The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 149

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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 149
Even the faces of other friends who had paid me little attention before….
Sortie, who had entered the Assembly Hall from afar, covered her mouth and laughed, “Oh my. Did you finish holding your breath?”
I felt a bit embarrassed and buried my face shyly against Father’s shoulder.
“Ah, ah! So that’s what it was! My goodness, Your Grace! How do you do! Haven! I must introduce myself!”
“Pardon? No, yes? No…. I mean, why… is she over there….”
Haven still seemed to be in a daze.
Abelus Count fidgeted beside us with an entirely different energy than before.
“A young lady! You were a young lady! Oh my.
“So, what’s your name? Did you write it down?”
Father asked me lightly, ignoring the commotion.
A sharp gaze had settled on my knee. It seemed my skirt had ridden up slightly.
A small scab sat there—anyone could see it was a scraped wound from a fall.
‘Hmm…. Father seems to have figured it out.’
I looked at Haven, whose face had gone pale and was trembling, and then glanced at the Count beside him.
Then I answered with a smile.
“No way. I got along really well with the other kids!”
Haven’s shoulders flinched.
“Look! I even made a friend! His name is Jerdin!”
As I pointed, Jerdin, who looked as pale as flour, bowed respectfully.
“Ah, ah, hello…. Y-Your Grace…!”
“Yes. Jerdin, is it? Thank you for being kind to my Rubian.”
“Ah, ah, no. Ru…. I mean, y-Your Highness has helped me so much….”
Jerdin spoke in a jumbled manner.
Watching him, I glanced back at Haven.
‘Haven’s actions were wrong, but….’
Still, he was just a child.
Though he was forced by the demerit points, he had eventually apologized to Jerdin.
Besides, Haven hadn’t threatened me enough to warrant Father’s punishment.
‘If he has a brain, he’ll learn something from this.’
Isn’t that why we come to school?
And honestly, I enjoyed getting revenge on him and playing pranks….
It feels a bit wrong to tattle on him now….
“But… what’s with your name tag? It looks ridiculous.”
After finishing his conversation with Jerdin, Father frowned as he looked at the name tag dangling from my chest.
“I have no idea what my youngest has been doing at the Academy.”
“Hehe….”
I just laughed it off.
Then, Abelus Count, who had been watching for the right moment to interject, spoke up.
“Haha. Ha ha. W-Your Highness. Your hair color has changed and your name tag is quite, well, stylish, so I didn’t recognize you.”
“….”
“I noticed you and Haven grew quite close during our time at Camp. Why don’t you come over here and chat for a bit….”
I stared blankly at the Count, who was grinning like a schemer, then turned my head toward Pax.
“Father, you know what? Can I write down the name of the person who bullied me right now?”
At my words, Father extended his palm without a moment’s hesitation.
“Write.”
I carefully traced letters with my finger across his large, firm palm.
Husin Count
“…The Count is retreating?”
“No, no, no!”
Ugh!
I ended up drawing an arrow with a sharp flourish.
Pointing toward Abelus Count.
“Ah.”
Father’s eyebrows shot up sharply.
“That man over there kept pointing at me and Jerdin, calling us commoners and all…. He glared at us and poked me, and it was pretty scary, you know.”
I spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear while pretending to whisper in his ear, and Abelus Count’s face drained of all color.
He must have thought I wouldn’t notice his open contempt, but I saw everything, Uncle.
‘He told Haven to build connections with me?’
Whether it was me or Haven, I found it rather distasteful that he was using children.
“Ah, no. That’s a misunderstanding….”
“Right. Exactly as I thought.”
The air surrounding Father grew cold and heavy.
Husin Count gasped, swallowing hard, while Father placed his hand on the Count’s shoulder and pressed down with crushing weight.
Crack. Blue veins bulged prominently across Father’s hand as he gripped the thin shoulder as if it might crumble.
“We’ll have a private word later, Count.”
A dark shadow fell across his slender frame. Cold sweat beaded on the Count’s forehead.
“Eh? That is, right now, upon further reflection, it seems quite acceptable….”
“The Abelus Marquis Family’s Workshop has been receiving shipments of our Northern Region minerals, hasn’t it?”
His business partner smiled coldly and extended his hand for a handshake.
“Let’s work together to scale down our partnership nicely.”
“Nooooo!”
Well….
They’re both adults, after all.
They’ll figure it out themselves, right?
* * *
I climbed down from Father’s arms (I’m an autumn Camp graduate, after all!) and walked briskly toward the Banquet Hall.
As I headed toward my assigned seat, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, clearing a path….
Father seemed quite accustomed to it.
“So she was a noble lady….”
“This doesn’t make sense… Why were you pretending to be a commoner?”
As I realized his attention was focusing more on me, something….
‘How embarrassing!’
All those piercing gazes at my unmasked face! I felt completely exposed!
I instinctively tried to hide slightly behind Father’s arm, when suddenly I felt an intense stare.
Looking up, my eyes met Father’s, who was gazing at me intently.
“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Father’s lips moved slightly before closing again.
Soon he chuckled and ruffled my hair playfully.
“Stop it! You’ll make me look like a lion!”
“I’m just looking at you after ten days. Don’t interrupt.”
“Ha, then let me get a good look at Father too.”
I stared back at Father without backing down.
I expected a teasing response telling me not to fool around or that he’d let me look all I wanted, but Father hesitated slightly and closed his mouth again.
‘What’s going on?’
He seemed to be holding back his words since earlier.
Father bent down and carefully adjusted my ribbon tie as he spoke.
“Rubian. This evening… would you like to talk with me?”
His voice was gentle.
“Huh? Sure! What do you want to talk about? Wait, did I do something wrong? Did you find out I didn’t eat my bell peppers?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
Father laughed as he tidied the hair stuck to my forehead.
“You didn’t do anything wrong even if you didn’t eat your bell peppers.”
“Really?”
“You’ve never done anything wrong, not once.”
Hmm….
Does he become more lenient when he sees family after so long?
‘Come to think of it, I wouldn’t even mind if Father pinched my nose right now!’
So what does he want to talk about? Is he going to tell me about his business trip? Did something interesting happen?
Whatever it was, I laughed happily.
Just then, the A-class students entered the Assembly Hall. Since the final day’s event was for both classes together, there were many students!
“Kaaaalid! Over here!”
I waved my hands excitedly toward Kalid as he entered through the doorway.
Kalid came straight toward me as soon as he spotted me.
“You’ve grown while I wasn’t looking.”
Father stood up and placed his hand on top of Kalid’s head.
Kalid touched the crown of his head and replied in his usual blunt manner.
“I haven’t grown much.”
“You have, you brat.”
Father playfully tapped him.
‘Alright. Since Kalid doesn’t have his parents here, I need to take good care of him!’
I made a firm resolve and pressed myself close to Kalid’s side.
“What? Why?”
“It’s just how it is. I’m going to stick right beside you today!”
“…I don’t understand what you mean.”
Yet even as he grumbled, he didn’t move an inch away from my side.
And shortly after.
The door burst open with a thunderous bang, and a lion charged in with ferocious momentum.
“ROOOAAARRR!”
Oh no, heavens above.
How did Grandfather get here?!

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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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