have fought?

That wouldn’t be a light issue.
Kids fighting might seem trivial, but knowing Ruby’s future, I couldn’t help but worry.

But Mary’s concern was quite different from my guess.

“She was indifferent to Sion.”

“Uh, hm…”

Indifferent.
Chewing over the meaning, I slowly nodded.

Good—they didn’t fight.
Isn’t that enough?
Being indifferent is just a matter of personality.

It’s a bit sad she didn’t connect with a friend, but she doesn’t have to get along with him.

Relaxing with a sigh of relief, Mary hesitantly added.

“To be precise… it’s not just him but most things she seems indifferent to.”

“What?
Most things?”

“It could be my overreaction or mistake.
But as a Doctor, Ruby feels different from a normal kid to me.”

Only then did I realize Mary wasn’t bringing this up lightly.

She’s Red Dog’s Doctor—a medical expert far more knowledgeable than most.

Unable to steady my trembling voice, I pleaded.

“Is it… really serious?”

“No one knows.
Emotional issues can only be fully understood by the person themselves.
But I suspect Ruby has trauma.
Am I right?”

“…”

Trauma.
Of course she does.
She watched her mother hang herself to death right before her eyes.
Trapped in the same room with the corpse, cowering in fear, unable to escape.

Frowning at the painful memory, I recalled it.
For a 11-year-old, it was too heavy a burden.
Her acting normal until now was the real anomaly.

“Plus, with recent troubling events and a sudden change in home, she must be very confused.”

“…What should I do?”

Mary firmly grasped my trembling hand, speaking clearly.

“Stay by her side.
As much as possible.
Hug her tight, shower her with love.
Healing emotional wounds requires covering them with love and spending enough time.
It won’t erase the past, and scars may linger faintly, but the wounds will eventually heal.”

Mary’s hand, despite her warm kindness, was cool and chilly.
Yet, somehow, I felt a warmth within it, and it didn’t feel bad.

Rub rub.
Stroke stroke.

“Uh…”

“Yes?”

“…Nothing.”

It feels like she’s sneakily satisfying some urge by rubbing my hand—or is it my imagination?
Not wanting to ruin the mood, I chose to ignore it.

“Lapis, your hand is so soft and warm.”

“Eek!”

Why does a simple compliment feel so creepy and sinister?
Her tone makes me imagine her secretly cackling like a pervert.

“I-I should go—Ruby’s waiting!!”

Panicked by the thought of what might happen alone in this confined space, I yanked my hand free and stood hastily.

“Oh…”

A sigh dripping with disappointment.

‘Lustful lesbian!’

Recalling her dangerous depiction in the original novel, I glared.
Her first impression and kindness until now had built goodwill, blinding me to her true nature.

Getting too close might jeopardize my chastity.
Still unaccustomed to a female body, I lean more toward women than men if I had to choose.

‘But I decided to put romance on hold…!’

Now’s not the time for frivolous romance.
I need to focus on solving immediate problems and raising Ruby.

Romance can wait until Ruby’s grown and independent, when I have time.
Of course, no one knows the future, so I can’t be sure.

In that sense, Mary’s bold advances make her a dangerous threat.

If she weren’t so attractive, it’d be easier.
Mysterious green hair, stylish glasses, and a killer figure unhidden by her thick doctor’s coat.

Dangerous.
Let my guard down, and I might fall.

Taking a small breath to regain composure, I bowed deeply to Mary in gratitude.

“Thank you.
I’m so grateful you’re looking out for my sister.”

“No big deal.
It’s part of Lapis’s conquest route… ahem.”

“Huh?
What?”

“Nothing.”

Her sly smile and evasion were suspicious, but she wouldn’t spill easily, so I let it go.

Feeling slightly uneasy, I left the infirmary and returned to the bar’s counter.
Ruby was there, sipping orange juice through a straw as promised.

Sitting beside her, she beamed at me.

“Sis!
Ruby ordered one for you too!”

“Hehe, thanks.”

Her adorable look sparked an automatic smile.
Seeing her like this, she seems like a perfectly normal 11-year-old.

Is she hiding her struggles to spare me worry?
If so, I feel pathetic for not noticing sooner.

Claiming it’s all for my sister, yet distracted by other things, I missed her issues.

As Mary said, I need to spend more time with her.
Pour even more love into her.

“Sis…?
What’s wrong?”

Worried about my pensive state, Ruby peered at me.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I pulled her fragile frame into a tight hug.

Her warmth, soft form, and sweet scent melted my body.

Despite the sudden hug, Ruby didn’t resist—instead, she clung to my back, nuzzling her face into my chest.

“Hehe, nice.”

“I love it too.”

How long did we stay like that?
A killjoy interrupted our sweet moment.

“Brats, take your lovefest to your room.”

Thud!
Setting down orange juice, I reluctantly ended the hug.

“Interrupting sister time?
What a mean adult.”

“Hmph.
The real mean ones are brats not paying for drinks.”

“…It’s fine with the employee discount.”

I’m a Red Dog member—albeit a trainee—so this should be okay.
Besides, serving orange juice to a cutie like Ruby should be an honor.

“Big brat or small brat, you’re both shamelessly alike.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“How was training today?
Karen teach you well?”

“Not bad.
Except for overdoing it at the end and feeling sick.”

Chatting lightly, I spent time with Lycan and Ruby.
Despite the late hour, the bar was still packed with customers.

“Why bother running this place?”

“Hm?”

“You’re a mercenary leader, not just a bartender.
Wouldn’t taking more jobs be better than mixing cocktails?”

Lycan chuckled at my question.

“Such a brat-like question.
I’m a bartender and a mercenary leader.
Why separate the two?
If I want to do both, I do both.”

“That’s kinda immature, no?
What if you have to give up one?”

He replied casually.

“Gain the strength to choose both.
Why give up what you want?”

“…”

“It’s late.
Brats, bedtime.
Go in.”

How long will he treat me like a kid?
At 16, I’m old enough to be a criminal in Rat Town.

As petty revenge, I deliberately spilled a bit of juice on the table and took Ruby to our room.

Plenty of time left before bed.
Following Mary’s advice, I’ll spend cozy time with Ruby.

No need to overthink what to do.
Just sharing today’s events was enough.

“…So I went to the VR arcade?
There…”

“Ruby wants to try VR too!”

“Let’s go together on a break.
Hilda’ll definitely welcome you.”

“Yay!”

And so, the night deepened.