The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 281

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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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Side Story Episode 7
“….”
The moment my eyes opened, I saw those familiar violet irises.
“Sleep well?”
As his gentle voice reached my ears, my mind returned to clarity.
‘What a strange dream.’
Rosetta let out a soft yawn.
I felt his hand caressing my cheek absently, and then I squinted my eyes slightly at him.
“What is it, you lazy man? Did you abandon your work just to seduce me?”
“Would you play with me if I said yes?”
Rosetta chuckled.
“Even the great hero of salvation doesn’t know what to do with peace~”
“Indeed.”
She laughed, her nose crinkling with amusement.
Among the rapidly fading dream fragments, the one image that stubbornly lingered was an old gift box that my ailing mother had held.
‘In the end, I never did find that keepsake box.’
Inside it was a letter.
The first and last letter my mother had written to me.
So it was the only thing in that garbage heap that wasn’t trash—a true ‘gift’ meant for me.
‘I was curious about what it said… but there’s nothing I can do. It’s gone.’
There was a time when I had exhausted every effort to recover that keepsake box… but now it was all in the past.
Rosetta stretched refreshingly, and then a sudden impulse seized me.
So I bit Leviathan’s hand that was brushing through my hair.
Leviathan’s face showed bewilderment.
“What? You didn’t learn that from Rubian.”
“Revenge.”
Rosetta whispered mischievously.
“Revenge?”
“I thought I was living in a gift box, but then some young master appeared and turned my entire world upside down.”
“…You dreamed about when you were young?”
Leviathan furrowed his brow. He let out a long sigh.
“Sigh, I’ve said it countless times, but back then I was just…”
“Yes, the crybaby young master who rolled into the garbage heap looking for medicinal herbs for mother.”
“….”
“Honestly, you were so filthy back then that I didn’t recognize you at all when you grew up. You didn’t know I was me for quite a while either, did you?”
Leviathan didn’t particularly answer.
“To be honest, I still don’t think it matches.”
“So you tried to kill me at our first meeting?”
Rosetta raised her eyebrow nonchalantly.
“Thank goodness you didn’t~”
She playfully kissed Leviathan on the cheek before returning to her rose arrangement.
‘Hmm, but how did I manage to miss with that arrow back then?’
Something had… suddenly… seemed to burst forth…
As if I’d seen something…
White and… round…
For some reason, the memory felt hazy.
‘What does it matter.’
It was all in the past now.
Living in the garbage dump.
Being led by my biological father’s hand back to the Baron’s estate.
Being sold to the Assassination Guild as a noble bastard there.
All those years in the Assassination Guild…
It was all distant history now.
‘Most importantly, that Assassination Guild no longer exists.’
Then, a large hand suddenly interjected itself.
“Let me have it. I’ll trim the thorns for you.”
“No. It’s my favorite part because it’s where the blade goes.”
“…”
Rosetta trimmed the rose thorns with swift, practiced strokes.
“Done with the arrangement! I should use this as a centerpiece when we eat with the children later. What do you think?”
Leviathan examined Rosetta’s work with a serious expression.
“How should I put it… the flowers seem to be moving with life.”
“You mean it looks vibrant?”
“Like the tentacles of a demon beast…”
“Yes, be quiet.”
In any case, the two of them spent a pleasant afternoon together.
As always, it was a relaxed and happy time.
Until a certain letter arrived unexpectedly.
“Your Excellency, a letter has arrived for Ballock.”
“…From Father?”
“What could it be about?”
Rosetta and Leviathan exchanged puzzled glances.
* * *
“I’m home!”
Home at last!
‘Huh?’
I tilted my head in confusion.
‘Something… feels quiet?’
I thought I’d made quite a loud entrance, but our usually bustling house seemed unusually silent today.
‘Must be my imagination.’
“Miss, you’ve returned?”
At that moment, Butler Adolf emerged from the Lobby to greet Kalid and me.
“Yes! But where’s Father….”
“Rubian?”
In that instant, Father appeared at the top of the stairs.
“You…!”
Father’s eyes blazed as he descended in a single breath. It was nearly instantaneous.
“Father, I’m back, I—ow!”
And unfortunately, my cheek was pinched at once.
‘Why, why? I haven’t caused any trouble yet!’
I was only planning to rush through the engagement and marriage!
“You work hard, that’s good, but when you’re staying at the Mage Tower, I told you to contact home frequently. Did you?”
Ah, so that’s it.
“I did, I did….”
“You did.”
Father’s lips curled upward.
“You did, but you never contacted Father even once?”
“….”
Here it comes…. Father’s nagging….
From the corner of my eye, I saw Kalid shaking his head and handing my luggage to the Maid before retreating.
‘He even put on protective gear under his clothes earlier.’
So he’s saving himself? Traitor!
“Now that I think about it, I’m curious why you have to work so hard. The Mage Tower’s work, Arcadia’s work too. Isn’t this all for the Emperor’s benefit? When did Father ever ask you to do that much….”
Father’s nagging continued relentlessly.
Did I send you to the Academy for this? So you could just indulge and play recklessly… and on and on he went, muttering and rambling.
‘What do I do. I think my ears are about to bleed.’
But as all things have an end, so too does nagging.
Father took a deep breath and exhaled, signaling the end of his lecture.
“…So listen, if you’re going to stay at the Mage Tower, contact Father at least three times a day. Morning, noon, and evening.”
“Pardon?”
“Pardon? What do you mean pardon. Say yes right now.”
“Yes! What is this, brushing your teeth? Besides, I’ve been sending messages through the communication stone the whole time! You just keep losing it!”
“How is Father supposed to know your condition through that irritating thing?”
“Why wouldn’t you know!”
“Enough. Write letters by hand. That way Father can see your condition. If you keep complaining, Father’s pulling out the filial piety coupons.”
“Ugh, writing is such a hassle…! You can’t even read expressions from handwriting.”
At that, Father laughed with ease.
“Why can’t I? Just by seeing your handwriting get all crooked, Father knows everything about your condition.”
“Seriously….”
Is this Father’s final evolved form? He can tell my mood just from looking at my handwriting?
“Then let’s make it once a day….”
“But draw a heart.”
“Okaaaaay….”
Perhaps because I hid so much when I was young.
Father was extremely sensitive to me concealing difficult matters or troubling emotions.
Even now, it wasn’t simply about writing letters—it was closer to him wanting me to pour out every detail if anything difficult arose….
In that moment, Father, who had been deep in thought, suddenly whirled around to face Kalid.
“Of course, communication stones do have their advantages.”
“…?”
“Kalid, I understand your heart well.”
Both Kalid’s expression and mine froze solid.
‘What? He didn’t see my message, only the one Kalid sent by mistake?’
“You’ve grown quite a bit, haven’t you.”
Father simply patted Kalid’s shoulder with a pleased expression on his face.
What is this.
A good sign?
‘Right! How much time have I spent with Kalid!’
My cheeks trembled with barely contained joy.
I had pretended to be composed, but honestly, I thought I still had to cross mountains and rivers, traveling some fifty thousand steps before reaching marriage.
Now it seemed I only had about five steps left!
“Oh, but what about Mother?”
I blurted out the question, my heart racing with anticipation.
That was the moment.
It wasn’t even a completely unexpected question, so why was it.
“…Father?”
Father’s face seemed to stiffen abruptly.
“Rubian! Come here quickly!”
But my thoughts evaporated entirely at the timely appearance of Mother.
Mother descended the staircase in an elegant night dress, her hair draped to one side, still damp from her recent bath.
“Mother!”
“Oh my dear daughter.”
I rushed over and embraced Mother tightly.
“I’ve missed you so much!”
“I’ve missed you too! Are you hungry? Let’s go eat right away.”
“Yes! Where are my brothers?”
“They’re already waiting in the Dining Room.”
“Hehe. It’s been so long. A family meal.”
I linked arms with Mother and chatted as we headed toward the Dining Room.
But somehow… I felt a chill down my spine?
‘What…is it?’
I tilted my head, seized by an inexplicable unease.
‘Normally, Father would have been right beside me by now.’
Why was it so quiet?
I felt an odd compulsion to turn and look behind me.
Yet strangely, my head refused to turn…?

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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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