The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 115

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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 115
* * *
Around the time Father was filling out my adoption papers.
He suddenly asked me something.
“Rubian, when is your birthday?”
“I don’t have one.”
….
“Does it matter? Oh, I see—it’s the day you get cake. But you can eat cake anytime now, even without a birthday. Why?”
The Mage King would never have told me my birthday.
And I was too busy surviving to care about it myself.
Ah, in my past life at the Orphanage, we did have birthday parties. But since they lumped together all the children with birthdays within a few months, I only knew mine was sometime in winter.
I was about to tell him to just write something down for the paperwork when Father let out a long sigh.
“Of course I want to celebrate it.”
“Oh… But why should you celebrate it?”
“Because your existence is precious to me. It’s the day I first met someone precious.”
If that’s the case, then it does seem important….
I thought for a moment before speaking.
“Then… I want it to be the day I met you. That’s when we first met!”
….
“What, what is it. Are you actually… crying?”
“Come here.”
Father kissed my face for quite a while.
“But that day has already passed.”
“Right? So we can celebrate next year….”
“No.”
Father cut me off with a calm but firm tone.
“We need to have a birthday party, even if it’s a bit late.”
“No, we can just do it next year….”
“What? Rubian, Father can’t hear you well.”
What do I do. I’m still too young to afford hearing aids for Father….
Instead, I made a funnel out of paper, held it to my ear, and shouted.
“It’s fine! We can do it! Next year!”
Of course, the Duke—whose aging was starting with his ears—didn’t hear a word.
“Sigh.”
I finished reminiscing and let out a long sigh.
“The whole mansion is bustling, isn’t it?”
Hazel, who had been trying various hairpins on me, laughed softly.
“Do we really need to go this far? Weren’t they all just looking for an excuse for a party?”
“Well, it is an excuse, isn’t it? An excuse to make the young lady happy.”
“I’m happy just being here.”
“A birthday party would make you even happier.”
Is that so?
I couldn’t fathom the point of belatedly celebrating a birthday that had already passed. Besides, birthdays had never mattered much to me in the first place.
Yet Father and everyone else in the Duke’s Mansion seemed enchanted, preparing for my birthday as if possessed.
‘They always obsess over the things I show no interest in.’
Knowing I couldn’t stop them anyway, I decided to simply let it be.
“Huh? Kalid! What are you doing here?”
I stepped out of my room wearing the yellow flower-shaped pin Hazel had given me, only to find Kalid standing at the door, about to knock.
He stood motionless, gazing down at me.
“….”
“What?”
“Today you’re even more….”
“Hm?”
Kalid tilted his head slightly, murmuring.
“Adorable….”
“What? No ears? Oh, my hair has grown out a bit lately.”
I swept my slightly longer hair behind my ear, securing it neatly.
The dangling ornament of the pin brushed against my fingertips. My collection of pins had been growing increasingly elaborate these days.
Kalid stood dumbfounded, his lips parting before he pressed them firmly shut.
“Why are you correcting….”
“What? I can’t hear you. Anyway, why did you come? Did you come to see me?”
He let out a long sigh before getting straight to the point.
“Yeah. So…. Rubian, do you have time tomorrow?”
* * *
The next day.
I went out with Kalid.
Hazel and a few escort Knights shadowed us like phantoms. (What exactly is Hazel, anyway?)
“Where are we going? Do you have a secret to tell? Magic?”
I lowered my voice just in case the ninja Maid Hazel might overhear.
Kalid shook his head firmly.
“It’s nothing like that. For now… let’s go in here.”
Ding.
The door opened with a clear bell chime.
Kalid had brought me to a dessert shop tucked away in a winding corner of Zelocks Alley.
“What? A place like this existed?”
“It’s supposed to be incredibly delicious. Way better than that cake shop we went to in Ipson.”
“Wow, a hidden gem like this in Zelocks?”
I opened my eyes wide and surveyed the interior.
Following the attendant’s guidance, we sat at a window seat bathed in sunlight. It was clearly the best spot in the shop.
“It’s so spacious, but there aren’t any other customers.”
I whispered carefully so as not to upset my mistress.
For a renowned restaurant, it’s surprisingly empty, isn’t it?
As if we’d rented out the entire shop.
“Well, I suppose we got lucky. I heard people usually line up for hours to eat here.”
“Really?”
Wow, if that’s the case, we’re truly fortunate.
Soon, an array of cakes arrived at our table, and I sampled each one with an enchanted expression.
“Is it delicious?”
“Absolutely!”
The designs were modest, but that only made the flavors shine all the more.
A local gem, without question!
“So? What did you want to talk about in this secretive place? Is something wrong?”
After I’d satisfied my hunger somewhat, Kalid shook his head.
“It’s nothing like that. I simply wanted to come here with you.”
“Hmm.”
I didn’t know he was secretly fond of trendy spots.
‘Wait! Did he discover new tastes while in Ipson?!’
I narrowed my eyes slightly and observed Kalid carefully.
“By the way… have you learned anything more about the stigma?”
The young boy asked casually while cutting his cake in half. I shook my head firmly.
“Not at all. Honestly, I’m not even sure where to begin.”
I’d searched the Duke’s Mansion library just in case, but found nothing of value.
‘Of course.’
There was no reason magical texts would be kept here.
And I had no one to ask for advice either.
“I’ll need to persuade Wizeria. Since the Mage King’s power that inscribed my stigma is so formidable, it seems difficult to find a formation that can break it.”
“…”
As I spoke while chewing cake, Kalid stared at me intently.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, it’s just… the way you speak of that knowledge in your mind. You talk about ‘Wizeria’ as if she has a consciousness of her own. It’s fascinating.”
I blinked.
“Oh… now that you mention it, you’re right.”
At some point, it began to feel like mutual communication. As if I were conversing with something that possessed will.
“It’s somewhat like that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s like how you end up talking to an AI speaker without thinking about it.”
“…I’m even more confused now.”
I shrugged. After all, it was difficult for me to fully comprehend this rootless power.
“Anyway, I think I need to learn more about the stigma.”
“I see. If there’s anything I can help with, just tell me anytime.”
“Yes!”
My kind friend, as always.
I grinned widely and finished devouring the cake.
After leaving the shop, we strolled through the Shopping District for a while.
“Wow, so many people!”
The crowds were absolutely swarming.
I disliked crowded places, but I thought Kalid would enjoy it, so I decided to endure it a little.
In fact, he was pretending otherwise with a sullen expression while looking around the Shopping District quite eagerly.
“Kalid, let’s go over there!”
I pointed to a toy shop where children had gathered in droves.
Kalid’s eyes lit up even more.
‘So he really does like these kinds of trendy places!’
I felt sorry for not noticing until now.
I decided to pretend to enjoy myself so Kalid could relax and have fun.
“Wow, how cute! A teddy bear!”
The moment I entered the shop and picked up a bear doll I saw, Kalid whipped his head around.
“Cute? Do you want it?”
“No? Mother bought me so many that I don’t want more.”
My Eastern Room was piled high with bear dolls, wind-up toys, and all sorts of things. I couldn’t possibly accumulate more clutter.
“Ah, I see…”
Kalid looked disappointed for some reason.
Next, we headed to an accessories shop filled with girls.
“Oh, that’s pretty.”
I grabbed something at random again.
“Want to buy it? Should I ask them to wrap it?”
“Huh? I don’t actually want it.”
At that, he bit his lip and trudged backward dejectedly.
Similar incidents happened a few more times.
Even at the bedding shop.
“A blanket! So cozy!”
“Should I order one?”
“No? Why the sudden blanket shopping spree?”
And in front of the cotton candy stall…
“Rainbow cotton candy!”
“Want to eat it? Should I buy you some?”
“I’m tired of sweets now.”
“…”
So I simply had to say something at this point.
“Kalid… Why have you been acting like someone desperate to spend money since earlier? Are you stressed? Does it feel like you’ll explode if you don’t go on a spending spree?”
When I asked seriously with my hands on my hips, Kalid dropped his head with an exhausted expression. A long sigh followed.
“That’s not it.”
“That’s not it?”
“I want to give you a gift too, but I don’t know what to get you.”
I froze, dumbfounded.
“Huh?”
“Maybe I should just buy you everything in this district? How does that sound?”
My eyelids moved slowly.
So… he’d been rummaging through every shop in the Shopping District this whole time because he wanted to give me a birthday gift?
While watching me so intently, noting everything I showed interest in?
‘What is this.’
Strangely, suddenly, I felt overwhelmingly embarrassed.
“O-of course… we can’t waste money!”
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and snapped out the words for no good reason.
“And where would you even get that kind of money!”
“Money is just…”
Kalid scratched the back of his head.
Unaware of the Mercenary Company’s financial backing, I had no idea he wasn’t actually worried about money at all. I simply thought he was being stubborn.
‘It’s actually kind of touching. But this feels almost like a… date.’
In that moment, I went rigid.
“A d-da…”
“What?”
A date? With Kalid, who was practically my childhood friend!
“Such impure thoughts!”
I bonked my own head repeatedly. Kalid grabbed my wrist and stopped me, displeased.
“Why are you suddenly doing that? More importantly, what impure thoughts?”
Instead of answering, I lifted my head sharply.
“Kalid! So you want to give me a gift, right?”
“Yeah. But what impure thoughts were you having?”
Let me see. It should be somewhere around here…
My head swiveled around. I glanced about until I spotted what I was looking for.
I walked briskly forward, and Kalid quickly followed.
“Kalid, let’s do that!”

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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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