Youngest on Top - Chapter 180

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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 180

The children gazed at me quietly.
I realized my mistake too late.

From Misa’s sudden appearance, everything had spiraled into chaos all at once.
Because of it, I hadn’t had time to consider how the children might perceive me.

“Ah, it’s nothing serious, just—.”
“Got it.”

As I waved my hand in excuse, Edmund nodded.

“Go and come back quickly. Understood?”
“I’ll have peach tart waiting for you! If you don’t hurry back, I’m eating all of your honey bread too!”
“Come back safely.”

Roana, Dmitri, and even Ilay.
I looked at my family’s faces and nodded firmly.

“Yes, I’ll be back!”

Come back safely.
I’ll be back.
Those farewells lodged themselves in my chest in an oddly profound way.

I headed back to the lake, escorted by the children’s warm wishes.

Corruption was spreading across the entire continent.
And on top of that, Misa had even possessed someone.

Yet it was strange.
Just moments ago, I’d been so tense that I hadn’t even noticed how the children looked at me.

‘Now it all feels like it will be fine.’

My stiff limbs felt warm.
My heart beat steadily, as it always did.

‘I don’t need to justify what I do.’

No one ever listened when I tried to explain my actions.
All I got was more punishment for making excuses.

In the Heavenly Realm, I was simply a burden.
Before my return, I was a pathetic wretch who greedily coveted Amelia’s possessions without knowing my place.

Yet these children nod without me saying a word.
As if everything I do is acceptable.
As if there’s always a reason, as if it’s all righteous.

That unwavering faith.
With only their trust in me, these children give me everything.

‘I think I could truly do anything.’

Just as my family believes in me.

Anakin: Are you an idiot?!
Anakin: How much do we—
Enrik: The youngest’s thoughts aren’t wrong.
Anakin: What?
Enrik: ….
Anakin: Enrik.
Kailros: …This time, we….
Anakin: ….

As I moved swiftly using sacred power, the wind brushed against my face.
Soon I arrived at Lake Anberc.

I pulled the robe I’d brought over my head and wrapped my face in sacred power.

‘Since I’ve grown more than back then, I should adjust my physique a bit.’

Oh, and my voice too.
The skeletal differences between men and women are quite pronounced now compared to when I was a child.
Not that it matters if it seems suspicious.

‘It’s better not to get caught if I can help it.’

I needed to change my behavior and mannerisms from usual.

‘There was definitely an attitude of mine that Shuri liked before.’

“Hey Shuri, it’s fine. Let’s go get dessert with Lika.”
“….”
“Lika, go with Shuri. You’re friends.”
“…Who said I’m friends with a guy like you.”

Back then, Shuri had flatly refused, saying we weren’t friends.
But the moment I changed my attitude, he immediately took my hand.
If I acted like that now, Shuri would like me too.

‘Alright! All set.’

I psyched myself up.
It didn’t take long before I spotted Shuri and his group.
Our eyes met, and I raised my hand high.

“Yo! Long time no see!”

Shuri’s expression turned strange.
Was he moved?

* * *

The men sitting around the military camp, who had been whispering about the “Master’s tough act,” fell silent.
They sensed footsteps approaching them.

The men silently drew upon their power.
But the moment they saw the intruder’s face—

“R-R-Ricardo?”

The men jumped to their feet in surprise.

It had been years since we last met.
But the men recognized him instantly.

“Long time no see.”

Ricardo waved his hand with a chuckle.

“You rascal!”
“Why are you only coming now?!”
“Do you know how much we’ve been searching for you?”
“We were worried something had gone wrong, but here you are, perfectly fine?!”

The men welcomed him enthusiastically, ruffling Ricardo’s hair.

“You’ve grown so much. You used to be this small.”

At the mention of a chocolate chip cookie, Ricardo’s expression turned serious.

“A person can’t be that small.”
“Puhahahaha!!”
“Your personality hasn’t changed one bit!”
“Right, want a chocolate chip cookie?”
“No? You want a strawberry jam cookie instead?”

It wasn’t just Ricardo who remained unchanged.
The men were the same as always.

Saelika smiled.
Though she had crossed paths with them several times in her true form at the temple, seeing them like this felt refreshingly nostalgic.

Slightly apart from the lively atmosphere.
Kaishurit stood alone in that space.
The moment he heard the name “Ricardo,” he had rushed out of the barracks urgently.

But now that he had come out and saw Ricardo’s face, he found himself unable to draw closer.
His feet wouldn’t move.
Kaishurit stood rooted in place, silently gazing at Ricardo.

The child had grown considerably since before.
The limbs that had seemed barely formed now looked quite human.
The stubby arms and legs had stretched out long and slender.
Though baby fat still lingered on the cheeks, the jawline had matured compared to before.
There was hardly anything that hadn’t changed.

But it was Ricardo.

Those eyes that shone like a cloudless afternoon sky.
That hair that looked as if sunlight itself had been squeezed into it.
That face that smiled with a slight squint.
Those lips that spoke their mind even while laughing, stubborn and unyielding.

Arrogant, willful, pushing forward without hesitation even when I drew boundaries—

“….”

Just then, Ricardo lifted his head and our eyes met.
Kaishurit’s breath caught as if frozen.
That child broke into a wide smile.

“Cha-sha! Long time no see!”
“….”

At Ricardo’s words, the surroundings grew noisy again.

“What’s with this ‘cha-sha’ nonsense!”
“You’re the only one who calls the master ‘cha-sa’!”
“Good grief, he’s grown on the outside but not one bit on the inside, has he?”

While the men chuckled, Kaishurit couldn’t muster any response.

“Hand over the goods, you cha-si!”
“…What?”
“You cha-sha! Is this not it? This cha-sha? You bastard? What the hell!”
“Tsk. Where did you pick up such language.”

Memories came flooding back.
Like a tidal wave, unstoppable.

It was really Ricardo.
Ricardo had appeared before me again, right now.

“…I found you.”

A faint whisper.
But Ricardo reacted immediately, lifting his head.
How he managed to hear that murmuring voice amid the rough shouts of the men, I couldn’t fathom.

“Shuri? Why are you— Ugh!”

Kaishurit pulled Ricardo into a tight embrace.

Anakin: What is this bastard doing?
Kailros: How dare you touch my sunshine, my rainbow like that…!
Enrik: I forgave you for helping earlier, but this I cannot forgive!

‘Ugh, I can’t breathe! Does this guy not realize how strong he is?!’

Saelika tried to pry Kaishurit away but hesitated.
Because Shuri’s body, holding her in that tight embrace, was trembling.

“….”

Saelika slowly unclenched her fists.
This was the first time she’d ever seen him show such weakness.
Even when he said he was ill at the imperial palace, it hadn’t felt like this kind of frailty.

‘Back then, he actually looked so fine that if it weren’t for Shuri, I would’ve suspected he was faking it.’

But now Shuri felt like he might shatter.
The strong and magnificent being who had even defeated the Demon King’s vessel now appeared as fragile as a small child.

‘Sigh.’

Saelika embraced Kaishurit in return.
Pat, pat.
She gently stroked his back in a steady rhythm.

‘…Even though I’ve built up my frame quite a bit, Shuri is still so much larger than me.’

A child large enough to completely envelop my body.
A broad, solid back.
As I patted those shoulders, something felt strange.

The Sacred Maiden had no talent for comforting others.

“It’s okay.”
“….”
“Everything is fine now. It will be fine.”
“…Everything is fine?”
“Yes.”

Kaishurit was exasperated.
What did she mean everything was fine.
What, how, and why would everything suddenly be fine.
He absolutely despised such meaningless optimism.
But.

“I’m here.”

At those words.

“So it’s okay.”

It truly felt as though it might be.

He was exasperated again.
This time, with himself.

The two children held each other like that for a long while.

* * *

How much time had passed.
Gradually, the tension drained from Kaishurit’s hands.

For some reason, Saelika found it awkward to meet that child’s gaze.
She averted her eyes and muttered under her breath.

“…I thought you’d say you’d catch and beat me if we met again.”

“You should treasure that life of yours. You haven’t forgotten that I have my reasons for keeping you alive, have you?”
“Are you worried about me?”
“Nonsense. If you can’t manage your own life, I can do it for you.”
“You mean you’ll protect me?”
“I could confine you instead.”

Thinking back to the last time I saw Ricardo’s form…
No matter how I thought about it, it was like I’d charged into a tiger’s den shouting, “Please eat me!”
Of course, we became friends after that.

‘…We did become friends, right?’

Saelika looked at Kaishurit with a slightly suspicious expression.
Kaishurit let out a soft laugh.

“I should have said so.”
“No!”

Saelika jumped up.

“I, I’ve been managing my life just fine on my own…and I’ve been working hard, so now I can seal even more.”

Acting confident one moment, then carefully gauging his reaction the next.
She really hadn’t changed at all.

Kaishurit etched that image into his eyes as if to preserve it.
His lips moved before his thoughts caught up.

“Then stay by my side.”
“…”
“Don’t go anywhere. Stay by my side from now on.”
“…”

Ricardo didn’t respond.
Kaishurit gazed at the crown of the child’s head, then lowered his own.
He buried his forehead against those small shoulders and whispered.

“I hurt.”

Saelika glanced down slightly.
Kaishurit, his forehead pressed against her shoulder, was looking at her with only his eyes raised.
Those enigmatic eyes swirled with azure, gold, and the hue of sunset.

“You… you bastard!”

For some reason, she felt flustered.
Saelika patted Kaishurit’s back and stepped back.

“Now you’re even saying you hurt?”
“….”
“Before, you only ever said things like ‘that’s enough,’ ‘get lost,’ ‘don’t touch me,’ ‘mind your own business.'”

Saelika deliberately deepened her voice and mimicked Kaishurit.
But Kaishurit’s gaze never wavered.
As if urging her to answer.

“Ha ha, ha ha ha!”

Saelika averted her eyes from that gaze and forced a laugh.
For some reason, ever since her eyes met Shuri’s, everything felt strangely awkward.

“You’ve grown so well, so well— huh?”

That was when it happened.
Kaishurit, who had been watching with narrowed eyes, reached out his hand toward Saelika.

“…!”

Thump.
Saelika’s body collapsed into Kaishurit’s embrace in an instant.

* * *

Clack!
Dmitri set down his fork with a sharp sound.

Before him lay an appetizing array of desserts.
Of course, he had no appetite for them.
How could he enjoy food when Saelika had left like that?
He had ordered them only imagining the moment when Saelika would return.

Picturing Saelika savoring them had lifted his spirits somewhat.
But now, strangely enough….

“Why does my mood feel so foul?”

It was different from the worry he had felt earlier.
It was simply repugnant.

“You too?”
“My insides are churning right now.”
“Strangely irritated.”
“It’s like someone is stealing my treasure behind my back. It feels absolutely vile and disgusting.”

At Roana’s words, the three young men nodded in unison.

Priests naturally had keen intuition.
They were influenced by the deity they served.
Yet it was strange for all of them to feel such a strong, identical emotion at once.

“Lady Artemia, why do we feel this way?”
“Strengthen our resolve.”

The children steadied their hearts through prayer.
It was a moment that showcased their devout faith.

“…If there is anyone who dares to touch our youngest…”
“Strike them down with divine punishment!”
“Condemn them harshly and make them an example!”
“Let no one lay a hand on our youngest!”

It was certainly a moment where sincere faith shone through.
Either way, it was prayer.

* * *

Saelika’s body collapsed into Kaishurit’s embrace.

‘What… what is this.’

Saelika froze, swallowing dryly.
Was Shuri the type to hold someone close like this?
He was a biting kitten if you so much as touched him.

‘How does he smell so good while living in this military camp.’

A pleasant fragrance emanated from Kaishurit.
The same scent she’d noticed when they danced together at the banquet hall last time.
But it was different from the banquet hall, where all its splendor had overwhelmed her senses.

In the quiet forest.
Even the sun held its breath, hidden behind the leaves.
All she could perceive was Kaishurit alone.

His fragrance.
His warmth.
His body.
His breathing.

Saelika awkwardly wiggled her toes.
The reason she felt even more flustered was certainly because the surroundings were too quiet.
He was holding her just like before—
No, compared to before, this wasn’t even an embrace.

‘Ah, I was just startled for nothing.’

She was only surprised because he’d pulled her suddenly.
Saelika lifted her head with that thought.

“…!”

Saelika’s breath caught in her throat.
Kaishurit was staring at her without even blinking.

A gaze so dense and impenetrable that it held countless meanings, revealing nothing.
That gaze felt as though it were binding her.

“Ricardo.”
“…Yes.”
“What is your relationship with the Sacred Maiden Saelika?”

It was a question she never expected.
Her mind went completely blank.

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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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