As I headed toward the dining hall, I heard a familiar voice near the entrance.

“Hey, Yukiya.”

“You look sleepy.”

When I turned around, Kashim was grinning at me.

Kashim was the second son, four years older than me.

He was clever at navigating social situations.

He behaved himself well enough in Father’s presence, but he never held back when dealing with someone he considered beneath him.

“Does having no magic make you weak in the mornings too?”

“Good morning, Brother Kashim.”

I answered as calmly as I could.

There was nothing to gain from arguing.

At times like this, it was best to simply let it slide.

Then Zakkas, who was standing beside him, immediately joined in.

“Hahaha, I bet it’s hard enough just getting out of bed when you don’t have any magic.”

“I woke up just fine.”

“Hmph.”

“So you say.”

“Don’t say bad things about Brother Yukiya!”

The small voice echoed through the hall louder than expected.

It was Sirius.

My younger brother, one year younger than me, was glaring at Kashim and Zakkas with his face bright red.

“Brother Yukiya is amazing!”

Sirius proudly puffed out his chest.

“Oh?”

“And what’s so amazing about him?”

“He’s amazing because he’s amazing!”

For a brief moment, everything fell silent.

His argument made absolutely no logical sense.

But Sirius himself couldn’t have been more serious.

A moment later, Zakkas burst out laughing.

“Hahaha!”

“What kind of reason is that?”

“That doesn’t explain anything.”

“Sirius, you’ve got it rough.”

“If you’re going to defend someone without magic, you should at least come up with a better argument.”

Kashim shrugged.

His words were half teasing and half contemptuous.

It was an unpleasant mix, especially coming from a child.

Seeing how utterly sincere Sirius looked, I almost laughed.

I held it back and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Sirius.”

“But it’s alright.”

“But—”

“That’s enough, Kashim.”

“Zakkas.”

A calm voice interrupted them.

It was my eldest brother, Johann.

Johann was six years older than me and was treated as the heir to the family.

He was gentle, serious, and always aware of the atmosphere around him.

“You shouldn’t tease your younger brother first thing in the morning.”

“It was just a joke, Brother Johann.”

Kashim hurriedly shrugged.

The smug grin he had been wearing disappeared as he quickly put on a more respectable expression.

“Yeah.”

“It was only a little joke.”

Zakkas hurriedly agreed.

“Even if it was a joke, making such a commotion in front of the dining hall is disgraceful.”

This time, it was Liselotte who spoke.

My older sister stood before us without so much as a strand of her neatly arranged hair moving.

“As children of House Vanhart, conduct yourselves appropriately.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I know, Sister.”

Kashim let out an annoyed sigh.

He seemed willing enough to obey Liselotte.

Whether he intended to reflect on his behavior was another matter.

“…Yes.”

Zakkas lowered his shoulders.

Liselotte’s words were cold, but they were far preferable to causing a scene in front of Father.

Looking at everyone together, each sibling seemed to have their own role.

The one who teased.

The one who joined in.

The one who stopped them.

The one who enforced proper etiquette.

The one who got angry.

And then there was me…

The one who simply wanted to slip through it all without stirring up trouble.

Living peacefully was harder than it sounded.

When we entered the dining hall, Mother, Marianne, was already seated.

She looked at us with gentle eyes and smiled softly.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Mother.”

After each of us greeted her and took our seats, Father, Arnold, entered shortly afterward.

The atmosphere immediately became more tense.

Father wasn’t someone who shouted unnecessarily.

Even so, simply having him in the room naturally made everyone straighten their backs.

He was the head of House Vanhart.

A man who always sought results for the sake of both the family and its territory.

“Begin.”

With that single word, breakfast started.

The dishes laid before us were more than sufficient.

Light-colored bread.

Warm vegetable soup.

Eggs.

Thinly sliced meat and sausages.

A few small fruits.

Compared to what commoners or servants ate, this was undoubtedly a luxurious meal.

The kitchen staff had been working since early morning so we could enjoy warm food like this.

I wasn’t in any position to complain.

I understood that.

Even so, because memories of my previous life still lingered, I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing.

The bread was filling.

The soup was warm.

Even having meat served in the morning was already a luxury.

But the flavors somehow felt one-dimensional.

Salt.

Fat.

The natural taste of the ingredients.

It wasn’t bad.

Not bad at all…

…But I really wanted rice.

Without thinking, I remembered the breakfast table from my previous life.

Steaming white rice.

Miso soup.

Grilled fish.

Japanese rolled omelet.

Just placing a bite of a richly flavored side dish on top of hot white rice…

That alone made it feel like the day had truly begun.

The food in this world was by no means poor.

Yet some part of me still longed for something else.

Rice deserved a category all its own.

No…

More than that, it was the home of my heart.

“Sirius.”

“Isn’t the soup too hot?”

Mother gently asked the boy sitting beside her.

“I’m fine, Mother!”

Sirius answered energetically before hurriedly correcting his grip on the spoon.

It seemed he had been about to gulp it down without thinking.

“There’s no need to rush.”

Mother smiled softly before turning her gaze toward me as well.

“Yukiya, don’t force yourself if it’s too hot.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“I’m alright.”

Mother’s voice was gentle.

She didn’t go out of her way to protect only me.

But neither did she ignore me.

That comfortable distance was something I appreciated.

Kashim and Zakkas stayed quiet in Father’s presence.

Johann ate silently.

Liselotte maintained perfect posture throughout the meal.

Sirius kept glancing toward me over and over, clearly wanting to talk.

But since we were eating, he desperately held himself back.

Hang in there, Sirius.

Just a little longer.

As breakfast was drawing to a close, Father spoke briefly.

“We will have guests today.”

That was all he said.

He didn’t explain who they were.

Nor why they were coming.

The guests probably had nothing to do with us children anyway.

Don’t make a scene in front of them.

Don’t run through the hallways.

Don’t behave in a manner unworthy of House Vanhart.

That was likely what Father meant.

Johann gave a small nod.

Liselotte straightened her posture even further.

Kashim looked interested, but when he realized Father had no intention of saying anything more, he quickly fell silent.

I didn’t ask any questions either.

Guests connected to the fourth son of six-year-old me were exceedingly rare.

And if someone really had come to see me…

That would honestly be a little frightening.

Thinking that, I took a quiet sip of my tea after breakfast.