“Legs… paralyzed?”

“Yeah, I can’t move.”

I doubted what I heard, but Yurik’s answer remained the same.

“Talking nonsense about paralysis. If your legs don’t work, why are you kneeling?”

Roger, who had been hogging the bed, chuckled as if it was ridiculous. He advised me to ignore such lies.

If it had been Roger, I would have ignored it, but Yurik was different.

Ignoring Yurik was difficult.

‘What should I do?’

Should I fall for this obvious lie, or scold him?

‘Alright, let it slide this time.’

It’s not like Yurik always does this. I bent my knee, thinking to just let it go.

“Now, get on.”

I sat in front of Yurik and offered my back. I thought Yurik would happily get on, but he didn’t.

“……?”

Strangely, I felt no touch. Unable to wait any longer, I turned my head.

“Aren’t you getting on?”

“Lise. I thought about it.”

What?

“I think I’ll be too heavy for you.”

And you realize that now?

“So instead, you’ll carry me.”

What?

Contrary to his earlier bold claim of paralysis, Yurik nonchalantly stood up. My face drained of color for a moment as he gently grabbed my wrist.

Yurik put his arms around my waist and lifted both of my legs. Suddenly, I was floating in the air.

“Wwait a minute…!”

“Stay still or we’ll fall. Hold on tight.”

I was uneasy. As I suspected, Yurik twirled me around in place. That was just the beginning.

“Wait, stop! I’m dizzy… Yurik!”

“Should I spin faster?”

Yurik spun me several more times. Still not satisfied, he made a larger turn around the room and even threw me upwards. My vision blurred as my body felt uncontrollable.

“Haha, look at your face, Lise!”

“Shut u… ahh!”

Roger, who had been enjoying the spectacle, laughed. Shouting at him did no good.

The loud laughter made my already dizzy head ring even more.

“Yurik! Sstop!”

Yurik didn’t stop. Unable to communicate, I swung my hand towards Yurik’s face. After some fumbling, I made contact.

Without hesitation, I slapped Yurik’s cheek several times. He still didn’t stop.

“Hey! Stop!”

I elongated one side of Yurik’s cheek.

“Ow! Lise!”

Yurik couldn’t speed up due to the pain. I seized the moment to grip his other cheek tightly. Yurik began to lose balance. I, too, wobbled in Yurik’s hold.

“You better put me down when I ask nicely!”

“Ssorry. Were you very dizzy?”

“Don’t you know?”

“I’ll put you down, Lise! Just stay still. Okay? It’ll hurt if you get hurt.”

Unlike before, Yurik calmly placed me on the bed. Collapsing on the bed, my stomach continued to churn. The ceiling patterns seemed to double.

“Hey, you okay?”

Roger’s face suddenly appeared, blocking the ceiling. The perfect example of ‘adding insult to injury.’

“Why worry now? You just laughed.”

“I only laughed. He’s the one who tormented you.”

Following Roger’s pointing finger,

Yurik was there, politely standing by the bed. He looked nervous, as if concerned about how angry I was.

“Lise, sorry. I just wanted to make you happy… You can pinch me until you feel better.”

Does Yurik know that I weaken when he’s this somber?

“Enough, come lie next to me. It’s cold.”

“Okay.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Yurik scurried over and lay next to me.

The large bed was enough for three children. We lay there, staring at the ceiling without a word. Was it because we woke up from sleep, but everything felt…
Fortunately, the nausea passed quickly and I felt better. The anger had subsided and any residual ill will towards Yurik and Roger also disappeared.

“……A lot has happened.”

As I mumbled, Roger, who was next to me, nodded.

“Things got sorted out thanks to me, Roger Bacchus.”

Roger recalled the earlier event with pride. Annoying as it was, he had a point.

“You’re really saying that yourself. You have no shame.”

Yurik mocked him.

“You thanked me earlier.”

“Yeah, because of you, my sister got better.”

Yurik, who I thought would not acknowledge Roger twice, expressed his gratitude. Roger didn’t tease any further, perhaps he hadn’t expected that response.

“Have you ever thought about becoming a doctor? Your mother and her family are all doctors.”

I asked out of curiosity.

“When I was young, I did. I was torn between medicine and music, but I found the violin more fitting.”

I imagined Roger holding surgical tools, but it felt awkward. To my eyes, he seemed most at ease when playing the violin.

“And I have a lot of talent for the violin.”

“That’s true.”

“That’s why having a lot of talent is also problematic. I’d like to do both, but my body can’t keep up. So, I chose the one I was more talented in.”

Roger went on to speak more about his dreams, which he had previously shared. He wanted to become a violinist who could bring joy to everyone.

Given a choice between fame and joy, it was just like him to choose joy.

“What about you, Yurik? What’s your dream?”

“Dream?”

I asked Yurik the same question. Unlike Roger, he hesitated.

‘Yurik’s dream.’

Born as the successor of the Fenton family, Yurik’s future had been predetermined. Naturally, he’d inherit the family’s responsibilities.