"No..." Karl whimpered, his face contorted in fear as fat tears rolled down his cheeks. "I should’ve known that if that Louis guy is bad, then his mom must be, too... Ohhh," he cried, clutching Ruby’s hand tightly. "I ate expired food! I’ve eaten two-day-old leftovers before, but I’ve never felt this sick... Not like today." His tears fell faster as he clung to her for comfort.
Adrian, looking just as miserable, grabbed her other hand, holding on as though she was his last anchor. Ruby sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and sympathy. They shouldn’t have let themselves get so caught up in the promise of free food, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for them now, seeing their pale faces and teary eyes. Her annoyance softened, and she let out a reassuring breath.
"Don’t worry," she said, giving their hands a gentle squeeze. "I’ll take you both to the healer."
Karl and Adrian could barely stand upright. Seeing how weak they were, Ruby had no choice but to support them by holding onto their arms. Slowly and steadily, she guided them toward the market, keeping a close eye on them as they trudged along.
"They might’ve eaten cookies made from expired products," Healer William said, examining the cookie packet with a frown. "Some of these look okay, but others... they’re definitely not. The ingredients they used might’ve been rotten, and there’s a lot of artificial flavoring here that’s downright harmful."
He glanced over at Karl and Adrian, their faces pale and worn. "Just because something tastes good doesn’t mean you should eat it like you’ve never seen food before," he scolded. "You two show clear signs of food poisoning. It’s going to take two or three days for this to fully clear up."
Healer William stood up and turned to Ruby. "I’ll get some medicine ready for them." She nodded, watching him head to his shelves, where he picked out a few bottles of remedies.
Ruby sighed, her gaze falling on Karl, who was resting on one of the beds, while Adrian was sprawled out on the other. Both looked drained and weak.
It was hard to stay annoyed at them seeing them , and she hoped they’d take this lesson to heart—maybe be a little more cautious about what they ate from now on.
Thankfully, Ruby had asked Madame Shades for compensation earlier—it looked like she’d have to dip into that money to cover the cost of treating Karl and Adrian.
After Healer William handed over the medicine in a paper bag, Ruby paid the treatment bill, mentally tallying her expenses for the month. As she turned, she saw Karl and Adrian trailing behind her, looking drained and walking slowly.
"Don’t worry," she said, trying to reassure them with a smile. "We just have to walk a little more, and we’ll be home soon."
They nodded, though they looked too exhausted to even respond.
After they got home, Karl and Adrian dragged themselves to their rooms, exhausted and drained of energy. Milo, noticing their pale faces, quickly brought them water and stayed by their side to help however he could. Karl ended up going into Adrian’s room to rest together, too worn out to be alone.
Meanwhile, Julian had been anxiously watching the whole scene unfold. The worry etched deep in his eyes as he turned to Ruby.
"Wife... what happened to them?" he asked, glancing between Ruby and the direction of their rooms. "Everything was supposed to go well, so why are they in this condition?"
Ruby sighed, trying to figure out how best to explain. "They got a little too excited about free snacks at Madame Shades’ place," she began. "Turns out, the cookies weren’t as fresh as they looked. The healer says they might’ve been made with expired ingredients."
Julian’s face twisted in concern. "Expired ingredients? How could they be so careless?"
She gave a small, tired smile. "They were careless enough to follow the butler for a handful of cookies. But don’t worry; they’ll be fine in a few days with rest and the medicine."
Julian sighed in relief, though he was clearly still uneasy. "I’ll keep an eye on them too," he said determinedly, wanting to make sure nothing else happened to his brothers.
"I made something, so I’ll check if they’re up to eat," Julian said, turning to leave. But Ruby gently grabbed his wrist, stopping him.
"They have food poisoning," she reminded him softly. "They’ll need bland food for a bit. Heavy dishes might upset their stomachs more."
Julian nodded, taking her advice to heart. "I made rice and some simple dishes. Nothing heavy. Is that alright for them?"
"That sounds perfect," Ruby assured him with a small smile. "You can ask them what they feel comfortable eating, but keep it light."
Julian’s face softened with relief. "Thanks, wife," he said, and with a warm smile, he made his way to check on Karl and Adrian, hoping the food would help them feel a little better.
As Julian walked into the room, he saw Milo standing anxiously by the bedside, his eyes full of worry as he glanced between Adrian and Karl, whose faces were pale and drained. They lay on the bed like two exhausted shadows, their energy sapped by the bad cookies.
"Brother Adi, Brother Karl... are you okay? Would you like to eat some rice and grains?" Julian asked gently, sitting down near the bed. He reached out, touching Karl’s forehead softly, then Adrian’s, noticing how weak they both looked.
Karl sniffled, his eyes red and puffy. "Actually... when the butler took us to the kitchen, he offered us more cookies, and we couldn’t control ourselves. We ate way more than we should’ve," he admitted, sounding a bit embarrassed. "They tasted so good, I just couldn’t stop... I had no idea they were expired," he added, wiping a tear from his eye.
Adrian nodded, looking equally worn out. "Healer William also said the cookies were full of artificial flavors and chemicals," he muttered. "We never would’ve eaten so much if we’d known..."
—To be continued...🪄