落とし穴１３掘：土用丑の日
**Pitfall 13: The Day of the Ox**
Yes, thank you all for the many comments on the ice cream chapter.
There were nearly 80 comments in total! I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all and respond.
And, can you guess what this title refers to?
The Day of the Ox.
**Side: Ratz**
"Hm? Ugh, what is this?"
I feel a slight sense of discomfort in my body.
How should I put it? I feel sluggish, or perhaps I’ve lost my appetite.
It’s 6:00 PM.
Usually, this is the time when I finish my work, take a bath, and look forward to dinner, but...
"It’s been so hot lately... I wonder if I’ve come down with something?"
I’ve been doing nothing but desk work recently, staying inside where the air conditioning is nice and cool.
Even though I’m a former adventurer and my level is now off the charts, it seems some things never change.
"But if I lose my appetite and don't eat, Yuki-oniisama will worry..."
That is something I absolutely cannot allow.
Oniisama has a habit of pushing himself, but he’s stubborn about not letting us push ourselves. If he finds out I have no appetite...
"My plans for tonight will be canceled!! I absolutely cannot allow that!!"
Today is the day I get to have Oniisama all to myself!!
For us, the "wives," having Oniisama to ourselves for the night is a dream-like time that cannot be traded for anything.
Whether it’s swaying our hips endlessly, getting headpats, having our chests kneaded to our heart's content, or trying something a little different in the bath—it’s all wonderful!
If he finds out I’m feeling unwell, he’ll just coddle me and make me sleep.
...That’s fine in its own right, but I can have that on any other day.
If that happens on a day where I can have an "all-you-can-eat" buffet of Oniisama, I’ll be crying tears of regret!!
"For now, maybe a bath will help me feel a bit better?"
Thinking this, I head toward the baths.
"Ah, I have to say, this is a special privilege."
I’m soaking in the tub, feeling quite content.
The training grounds and the general residents have standard baths, but we have an open-air bath!
The excitement level is just different.
Well, there are public bathhouses with open-air baths as a leisure facility, and family baths exist too. It’s not like we’re the only ones living in luxury, but the fact that it’s free, unlimited, and requires no cleaning is simply magnificent!
The other baths have automatic cleaning functions only for the water to provide jobs for the residents, so they have to clean the rest themselves.
"Ah, my fatigue is melting away. I hope my appetite returns with it."
"Ratz-oneechan, do you have no appetite?"
"Are you okay?"
When I say that, I get some adorable replies.
"Oh, Aslin, Firia, and Labyris. Since when were you here?"
"We just came in, and saw Ratz-oneechan relaxing."
"That's right."
"...You look awfully tired, don't you?"
"Well, it's been strangely hot with work lately. Are you all feeling okay?"
"We're fine!!"
"...Those two are full of energy. Well, I understand what you mean, Ratz."
"You're in charge of the dungeon too, after all."
"...In terms of rank, I'm second only to Seraria-sama."
After that, we spend some time in silence, enjoying the bath.
Of course, Aslin and Firia are playing with the rabbit beastman ears. It’s truly heartwarming.
"Come to think of it, we haven't been bathing with Oniisama lately."
"That's true. Those two have finally settled down."
"Ah, I see."
These three children used to be glued to Oniisama and always bathed with him.
But the reason for that was their anxiety—the fear of being "abandoned" or "left alone again."
At first, if Oniisama left for even a moment to talk at night, they would walk the hallways crying, searching for him.
"Even so, it seems they still prefer to share a room?"
"That's only natural. You always want to be with the one you love."
"Are we not allowed to?"
"If you ask to sleep together, he'll come. You know he stays with Seraria-sama and Elju-sama, right?"
"Ah, come to think of it."
"Well, that's the difference. In terms of how attached they are, Yuki is number one."
"That's true."
"Back when you were slaves, you talked to him, but you didn't really think about deepening the bond, did you?"
"That's because we didn't know how we would be treated. If we got close and then were separated, it would have been too painful."
"And when the lid was lifted, you were freed from slavery. And of all people, Yuki was the one who cherished and treated those two with the most care. I tried my best too, but an older sister and an older brother are different."
"That was because we were busy trying to grasp the situation back then."
"True. I was the same. But perhaps that's why those two could purely understand Yuki's kindness."
"At first, neither of them could even eat properly."
That’s right. Because Aslin and Firia were slaves from a young age, they lacked basic education.
Well, even calling it "basic education" isn't much compared to here.
They ate with their hands; there were no forks or spoons.
Their clothes were simple tunics.
Their hair was messy, and while their bodies were in decent shape, they weren't exactly "clean."
Oniisama taught them one by one, patiently and without getting angry.
During their first meal, perhaps because it was so delicious, they ate with such vigor that they stained their yukatas. I remember them looking teary-eyed, thinking Oniisama would be angry.
Well, Oniisama looked surprised, but he didn't get angry; he just took them to the bath to get them cleaned up again...
"Wait, Oniisama at that time... even I would fall for him."
"Don't worry, you've already fallen for him hard enough."
After enjoying the bath and spending a relaxing time in my room until dinner...
"Ugh. As I thought, I still feel sluggish. My appetite is still lacking..."
This is bad!!
At this rate, my fun for tonight will be canceled!?
This is a life-or-death situation!!
Ratz, now is the time to show your mettle as a woman!!
"Oh, Ratz. It seems you're a bit tired, just as Aslin said."
"Hah!?"
Wait, I forgot to tell Aslin to keep quiet about that!?
I-is it obvious!?
"N-no, that's not it!? I'm fine. It's just my imagination!!"
"Well, it's probably summer fatigue. I made dinner to match."
"Eh? Summer fatigue?"
"It's a condition where you can't keep up with the summer climate, leading to a loss of appetite and lethargy."
"Ah, yes, that sounds about right. ...Dinner?"
"Dinner. You can cure summer fatigue with dinner. Don't worry, today is with you, Ratz, so I'm sure this will do the trick."
"O-Oniisama..."
Honestly, I felt like crying.
Instead of telling me to rest, he took action based on my feelings.
Ah, even if this doesn't cure my summer fatigue, I won't let him sleep tonight, and I won't be sleeping either.
"Something smells delicious!!"
"Hey, Tori, don't run. ...Wow, that is a good smell."
"What is this sweet, appetizing aroma?"
"Oh, Yuki! What is this scent!! I'm so hungry I can't help it!!"
"It smells like it would go great with alcohol!"
"Milly-san, are you drinking again today!!"
"Chi-nee-sama, it smells so good."
"That's right. Being with my husband makes every day something to look forward to."
"...It's... not as good as fried tofu."
"Yuki-sama. What is this mysterious, wonderful scent? Is it your handmade cooking again?"
Residents gather one after another, lured by the scent behind me.
Only then do I notice the aroma, and my appetite is finally stimulated.
"Hehe, I'm glad you asked! Tonight's dinner is Unaju (eel over rice)! Eat up!"
With that, Oniisama leads everyone to the banquet hall.
"Though, I have regular kabayaki (grilled eel) too, so if you run out, there's more rice and refills."
And so, dinner became a battlefield.
"The last piece is..."
"I'm eating it!!"
Of course, my lethargy and lack of appetite vanished, and I joined the fray.
"...Should I make more? Why do they always eat more than I anticipate?"
Because if it's Oniisama's handmade cooking, there are no misses.
Please do your best.
I'll be doing my best tonight!!
It’s been a couple of days since the actual date, but how was it for everyone?
Please be careful of summer fatigue.