The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 103

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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 103
“How many times did you use that portal for it to break? And even if that mage’s power were compromised….”
Shh. Kalid brought a finger to his lips.
I sealed my mouth shut and stacked another block.
“Who here would understand it as well as you do?”
“…Asha must have been unable to speak freely while watching the Kingdom’s mood.”
“Right. That mage seems to have been scheming to search this place more thoroughly…. But we’re heading back to Zelocks tomorrow anyway.”
I picked up an orange block to place on the third tier and nodded slowly.
“That’s true, but….”
As expected, my family said they wouldn’t stay in Ipson any longer.
The other nobles seemed eager about the hunting competition and social gatherings that would follow, but Father had no interest in such things.
Besides, a demonic beast subjugation was coming soon.
“Since you might run into the mage, stay quietly at the mansion today.”
“Well…. I wasn’t planning to go out anyway.”
I had no plans to leave the house anyway.
I’d just stay in and tie knots quietly.
‘And tonight I’ll definitely use the herbs!’
If I fell asleep today too, I’d just sleep forever!
I resolved firmly.
“But what happened in the carriage yesterday?”
Kalid asked suddenly.
At some point, he’d crossed his legs and folded his arms, staring intently at my face.
“How did you know?”
“Leon said you looked a bit down.”
I recalled Leon’s face, which had briefly appeared through the carriage window.
Wow, he observed me in that brief moment.
A knight’s observational skills truly are remarkable.
I hesitated while stacking blocks before speaking.
“It’s nothing really….”
“Mm.”
“Licht thought I was a mage.”
“What?”
“Fortunately, it seems he passed it off as a misunderstanding, but Father asked me about it.”
A brief silence fell.
“So did you… tell the Duke the truth?”
I shook my head slightly.
“I couldn’t tell him.”
I abandoned the attempt to place the final block.
“You see, I’m a bit inconsistent and strange.”
My fingertips traced the edge of the block meaninglessly. Kalid, as always, listened to my words in silence.
“When Father accepted that I had a girlfriend, I felt so much courage welling up inside me. But now that I’m trying to tell him I’m a mage, my lips just won’t move, you know?”
I was confused.
I couldn’t figure out what the right timing was.
I didn’t want to disappoint Father.
‘I hate seeing that expression from yesterday again.’
I wished that even for a single moment, he wouldn’t regret becoming family with me.
But to do that, what timing, what expression, what face should I use to say this?
‘Why is there no answer to something like this?’
I almost wished someone would pity me and tell me.
“Being cautious is only natural.”
A still-youthful voice flowed softly.
Kalid took the block from me and placed it gently on top.
“It’s something important to you, after all.”
“I suppose that’s true…”
“Besides, there’s a Tracking Mage roaming about outside right now, so you need to be careful. Everything has its proper order…”
I gazed at Kalid intently.
“And I know that whatever choice you make will be the best one. So why not just do as you wish?”
My mouth fell open.
“You…”
“…?”
“Sometimes you speak more maturely than I do.”
“You’re not exactly an adult yourself, are you?”
“Ah, well… I suppose you’re right.”
I gazed at the completed block castle.
The castle, built up layer by layer in perfect order, stood firm and unshaken even against a sudden gust of wind.
“You’re right. Everything has its priorities.”
My first priority right now was to check what comes next in the original story.
I straightened my back and smiled with determination.
“Good! My head feels a bit clearer now. You always say exactly what I need to hear.”
“Is that so.”
Kalid neatly organized the blocks as if it were nothing.
I gazed at his profile with fresh eyes.
‘He’s such a straightforward and good child.’
I hope you grow up just like this.
‘But am I the only one who’s always whining like this?’
The thought suddenly struck me.
Now that I thought about it, Kalid had almost never come to me with his worries. He’d never complained about anything being difficult.
Yet he listens to all my grievances without showing a hint of displeasure?
I was suddenly moved by emotion.
“Kalid, you really are such a genuinely kind and gentle friend.”
“Well…”
His handsome face grew slightly taut.
“What’s wrong? You sound like someone who only hears ‘good’ from me.”
“No. I am… good. Kind too.”
His oddly stilted response made me tilt my head in confusion.
As we gathered our things and walked side by side, Kalid suddenly asked.
“…Is there nothing else?”
“Huh?”
“Good, kind. And?”
“What else should there be?”
“Well, it’s not that…”
A soft murmur escaped him.
I pondered for a moment, then added.
“Oh, you’re handsome! Strong too!”
Kalid’s footsteps came to an abrupt halt. I chuckled and recalled the girls I’d met at the Banquet Hall yesterday.
“They were gossiping about you like crazy!”
The equestrian tournament champion, no less!
“…You?”
“Huh?”
I glanced to the side. Kalid wasn’t meeting my eyes, his face turned away at an odd angle.
Perhaps the spring sun was strong. The tips of his pretty ears had flushed a delicate pink.
“What about me?”
“Were you gossiping too? About… me?”
My eyelids fluttered once or twice.
“No? I didn’t say a word.”
Well, not didn’t—couldn’t.
Because they didn’t include me. I couldn’t sit at the same table…
‘If they had, I would’ve bragged enthusiastically.’
That you’re my friend.
‘Wait. Is that… not right?’
Even if it’s praise, talking about someone behind their back feels wrong, doesn’t it?
‘Oh no. Is that why he’s upset?’
I fidgeted for a moment, then quickly moved into his line of sight.
“Kalid, Kalid! Calm down. From now on, I absolutely won’t—I’d rather die!—mention you at all!”
“Why would you say something like that…?”
The young boy’s expression turned utterly cold.
Huh? That’s not it?
“What do you want then?”
“I just… wanted you to talk about me a lot…”
“Huh?”
“So I was thinking more about my own perspective… wait, what am I even saying?”
Kalid couldn’t finish his sentence and started rambling incoherently. His condition was clearly not good.
I genuinely worried for him and fanned his flushed face with a hand fan.
“You must be suffering from heat exhaustion. How are you already like this?”
He stared at me intently before burying his face in his arms.
“Young lady!”
Just then, Hazel called me from a distance.
“We have a visitor!”
“Huh? A visitor?”
“It’s Camelan Count! He’s come with the youngest young lady!”
“Oh my goodness, Titi!”
I dashed out excitedly. I was thrilled that Sortie, who had suffered greatly after the kidnapping incident, had come to visit.
“Kalid, aren’t you coming?”
I called out to him.
The boy lifted his head and gazed at me quietly.
His expression seemed somehow… frustrated and wronged?
“Are you coming or not?”
Only then did Kalid rise and walk forward with heavy steps.
“…So the conclusion is that I need to be kinder, gentler, and more handsome.”
“What did you say?”
Those grayish-blue eyes, flickering with an inexplicable spark, swept across my face with a slant.
“Just wait. I’ll show you how much kinder, gentler, and more handsome I can be.”
What is this? A declaration of war?
“Well… do as you please.”
Good heavens.
If I’m not careful, he’ll end up growing into a proper person.
* * *
As I headed toward the Duke’s Residence outdoor garden, Sortie, who had been sitting on a bench, sprang to her feet.
“Rubian!”
“Titi!”
We grasped each other’s hands with unbridled joy.
“Oh? Licht is here too!”
“Hello, Rubian. I ran into Camelan Young Lady just before this.”
Licht smiled warmly.
Sortie studied my appearance intently, then opened her mouth wide.
“You really are a woman!”
Her sky-blue croissant-shaped hair bounced with its usual elasticity.
“I was so shocked when I heard the news. But now… there’s no sense of incongruity at all!”
“Hehe.”
“Actually, Rubian felt incredibly familiar from the start. You were so different from those mischievous boys.”
Sortie added the last part in a hushed voice so Licht wouldn’t hear, and I let out a soft chuckle.
“How are you feeling? Any lingering discomfort?”
“I’m completely better! It’s a shame I couldn’t attend the New Leaf Festival, but… oh! Congratulations on winning the New Leaf Festival! You were truly amazing, Rubian!”
Sortie bounced excitedly, celebrating as if it were her own victory.
I rubbed my nose with a slight smile.
“It was nothing special…”
Ugh, now I’d have no choice but to show off my gold badge again…
“The masked Northern noblewoman’s spectacular performance! That’s all the children were whispering about.”
“Hmm. That’s a bit…”
The epithet didn’t sit quite right with me.
I seriously contemplated my public image.
Just then, Hazel appeared and smiled warmly.
“Come now, lovely young ladies. This way, please! The tea table is ready.”
“Oh! I brought tea pastries!”
“My, how thoughtful. Are you giving them to me?”
“Yes!”
Sortie took Hazel’s hand and led the way.
Then my eyes met Licht’s, who had stepped slightly back.

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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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