The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 313

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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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Ch. 4 Rubian, Nineteen Again, Early Summer
I came to my senses.
The air brushing against my cheeks.
The mana caressing my skin.
That sensation of plummeting somewhere!
Finally….
I had returned to reality!
Yes!
“Rubian!”
My body was ejected from the luminous magic circle with a soft pop.
“Oof! I’m falling…!”
Father, who had arrived seconds earlier, and Kalid, who arrived right after, rushed to catch me, but my forehead was already rapidly approaching the ground.
“Nooooooo!”
Fortunately, someone caught me in their arms before impact.
“Brother Void…!”
“Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been? You, really! How much your brother—!”
I submitted meekly to Void’s windmill spin while he shed tears.
In the process, I confirmed my flailing limbs.
Long, slender adult limbs!
I had finally reclaimed them!
“If you’re going to run away, you should have told your brother first!”
“What would happen if I did?”
“Well.”
Void sniffled.
“First we’d decide where you want to go, make reservations for what to eat beforehand, coordinate whether to wear a straw hat or a regular hat….”
“That’s not running away—that’s just going out.”
As expected, I’d have to pass on Void next time too.
“But where is Brother Liam?”
I asked casually, and Void scratched his cheek.
“I don’t know? He was definitely right beside me.”
Just then, a chime rang from my pocket.
Now that I’d returned to reality, my portable communication device seemed to be functioning normally again.
‘Ugh, this message window I’ve grown so tired of.’
But the contents were even more tiresome.
When are they all coming?
We promised to greet the youngest fairy first when she returned from time travel.
They’re really something else.
What’s really something else is my brother’s navigation skills.
“Just what cave is he wandering around in?”
“No, I’m telling you he was definitely with us. At this point, it has to be intentional?”
Void grumbled as he set off to find his brother.
“More importantly, Rubian, are you hurt anywhere?”
Father asked.
“Nope! I’m completely fine….”
“Rubian, you ran a really high fever.”
Kalid quickly filled me in on everything that had happened.
“What?”
“It was because of mana depletion! I’m totally fine now….”
“…Sigh. Go home immediately.”
“Okay. But first, let me crush this time warp device to dust!”
I snorted and rolled up my sleeves. I was about to exhaust my mana and pulverize it…
“Stop.”
“Wait.”
Two men suddenly blocked my path.
“Why!”
“The mages wanted to research it. This device.”
“Really?”
As the Mage Tower Master… I had a duty to satisfy the mages’ curiosity and scholarly passion, intellectual interests, and so on.
“There’s no helping it. Then… I’ll entrust it to Asha and Elder Idelaine for now.”
Unaware of what thoughts had driven those two to stop me.
I stepped out of the Cave.
Outside, night had already fallen.
‘Wow, I spent several days in the past, but only a day has passed here.’
In the distance, I could see Idelaine and several mages.
As I tried to approach them, someone parted through the crowd and drew near rapidly.
“Rubian.”
What, it’s like broad daylight!
Licht, with his dazzling lemon-colored hair, walked forward radiating beautiful charm.
“Licht! What are you doing here?”
I called him by name instead of “Your Highness the Crown Prince,” fearing I’d receive another sharp-eyed smile. At that, he gazed at me thoroughly with an even more radiant smile.
“Just happened to be here. More importantly, are you hurt? I brought physicians, so if there’s anything wrong, get checked first.”
“I’m fine!”
“I’m glad you returned safely. I almost….”
Almost?
“Had my head cut off by Zebert Grandfather.”
“Could you not say such scary things while smiling?”
Wasn’t that treason?
“So… did you accomplish your goal?”
Licht asked gently, looking down at me.
As I considered my answer, his gaze shifted behind me, and he smiled even more deeply.
“Ah, there’s a leaf stuck in my hair.”
The Crown Prince, who had been standing with his hands clasped respectfully behind his back, extended one arm.
At that moment, my body spun around.
“Let me see.”
It was Kalid, who had positioned himself behind me without my noticing.
‘Ah, Kalid’s returned to his adult form.’
The little version of Kalid was adorable too, but…
‘The adult Kalid is so reassuring.’
Though I do miss how our eyes used to be at the same level.
His grayish-blue eyes bore down at me intently before flicking toward Licht.
“…There’s nothing stuck on you.”
Licht smiled and stepped closer, then gently plucked a single leaf from Kalid’s hair.
“It was on you.”
Kalid’s expression immediately darkened.
“You’re careless, Your Highness.”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you want me to pat your head?”
I narrowed my eyes slightly, wedged between the two men.
‘Why does it feel like their relationship is getting worse?’
Kalid’s social skills had improved by at least one point lately, so he didn’t growl at just anyone anymore.
Yet somehow Licht seemed to be deliberately picking fights with him.
‘No way. He’s the very embodiment of kindness and generosity.’
Unaware of the massive sparks flying in that upper realm I couldn’t see, I pushed both their bodies aside.
“Anyway, could you two move? You’ve both grown so tall like telephone poles that you keep squishing me…”
In that instant, someone pulled me out.
“Rubian!”
“Mother?!”
I felt Father, who had been standing behind, flinch in surprise.
“…Thank goodness. Do you have any idea how frightened I was when you suddenly disappeared? There’s only Grandfather and the Emperor at the mansion…”
Mother’s breathing was ragged from running, but her arms holding me didn’t loosen one bit.
‘Mother’s embrace… it’s been so long!’
Mother is definitely better than ‘older sister’!
“Hehe, I’m sorry.”
I laughed and reassured my pale-faced mother.
Father approached Mother next.
“Rose.”
Mother’s body trembled slightly.
After issuing orders to the Knights regarding the perimeter security, Father gently drew Mother away.
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
This was probably the first proper conversation between them since their quarrel.
‘Father, you’ve got this!’
I cheered him on with my eyes.
Father glanced at me and let out a short sigh.
* * *
A desolate wind swept across the Ruins, where the passage of time lingered palpably in every stone.
Leviathan gazed quietly at his wife.
“….”
Thump-thump.
Boom-boom.
‘Damn it.’
His heart raced like a foolish youth’s.
Only then did he realize how desperately he had been longing for his wife.
Just as he hesitated and was about to speak.
“Rose, so….”
“I’m sorry.”
At Rosetta’s blunt words, Leviathan’s brow furrowed.
She rubbed her eyebrows and spoke slowly.
“I… well, I couldn’t control my emotions properly.”
“….”
“Everything precious to me was right here. I don’t understand why I clung so desperately to that box of forgotten keepsakes.”
Rosetta smiled softly.
Then she carefully took Leviathan’s hand.
“I don’t need to confirm Mother’s love anymore. Right?”
“Rose.”
“If you lost my key… well, there must have been unavoidable reasons.”
“….”
“So that’s enough now. I won’t insist on going to Biltain to find the key anymore. Making the children suffer for nothing… sigh, what was I thinking.”
“No, wait.”
“I said that’s enough. The truth is, I can’t bear to fight with you anymore. I don’t know what possessed me when I was younger. If something went wrong, I’d avoid you for weeks on end… but I can’t do that anymore.”
Rosetta grabbed his sleeve and pulled him close.
“So tonight, come back to my bed.”
His body responded immediately to those words.
“…I’m certainly glad to hear that, but no, that’s not it,”
“What on earth! Just hold me while I act spoiled….”
“Rubian and I found the key.”
“What?”
Rosetta blinked. Leviathan drew a small key from his pocket and handed it to her.
“The key to the keepsake box.”
“Oh….”
In that moment, the wind blew.
Rosetta fixed her windswept hair, her gaze distant as she stared at the golden key that had fallen into her palm.
It was the very key that Rubian had successfully duplicated.

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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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