Boss suddenly turned scary and said that bluntly. After that, he started slurping udon again.

What’s going on?

As I wondered, I felt something creepy behind me so I looked around.

I noticed that all eyes in the restaurant were on me.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, I hurriedly shoveled the rest of the udon into my mouth.

-0-

After working hard, I went home to enjoy my time with my family.

My little sister is in her prime of adorableness. However, today, she was somewhat preoccupied and angry when I got home.

「Oniichan goes out every day alone, unfair〜!」

「You know I’m not being unfair. Oniichan’s not going out to play.」

「Rosa wants to go to other places too〜!」

I patted Rosamy’s head, who was beating my chest while whining.

Her silky hair felt good to touch as usual.

「Our neighbors Mi-chan and Yo-chan should be playing with you, right?」

「I haven’t play with them that much〜, they have lesson or need to help with something」

「You know, I have your lessons in mind too. Just please be a little patient.」

Lessons are most expensive when they start.

Given our current condition, I should be able to save enough money when spring comes.

「Eh〜」

「Tomorrow’s my first day off in a while so I’m going to take you to a lot of places. Don’t you want it? What kind of places do you want to go?」

「Ehto〜, I’d like to try crepe and I also want to see a theater〜, and and〜」

When I asked her where she wanted to go for fun, her mood quickly recovered.

My little sister is very energetic even though she plays around outside all day long. She’s still a child.

She was probably excited thinking about tomorrow and started drawing a picture of where she wanted to go so I had to calm her down and put her to bed.

I stare out the window and drink to cover up the complaints I can’t tell anyone.

We’ve been running from debt collectors since our father and mother died, leaving my sister alone while I find a living.

If I only had a wife, I wouldn’t need to leave her alone every day….

But alas, even with this surplus of women in Torquiva, I’m not very popular.

I have a little sister, Rosamy, so when I go out, she will be with me.

I was drinking in the cold without any food and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep without even getting into bed.

In my dream, a woman with slanted eyes was laughing at me.

-0-

When I woke up the next morning, my little sister was gone.

I wondered if she woke up early because she was looking forward to going out.

I looked for her to give her breakfast but she was not in bed, not in the bathroom, not under the desk, or even around the well.

I asked around the area but they said they hadn’t seen her.

Slowly, a sense of unease began to rise up from beneath my feet.

Kidnappers, nobles, alchemists, and all sorts of unpleasant images ran through my head.

Unable to resist, I ran to my boss’s house.

I had just arrived in a place I had no connection to and the only people I could rely on were my workmates.

「What!? Your little sister!? What were you doing, you idiot!」

「I’m sorry! When I woke up, she’s nowhere to be found!」

「Stop crying! You idiot! Let’s go now!」

「Hee! But, where….」

「The Schenkers!」

My boss ran down the avenue with his pants on but he hasn’t even worn his jacket.

「Rosamy!」

「Rosamy-chan!」

Of course, I kept shouting my little sister’s name.

Come out and smile for me.

You’re all I have.

Without you, I don’t even know what’s the point of being alive.

I ran, screaming as hard as I could.

Praying that there would be hope at the end of my run.

-0-

「Is Chicken-san here!?」

「Ah, Boss Varanola, she’s inside.」

The Schenker family building, which I had visited for the first time, had a strange atmosphere.

Entering through the entrance, boss immediately said in a loud voice “It’s Vanarola! Where’s Chicken-san!”

Yes yes〜, a voice came from the inside, and immediately after, a woman with loose wavy black hair comes out.

She’s wearing a coat that made her look like a star of an opera but for some reason, she had left all the front buttons of her coat open.