Youngest on Top - Chapter 181

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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 181

* * *

“Sacred Maiden Saelika?”

I repeated the name as casually as I could manage.
My heart thundered against my ribs.
Shuri watched me quietly.

What should I do?
Pretend I know nothing and change the subject?

‘No. If I act completely ignorant here, it’ll look even more suspicious.’

Either way, Sacred Maiden Saelika was currently the Empire’s hottest topic.
So perhaps instead—

“Oh, you mean that incredibly strong and amazing and absolutely incredible Sacred Maiden Saelika?”

Time to lay it on thick!

“Ahem, of course I think she’s amazing. Absolutely incredible!!”
“….”

Shuri’s expression grew subtle.
Actually, this was working out well.
I should shower Shuri with praise about Sacred Maiden Saelika and cement my image as a fan.

“Everyone my age loves Sacred Maiden Saelika! The strongest Sacred Maiden Saelika is the best! You feel the same way, don’t you?”
“….”
“Right? You absolutely love her too? Of course you do. That makes sense.”
“….”
“You really are my friend. How is it our tastes align so perfectly? Sometimes this overwhelming fan enthusiasm gets so intense I just have to donate to the temple.”

I draped my arm across Shuri’s shoulder—having to rise onto my tiptoes to do so—and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.

“You too. With that incredibly powerful Sacred Maiden Saelika at Artemisia, shouldn’t you make some generous donations there? And bring her some nice gifts, hmm?”
“….”
“Honestly, among all the gods, Artemisia is the most reasonable one. You should promote her temple a bit to those around you—”
“Enough.”
“Yes, sir.”

I quickly retreated backward.
Shuri is terrifying.

“Hahaha! It seems Ricardo is already experiencing his first love!”
“A beautiful Sacred Maiden his own age…. I admired her too when I was young.”

Shuri’s subordinates chuckled and joined in.

But why are they all standing so much farther away than before?
As if they were giving me space, the men lifted their heads from the grass far away.

“It feels like just yesterday when he couldn’t even speak properly and would waddle around saying ‘Lika likes cookies.'”
“He’s already at that age….”
“He’s all grown up, he’s all grown up!”

The men sniffled emotionally.
They didn’t even raise me, yet they’re getting this sentimental?

“I wonder when our master will experience such feelings….”
“Even later than Ricardo….”

Ah, so that’s why they empathized more.
Under Shuri’s piercing gaze, the men flinched and turned away.
I shrugged my shoulders.

‘It’s impossible for Shuri to feel such emotions.’

The fresh fragrance of this forest, the warmth of the sunlight pouring down, the coolness of the gentle breeze—
He couldn’t feel any of it.

‘Because everything is being consumed by the agony of his soul being shattered.’

It was truly a cruel and horrifying curse.
If I could endure that agony and feel something for someone…

‘Could that be called love?’

Well, there’s no point dwelling deeply on something that will never happen anyway.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Shuri furrowed his brow and asked as I stared at him intently.
I shook my head.

“Just because.”
“…”
“I’m impressed by you all of a sudden.”
“What?”
“You’ve grown into quite the impressive one!”

I patted Shuri’s back affectionately.
It wouldn’t be strange if he’d gone mad and become a murderer long ago, yet despite his rough edges, he’s grown up well.

Everyone avoids and fears Shuri as ominous, but I know the truth.
This child is far more tender-hearted than anyone realizes.

To Shuri, I am the only key that could free him from his suffering.
Yet he merely growls in words while continuing to let me go.
Last time, he even told me not to seal the curse at all.
Because I nearly died, he said.

‘…Perhaps that’s precisely why I cannot abandon him.’

“My skills have improved considerably during this time.”
“…”
“I can now seal not just the cracked parts of the seal, but even the very core of the curse itself. Aren’t I impressive too?”

I grinned widely, but Shuri’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t go boasting like that and nearly dying again.”

See?
You’re still so affectionate, aren’t you?

“If you overwork yourself like before, you’ll die by my hand.”
“Shuri really hasn’t changed one bit.”

“If you overwork yourself like last time, you’ll die by my hand.”
“I’m dying anyway, so what’s the difference?”
….

“Who are you to say that?”

Shuri clicked his tongue and turned his body toward the barracks.
I scurried along behind him.

* * *

As Shuri grew, the curse parasitizing him had become increasingly vicious.
So when he removed his shirt, I had steeled myself for something rather horrific.
But then.

“What are these wounds?”
“…Ah.”

Shuri sighed as if he’d forgotten, then buttoned his shirt back up.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Nothing? Let me see!”

I forcibly opened his shirt.
Over the horrifyingly writhing curse, dark crimson scars were branded like marks of a branding iron.
Wounds distinctly different from mere lacerations caused by a blade.
It was obvious how they had come to be.

‘And he didn’t show a single sign of it before!’

After the battle with Misa, Shuri had moved about as if he were perfectly fine.
Not only that.
He had even escorted me to where the others were.

The curse stirred restlessly, as if the Demon King’s malevolent energy saturating the wound displeased it.
The curse grew stronger, visibly consuming Shuri’s soul before my eyes.

“At this rate, how could I possibly…”

He should have shown me earlier and asked for healing instead.
Why does the Sacred Maiden even exist?
If he had, we wouldn’t be in this state.

No, why did he interfere in the first place and get himself injured like this?
I should have pretended not to know.
If I hadn’t come back, the wound would have been left untreated, and then—

‘The seal would have shattered completely.’

I couldn’t imagine how cruelly the curse would rampage without restraint, tearing Shuri apart.
Thump.
My heart felt a chill run through it.

“Never again. Never do this again.”
“…”
“You know that wounds from demons strengthen the curse. You must avoid fighting demons at all costs.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Shuri!”
“If you’re so concerned, then follow me around and stop me yourself.”
“…!”
“Then it would work, wouldn’t it?”

With a low whisper, Shuri’s gaze fell upon me.
It was a calm yet persistent stare.
Without thinking, I averted my eyes from that gaze.

“…Finish removing your clothes.”
“Still resorting to telling me to undress when you have nothing else to say.”

For some reason, I found myself smiling at Shuri.

“Prepare yourself. This is going to hurt today.”

My hand rested upon Shuri’s firm chest.
Was it because I’d warned him it would hurt?
Whether from tension or something else, Shuri’s jaw tightened.

* * *

“Ricardo!”
“How is the master doing? The seal—did it work?”

The moment I stepped out of the barracks, a group of burly men surrounded me.

“Of course it succeeded.”
“Well done, well done indeed!”
“You’ve worked hard, Master Ricardo! Want some apricot jam cookies?”
“Or would you prefer blueberry jam cookies?”
“Both!”

I grabbed cookies in both hands and munched away eagerly.
I was exhausted from expending so much sacred power.
I needed sugar.
I glanced at the men and asked a question.

“By the way, about Shuri…”
“Yeah, what about him, master?”
“Have you ever met Sacred Maiden Saelika?”
“Yeah, we have. Why?”
“Oh, it’s just that the Sacred Maiden’s name came up suddenly earlier…”
“Ah, so your first love is on your mind!”
“Since the master is so handsome, are you worried the Sacred Maiden Saelika might fall for him?!”

That’s not it at all!
Why would I fall for Shuri?

“Well, the master does act differently around the little Sacred Maiden.”

I’d noticed that too.
Shuri’s demeanor was clearly different when dealing with me versus when dealing with Saelika.
He acts carelessly toward Ricardo, but toward Saelika…

‘Oddly courteous, I’d say. Is it because she’s the Sacred Maiden? But I’ve never seen Shuri act politely toward any other maidens.’

Shuri consistently disregarded everyone.
He was at least rude to Ricardo, but he ignored everyone else entirely.

“Haha! Look at this fellow’s expression! Is he worried?”
“Don’t worry. The master doesn’t particularly like Sacred Maiden Saelika.”
“Doesn’t particularly like her?”
“Right. He probably dislikes her, even.”
“Why?!”

I even blessed her for free!
Do you know how valuable that is?!

“Who knows. It’s rather unusual, isn’t it? The master disliking someone.”
“What did Sacred Maiden Saelika even do to deserve his dislike?! Shouldn’t he be grateful instead?”
“Grateful?”

Oops.
I quickly fabricated an excuse.

“Well, she’s been defeating demons for us. Of course he should be grateful!”
“Puhaha! Earlier you were worried about whether the master and the Sacred Maiden would get along!”

The men burst into laughter.
I glared at Shuri’s tent with blazing eyes.

‘That ungrateful bastard!’

This won’t do.
I strode purposefully into Shuri’s tent.
Shuri lay in deep sleep, exhausted from the seal’s aftermath.
I whispered into his ear.

“The greatest among maidens is Sacred Maiden Saelika. The greatest among gods is Artemia. When you wake, you’ll feel immense gratitude toward Saelika and want to donate to Artemia’s Temple. The greatest among maidens is Saelika….”

After repeating myself several times and feeling satisfied, I stepped out of the barracks.
From now on, every time I meet Ricardo, I’ll inject favorable impressions into him!
That way, I can squeeze out massive donations from him!
Far exceeding the blessing fee!

‘Brainwashing, huh… I’m truly devising a terrifying scheme.’

I frighten myself.

Anakin: Are you an idiot?
Enrik: …I didn’t think his brain was broken, just that he wasn’t using it.
Kailros: Ah, memories of my sugar and our time alone together come flooding back.
Kailros: When I was in the Heavenly Realm, my younger brother would whisper sweetly in my ear.

‘He told me to come to the back alley!’

Kailros: It was to have an intimate moment together, just the two of us.

Is he truly insane?

* * *

“I sealed it quite firmly, so it should be fine for a while.”

Ricardo left those words behind and departed.
Shuri’s subordinates tried to detain Ricardo a bit longer with cookies, but it was futile.

‘I can’t let Ricardo leave like this.’
‘We searched for him all this time, and we’ve only reunited after years.’
‘Who knows when we’ll meet him again next time.’

Shuri’s subordinates exchanged glances with one another.
They didn’t want to treat Ricardo roughly, but they felt they had to restrain him by force.
Just as they were about to move with that resolve.

[Let him go.]

The men flinched at the voice resonating in their minds.

‘Master?’

Had he not lost consciousness?

[Don’t touch him.]
“….”

The men fell silent.
They had long known that their master was unusually lenient toward Ricardo.

It had always been this way.
Whenever they would meet again, he acted as though he wouldn’t let it slide, and he had even warned Ricardo accordingly.
Yet he had never actually followed through.

“…Shouldn’t we at least track him, even if we don’t stop him?”
“Yes, we should know where he is.”

The men whispered so faintly it was barely audible.

[There’s no need.]
“Pardon?”
[I can meet him again whenever I wish.]
“…?!”

The men stared at the tent in astonishment.

‘Did he make some kind of promise with Ricardo?’
‘No, there was no such conversation inside the tent….’

The men, who had been tilting their heads in confusion, flinched.

‘Could it be that he’s discovered Ricardo’s true identity?!’

* * *

“Honeybread!”
“Why are you so late!”
“I thought my neck would snap from waiting.”

The children had spread out all manner of desserts and stood with their arms crossed.
The atmosphere felt distinctly off.
It reminded me of scolding a daughter who’d come home after midnight.

“It didn’t even take that long, really.”

Saelika shrugged her shoulders.
It had only taken a few hours at most.

“Didn’t take that long?!”
“Do you know how much blood you lost?!”
“Let me see. That scoundrel didn’t touch you, did he?”

The children grabbed Saelika’s cheeks and spun her around to inspect her condition.

“Scoundrel? Why are you suddenly bringing up that scoundrel?”

Her cheeks were compressed, making her words slur.
The children kneaded her soft cheeks while speaking with grave seriousness.

“No, something just felt wrong.”
“It was really awful.”
“I’m telling you, it was genuinely irritating? Like having my honey bread stolen.”

Saelika understood.
Bread thieves are bad.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t encounter anyone.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”

Saelika nodded.
The children, who had been glaring fiercely, now wore expressions of concern.

“Then why does your face look so battered?”
“You’ve become honey bread without the honey.”
“I had to face a rather powerful demon.”
….

The startled children grew dejected.

‘As I thought, Saelika pushed herself too hard alone.’

The children had noticed from the beginning.
That Saelika had discovered something in the lake.
Something so dangerous that she sent them away and went to face it alone.

‘…Because we’re weak.’

Though they had grown far stronger than before, it still wasn’t enough.
Saelika was bewildered by the children’s reaction.

‘Why are the children suddenly acting like this?’

Then Ilay approached with a smile.

“At least you came back safely.”
“I said I would return.”
“Yes. That’s enough.”

Ilay gently stroked Saelika’s hair.

“Wherever you go, as long as you come back to me, that’s all that matters. For now, that’s enough.”
“…?”
“You will come back, won’t you?”
“Of course.”

Ilay laughed at Saelika’s words.
He flinched as he bowed his head toward the child.

“…”
“Ilay, what’s wrong?”
“…Did you only face demons and come back?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t meet anyone, right?”
“Yes.”

Slowly, Ilay smiled.
It was a very sweet smile.

“…Yes.”

The other children seemed unable to sense it, but Ilay could.
As if marking territory, the aura left deeply upon Saelika.

‘…Crown Prince Kaishurit.’

It was the Crown Prince’s aura.

—————
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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