Chapter 89: Chapter 88

“What a sight you all are.”

The current time was 3:23 a.m.

Wondering if they were still singing, I made my way to Rion’s room. It was pure chaos.

Sora was half-asleep in a chair, her face flushed. Chel was sprawled on Rion’s bed, also red-faced. Then there were the bodies on the floor—Rinco, Anna, and Ainatsu—all down for the count and equally flushed.

Pizza boxes, chicken boxes, and soju bottles were scattered around like it was a university drinking party.

The stench of alcohol was overpowering.

“L-Laura…”

InaGiKa noticed me and cautiously called out. The sole survivor, it seemed.

“What on earth happened here?”

“Well, you see…”

InaGiKa explained, though not very coherently.

They had kept up the karaoke stream until I finished my rank climb. But with just Sora, Anna, and Chel, they couldn’t keep the broadcast going. So, they invited some reinforcements, including InaGiKa.

“Even senior Mikael dropped by for a bit, as well as some other seniors…”

The atmosphere seemed to have been quite positive.

Junior members put in a lot of effort to keep the karaoke stream going, while senior members stopped by to sing a few songs. It was a rare sight since the sixth-generation members like us hadn’t interacted much with the seniors.

Chel and InaGiKa, being so reserved, never interacted with the seniors on their own. And although Sora was naturally friendly, she’d been busy with preparations lately.

So it was a novelty to see us mingling with the seniors, something the fans found refreshing. Some seniors even picked unusual songs or sang duets with InaGiKa, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

Fans love nothing more than seeing interactions between seniors and juniors, so it must have been quite a treat for EYEAI fans.

That is, until Ainatsu showed up with alcohol.

“Ainatsu-senpai brought alcohol… and, well, everyone…”

“So she took down everyone with her, huh?”

Most of the seniors, like Mikael, only stayed for short stints—some as brief as 30 minutes, others up to three hours. But Ainatsu, being the social butterfly and drinker she is, declared she’d stick it out to the end.

That was the problem.

“Why are you the only one still standing, InaGiKa?”

“I-I can’t drink… so Ainatsu-senpai didn’t force me…”

“You don’t drink?”

“N-no… I’ve never learned, don’t have anyone to drink with, and I don’t really like the taste… plus, in college…”

InaGiKa looked down, as if recalling an awkward incident from a college orientation event. I decided not to pry.

“Well, it can’t be helped. Rion, let’s clean this up.”

“...Sis?”

“Get InaGiKa to help you clean up. If you need more hands, wake Chel.”

“Are you… actually helping?”

“You can’t move everyone on your own.”

I folded my arms.

I’m not one to do chores myself. But as a duchess, I don’t tolerate filth either.

If this were my estate, I would have left it to the staff and walked away. But here, there was no one else to call upon with the necessary strength.

So, I would have to step in.

“Unbelievable… you’re actually helping…”

Rion looked at me in shock. Was it that strange?

I am a flexible duchess, after all.

Hiring male servants would be an option, but that’s never happening here. No men in this house; it wouldn’t be proper. EYEAI is an all-female VTuber agency, too.

It’d be like asking a baby to run a washing machine to expect Rion or InaGiKa to handle this. Neither efficient nor realistic.

I am a duchess who values efficiency.

I picked up Anna.

“Whoa… Laura, you’re really strong…”

InaGiKa was amazed. Honestly, none of them are that heavy—after all, we’re all women here.

I carried Anna, Rinco, and Sora to the guest room.

InaGiKa was trying to wake up Chel, and Rion was quietly picking up the trash.

“This one’s a bit tricky.”

I attempted to lift Ainatsu, who was out cold. It wasn’t that she was heavy. Thin as she is, I wondered if she even eats properly. She definitely didn’t seem healthy.

But her height made it hard to stabilize her and carry her safely.

“Mm… Mom…?”

Should I just piggyback her? Or use the fireman’s carry?

Before I could decide, she stirred a bit, as if regaining some consciousness.

“Awake?”

“Uh…”

“If you can walk on your own, get up.”

She tried, but was clearly too unsteady.

“Mom… I…”

“Never mind. Just let me carry you.”

“My stomach…”

“...What?”

“Ugh…”

Ainatsu’s body suddenly convulsed.

…

…….

………………………

I’ll spare you the details.

Some things are best left unsaid.

Wet, sour smell… and other things.

I think I’ll need a shower.

“S-sis?!”

“Laura!”

“Hmph.”

My clothes were a mess, and the stench was terrible.

I brushed off my shoulders and chest, though it wasn’t going to help much. This wasn’t exactly the first time I’ve been in such a state. It reminded me of my days on the battlefield, covered in the blood of wild beasts, or worse, their guts.

So really, it’s not that big a deal.

“Ainatsu.”

“Y-yes…”

Maybe she realized what she’d done, as Ainatsu seemed slightly more sober.

“From now on, don’t drink without my permission. Got it?”

Ainatsu was now back in the city square, breathing in the early morning air.

Her head was spinning. Probably the lack of sleep.

She felt a chill, like she was coming down with something, and she was uneasy.

“Uh, are you okay…?”

“Y-yes! I’m fine…”

A bakery clerk, seeing Ainatsu’s pale face, asked with concern, but Ainatsu shook her head vigorously.

The line was far too long.

Existing felt unbearably difficult.

How long did she have to wait…?

She felt like she might die…

“B-bread… the most popular one… I’ll take them all. Anything that goes well with tea, too… recommend something, please…”

When it was finally her turn, Ainatsu bought as much bread as she could. The receipt was absurdly long, but she didn’t care. She needed to make sure none of the bread got squished. That was more important than her life.

The moment she got her bread, Ainatsu hurried out of the square.

The travel time was agony.

They say people in Gyeonggi spend a third of their lives on subways and buses.

It’s pure hell.

Why do humans have to suffer like this?

“I-I’m back…”

She stumbled into the house, her voice slurred.

Inside, Laura was waiting.

“Welcome back.”

“Y-yes…”

Ainatsu handed her the bag of bread.

“You went all the way downtown? You’ve been through a lot.”

“No, it wasn’t bad… at all…”

“You didn’t have to go through the trouble, but you’re very thoughtful, aren’t you? A good girl deserves a reward.”

Laura smiled and took out a soju glass.

She poured about a third full of beer and filled the rest with water.

Ainatsu grabbed the cup eagerly.

Gulp, gulp…

Ah… it’s like heaven…

She felt alive.

“Give me more…”

“Ainatsu, you haven’t slept, have you?”

“No…”

“Then rest for a bit. When you wake up, go to the gym with InaGiKa.”

“O-okay…”

“Good. I like it when you listen.”

Laura poured another glass of beer (+water) for Ainatsu.

Ainatsu, who had vomited on Laura’s clothes, was now under her strict supervision.@@novelbin@@

The Spartan-like rules Laura imposed were driving Ainatsu crazy with withdrawal. But the truth was, Ainatsu was getting healthier.

“Hehe… I’m so happy to be your daughter…”

And if she could find happiness in a few sips of beer, maybe that was a good thing.

With her health improving and a sense of family, everyone seemed happy. So what if this was how things were?

It was autumn.