The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 15

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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 15
So she heard everything.
I pretended not to hear, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“What about Father?”
Void asked as he took his seat.
“He said he has many documents to review.”
“Ah, I see.”
A response that suggested he hadn’t expected anything.
But by this point, I couldn’t help but notice.
Void asked about Father at every meal.
Even though he knew Father wouldn’t appear, he held onto a faint hope.
‘Hmm….’
I stared at Void with a spoon in my mouth.
No matter how I looked at it, his face screamed that he wanted to eat with Father.
‘Wait, now that I think about it, I haven’t had a single meal with Father since arriving here either.’
Could he have deliberately avoided joining us so Void and I could eat together?
I fiddled with the small hairpin.
“Hey, Hazel.”
I whispered, hiding my mouth behind a large slice of bread.
“Yes, Rubian.”
“…?”
Hazel was remarkably capable of whispering without moving her lips at all.
I maintained my composure and continued my question.
“Is Father deliberately avoiding eating with Void?”
Hazel paused slightly.
That was the answer.
“…No, it’s not that. The Duke is simply very busy today.”
“Today?”
“Well. In truth, the two of them rarely eat together. Over the past few years, the Duke has spent only a handful of days at the Duke’s Mansion, and… Void was quite frightened of him when he was younger.”
“Ah, I’ve heard about that.”
“He would choke every time they ate together… and it became fixed this way.”
Hmm, I nibbled at the edge of the bread. It was crispy.
“Void was really that afraid of Father?”
“When the young masters first came to the mansion… the Duke was truly in a terrible state. So much so that no one could approach him.”
Ah. When he was lost in despair after losing a child.
I recalled Leviathan’s past.
‘He must have wandered for years, I imagine.’
When the sorrow one faces is too overwhelming, sometimes the world around you becomes invisible.
“Perhaps he buttoned the first button wrong. Of course, he always regrets what happened back then….”
Hazel, who had been murmuring softly, suddenly came to her senses and lifted her head with a start, saying, “Oh my, what am I saying.”
“I apologize. I hope I didn’t interrupt your meal?”
“Not at all.”
So that’s what this was.
Father, who felt sorry for how poorly he’d treated me in the past, had grown cautious. And Void, who respected Father deeply, didn’t want to displease him in the slightest.
The tension between them was palpable—a father treading carefully, a son desperate to earn his approval.
‘But how long can they keep this up?’
I stabbed a piece of meat that Void had already cut for me and popped it into my mouth.
Chew, chew.
The succulent juices burst across my palate, melting away to reveal the finest quality meat I’d ever tasted in my life.
“Rubian, you should eat some bell pepper too.”
“Mm-hmm…”
Lost in thought, I gave a half-hearted response and pushed the bell pepper pieces off my plate.
“…”
I naturally didn’t notice the young master’s jaw drop in shock at dining etiquette he’d never heard of before.
Chew, chew, gulp.
“Listen.”
When I looked up, Void was staring at me with a distinctly gloomy expression.
‘Oh no, look at him. He seems so sad…’
I found myself hesitating.
Was it really my place to meddle in someone else’s family affairs?
Besides, just as it happened in the latter half of the original story, their relationship would naturally improve over time anyway. So I didn’t need to get involved… but…
I reached up and fiddled with my hairpin again.
‘They’ve both been so kind to me…’
Maybe I could give them just a little push in the right direction.
“Why don’t you ask him to have meals together from now on?”
Void dropped his utensils with a clang.
“Huh?”
“What? Does that sound strange?”
“N-no, I’d like that…”
“Are you still afraid of him, perhaps?”
“Of course not!”
Of course not—he treasured that Hero card so much, after all.
Void scratched his cheek shyly.
“I understand now why Father had such a difficult time back then… So of course I’d love to have meals together with him now.”
“You’d love to?”
“It’s just… I don’t know how to bring it up with him now…”
Ah, I see. I narrowed my eyes slightly.
“So you need a reason, then?”
“Well, not exactly… He might find it bothersome…”
“Hmm.”
I pondered my options while watching Void dig away before me.
Then my attention was suddenly caught by servants hurrying past outside the Dining Room, their arms laden with documents. They were probably headed to Father’s Study.
My lips curved upward.
“Void.”
“Hm?”
“I just had a brilliant idea.”
I laughed with gleaming eyes, and Void froze slightly.
What is it? My younger sibling’s a bit of a devil…
I heard such a murmur.
What does it matter?
* * *
Knock, knock.
I rapped on the heavy Study door.
“Come in.”
A low voice.
As I carefully entered, I saw Father seated at his desk.
His silhouette, backlit by the sun, loomed impressively large. Beside him, a table bore the remnants of countless cups of coffee and hastily consumed meals.
Ah, I could sense it.
The unmistakable aura of a work-weary executive.
“Leave the documents there and go. Why are there so many… What brings you here?”
Father, who had been flipping through something, looked up. His expression was utterly taken aback.
“Pardon my intrusion.”
“What?”
I bowed at a ninety-degree angle. Father’s mouth twisted as he regarded me like some peculiar creature.
Undeterred, I approached steadily.
I placed the paper I’d been holding firmly onto the desk, which was already cluttered with scattered documents.
“What is this?”
“Please review it, Your Grace!”
“…Pardon?”
His expression was one of utter bewilderment.
Father picked up the paper covered in my crooked handwriting.
“A report?”
“Yes!”
To be precise, it was an approval document, ahem.
“…I’m planning to hold a welcome ceremony, so I’d appreciate your signature?”
My voice wavered uncertainly. I puffed out my chest and nodded in time with Father’s tone.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Exactly as written, sir.”
I spoke shyly, feeling like a new employee seeking their first approval from a department head.
“I’m planning to hold a welcome ceremony for myself. The venue will be the central Dining Room!”
“…?”
“Please review the inventory list here and sign, if you would.”
Ever heard of a self-directed welcome reception?
“You really do pull off the strangest things.”
The old man let out an exasperated snort, his expression one of utter disbelief.
“You won’t permit it?”
“Of course I will.”
A swift flourish. A signature without hesitation. Perfect.
I clutched the papers that had been returned to me tightly.
As I grinned widely, the old man—who had been observing me with his chin propped on his hand—let out a soft chuckle and smiled along with me.
“Then I’ll see you this evening!”
“Ah, I’m rather busy….”
“But the Duke’s attendance is mandatory, isn’t it? You’ve already signed.”
“Eh?”
The old man immediately lifted his face from where it had been resting in his palm.
I pointed to the final line, written in minuscule script.
“If you look at this line here… it’s also an invitation. Signing means you’re agreeing to attend.”
One must always be careful when signing documents, old man.
Leaving the Duke staring blankly, I waved my hand cheerfully.
“See you later, old man!”
The door closed with a neat click.
Void was standing outside.
His expression was tense for some reason.
“Did it work?”
“Of course it did.”
We huddled together and giggled with delight.
* * *
What began as a modest undertaking somehow spiraled into a commotion that engulfed the entire mansion.
“Come on, everyone make way!”
“Oh, that decoration fell off!”
“Well, none of us have done this before!”
“Adhesive! We need more adhesive!”
Robust maidservants and servants scurried about in every direction.
“Where are those groundskeepers? I told them to bring more flowers and haven’t heard a peep!”
“I suppose I’ll have to go kick them into gear!”
I sat in the Dining Room, watching the spectacle unfold with a blank expression.
The once-barren interior was now adorned with vibrant flowers and decorations.
‘Magic would make this so quick….’
But of course, I couldn’t use magic.
Besides, Hazel had said my job was to sit still, so that’s exactly what I was doing.
“Everyone’s so enthusiastic about this.”
I’d only meant to prepare some food and eat together, but somehow it’s turned into something far grander.
“Rubian.”
At that moment, a gentle voice reached my ears.
I turned to see a middle-aged woman with a warm smile.
It was the Chef of the mansion.
“I came to ask what sort of cake you prefer.”
“A cake?”
“Yes. I wanted to select the right cream for it.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“But isn’t this a welcome-back party for the old man?”
The answer came from the other side.
“It’s also a welcome party for you, isn’t it?”
It was Void, sitting right beside me while stacking cards.
“Huh? Wasn’t that just an excuse?”
If I’d known it was a welcome-back party for him, I naturally wouldn’t have approved it.
But Void wore an expression as if he hadn’t heard a word.
“So you want me to exclude you entirely?”
“That’s not what I meant, but…”
I couldn’t find anything else to say and simply blinked. The Chef, who’d been listening, spoke again.
“Then, would you tell me which cream you prefer?”
A preferred cream? I had no such thing.
“I… don’t really know much about cakes! Any kind is fine with me.”
Whether in my past life or this one, I’d rarely eaten cake. How could I have preferences without experience?
“Ah.”
The Chef’s eyes widened slightly as she read something in my answer, but it was only for a moment. Her warm smile quickly returned.
“That’s understandable. Then, how about I use my special cream? I’m certain you’ll come to love it.”
“Yes, that sounds wonderful!”
The word ‘special’ made me feel a flutter of anticipation.
After that, the Chef asked about foods I couldn’t eat and textures I preferred before departing.
Many more people came and went after that.
The Dining Room, which had seemed so spacious before, quickly transformed into something magnificent. A true party venue!

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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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