I was Reincarnated as the Villainess's Older Brother, but it seems My Sister is Obsessed With Me. And for Some Reason, the Male Love Interests are also Doting On Me.(BL) - Chapter 27

“Lord Clive, what kind of ingredients should we look for?”

“Well, for situations like this, curry is usually the go-to… or maybe a hearty soup with vegetables and meat.”

Sphere and I were walking through the forest, gathering ingredients.

“In that case, shall we hunt a wild boar?”

“Yeah, that sounds—wait, a boar? As in, the wild boar?”

“Yes. I’m quite good at it, actually.”

“Haha, r-right…”

She looked so delicate—like she couldn’t even hurt a fly—but clearly, looks can be deceiving.

“Oh, it’s my brother! And he’s with Welton-san.”

It seemed Stefan and Alice were out gathering food as well. The two were engaged in a lively conversation.

“This one may look odd, but it adds great depth to the flavor. Though, be cautious of the brighter colors—they’re often dangerous. This one’s amazing. I’ve never seen one so big and thick. If we use this, everyone will be utterly delighted.”

“I-I see… I didn’t know that.”

What exactly was Stefan talking about with such passion…? Was it just me, or did that sound a little indecent?

Alice was politely nodding, but she looked a little… overwhelmed.

Sigh “Honestly, Brother… Lord Clive, please excuse me for a moment.”

“O-oh, sure.”

Looks like Sphere’s big-sister mode had been activated, which meant Stefan had probably ventured into not-so-appropriate conversation territory.

“Brother! You’re making Welton-san uncomfortable. Don’t go lecturing young ladies about mushrooms!”

“Oh, Sphere! And Clive’s here too. Welton, allow me to introduce my sister Sphere, and my dearest friend Clive.”

“Brother, Welton-san and I are in the same class. She doesn’t need an introduction.”

“Ah, right, right. My apologies.”

Stefan and Sphere really haven’t changed. Honestly, she’s the more mature one between them.

Also… when did I go from being “a friend” to “his dearest friend”?

“Instead of giving mushroom lectures, why not shower her with your usual elegant flattery?”

“I’ve already done that earlier.”

“I-it’s fine, really. I like mushrooms…”

Alice said that with a slightly strained smile.

“Honestly… Brother, Clive and I are heading off to hunt boar. Would you two care to join us?”

“Boar hunting? Excellent! That would pair perfectly with these mushrooms!”

And so, the four of us set off together to hunt wild boar.

◇◇◇◇

“I’ve found a game trail! Judging by the size, it must be a boar. Let’s follow it.”

Sphere led the way, followed by Stefan, Alice, and then me.

“Be careful, Welton. The path is steep—watch your footing.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Stefan looked surprisingly reliable as he warned Alice—quite the contrast to his earlier mushroom ramblings.

But seriously, this trail was dangerously steep. The ground sloped sharply, almost like a cliff. Falling from here wouldn’t end well…

Just as I thought that, the ground beneath Alice’s feet gave way.

“Ahh!”

“What?! Alice!”

I instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand, but gravity pulled us both down the slope.

Mid-fall, I twisted my body to pull Alice into my arms, shielding her.

…Am I going to die?
Just like this?

Memories flickered through my mind—Fiona’s smile, again and again.

“I don’t want to die…”

Driven by desperation, I unleashed a powerful burst of wind magic beneath us.

BOOM!

“Ugh!”

We didn’t float down like characters in a manga. Instead, I slammed into the ground with a heavy impact.
Fortunately, I broke Alice’s fall—she was safe—but she seemed to have lost consciousness.

I found myself gently patting her head, like I often did with Fiona. Then, wincing in pain, I slowly sat up.
Holding Alice in my arms, I glanced upward, but the slope was far too steep to climb back up.

“For now… let’s find a place to rest.”

◇◇◇◇

After walking for a while, I found a cave.

I gently laid Alice down to rest.

But now that I think about it… is it really okay to lay a girl on the bare ground?

Still, there was nothing suitable to use as a cushion nearby.

“At the very least…”

I took off my jacket and placed it under her head as a pillow substitute.

As I sat there watching Alice, a sudden thought struck me.
Wait… isn’t this kind of crisis usually meant to be a romantic event with one of the love interests?

A big moment where danger leads to emotional bonding—that kind of thing.
Was I the one who unintentionally interrupted what was supposed to be Stefan’s event?

But… no, that was an emergency. I acted on instinct. It couldn’t be helped.

While I was wrapped up in self-reflection, Alice slowly stirred and sat up.

“Are you alright? Does anything hurt?”

“Yes… Um, where are we?”

“You fell when the ground gave way. I caught you, but we tumbled down pretty far. There was no way to climb back up, so I brought you into this nearby cave.”

Realization seemed to dawn on her, and she immediately began apologizing profusely.

“I-I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault. If only I had been more careful—”

“It’s not your fault. These things happen. What matters is getting back to the others. Let’s focus on that—ow!”

I tried to stand, but a sharp pain shot through my back.

“Are you injured?! Please, let me see!”

“It’s nothing, really. I’m fine.”

I tried to laugh it off, but Alice wasn’t having any of it. She ignored my protests and started tugging at my clothes.

“H-Hey, w-wait! I’ve never done anything like this before!”

I panicked, blurting out nonsense, and Alice froze, blushing furiously as she seemed to realize what she was doing.
…Too cute.

“N-no, it’s not like that! I—I can use healing magic.”

“Ah. Right. Sorry about that.”

That’s right—Alice is a rare Holy-attribute user in this world. She’s basically in the saintess position.

“I’ll leave it to you, then.”

I turned to show her my back. She let out a soft gasp, which probably meant the bruising was pretty bad.

A warm light enveloped me, and my body was filled with a gentle, comforting heat. It felt… weirdly addictive.

“That should do it, for now.”

“Thanks… That’s amazing. Even the scratches are gone.”

“Hehe. It’s the only thing I can really brag about.”

Alice beamed with quiet pride. It was a different kind of charm than Fiona’s—gentle, humble… and just as captivating.

“Now that I’m feeling better, shall we try heading outside? Welton-san.”

“Alice.”

“…Huh?”

“Please… call me Alice. You called me that earlier, didn’t you, senpai?”

Did I?
…Ah, yeah—I think I did. Right when we were falling.

“But that was in the heat of the moment—”

I mean, I’m just some background character. Calling the heroine by her first name feels like too much.

“…Do you not want to?”

“…!”

She looked up at me, eyes glistening pink, gazing with that classic upward glance.
What kind of unfair cuteness is this?

Between Fiona and Alice, are they doing this on purpose? Do they know how cute they are? If so, that’s just plain dirty.

“I don’t mind… Alice.”

I gave in.

Besides, no matter how I address her, guys like Cristel and the others are way more impressive. It’s not like my words carry much weight.

“Okay! Let’s go, senpai.”

Alice trotted cheerfully toward the cave’s exit. But just as she stepped outside, she came to a halt.

“What’s wrong, Alice?”

She didn’t say a word. She simply raised a trembling finger and pointed ahead. I rushed to her side—and looked in the same direction.

What… what is that…?!