The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 192

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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 192
“Wow, you’ve really grown. I can’t believe how much you’ve changed.”
Rubian murmured, watching the oversized jacket hang loosely on me.
“It looks like I’m wearing Father’s jacket. But why did you come?”
She asked as I settled onto the large sofa. Kalid draped a blanket around Rubian before finally allowing himself to breathe.
“I thought you might not be sleeping.”
“Ah… I’m busy.”
Rubian glanced back at the table.
Formulas and countless books were scattered haphazardly across its surface. From the appearance of things, there seemed to be no real organization to it.
When had this started?
When had she begun spending long nights alone like this?
The thought made Kalid feel slightly dizzy.
“That’s why you’re getting nosebleeds.”
He said.
“It’s not like that—I’m genuinely busy…”
“What’s driving you to push yourself this hard?”
Kalid waited with patience.
Rubian fidgeted with her fingertips, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking. “Actually… there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“I’ve been wanting to ask your advice about something.”
“I’m listening.”
Kalid suddenly felt the urge to lower himself in front of Rubian and take her hand.
“You know, I’m not sure if you heard, but Delmon died. You remember him, right? The man you fought during the entrance exam…”
“Yes.”
“Experiencing someone’s death made me feel anxious.”
Rubian spoke with determination.
“The Mage Kingdom is starting to move, so I want to gather the stone formulas as quickly as possible and go defeat the Mage King, but it’s not working out…”
Why am I so slow and clumsy? Rubian derided herself.
“If the stone formula you brought isn’t the answer, then I’m thinking of going to the Memorial Garden in Zelocks. If that doesn’t work either, I’ll be at a loss, but I’ll have to start over from the beginning. I’m not sure if I can do it well, but at least it’s better than just giving up…”
“Wait, Rubian.”
Kalid cut her off, and Rubian furrowed her brow.
“What? I’m talking right now.”
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying…”
As Rubian said this and blinked, a tear suddenly fell.
Her pale hand fumbled to wipe her cheek.
“Huh?”
Kalid could no longer hold back and lowered himself in front of Rubian, who sat on the sofa.
“What’s worrying you?”
Rubian fell silent again for a long moment.
“…You know, Kalid.”
A hoarse voice spilled out.
“I went to the funeral.”
“I know. I heard.”
“The coffin was incredibly cold and massive. Delmon was lying inside it, and when I saw that… I couldn’t breathe.”
The coffin was filled with decay-prevention magical artifacts that Leviathan had specially prepared.
It was a Babylon-style funeral procedure designed to preserve the corpse in perfect condition for as long as possible.
And yet.
“A corpse is… a corpse. There’s no one sleeping peacefully in death. It just looked like a wax figure resembling someone I knew. That was so unfamiliar and terrifying…”
Rubian lifted her head. Thick tears fell with a soft plop.
“What if Father becomes like that?”
“Rubian.”
“What if Mother ends up lying there? What about you? My brothers, Grandfather…”
“Rubian, calm down.”
“It’s because of me.”
Rubian wiped away her overflowing tears roughly with her palms and the backs of her hands.
“I followed Father all the way here… If he’s going through all this suffering just to protect me when he doesn’t have to?”
All the fears that had accumulated in layers burst forth like a dam breaking.
Rubian let out the words she’d been holding back and wept sorrowfully.
Kalid had no choice but to carefully rise and pull Rubian into his embrace.
“Maybe the easiest solution is just for me to go to the Mage King. If I had, Delmon might not have died.”
Self-reproach that had been buried deep emerged.
“I can’t tell Father and Mother. They’d be upset for sure… But Kalid.”
“Rubian.”
“I’m scared. Before, I was afraid because I had nothing in my hands, but now I have so much… and that’s why I’m scared.”
A small, warm body trembled against him, tears flowing endlessly.
Kalid gently patted her back.
How much time passed like that.
“Are you done crying?”
Kalid offered a handkerchief. Rubian sniffled and rubbed her face against it roughly.
“Yeah. I feel better.”
Her eyes and nose were completely red.
Kalid gazed at that small face with concern and handed her cold water.
“So…”
He waited for Rubian to drink the water, took back the empty cup, and spoke.
“Do you need feedback on every sentence?”
“What’s with the red pen teacher act…”
What was that.
While he was pondering, Rubian answered with a hoarse voice and a pause.
“…No.”
A long sigh escaped.
I drew in another deep breath through my nose.
“The truth is, I know this… none of this is my fault.”
I simply never had the chance to untangle the dark, knotted mass of emotions that had accumulated inside me.
Speaking the thoughts that had been swirling around aloud seemed to lighten my heart considerably. It appeared the dark feelings had flowed away together with the tears I’d shed.
“Even without me, Father would have rebelled against the Mage Kingdom because of the child soldier issue, and the outcome would have been similar.”
The current situation where the Mage Kingdom had become an enemy couldn’t be attributed entirely to me.
“That’s right.”
Kalid brushed my hair back gently and spoke in a low voice.
“What was meant to happen simply happened. None of it is your fault.”
“Yeah…”
“As for Delmon, it’s regrettable, but it wasn’t because of you either. He died saving people according to his own convictions. Blaming yourself for it might actually be disrespectful to him.”
“…You’re right.”
I took a deep breath.
Somehow, the two of us had drawn very close, but I pulled away and let out a short laugh.
“Saying it out loud made me feel so much lighter. I’ve felt so suffocated, like something was stuck in my chest all this time.”
I rubbed the area below my sternum in small circles.
“Thank you, Kalid.”
My small voice followed. At this, Kalid’s faint smile faded as he took on a more serious expression and spoke in a reproachful tone.
“Then you should get some rest now, yes? It’s not your fault. There’s no reason for you to atone so desperately.”
“…I will. My eyes are tired from crying anyway.”
Seeing my bashful smile, Kalid felt his mouth go inexplicably dry. I let out a soft breath and rose to my feet, then busied myself tidying the table.
Kalid looked down at his empty hands, feeling the sudden chill that had descended, when he suddenly froze.
‘Come to think of it…’
Wasn’t this the first time?
A touch that wasn’t for the sake of power.
The moment he realized this, sensations he hadn’t been aware of came flooding in like a tidal wave.
‘It was warm.’
Soft and tender, and now that I thought about it carefully, there had been an incredibly sweet fragrance as well.
He unconsciously licked his lower lip. His eyes slowly followed Rubian as she moved about near the fireplace.
The flames flickering low in the hearth.
Feeling as though he’d swallowed that fire itself, Kalid found himself thinking without realizing it.
‘Just a little more…’
Would it be wrong to touch?
Not with my hand… something more different…
Then suddenly, he jolted to his feet.
“I… should go now.”
“What? Hey! Your clothes!”
With a sharp sound, he fled and closed the door behind him, cutting off Rubian’s clear voice abruptly.
“Damn it, what was I thinking…”
Kalid leaned against the door frame, breathing heavily.
Despite the frigid air, my blood burned hot throughout my entire body.
* * *
The evening of the next day.
On the Festival’s final night, a fireworks display utilizing magical cannons had been scheduled.
I received Father’s permission to watch it with Kalid! Hooray!
‘Father looked absolutely exhausted dealing with the King of Casalia….’
Poor thing.
I’ll play with him later.
As we walked through the crowded streets, fireworks suddenly burst in the distance—boom, boom!
“The fireworks!”
People rushed toward the Town Square, and I nearly got swept away in the surge before Kalid pivoted his body to shield me.
“It’s quite crowded. Be careful.”
A massive shadow enveloped me.
The sensation of his hand gently wrapping around my back and drawing me close made my breath catch suddenly.
‘Yesterday too….’
He held me like this yesterday as well.
Thump, thump, thump.
Something was moving frantically. It was my heart.
‘Thanks to yesterday, I slept so well.’
It may have seemed like nothing, but it was the anxiety that had subtly tormented and pressured me all along.
After pouring it all out in front of Kalid and crying, I somehow felt relieved.
Perhaps I needed the opportunity to whimper like that, I thought.
“Shall we head toward the Town Square?”
Kalid asked slowly. Gazing into his eyes as he looked down at me languidly, I nodded as if enchanted.
“There are so many people, aren’t there.”
“It must be because it’s the last night of the Festival.”
“Oh….”
We walked side by side through the throng of people. After a moment, I quietly bit my lower lip.
‘My hand….’
It kept brushing against his, it seemed.
Just as I was about to fidget with my fingers from the ticklish sensation, he spoke.
“…Rubian, your mana.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you need mana?”
His voice came slightly strained.
‘I received some yesterday….’
But somehow I didn’t want to say that. Actually, now that I thought about it, coming to this crowded place had made me feel a bit tired?
“I….”
“You need it.”
Before I could finish speaking, his hand grasped mine firmly.
‘…Nothing’s coming?’
Not long after that thought, a smooth, azure mana began trickling in gently. It must have been some kind of buffer.
“Don’t say you don’t need it.”
“No, I was just about to say I do need it.”
“Ah….”
Kalid’s expression shifted into a rare moment of flustered confusion.
“I was too.”
As he turned his head away in embarrassment, the tips of his ears flushed crimson. I relaxed my shoulders and laughed at this boyish side of him I’d rarely glimpsed before.
‘…His neck is turning bright red too.’
Pop! Pop!
Was it because of the fireworks?
‘He looks like he’d taste like strawberry juice if I bit him.’
I stifled a laugh internally.
Then I froze solid.
“Mother always said she wanted to bite Father.”
Why was Mother’s voice surfacing in my mind now?
“She’d say ‘Chomp!’ and then realized it was love?”

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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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