The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 10
But the boy simply kept grinning, his round eyes crinkling with delight as he looked up at me—a head taller than him.
“Well, that’s enough pleasantries. Let’s head inside. The wind’s turning cold as the sun sets.”
The man placed a hand on both Void’s head and mine. He suddenly furrowed his brow.
“The height difference is….”
“There’s a height difference…”
Quite noticeable.
He seemed to murmur this to himself, but I was too absorbed in observing Void to pay much attention.
“And the Patriarch?”
At the man’s question, the elderly butler wearing elegant wire-rimmed glasses stepped forward.
“The Patriarch has been in poor health for some time now, and has been staying in the Northern Annex….”
It was a hushed whisper. The man nodded curtly.
“I see. I’ll pay my respects another time.”
His tone was familiar, as if he’d said this many times before.
“For now, let’s get you both cleaned up and fed. The journey was arduous.”
“Yes, I shall prepare everything at once.”
The elderly butler bowed respectfully.
“Um… Father, may I visit you in your study later?”
Void asked shyly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. In his eyes as he gazed at his father, respect and fear mingled together.
“Of course.”
Void’s face brightened, and he bolted up the stairs.
“Elto! Where’s my perfect test score? My sword training record?”
“Oh my! Young Master! Don’t run! And there’s no perfect score!”
Truly, remarkable energy.
“You’ve grown quite close to the young master, haven’t you?”
The elderly butler spoke with an amused tone. Leviathan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Well… I suppose so.”
“Hmm? You two weren’t close before?”
I couldn’t help but ask, my curiosity getting the better of me.
“Close? Not in the slightest.”
“Then what?”
“You see…”
The elderly butler bent down to meet me at eye level.
“The Patriarch was more inclined to avoid young master Void. Whenever the young master saw him, he would cry, so the Patriarch was being considerate in his own way….”
“Ah.”
“Well, it was all the Patriarch’s fault, really. Who wouldn’t be frightened when a grown man opens his eyes like this—” The butler mimicked an exaggerated wide-eyed stare with his index fingers.
The elderly butler playfully pulled his eyes wide open.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
His smile was warm and gentle. I nodded vigorously.
That’s right, absolutely.
I know firsthand how stubborn and difficult his temperament can be.
“Things have finally become less awkward. You must have had quite the ordeal on the way here, madam.”
“…Adolf, you’re unusually talkative today.”
The man said this with clear displeasure.
The interior was filled with warm heat, and my body felt flushed. The butler grandfather smiled softly as he removed my cloak with gentle hands.
“That’s precisely why everyone is so astonished.”
“Hm?”
“It’s the first time a young child has arrived nestled so naturally in the lord’s arms.”
“Well, it was more comfortable than I expected….”
Hot. I suddenly realized something.
I should have walked on my own two feet! I was supposed to look dignified in the Northern Region!
“Nothing unusual about it? Yet you’re so quick with your retorts.”
The man ruffled my hair so vigorously it created static electricity, making it stand on end like a lion’s mane.
“Stop it!”
“See? A wild beast, I tell you.”
I found the man infuriating as he laughed wickedly. Even the butler grandfather adjusted his glasses and laughed along with him.
“Then shall we get you washed up and have you eat something? Hazel.”
A brown-haired maid stepped forward.
“Miss Rubian. Would you like to bathe first?”
‘A bath!’
It was a welcome sound to hear, but I couldn’t bring myself to nod readily.
As I hesitated, unable to decide either way, Leviathan spoke up.
“Bathing and changing clothes—only do so if Rubian permits it.”
The servants’ gazes overlapped with one another.
The man emphasized his point once more, as if to drive it home.
“Don’t force anything on her.”
In moments like this, he seemed less insufferable.
“Understood, my lord.”
I let out a dry laugh and took the maid’s hand.
I climbed the stairs slowly toward the second floor.
Unlike its rigid exterior, Zebert Castle’s interior was bright and warm in atmosphere.
The yellow light of ornate chandeliers illuminated every corner of the castle, and well-maintained carpets and marble corridors with a subtle sheen stretched out before us.
“This way, Miss Rubian.”
As I gazed upon the Zebert family crest embroidered throughout the halls… my feelings became strangely complicated.
Had I truly successfully entered the Zebert household?
‘Now I have to find out why he dies.’
The real game was just beginning.
* * *
“Then, shall I wait outside?”
I nodded obediently.
“If you need anything, please ring the bell.”
The maidservants kept glancing back at me with expressions of deep concern.
‘I understand their worry that I look young.’
Even so, I was someone who had bathed alone countless times across both my past and present lives.
If anything, I found this arrangement more comfortable.
‘It smells wonderful.’
The bathroom was filled with billowing steam and the pleasant aroma of fragrant oils. I undressed and stepped into the tub.
The creamy foam was remarkably soft.
As I settled back into the bath, my body relaxed into a drowsy ease.
“Ahh, this is bliss….”
While savoring the comfort, Kalid suddenly came to mind.
Taking advantage of my solitude, I pressed my earlobe and tried calling out to him, but as expected—nothing but silence.
‘He really has blocked me.’
I was beginning to genuinely irritate myself.
To be honest, what I feared most was that Hazel might suddenly appear. There was something unpredictable about her….
I soaked a while longer before rising from the water.
I caught my reflection in the large mirror. My gaunt, scrawny frame was laid bare. And there was the scar running across my right flank.
‘Well, it’s not a complete lie.’
There were minor scratches scattered about, but this scar was the largest. I’d received it somewhere, but…. honestly, I couldn’t remember clearly.
‘It must have hurt terribly…?’
Perhaps it was a mercy that I didn’t remember.
I slowly turned around to examine my back.
“That’s the real problem, though.”
The small crest of the Mage Kingdom branded on my lower back.
‘I have to deal with this somehow.’
I needed to prepare for any contingency.
If it became known that I was the rogue mage the Mage Kingdom Arcadia was searching for, everything would unravel.
I still hadn’t uncovered the cause of Leviathan’s death, nor had I changed the catastrophic ending.
I pondered carefully.
‘The worst scenario is if my identity as a mage and my power are exposed.’
That would be a true bad ending.
If that happened, I’d be expelled to the Mage Kingdom, unable to accomplish any of my goals.
I certainly wouldn’t be able to prevent the catastrophe.
‘Then, what if my past of participating in the demon-human war becomes known?’
I looked at the scar on my flank again.
“Ugh.”
That would mean revealing I was a child soldier of Arcadia, making it highly likely my identity as a mage would be exposed.
In the end, the same bad ending as before.
‘Then what about being discovered as a woman?’
That was the lightest secret I was keeping.
But given that it’s common knowledge the rogue mage from the Mage Kingdom is female, there was no need to invite unnecessary suspicion.
‘And there’s that….’
I recalled Leviathan from the original story.
Yes, truthfully.
‘I’ve thought about telling Leviathan everything more than once.’
But I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Leviathan had lost a child in a carriage accident caused by a rogue mage.
“A girl…it was.”
To be precise, the child Rosetta had been carrying in her womb.
The Duchess had given birth to a dead child.
It was a fact everyone in the Empire knew.
‘I knew better than anyone how much Leviathan despaired in the original story.’
I was the one who understood it most deeply.
It was after that.
That Leviathan and the Duchess Rosetta began adopting children.
‘But they were all boys.’
The firstborn, the second son.
The meaning was unmistakable.
“Sigh….”
I didn’t want to become his trauma. I didn’t want to be anything that would remind him of his dead daughter.
Moreover, because of that incident, not only him but all the people of the Northern Region had come to despise mages.
‘I don’t want to be hated….’
Despite his appearance, he had a kind heart, so his attitude wouldn’t change immediately.
But if he showed even the slightest sign of avoiding me….
‘I feel like I wouldn’t be able to bear it.’
So at least, for as long as I’m here.
“I’ll be an ordinary child.”
I’ve ended up keeping quite a few secrets… but there’s no helping it.
Splash! I splashed water on my face to clear my mind.
‘Fortunately, the magical energy here isn’t as sparse as in the Capital.’
Was it because this place had originally been the land of magical beasts?
I’d been testing my magical control throughout the journey, and unlike in the Capital, I didn’t feel breathless or strained.
‘Maybe that’s why I was able to maintain contact with Kalid.’
Though I was cut off. Damn it.
“Alright. Let’s start with concealment magic.”
I channeled my magical power.
The sensation of blocked magical pathways within my body persisted, but using the magical energy in the air made it far more comfortable.
Besides, concealment magic was the most basic of basics.
I created a thin veil the color of skin, then concealed the mage’s mark and the wound on my side.
‘As long as my condition doesn’t deteriorate significantly, I should be able to maintain it.’
Even so, I was quite an accomplished mage.
Probably quite a bit.
My mind was filled with vast knowledge of magical circles and circuits.
Though I wasn’t born with an abundance of mana, thanks to that knowledge, I had earned recognition as a fairly skilled mage in the kingdom.
‘Since my internal mana is limited, I’d struggle if the surrounding mana is insufficient….’
As long as it’s not the Imperial Capital, I should be fine.
This much is sufficient.
‘If I find the circuit that synchronizes the surrounding mana with my own in real time.’
And connect it to this concealment spell….
My mind spun rapidly.
When I glanced at the mirror, my eyes were swirling with a crimson light.
Whenever I drew upon the knowledge in my mind rather than casting ordinary magic, my pupils would change like this. I had no idea why.
Whoosh.
The magical light flashed briefly and vanished.
Using the mana in the air, I completed a new circle that would allow my concealment spell to remain active at all times.
This way, even if my clothes suddenly came off, it would be fine!
‘Though I can’t conjure something that doesn’t exist, so I still need to be careful.’
I glanced downward(?) with a slightly embarrassed feeling.
‘Anyway, I’m grateful the people of the Northern Region are ignorant about magic.’
Working without being discovered—the best feeling!
“Rubian? Aren’t you taking rather long?”
“I’m coming out now!”
I yelped and hurried out.
Oh, don’t run! It’s dangerous!
I heard the anxious voices of the maids as I exited the bath.
It had been quite a meaningful first bath.
* * *
After washing up, Hazel was waiting for me.
“Rubian, allow me to reintroduce myself. I’m Hazel, and I’ve been assigned to attend to you.”
“Yes! Nice to meet you, Hazel!”
“You’re welcome to speak more casually.”
“Okay, I’ll take my time getting used to it.”
Hazel smiled brightly in acknowledgment.
It’s strange how characters who don’t appear much in the original work make me feel reserved….
“Shall we head to dinner then? The head chef has been so excited ever since hearing you’ve arrived.”
Heh. What’s all that about?
Hazel, who had been wiping the moisture from my limbs, suddenly raised her eyebrows.
“Hmm…. The clothes really are too large. I should have prepared a smaller size.”
The maids behind her nodded in agreement.
None of the clothes prepared in advance fit my body properly.
“These were tailored to Void’s size when he was younger…. I suppose we’ll need to place a new order.”
“I’m fine like this. If I just….”
I rolled up my long sleeves to show her.
“—then it works!”
Ta-da!
“Nngh….”
Hazel let out a strange whimper, her ten fingers twitching and curling.
“You’re absolutely, positively adorable, but no! You must wear clothes that fit properly. I need to contact the boutique right away!”
Hazel’s eyes blazed with determination.
Hmm, was this really such an important matter?
Since I couldn’t fathom it, I simply remained silent.
“Shall we go have dinner?”
“Yes!”
I descended to the dining room with Hazel.
“What about that man?”
“The Master said he has urgent matters to attend to, so he’s dining separately.”
“Ah, I see.”
That made sense. After such a long absence, he must be overwhelmed.
I took my seat quietly.
After settling into the spacious, austere-looking dining room, the second son of this household soon appeared.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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