Vol 1 Chapter 9: Let’s Play, Big Brother

"If one day I can hold you again...
Don't sleep too long, okay, Big Brother..."

Because the flowers in the garden have started to bloom,
and your little sister is still waiting for you to play house...

Today the sky is clear, Big Brother.
And Lys isn't crying anymore.
But that's because all the tears are gone...

So... hurry up and wake up,
before the harvest season comes without you."

—

A Year Ago — Palace Servant Recruitment Day

POV: Lune

In the long corridor on the east side of the palace, a man with a slightly... odd appearance appeared. His hair was messy, his face calm but questioning, and his administrative attire was clearly too loose for his body. He leaned against a pillar, holding a worn clipboard, occasionally sighing softly, as if hiding a quiet boredom.

Of course, it was Lune. But no one knew.

Perception-obscuring magic made everyone see him as just another bored office worker wandering around on break time.
And their reactions were... as expected.

"Excuse me, Sir. If you're not part of the selection process, please leave the room.”

“Don't disturb us while we work. I'll call the guards.”

Lune simply responded with a faint smile, too tired to blame anyone. Silently, she assessed each candidate one by one. Her gaze traced how each candidate worked: how they answered questions, organised their belongings, handled stress, and… how they treated strangers.

“Everyone sees me as a weirdo,” Lune thought. “Well, being suspicious of strangers is natural. But cynicism? That's a choice.”

Until… she saw it.

A girl with dark green hair tied back in a simple ponytail and sharp but polite golden eyes was deftly arranging files.

The girl realised she was being watched. She paused, turning to Lune with an uncomfortable yet polite expression.

“Is there something you need, sir?” she asked softly. “If there isn't anything, I'll get back to work.”

“No, just ignore me,” Lune replied, once again with that faint smile.

The girl lowered her head slightly and refocused.

Lune stared at her for a moment longer.

“At least… she didn’t yell.”

“Anna… yes, a fitting name for golden eyes as warm as the afternoon sun.”

He opened the list and saw:
No. 17: Anna – Administrative Assistant Apprentice.

“Good girl,” Lune thought as he ticked off the list in his hand, “Okay, I’ve decided…”

But before he could write the next note—

“SICK!!”

Something light and warm collided with him from behind. Two small arms wrapped around his waist, and a tiny head nestled affectionately against the waistband of his disguise robe.

“Lys?!” Lune panicked, quickly turning around.

And there she was, little Lys, standing, hugging him tightly. Her smile… like the sun after an afternoon rain. Bright, innocent, and so sincere.

“What are you doing, Big Brother? Let’s play!”

Lune gaped. Her eyes widened slowly.

“Lys, how do you know this is Big Brother? You’re disguised.”

Lys pouted for a moment, then lifted her chin high with childlike pride.

“Eeeh! Big Brother is so weird! Even though you’re disguised, you still walk the same way, and you like to look down and stare at people silently… Lys knows you so well!”

Lune paused for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. Light, relieved, like she’d just remembered how to breathe.

She patted her little sister’s head gently.

“That’s right… Big Brother can’t lie to little Lys, huh?”

“Yeah! Big Brother is terrible at disguises!” Lys replied with a giggle.

“So, what do you want to play today?”

“Playing house!” Lys immediately lit up. “Big Brother is the older sister who loves gardening. Lys is the little sister who helps with the harvest~!”

And just like that… they disappeared into the garden.

In the spring sunshine, the two figures played as if the world belonged to them. Lys laughed when Lune chased after her for picking an unripe apple.

Lune pretended to be annoyed. Lys pretended to run away. But in the end, they both lay down on the warm grass, staring up at the blue sky like a painting.

“When I become king, you can still order me around on Sundays,” Lune joked.

Lys chuckled.

And in that moment… time froze as a memory too beautiful to forget.

—

Back to the Present...

Seven Days Later, After Lune Fell Asleep, the Crown Prince's Room Was Too Quiet

POV: Lys

Screw. Screw.

The sound of fabric scraping against the cold floor. In the corner of the room, a little girl sat hugging her knees. The dark circles under her eyes were panda eyes, not from lack of sleep, but from silent nights where her longing kept watch while the world slept. Her soft silver hair hung down over her face, and in her arms was the small teddy bear Lune had given her on her seventh birthday.

Before her eyes: a silver-haired boy sleeping peacefully.

Silent. Unmoving.
It was Lune. Her older sister.

And this was Lys, her younger sister.

On the table near the bed, there were many small letters scattered about. All written in colourful ink, with pictures of butterflies and suns.
There was also a bit of apple that had been bitten into, but left untouched.

Lys stared at her older sister for a long time. Then, in a voice as thin as a whisper:

“...I'm done playing house by myself, Big Brother.”

Her hands gripped the doll tighter.

“Lys, I promise… I won’t pick unripe fruit again… so…”

She looked up. Her eyes began to water.

“…Wake up, okay…”

But only silence answered.

There was no laughter. No pats on the head. No “little sister” greeting like before.

Lys leaned over to the side of the bed, holding Lune’s cold, stiff hand. Then she whispered very softly:

“You lied to me, Lys…”

—

Frustration and Tears

The wind from the open window rustled the thin, milky-white curtains. The room remained silent, only the occasional distant bird call daring to break through the silence.

In the middle of the room, a little girl knelt beside the bed, gazing at her sister’s peaceful face in her deep sleep.
Lys held Lune’s hand and gently pinched her cheek.

“Big Brother… wake up…”

No reaction.

Lys pinched the other cheek again, a little harder this time.

“Big Brother… Lune… let’s play…”

Still silent.

There was no laughter, no "Does little brother want to play today?"
Just silence, and the same breath that hadn't changed since morning.
And finally…

"Bro… Big brother is bad…"

The voice broke.

Lys rolled to the floor, hugging her knees, crying loudly, a child who didn't know how to deal with a changing world.

"Big Brother is bad… big brother is bad… yesterday you promised to play house with Lys…"

"But why do you keep sleeping…"

"Come on, Big Brother… let's play with Lys… I promise I won't pick fruit anymore… Lys promised…"

The small body sobbed, hitting the floor shapelessly. Her tears fell silently, flowing endlessly.

Until finally…

Lys was exhausted. Her breath was laboured. Her body was weak from crying so much.

She stopped fighting.

—

Escape to Letters

Afternoon slowly descended, the twilight painting the bedroom walls a soft orange.
Lys sat quietly in a chair near the table, her eyes blank, still red and wet.

But then…

She wiped her face slowly, trying to hold back a sob.

"I can't keep crying…"

"Brother will be sad if he sees Lys sad…"

She looked at the paper and ink on the table.
Her small hand reached for the pen and wrote a sentence in sloppy handwriting, full of tiny curves and slightly smudged ink.

**"Big Brother Lune,
Lys is gardening by herself today.
Lys saw a green apple.
Lys wanted to pick it, but Lys remembered...
Big Bother will be angry if she picks fruit that isn't ready to be harvested.
Lys, don't pick it, Big Brother. Lys, wait until it's ripe.
When Big Brother wakes up, we can harvest together, okay?
Lys promises not to be naughty anymore.
Greetings from your little sister,
Lys."**

At the end of the letter, she drew a small, irregular apple and signed it with her handwriting.

She folded the letter carefully. Then she got up, walked to her sister's bedside, and placed the letter on Lune's chest—right over her still-beating, but still-unable-to-talk heart.

Lys then crawled onto the bed, snuggling up beside her sister.

She hugged Lune from the side, her little head nestled in her brother's cold, yet still homey arm.

"Wake up quickly, Big Brother..."

"Let's play gardening again..."

Soon, she fell asleep. Her small body rose and fell slowly, her breathing calm.
And the world fell silent again, as if waiting… with them.

—

Anna and the Little Letters

The bedroom door opened slowly.

Anna walked in with light steps. Her routine duties—checking the Prince's condition, recording his temperature, checking his mana was stable, and ensuring there were no sudden changes.

But when her eyes fell on the bed…
She stopped.

Little Lys had fallen asleep, hugging her older brother.

Her tiny body looked tired, yet peaceful, as if Lune's embrace was the only safe place she had left.

Anna approached. On Lune's chest was a small, freshly folded letter.

She took it slowly, reading it silently.
And when she reached the last sentence…

“…If you wake up, we can harvest together, okay…”

Tears fell without her realising it.
She hastily wiped her cheeks. But the second tear fell faster.

Anna placed the letter on the table, along with a pile of other letters Lys had written, one by one, since the first day Lune had gone unconscious.
Then she clutched her chest, staring at Lune's face, which remained calm as if unaware of the world around her beginning to change.

"The Prince is still writing... even though the Prince remains sound asleep. But why does it feel like a never-ending nightmare?"

"Prince, Princess... still waiting for you..."

"Wake up... your little sister won't stop calling your name..."

After ensuring Lune's condition was stable, Anna gently lifted Lys into her arms, taking care to keep the little girl asleep.

She carried her out of Lune's room...

...and left Lune alone with the little letters Lys had written, and a bitten apple, which was slowly drying into a silent memory of an unfulfilled promise. The afternoon sunlight revealed one of the unread letters:

—

A Letter Never Read

"If one day I can hold you again...
Don't sleep too long, okay, Big Brother..."
Because the flowers in the garden are starting to bloom,
and your little sister is still waiting for you to play house...
Today the sky is clear, Big Brother.
And Lys isn't crying anymore.
But that's because all the tears are gone...
So... hurry up and wake up,
before harvest time comes without you, Big Brother.

In a nameless place, Lune heard a small voice—muffled and distant—calling out to her cheerfully: 'Big Brother... let's go harvest apples, come on...'