The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 99

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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 99
* * *
Young Boy Licht Babylon was running.
“Huff, huff!”
The hair and clothes I had carefully prepared for the banquet were now completely disheveled. But that wasn’t what mattered right now.
The sound of my older brothers’ snickering filled my ears.
“So the Emperor finally brought in a Tracking Mage.”
“I heard that mage said she wanted to verify something with the children. Is that why a separate banquet hall was prepared?”
“Well, that must be it. The nobles would obviously object if they found out, so he’s keeping it quiet.”
“But how did you find out, brother?”
“My boy, one must always keep their eyes and ears open everywhere. That’s how one becomes Crown Prince, after all.”
I had been careless.
I hadn’t even considered the possibility of the Emperor having people planted around him. I thought my only rivals were my older brothers.
“Please… this can’t be happening!”
I still hadn’t fully uncovered Rubian’s true identity. But what if.
What if Rubian was actually a mage?
‘I thought the Emperor would hold out a bit longer… I never expected him to bring in a mage this quickly!’
I had assumed the magical artifact issue would be resolved only after returning to the Capital.
But apparently, the Tracking Mage had requested permission to search this very place—Ipsen Shinrok Province. When I heard that, I could no longer contain myself.
‘Why specifically the Northern Region… Could Rubian really be a runaway mage?’
My mind was in chaos. Dizzy and confused. Who should I turn to?
My breath came in ragged gasps.
I had never run so frantically before.
Strangely, facing this situation made me realize something.
‘I don’t want Rubian to be in danger!’
I hated it more than death itself. I wanted to protect Rubian no matter what.
At first, it was simple curiosity.
From the moment I met her at the Orphanage in the Capital.
‘She seems like a girl, but why is she pretending to be a boy?’
With that thought in mind, I watched and pondered, until finally I couldn’t help myself and hastily chased after her to the Northern Region.
When I met Rubian again… she still seemed to be hiding her gender, but she shone as brightly as sunlight.
She was definitely a girl.
I was certain of it.
“Licht, let’s play!”
Rubian seemed careless, yet she easily saw through the mask I wore on my face.
Even knowing that my habitual smile was all an act, still…
‘She was kind.’
Playing with me, talking to me.
To be honest.
It was fun.
The time I spend with Rubian.
In other words….
‘I have to protect Rubian!’
During the kidnapping incident, I made the foolish mistake of blindly chasing after Rubian. In the end, that only made the situation worse.
Licht’s hurried footsteps came to a halt before the massive door.
The person who could resolve this situation and protect Rubian.
The answer was clear.
“Duke Zebert!”
* * *
The Mage’s hand stopped right before my eyes.
I quickly stepped back.
My body trembled uncontrollably. I bit my lip hard to hide my panic.
I thought I’d recovered enough from living with my family here…. But my body remembered differently. Adults approaching with hostility still terrified me.
The painful and difficult memories of those days still bound me like a noose.
I clenched my teeth and endured.
Thank goodness I could hide my expression.
“May I ask why you’re covering your face? Perhaps….”
The Mage’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. The pupils hidden within gleamed with an eerie light.
“I wonder if you’re someone I know.”
I know. Of course I know you.
Even as my head spun, I dredged up memories from the depths of my mind.
You’re the Mage King’s ‘fourth’ child.
An opportunist who eagerly participated in his family games. Always chasing only the profits before your eyes, putting us on the battlefield in difficult positions…. The Mage King’s puppet. That’s why you were so contemptible.
‘But….’
I stared at the thin, branch-like hand extended toward me.
“What about… beneath that mask of yours?”
That’s when I clearly saw it. The Kingdom’s crest revealed between the slightly rolled-up sleeves.
‘The mark was on the right forearm.’
And… that Mage in the dream as well.
“The price of defying our King shall be severe.”
Had a mark on the right forearm.
The Mage who kills Father in the original story!
My eyes turned cold and sharp.
Yet my heart pounded wildly and heat began to rise in my head.
“This cloth… I’m wearing it because I’m not feeling well. And I’m seeing you for the first time, Mage.”
I spoke calmly and took another step back.
The Mage chuckled.
“Is that so? How unfortunate. I’ll cast a healing spell for you. So if you’d just lower that cloth for a moment.”
“No, I’m fine….”
His hand shot out again, and this time I clearly confirmed the branch of the World Tree protruding from his sleeve.
I twisted my body and stumbled backward, my feet tangling beneath me.
“No….”
Just as I thought I might fall, someone caught me firmly.
“Stop.”
A long sword blocked the path ahead.
“L-Leon….”
The blue-haired Knight stood solidly behind me, his menacing presence causing the Mage to hesitate and withdraw his hand, retreating further away.
Leon glanced down at me briefly, then positioned himself between the Mage and me.
His monotone voice continued.
“Our young lady was caught up in an incident previously and is in poor health. Since she appears to dislike magic and such, I cannot permit you to approach any further.”
It seemed he was continuing to guard the surroundings under Father’s orders.
The Mage, who had been staring at me with intense eyes, bowed and apologized.
“My apologies for the rudeness. Then would it be acceptable to gift you a pendant instead?”
“That is….”
Leon’s expression grew reluctant as he furrowed his brow.
“Please, accept it.”
“Ugh.”
The Mage approached without hesitation and pressed the pendant into my hand. Leon clicked his tongue and tried to stop him once more.
Flicker— flicker—
The magical artifact that touched my hand began to respond.
“There.”
He laughed softly.
“Shall we see?”
The magic stone, which had been flickering faintly, soon blazed with brilliant light and leaped upward.
The color contained within the magic stone was….
“…!”
Brilliant!
A vivid crimson light.
“What?”
The Mage’s eyebrows shot up sharply. His face bore a shock of an entirely different magnitude from what I’d seen in the Maze—as though he’d been suddenly attacked.
I felt the cold touch of the pendant and clenched my fist.
“Is there… some problem?”
My voice flowed smoothly, which was fortunate.
I maintained a composed expression while watching the Mage gape wordlessly.
“I-I seem to have given you a broken pendant by mistake. Here!”
“Is that so? It seemed fine to me….”
“No, that’s not it!”
He hastily produced another pendant and handed it to me.
But the result remained unchanged.
Crimson.
No magical power.
This repeated about three times.
“Well, I’m satisfied now, Mage!”
I set the fourth magical artifact down on the table with a thud. The Mage’s jaw clenched visibly.
“They all seem perfectly fine? I’ll just take the one you gave me first! Thank you so much!”
“Wait, hold on!”
“Enough.”
Leon blocked the Mage again. His usually serene face now radiated unmistakable hostility.
“I will not tolerate any further discourtesy.”
Even the Imperial Palace Attendant standing slightly behind him silenced the Mage with a sharp glance. I feigned amazement, conjuring a squirrel of light and gasping in wonder.
“Thank you for the gift.”
At last, a genuine smile escaped me.
The tension dissolved and my legs nearly gave way, but I managed to hold myself steady.
I spun around and descended the Podium with quick steps.
The Mage seemed desperate to say something more to me… but what could it possibly be?
My eyes were blue.
The magic stone in my hand was red.
He probably wished those two colors were reversed.
The sound of teeth grinding was unmistakable.
“…So it really wasn’t?”
The Mage’s raspy voice followed my retreating back.
The Mage lingered in the Banquet Hall for some time afterward.
Until he had distributed all the magical artifacts to the girls my age.
But that didn’t last long. Soon only dark-haired boys like Void, Liam, and Kalid remained in the waiting line.
“Ahem, well. I’m afraid something urgent has come up. I should be going. I’ll leave the rest here, so please take them.”
The Mage hastily abandoned the box and fled the Banquet Hall.
The Imperial Palace Attendants distributed the remainder, and Kalid showed no interest, declining to take a pendant.
“Phew…”
Finally free from the throng of children, I let out a long sigh. Leon cast a worried glance my way.
“Are you alright, Rubian?”
“Yeah. Thanks for helping, senior. But how did you show up at exactly the right moment?”
“His Majesty’s orders. He’s quite angry at the moment.”
“What? He knew the Mage came? Where is he now?”
“He’s in a private audience with the Emperor.”
In other words, he’d gone to lodge a complaint.
Good grief. Even the Emperor has his limits.
“Are you hungry?”
“I’ve lost my appetite… I want to leave.”
I needed fresh air.
Time to clear my head.
Leon nodded silently and followed behind me, pulling a pouch of muffins from his pocket to hand over.
The children were playing excitedly, bursting through orbs of light. In this atmosphere, meals and such formalities held no meaning anyway.
As I made my way through their chaos, my legs suddenly gave way beneath me.
The moment Leon reached out to catch me as I stumbled, an arm extended from beside me.

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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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