Youngest on Top - Chapter 232

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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 232

“There’s nothing wrong with her body. She could wake up at any moment without issue.”
“But it’s already been over two weeks! If this continues, if it keeps going like this—. Damn it!”

Dmitri couldn’t bring himself to finish and slammed his fist against the wall with a bang.
It was an unbecoming display, but no one pointed it out.
They all felt the same way.

“…If there’s nothing wrong with her body yet she won’t wake, could it be that Sae doesn’t want to wake up?”

Randel spoke in a voice thick with regret and sorrow.

“Perhaps she thinks it would be better to sleep forever, and so—”
“….”
“The same wounds keep repeating. I too, in the past….”

His breathing trembled.
Randel squeezed his eyes shut and open before continuing.

“That’s why I swore I would never hurt this child again, yet here we are.”
“My daughter is not the kind of child to turn away from reality like that.”

Kaiser spoke with firm conviction.

“When I forgot reality and accepted death as something sweet, that child pulled me back to the real world and saved me.”
“Kaiser.”
“My daughter has always stood firm in reality. She has never turned away from it, never fled from it.”

Randel managed a faint smile.

“Yes, Sae… I know better than anyone how strong my daughter is. Even with such an inadequate father.”

Randel gently brushed back Saelika’s hair with a tender hand.
That was when it happened.
Something entered his field of vision.

“Sae’s eyes just moved!”
“What?”
“Her eyelids twitched!”
“…!”

No matter how hard we tried, the child had shown no movement for over two weeks.
Yet now, for the first time, her eyelids stirred.

“Unfold the Sacred Formation!”
“Activate the Holy Stones!!”
“Artemia, I beg you. Please, restore your Sacred Maiden, our youngest….”

A voice more desperate than ever poured forth.
Everyone moved with urgent purpose.
The door burst open.
It was Perardin Noishurael Duke, Admiral Ekellan, Demian, and Mikhail.

“How dare you enter this place!”

The Temple Priests cried out sharply.
With a possibility emerging to awaken Saelika, this critical moment.
At a time when concentration was more necessary than ever, such an intrusion.

“I know we have no right to interfere. But.”
“We can help, even if only slightly.”
“We cannot wield sacred power, but we can provide pure energy without limit.”
“My mana exceeds that Holy Stone over there.”
“…!”

The Temple Priests hesitated, looking at the four men.
Kaiser asked.

“You would become a living source of energy?”
“If it means we can see that child open her eyes.”
“Duke.”
“It’s nothing much. You were planning to pour out the sacred power within you anyway, weren’t you? We’re simply doing the same with our strength.”

Admiral Ekellan spoke lightly.
But it was far from a light matter.

These four men cannot wield sacred power, so they cannot pour their own strength directly into the ritual.
In other words, this meant they would drain my power and use it instead.
A living divine stone—I would become their battery!

A frozen silence hung in the air for a moment.
The High Priest broke that silence and spoke.

“Then let us begin quickly. We have no time to waste.”

* * *

Even as I tumbled across the ground, I felt no pain whatsoever.

Sacred power that responded to my will.
My sacred power.
My soul.
My—

‘—body.’

Thump.
My chest sank.

‘This is… my body?’

Small fingers caked with wet soil came into view.

‘Come to think of it, I—.’

Since possessing this body, I had never seen my own face.
Well, I was just a baby who could barely say “mama” and “papa.”

Splash.
As I pressed my hand against the ground, I felt the wet sensation.
It was a puddle formed from melted snow.

My heart pounded fiercely.
Slowly, I lowered my head.
My face reflected in the rippling water.

‘Ah.’

“Y-you insolent brat!!”

The men rushed forward shouting, but their voices barely reached me.

I stared blankly at my reflection in the water.
My cheeks were fuller, my neck shorter, my body squat as though I could barely manage three heads in height.

It was identical.
The very image of myself from when I was so very young, when I first became aware of my own existence.

“Let me teach you what happens when you mock your elders!!”

Crash!!
The kidnapper who had lunged at me was sent flying back by my sacred power.

“W-what kind of monster…!!”
“Grab him! It doesn’t matter if something breaks! Just keep him alive!”

Brutal hands seized me again and again.
I couldn’t breathe.
My body convulsed and trembled as pain wracked through me.

But I did not yield.
Drip, drip.
Crimson droplets fell from my nose one after another.
My vision blurred.
My body, wrung dry by the forceful exertion of sacred power, had reached its limit.
Still.

‘I protected it. I protected it.’

That beautiful, joyful, and warm world.
Though the Duchess is gone now, still.
Still.

Now I just need to return to the Duchy.
Then everyone will stop hurting.
Then they won’t have to live in hell for the rest of their lives.
So—

‘Wait?’

My body wouldn’t move.
I tried to exert more force, but my face only scraped against the rough ground, stinging painfully.
Only then did I realize it.
I was lying on the ground.

No matter how much I strained, my limbs refused to obey.
My eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

This can’t be happening.
I have to get back.
If I lose Lesha like this, those people will cry.

But I was so drowsy.
My eyes kept closing.
Just a little sleep, just a tiny bit, and then I’ll wake up and go back.
Just a little bit….

.
.

“Ah, finally found you.”

A leisurely voice echoed through the silence.
A tall man approached the unconscious Saelika.

“I thought I’d die of longing for you. You’re the only one who could make me ache like this, darling.”

The man who lifted the fallen child into his arms grinned widely.

“So this is how small my darling is—how fascinating. Of course, I love my darling in any form.”

A large hand tenderly caressed the chubby baby’s cheek.

“You’re right, darling. This is truly mad love. I came to save you, someone so pathetically weak that you’d collapse just from facing these insects. Me, of all people.”

His eyes narrowed as he gazed down at the child.

“But what can I do? My love seems to be an exquisite tragedy. I find your weakness so distasteful, darling.”

Crrunch.
The fingers that had been gently caressing the child’s cheek suddenly tensed with force.
The soft flesh pressed beneath his grip seemed as though it would bruise at any moment.
A dark and ominous aura coiled around the child’s neck.
It looked as though he might strangle the life from her at any second.

“…Though I must admit, the way you trembled helplessly back then was rather endearing.”

The man’s gaze drifted into the void as if recalling something.

“Yes, that’s right. I thought it would be tedious, but unlike those other insects, you were incredibly adorable, my Saelika.”

The ominous force that had been undulating around her neck vanished in an instant.
The man let out a low chuckle.

“Perhaps I should take you to the Demon Realm as is. We’ll live happily together in hell. You’d like that too, wouldn’t you, darling?”

Black runes began to inscribe themselves beneath the man’s feet as he hummed his words.
Space warped and twisted as a murky crimson maw yawned open.
It looked ready to swallow them both without a trace.

That was when it happened.
Paaash!
A brilliant, piercing light erupted from Saelika’s wrist.
The murky aura that had been gathering dissipated in an instant.

“Hmph, these irritating insects interfering between us.”

The man’s eyes gleamed with displeasure.

“A mermaid’s sacred artifact… so that’s what served as the medium. Still, for such power to transcend space and time… they must have made quite the sacrifice. In any case, let’s discard this ominous thing.”

The man wrenched the bracelet from Saelika’s wrist and hurled it far away.

“Well, I never really intended to take her away in the first place. From the start—”

The man muttered while gazing at the seal of the contract that came to mind.

“I came here because of the contract.”

* * *

—Lika.
El—.
—naya.

A droning sound echoed from afar.

Sto—.
Hurry—.

Ugh, so noisy.
I was sleeping so peacefully for once, so why all this droning?
I curled up and surrendered myself to sleep once more.

This place was so warm and comfortable and cozy that I didn’t want to open my eyes.
I wanted to stay here like this forever.
It felt just like being within Artemia’s sacred power—.

Huh?
Artemia?

My eyes snapped open.
Then the droning voices became much clearer.

Saelika!
Youngest!

I thought it was insect sounds, but it was the voices of our children and adults.

‘Wait, how old are our children now? Yet they’re still calling for me like this.’

I raised them from childhood and thought I’d finally made them useful, but they still need my hand. How troublesome.
Adults are no different.
Is it because they haven’t even lived a hundred years yet?
When will they ever grow up?

Grumbling to myself, I quickly got to my feet.
I rushed toward the source of the voice, then stopped short.

This presence.
This warmth.
Endlessly longed for, yearned for—.

“Artemia? Is that you?”

No answer came back.

“I don’t want to be separated from you, Artemia. I missed you so much. I missed you so terribly that… honestly, I even resented you.”

The moment I spoke the word resentment, my heart pounded violently.
But I didn’t stop speaking.

“Why did you send me to the earth? Even if I was mistreated, even if I could only watch from afar, being by your side was enough for me. That was all I needed—.”

Clench.
I squeezed my fists tight.
And I lifted my head sharply.

“But now I’m leaving. Even if this is within your embrace, I’m going.”

My eyes hardened with resolve.

“My children—my family is calling for me.”

Without hesitation, I turned away.

Sae!
My youngest—!
Saelika!

Toward that voice calling out to me so desperately.

The voice calling for me grew louder and louder.
My footsteps quickened more and more.
A brilliant light enveloped me.
And then.

“You foolish Honeybread! Come back this instant!!”

I could see Dmitri’s face, tears and snot streaming down it stupidly.

“…Who are you calling a fool.”
“…!”

My voice came out hoarser than expected.
Everyone froze in shock at the sound.

“Saelika?”
“Yeah.”
“Saelika!”
“You fool!!!”
“Why didn’t you wake up sooner!!”
“I really thought something was wrong with you…!”

The children rushed into my arms all at once.
They clung so tightly my body swayed.
Even Edmund, who always insisted on maintaining his noble composure, was a mess of tears and snot.

“There, there. It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m fine.”

I patted the children gently.
Who was really the youngest here anyway.

Beyond the children clinging to me, I could see the adults.
Their eyes were bloodshot and inflamed.
Still, they were far more composed than the children—something I was truly proud of—

“My precious treasure!!!!”
“My sweet darling love, my beloved, my precious little one! Wake up, my tiger cub!!!”
“Our adorable little one, our sticky rice bunny hasn’t woken up, and I, I~~!!”
“Waaah! But if our soft bean pudding tiger were to wake up, it should be like this! I believed in you!!”
“….”

I take back what I said about being proud.
Derrick slapped my back with his massive hand like a pot lid.

“Ow! That hurts, that hurts!”

Derrick realized his mistake and withdrew his hand.
Then he looked at me again with teary, glistening eyes.

“Complaining about pain? Our little tiger’s strength has somehow…!”

Well, a tiger like that probably wouldn’t have much strength to begin with.
As I sighed and turned my head, I caught sight of Randel and Kaiser.
Gently, Kaiser placed his hand on top of my head.

“Welcome back.”
“Come here, now.”

Randel caressed my cheek.
His handsome face bore the marks of deep worry and heartache.

I started to reach out to Randel but hesitated.
I noticed the four men standing at a distance, unable to approach.
Among them—.

‘Perardin Noishurael Duke.’

The moment our eyes met, my heart sank.
I didn’t know what to do.

‘What should I say?’

Perhaps I might be your daughter?
Casting Shuellina aside as a fake, claiming that I’m the real one.
Isn’t this a rather suspicious claim?

‘If I were to speak. If I were to tell him.’

Would he believe me?

Crunch.
Without realizing it, my hands clenched with force.

I don’t know.
No, he won’t believe me.
Even I find it hard to believe, so the Duke—

“Saelika.”

Perardin Noishurael Duke called out to me.
I couldn’t possibly read what those blue eyes held within them.
My throat felt parched.

“Ah, well—.”

I opened my mouth, but only those meager words came out before my speech came to an abrupt halt.
I couldn’t even say that Shuellina was a fake.
Because he wouldn’t believe me.
But how could I—.

“Why are you looking at me with such a frightened expression?”
“It’s just that, I… that is—.”

The Duke’s expression crumbled as he looked at me.

“You can say anything.”
“….”
“You can tell me anything at all.”

…Really?
But I couldn’t believe it.
I didn’t want to get hurt by believing.

Perardin Noishurael Duke grasped my lowered hand firmly.
When I lifted my head, our eyes met immediately.
With each other’s faces reflected in our gazes, he called out to me.

“Reyarsha.”

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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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