Traditional Chinese Medicine?

"Yeah, why don't you try eating it?" Asya had also noticed Noer's hesitation. Knowing Noer as he did, there was no way he would eat something like this.

He would still have to obediently go to the hospital! Even now, he firmly believed that Noer was sick.

"Um... how about we eat first? I'll wait for the smell to fade before I take it!" Noer noticed Anna and Asya exchanging looks and immediately felt that his good intentions had been fed to the dogs!

I was trying to save you, you know! Sure enough, being a good person gets you nowhere.

How had those two suddenly gotten in cahoots with each other?

"Ah~ Does Brother Noer think the medicine tastes too bad to swallow?" Anna continued to egg him on from the side.

"Hm? Yeah! Right! This may be good stuff, but the taste..."

"What are you doing?!"

Before Noer could finish, Anna's actions startled him. She somehow pulled out a bottle and poured all the liquid inside into it.

"What did you just pour in there?"

"This is Aunt Lenoya's seasoning. I specifically snuck some from her. Try it and see how it tastes."

Anna took out an exquisite little bottle and gave it a shake.

As a professional little foodie, how could she possibly not taste something good when she came across it?

So when Lenoya Sala had left, Anna had secretly poured out a little. She had originally planned to use it during dinner later.

But to help Noer's "illness" get better sooner, she could only painfully share it with him.

"I... huh?"

Noer was just about to say something when he suddenly realized that the pungent smell from earlier was gone. This seasoning... was kind of amazing.

"The smell's gone. Are you going to eat it?" Asya looked at Noer with a grin.

"Th-this..."

After hearing that, Noer felt utterly miserable. He seriously suspected that these two had come specifically to mess with him! Otherwise, how could they be so in sync?

"Brother Noer, you weren't lying to us, were you? Should we go to the hospital after all?" Anna said gloomily from the side.

I even gave you my favorite seasoning, and now you're backing out?

"How could I be? I, Noer, never lie!"

Noer hurriedly denied it. His persona could not collapse! He still needed this image to get by in the future!

"Then eat it!" With her arms crossed, Asya leaned against the wall and watched the show, clearly delighted to stir up trouble.

He was now basically certain that Noer was not sick. He just did not know what Noer was trying to accomplish with this stuff.

But based on what he knew of Noer, there was a good chance Noer had prepared this for him to eat!

There was no basis for it whatsoever. It was simply a gut feeling!

"Yeah, eat it!" Anna copied Asya's pose, crossing her arms and leaning off to the side.

Looking at the two of them, Noer immediately felt his anger flare. Eat it? Eat what, my ass!

He had made this stuff himself. He knew perfectly well what was in it. If he drank it, he might lose half his life.

Then...

That might work too!

If I got sick and then forced Asya to take responsibility, someone with Asya's personality would most likely feel guilty and stay.

Besides, things had already reached this point. He had done everything he could and should do. That was enough.

"Fine, I'll drink it!"

With that thought, Noer picked up the plate under their stunned gazes, shut his eyes, and opened his mouth to drink. It would not kill him, so it was no big deal!

"Don't!"

"Are you really..."

Anna and Asya were stunned by Noer's boldness. They were just about to stop him, but... they were too late.

The stuff on the plate only looked like a lot. It actually amounted to just over a bowl, and he finished it in a few gulps.

"Urgh~!"

After finishing it, Noer felt a wave of nausea rise from his stomach. He quickly covered his mouth and fought not to throw up. "Do you believe me now?"

Saving people really was too painful. Being a good person was hard!

"What are you... What smells so awful?"

While the three of them stood there in stunned deadlock, Aya, who had not been seen coming downstairs, came up. The moment she entered, she caught the unusual lingering smell in the room.

"The smell of Traditional Chinese Medicine."

Asya had no idea what Noer was up to, so he could only explain based on their earlier conversation.

The smell really did resemble Traditional Chinese Medicine, though he had no idea how effective it was or what consequences it would have after being consumed. But since Noer had managed to drink it in one gulp, it probably would not kill anyone.

"Traditional Chinese Medicine?" Sister Aya was briefly speechless. Traditional Chinese Medicine, my foot. The few of them would struggle to identify medicinal herbs, yet they were boldly talking about Traditional Chinese Medicine.

"Yes, Brother Noer mixed up a dose of Traditional Chinese Medicine himself," Anna stepped forward and said.

"Hm?" Noer suddenly froze. He had mixed up a dose of Traditional Chinese Medicine? So Anna actually knew what Traditional Chinese Medicine was?

Then didn't that mean...

How could she be so wicked at such a young age?!

"What did you say?"

Sister Aya looked incredulously at Noer, who was still dry-heaving. Had this kid hit his head in the car accident?

"What happened?"

Just then, Lenoya Sala also came upstairs.

"Nothing. Some fool got sick and mixed his own medicine to drink."

Sister Aya rubbed her forehead and shook her head. This guy really never stopped causing trouble.

After explaining, Sister Aya asked Noer, "Noer, do you remember what you put in it? Do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup?"

Noer's foolish behavior left her utterly speechless.

"Traditional Chinese Medicine?" Lenoya Sala stood there in astonishment. She had not heard that name in a long time.

"Mm... urgh~"

Noer touched his stomach and carefully checked how he felt. Swallowing back the sour liquid rising in his throat, he said, "Other than feeling a little nauseous... there's nothing wrong."

After saying that, Noer found it strange as well. He had specifically developed that dark cuisine according to an online tutorial, adding all sorts of things along the way.

Logically, he should not have had no reaction at all!

"Then keep an eye on yourself. If you feel unwell later, remember to tell me. Asya, keep an eye on him tonight too." Sister Aya could not say much after hearing that, so she merely told Asya to watch him.

"Got it." Asya nodded in reply.

"Can you... still eat anything?" Sister Aya looked Noer up and down.

"Could you save some for me?" Noer truly had no appetite right now, and he did not know whether it was just his imagination, but he kept feeling that something was off with his body.

His mind was exceptionally clear, while at the same time he felt as though something was coursing through his body.

"All right. Get some rest, and have Asya bring you something to eat later." Seeing that Noer's complexion was normal, Sister Aya did not think too much of it.

After saying that, she turned and left the room. It was not that she did not care about Noer. It was just that Noer had always been a little "lively" since childhood!

He often did things that took people by surprise.

So over time, everyone had gotten used to it. After all, so many years had passed, and Noer was neither crippled nor mentally impaired. He was still as lively as ever.