What does a hangover feel like?
Alice had never known before, but now she understood all too well.
First came the headache—a truly special kind of pain. Dizzy and throbbing, it felt like she hadn't slept at all. She was tired, desperately wanting to sleep, yet somehow unable to actually drift off.
Maybe it was because of her unique constitution, but the headache seemed especially intense for Alice.
Burrowed under Lefiya's covers, even with the warm sun shining on her, Alice had absolutely no desire to get up. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to go right back to sleep.
"Alcohol is terrifying…" That was the only thought in Alice's mind right now.
She was filled with regret—deep, profound regret.
Alice, who had only ever drank water and black tea, never imagined she'd be so completely helpless against alcohol.
That said, it also made her realize one thing: she definitely wasn't that Alice from Gensokyo in her memories.
According to her [Knowledge Repository], every time there was a banquet in Gensokyo, that Alice could hold her liquor pretty well—not exactly a thousand cups without getting drunk, but she certainly drank a lot at every party.
And her?
Just one mug of ale was enough to knock her out cold. How absurd.
The Alice from Gensokyo would never have such pitiful alcohol tolerance.
But precisely because of this one-drink-and-she's-down constitution—even though her head was pounding and she felt awful—Alice was actually… happy.
She had realized it: she was herself, and no one else.
Even if they shared the same name, she and the Alice from Gensokyo were not the same person.
So, despite the discomfort, Alice felt joyful, genuinely pleased—though if that showed on her face right now, it might look a little strange.
"Um… Alice-chan? Are you okay?" Lefiya, who had just returned carrying breakfast, watched her cautiously, feeling a bit uneasy.
The expression on Alice's face looked cheerful, even delighted, but every time the headache pulsed, her smile twitched and strained.
The overall effect was a frown mixed with a laugh. Though Alice was very beautiful, that very beauty made her current expression seem somewhat… off.
"Ah, Lefiya…" Seeing Lefiya, Alice's expression softened. Her brow relaxed, and her smile became much more natural.
Relieved to see Alice back to normal, Lefiya let out a quiet sigh.
"I brought you breakfast. You should eat something." Lefiya set the tray down on the table. "But Alice, is your tolerance really that weak?"
She was deeply curious.
Not many people knew that God Hermes had brought Alice here last night, but Lefiya was well aware.
Originally, Loki had intended to have Riveria look after Alice.
Unfortunately, there wasn't really a place for Alice to rest in Riveria's room. Well, her room was usually quite tidy.
But because of the theories Alice shared during the day, Riveria had plunged back into intense research on her magic.
As a result, her room was now littered with papers covered in magical formulae and spell arrays.
Alice's ideas had given Riveria a lot of inspiration—hence the current mess.
Lefiya's room, on the other hand, was clean and tidy. So, Riveria entrusted Alice to Lefiya's care.
That's how Lefiya found out that Alice had been taken down by a single mug of ale.
Hearing Lefiya's question, Alice didn't feel particularly embarrassed. Having low alcohol tolerance wasn't something to be ashamed of, and besides, she had never liked alcoholic drinks to begin with.
After what happened last night, even the last bit of curiosity she had toward alcohol vanished entirely.
Unless something unexpected happened, Alice wouldn't so much as touch another drop of alcohol in the future.
So, in response to Lefiya's curious inquiry, Alice answered openly without any hesitation.
"Pretty much. Alcohol is really something else. The last thing I remember is finishing my first mug and asking the waitress for another. Everything after that is a complete blank." Alice got out of bed, wearing Lefiya's pajamas.
They were about the same height, but Alice had slightly more curves than Lefiya.
Other than that, they were quite similar.
The pajamas were loose-fitting, so Alice didn't feel anything unusual—though the waist area was a bit roomier on her, while the chest felt a little tighter.
To be honest, when Lefiya was helping Alice change last night, she had seen Alice's beautifully proportioned figure and briefly felt… deeply inadequate.
As an elf, Lefiya believed that although her chest was a bit small, it was only because she was still growing—and elves have very long growth periods.
So by all standards, her figure was actually quite balanced. But compared to Alice… Lefiya couldn't help but feel a little defeated.
Lefiya could swear that, in her entire memory, she had never seen anyone with a more graceful figure than Alice's.
The breakfast Lefiya brought was simple: Two slices of bread, a bowl of porridge, along with sausage, bacon, and a fried egg.
Simple yet nutritious, and quite tasty.
The light meal suited Alice's preferences perfectly. The portion was a bit larger than what she usually had, but since she hadn't eaten dinner last night and had been knocked out by a single drink, she was actually pretty hungry now.
She ate quickly yet gracefully, finishing everything Lefiya had brought. Letting out a soft sigh of satisfaction, she smiled at Lefiya.
"Thank you, Lefiya. It was delicious. I really appreciate it."
"Mhm, don't mention it." Seeing that Alice enjoyed the food, Lefiya was happy too. Even if she hadn't cooked it herself, it was close enough.
"Alice-chan, why don't you go freshen up? I'll clean up here. After that, please come with me to see Lady Loki." Lefiya began gathering the dishes.
"Loki wants to see me?" Alice was changing clothes.
But noticing that her clothes carried a lingering smell of oil and alcohol—not pleasant at all—she casually opened a gap that left Lefiya utterly stunned, pulled out a new dress from within, and changed into it.
"Alice-chan, you've become famous overnight. So I was asked to tell you—once you were awake—to bring you to Lady Loki to discuss it."
"I'm famous?" Alice looked puzzled.
"Yeah, I heard that after you got drunk, you apparently said something… shocking."
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