The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 4

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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 4
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Mrs. Uris, the director of the Royal Lieta Shelter, widened her eyes in surprise.
“Your Excellency?”
It was because of Leviathan, who had appeared so suddenly in such a disheveled state. He had also been her classmate during her academy days.
“What on earth has happened?”
I had never seen Leviathan look so urgent before.
His pristine uniform was thoroughly wrinkled, and his black hair was soaked through with rain.
One could only imagine how hard he had run—even that great knight was gasping for breath.
“A theft, you say?”
Leviathan strode into the shelter’s lobby and surveyed his surroundings. His violet eyes trembled with intensity.
“Ah, you’ve already heard?”
“What exactly happened?”
“There was a theft. They seemed to be after donations, but they were sloppy—they dropped everything in the back courtyard as they fled.”
“The children? I heard there were injuries.”
“The children were startled and fell, which made them cry, but they’re fine. No one was actually hurt.”
It appeared the news had been somewhat exaggerated.
“….”
Leviathan exhaled a long breath.
Only then did I realize I hadn’t been breathing properly. My narrowed vision finally cleared.
Mrs. Uris’s flustered face.
The children scattering in panic upon spotting me.
“The child I brought yesterday….”
My throat tightened.
“Where is the child I brought?”
“Ah, that would be Rubian.”
Leviathan blinked blankly.
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t even asked for the child’s name.
“Rubian….”
I called out the name quietly to myself.
It was a fitting name, yet somehow it didn’t quite fit.
“So where is Rubian?”
“She suddenly complained of a stomachache and went to the restroom. Come to think of it, why hasn’t she returned yet? I need to conduct a mana measurement.”
“…A mana measurement?”
“It’s an order from the Imperial Palace. Something about capturing a rogue mage.”
Leviathan’s brow furrowed noticeably.
Damn that Emperor. He was already handling it himself, yet he still tested me.
“Everyone who crossed the border is a subject of investigation. You said you found this child near the border when you brought her, didn’t you?”
Leviathan clicked his tongue in irritation.
“In any case, bring the child here.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Because of the theft, Security Force knights had been poking around everywhere, and their menacing appearance with those cold blades made my chest tighten.
The environment… left much to be desired.
‘Now that I look closely, the shelter seems rather shabby.’
It was peculiar.
The Royal Lieta Shelter had been created by completely renovating a single noble mansion.
Yet when I examined it carefully, everything from top to bottom appeared inadequate.
“Mrs. Uris.”
Just then, a boy approached.
Bright blonde hair, teal-colored eyes.
Leviathan’s jaw tilted slightly.
“Ah, Your Highness. Did you get a good look at the facilities?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, it’s been quite helpful. I believe I’ll be able to handle the task the Crown Prince has given me well.”
The boy responded gently with a smile, his tone respectful.
“Oh? Duke Zebert.”
“Your Highness, what brings you here?”
He was the youngest prince of Babylon.
Licht Babylon. I couldn’t fathom why such noble blood would be in a place like this.
No, before that… a prince was here, yet they couldn’t prevent the theft?
‘This place is worse than a shantytown.’
What have I gotten myself into?
Leviathan’s frown deepened further.
“He asked me to provide opinions on the shelter to be newly established in the Southern Region.”
“Who?”
“The Crown Prince, of course.”
“Report it.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s child exploitation.”
Licht scratched his pale cheeks with an awkward laugh. The surrounding air seemed to melt away naturally. His dazzlingly beautiful face bore the strongest resemblance to the Emperor.
The prince, who had just turned twelve, appeared to be developing slightly slower than his peers. Yet his gaze possessed a ferocity no less than that of any other royal blood.
Leviathan felt conflicted.
‘Already pushing him into the succession war, are you, Dietrian?’
Internally, I cursed the Emperor whose blood ran blue to the bone.
“I’m fine with it. I volunteered for this myself anyway. Ah, but I heard there was some commotion… Teacher.”
The prince looked back at Mrs. Uris.
“There’s a child with silver hair who hasn’t been seen since earlier.”
“Hmm? Not in the restroom?”
“Nowhere at all.”
The boy shook his head slowly.
Leviathan’s hands clenched tightly.
Not there?
Then where on earth could he be?
“Given the unsettling incidents that have occurred, perhaps a thorough search would be prudent.”
“Since the grounds are so extensive, it would be wise to request assistance from the knights.”
“Yes. …That child seemed anxious, and I’m worried about him.”
Leviathan, who had been about to rush out, froze mid-stride.
“Anxious? You say he seemed anxious?”
“Yes? Yes.”
Why?
Something within Leviathan crumbled like a collapsing tower.
The image of the child’s face surfaced in his mind—how he had smiled so brightly despite enduring hardship in the forest.
I had thought such a spirited child would surely fare well here too.
‘But perhaps I was wrong.’
Leviathan’s hands trembled. Suddenly, he recalled that voice saying crying wouldn’t solve anything.
Ah.
That had been the face of one accustomed to endurance.
“He’s been sighing so heavily. Barely eating anything….”
The prince’s smooth features twisted into a grim expression.
“Your Highness?”
“Search outside the estate!”
Leviathan bolted from his seat.
An ominous premonition gripped him.
The prince possessed keen spiritual sensitivity. If such a child had searched continuously without finding him….
‘Then he’s already gone from this place.’
Leviathan rushed to the stables. He seized the reins and vaulted onto a horse.
Outside, a downpour had begun without warning.
Thunder rumbled ominously. The turbulent sky filled him with dread.
The sudden appearance of the galloping horse startled the servants, who scrambled backward. Raindrops struck his cheeks like blades.
Winter had not yet ended.
Where could he have gone in such weather?
A child accustomed to endurance. A child who smiled while hiding trembling hands.
I had known.
“Thanks to you, I have peace.”
So then.
This Capital was the place filled with that peace.
Not the harsh, rugged Northern Region where one must train with the sword daily.
“Damn it.”
Such was the nature of things. A child accustomed to endurance was like a flower blooming in shadow. Such delicate things must be nurtured with love and care to truly flourish.
Only beside people gentler and softer than his own blood-stained self—only through pure affection—could such a child finally lift his head beyond the darkness.
“Uncle, can’t you take me with you?”
But what if that was the only thing he had ever let slip?
Leviathan regretted it too late.
‘If only it hadn’t come to this.’
I should have brought him along.
If I had kept him by my side and protected him, this would never have happened.
‘Damn it, why do I keep making mistakes?’
Die, Leviathan Zebert.
He truly condemned himself.
Clop! Clop!
The horse tore through the Capital in a frenzy. He pushed his senses to their limit, detecting the child’s presence.
‘If I’m wrong about this.’
Suddenly, their first meeting flashed before him.
The child rummaging through a corpse’s pockets.
He admits it—Leviathan had overlaid his own childhood onto that image.
“Damn it all!”
Boom! Unable to contain his impatience while searching the dark alley, Leviathan unleashed a burst of sword energy.
A group of knights rushed over as the stone wall crumbled.
“What is the meaning of—Your Excellency?”
It was the Zebert Knight Order, lurking nearby.
Leon, his adjutant, hurried forward.
“What are you doing here, sir—”
“Find the child.”
Leviathan spoke in a heavily weighted voice.
“Pardon? A child…?”
“A boy with silver hair and blue eyes.”
The knights looked bewildered.
He paused briefly before adding.
“His name is Rubian.”
He roughly wiped away the rainwater streaming down his face. At least I should have asked for his name directly.
“Find Rubian.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
The knights scattered.
Leviathan didn’t hesitate either, pulling the reins taut again. Just as he was about to charge forward—
“…Uncle?”
A thin voice pierced through the heavy downpour.
As he turned his head with a creak, a familiar silhouette emerged from the alley beside him.
“You…”
Leviathan’s eyes widened.

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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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