Chapter 3

His younger sister—Ursula Lockwood—has just returned from the magic academy after spending her first semester in her final year of school.

The first thing the woman with long silver hair in the red dress, who would soon turn seventeen when she saw him, did was jump right up to him, who was reading a book on medicinal herbs.

"Brother!"

The shrill voice of his sister, coupled with Ursula’s merciless jump, knocked down the book he was reading. He screamed in pain when Ursula’s body hit him.

Apparently, his younger sister did not notice that things were so different. It was impossible to keep jumping on his lap with the body of a mature woman. She was no longer the three-year-old girl who kept following him like a duck. 

"I’ll die instantly if you crush me like that!" He still grimaced, picked up the book he had read earlier, and placed it on the table in front of him. "When did you come home?"

"You won’t die easily like that, duh!" Ursula rolled her eyes. "Just now. I called, and you didn’t answer, so I went to the library. And it turned out you are here."

Ursula peeked at the title of the book he was reading earlier, then frowned. "Didn’t you already finish reading this book five years ago? Why are you reading it again?"

"It’s for research. There are several new recipes I want to try." He dodged her question quickly, as he didn’t want his curious little sister to know the real reason he was reading the book.

His sister accepted his reason with a nod of understanding, not asking any more questions. Instead, his sister stepped away from him, sat in the chair beside him with her legs bent and resting her hands on her knees.

"Since I’m on semester break now, do you want to go out?"

"Eh? To where?"

"To the forest."

"On what occasion?" He raised an eyebrow, confused. Ursula rarely offered to take him out because, usually, his younger sister preferred to spend time with him in the library room every semester break.

"Do I need a reason for that? Besides, it’s been a while since we spent time together since I entered the magic academy. Damn that academy! How dare they take away my precious time with my beloved brother!"

His eyes narrowed, staring at his sister, who was puffing out her cheeks. He was waiting for the real reason. It was really strange for him to find Ursula taking the initiative like this. But Ursula escaped his gaze.

Finally, he gave up.

"All right. When?"

"Tomorrow." Ursula smiled broadly at his question. "Of course not today! I want to have some rest first. I’m tired, and I want to eat Mom’s food. The food in the dorms isn’t delicious at all."

"You’ll graduate soon. Try to hold it until your graduation. But as far as I can remember, the lasagna in the magic academy’s dorm canteen is delicious. I mean it."

"Yes. When you were still there, yes. The school has changed the chef now. A fat woman with a mole near her enormous nose and a stern face, always glaring at every student who likes to be picky about food. All the dishes are spicy, like her face!"

Ursula now buried her face on her knees, crying hysterically.

"You’re lucky, Brother! I envy you! You could eat delicious food when you were at the academy ..."

He shook his head slowly while laughing at the childish reaction of Ursula, who looked so cute in his eyes. His hand moved to caress the top of his little sister’s head. "Come here, my poor little sister."

Ursula’s crying stopped when her nose smelled the smell of food entering the library room, provoking their hunger. His sister looked up and sniffed the scent with sparkling eyes, like a dog. She immediately jumped out of her chair while pulling Raphael’s hand away without waiting for his approval, exiting the library room to the dining room. 

As soon as they arrived at the dining room, he found the figure of their mother wearing an apron, holding a pot of freshly cooked pasta that was still steaming hot, spreading the aroma of Ursula’s favorite pasta—a tradition their mother made every time Ursula returned from the academy.

It was just like when he was still at a magic academy, where their mother always made his favorite chocolate pudding. Their father, who had just finished tidying the dining table, cast a spell on the pot that their mother was holding, flew the pot from their mother’s hand, and landed it smoothly in the middle of the dining table.

"Woah! As usual! Mom’s food is the best!" Ursula was already in her seat, wiping her hands while waiting for their mother to give her share.

"Ursula! Fix the way you sit. A lady doesn’t sit like that!"

"But, Mom, it’s my day off! How come I have to behave at home too? I’m tired! Hmph!"

"Your mom is right," said their father, now sitting on the chair, waiting for their mother to get his pasta on his plate. "Try to act like your brother. You need to always maintain the attitude, anywhere, anytime."

He did not respond to their father’s praise and sat beside Ursula, who was currently devouring her food.

"Let her be. It must be tough for her to live far away in the dorm without Mom’s food, right?"

Ursula swallowed the pasta and then pointed proudly at him. "My brother understands me more! Not like Dad and Mom!"

Mom rolled her eyes, facing Raphael, before finally sitting in her chair and enjoying her lunch. She looked irritated. "You too, Raphael. Stop spoiling your little sister. It’s not good for her in the future!"

"I’m not spoiling her, Mom."

"Not spoiling her, you said? Then what? Your attitude is spoiling her even more! If this continues, when will she be independent? Ah, seriously, you two..."

Mom glanced at them. There was a moment of silence before the four of them laughed at once, melting the hot atmosphere that their mom had created earlier.

***