Youngest on Top - Chapter 61

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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 61

The carriage came to a halt just as I was gathering my resolve.
Admiral Ekellan emerged from the ornately decorated door, his face even more flamboyant than the door itself.

I presented the greeting I had practiced diligently.

“Good day, Admiral.”

Admiral Ekellan grinned widely and approached with long, sweeping strides.
Then he suddenly extended a large hand toward me.

For a moment, I was startled by the hand coming toward my head, but I pretended to remain composed.
I’m not usually shy around strangers, but his casual closeness made me hesitate slightly.

“Little lady, have you been well?”
“Yes.”
“It’s been a while. Now then, my little lady, won’t you tell me your name?”

‘He must already know.’

Someone of Admiral Ekellan’s stature surely would have investigated us after that meeting.
Seeing my expression, the Admiral chuckled softly and added:

“I already know, but I’d like to hear it from you directly.”
“It’s Saelika.”
“A beautiful name that suits our lady perfectly.”

I thought I might as well ask to hear his name directly as well.

“What is your name, Admiral?”
“Serge. Serge Echelan.”

As we exchanged our belated introductions, the Admiral’s servants began unloading something from the carriage in great quantities.
Each box gleamed brilliantly, wrapped with large ribbons.

“Admiral, what are those?”
“Since you’ve given me a gift, I, as a gentleman, cannot simply receive without giving in return. These are gifts for you.”

Snap!
The Admiral clicked his fingers together, producing a sharp sound.
At that, servants brought forth several boxes.

“Open them.”
“Yes, sir….”

He hadn’t even believed my words yet, so why had he prepared gifts? I found it puzzling, but I untied the ribbon and opened the box regardless.
I was puzzled, but I went ahead and untied the ribbon and opened the box.

But the rabbit’s eyes were gemstones….
But the rabbit’s eyes were jewels…

“Why is the doll wearing such a fancy dress?”

The rabbit doll was wearing the fancy dress that Amelia only wore to grand banquets.

“My Vani… she can’t wear such expensive clothes.”

I gazed at the bunny that I was clutching tightly in my hand.

Then the servants quickly opened the other boxes and showed their contents.

Beautiful dresses that resembled fairy garments.
Hair ornaments studded with various jewels.
Sweet desserts and delicate child-sized tableware.
And there weren’t just one or two dolls either.
On top of that, there weren’t just one or two dolls.

The priests who were with me let out bewildered voices.

“According to what Randel told us, it seemed he wasn’t quite so pleased with the business proposal we presented.”
“We’re grateful, but this is far too much….”
“I appreciate it, but it’s too much. Could you tone it down a bit…?”

But refusing gifts from the Admiral at his own doorstep would be discourteous.
But it would also be impolite to refuse what the admiral gave me at the gate.

Seeing my hesitation, Admiral Ekellan knelt down to meet my gaze.
A long index finger gently touched the bridge of my nose.

“An angel who happened to fly into me and collide. I found myself thinking often that day about whether your wings might have been broken. Please accept this gift from the apple that collided with me, without any burden.”

I am indeed an angel, but….

‘Why is he doing this?’

I was genuinely flustered.
It would have been far less bewildering if he’d gotten angry instead, asking where such ingredients could possibly be found or scolding me for making fun of an adult.
And for good reason—.

‘This man doesn’t particularly like me.’

Even at our first meeting, he smiled at me, but his eyes held no warmth whatsoever.
It was the same now.

He gives gifts and speaks sweet words, yet his gaze remains infinitely distant and hollow.
That’s why his sudden intensity just now felt all the more strange.

‘If I had experienced aged meat first, this would make sense….’

Whether he liked me or not, I could understand giving gifts to a business partner.
But Admiral Ekellan doesn’t even believe in ‘food that doesn’t spoil’ itself.
In other words, this is a relationship where there’s nothing to gain.

Yet such a magnificent gift.

‘…Is he perhaps longing for his daughter?’

The thought made my heart ache.
It seems like he’s doing for me what he wished he could do for his lost daughter.

‘Pouring it all out on me will only make him feel more hollow.’

Being kind to a fake is merely temporary solace.

“What, don’t you like the rabbit? I thought it would suit you well.”

Admiral Ekellan held out a rabbit doll in front of me.

“Look, this rabbit doll is far prettier than that worn-out one, isn’t it? The eyes are jewels and the dress is so elaborate and luxurious.”

It was as if he were saying, ‘Isn’t this what you really wanted?’

I hugged Bani tightly and shook my head vigorously.

“No.”
“….”
“Bani prettier to Sae. Bani Sae’s friend. Precious.”

This rabbit doll held such deep meaning for me.
Even as it burned in the fire, I could never let it go.

Admiral Ekellan’s gaze narrowed as he looked at me.
I faintly heard him mutter, “…That can’t be right.”

Just as I was about to lift my head in confusion.

“Sae.”

The High Priest called to me.
He was opening his arms toward me.

‘What’s happening?’

Though confused, I ran over to him at once.
The High Priest scooped me up and held me in his arms.

“Daddy.”
“Yes.”

The High Priest who answered glanced at Admiral Ekellan.
His gaze was somehow arrogant.

“Bani is better than that gaudy rabbit doll.”

He didn’t say it quite that bluntly.

“That makes sense—it’s a doll I gave her, after all.”
“….”
“A gift’s true value lies not in its price, but in who gives it.”

The High Priest’s lips curved upward slightly before he turned toward the Main Building.

* * *

“Please, come inside.”

The Priesthood guided Admiral Ekellan into the Main Building of Artemisia Temple.
The Admiral found their subtly cold demeanor puzzling.

‘I thought they’d be pleased, even if not grinning ear to ear. Why are they being so cautious with me?’

Normally, when he visited temples, they would rush forward, desperate to forge connections with him.
But the Artemisia Priesthood spoke only when necessary and rarely met his eyes.

Saelika also sensed the subtle chill among the Priests.

‘They must have all heard what I said about the Admiral peddling the god’s name to commit fraud.’

Since she’d had to report why the Admiral came to the temple, the matter must have slipped out in conversation.

Once they were seated in the Reception Room, the Priests opened the discussion with formal courtesy.

“We are grateful that someone as occupied with managing the Southern Strait has taken the time to visit Artemisia Temple.”
“Given how busy you are, your presence alone is more than enough. Artemisia always prays for your safety.”

Polite, yet somehow….

‘Aren’t you busy?’
‘Did you really need to come all this way?’

Such undertones seemed to echo through the air.
Was it her imagination?

“And you even brought a gift for our novice priestess despite your busy schedule. We would have been grateful regardless….”
“If you were truly that occupied, you might not have had time to prepare anything at all. It seems our youngest made quite an impression on you. Of course, she is adorable, but still—such lavish gifts? Did you think our little treasure would be swayed by such things? Not that we’re suspicious, of course. Haha!”

Seeing the Elder laugh heartily, Admiral Ekellan’s lips curved upward as well.
It was refreshing—he had never received such treatment anywhere, not even at the Temple.

“Haha, I came to the Temple because of the little lady, so how could I arrive empty-handed?”
“Ah, to see Sae, you say.”
“The little lady said she would give me a gift.”

At those words, the Priests’ eyes widened.

“A gift? From Sae?”

The High Priest and the Elders all turned to look at Saelika at once.
Saelika was flustered.

‘Wait, didn’t Randel already tell them? Why do they have that expression?’

As if she had betrayed them, Saelika found herself explaining defensively.

“It was a bet… I’m not a liar. I can really give healthy vegetables to Admiral Ekellan’s sailors.”

At Saelika’s words, the High Priest and Elders’ expressions sharpened.

‘Oh no. I misspoke in my panic. Calling myself a liar.’

Though she pretended it was fine, the truth was that Saelika was the one who cared about those words most of all.

‘Our wing. The wing that will help us take down Parmanace.’

Realizing her mistake, Saelika hopped down from the High Priest’s lap.
Then she quickly pulled out an apple from her bag.

“Here, I picked this apple.”

The bright red apple was ripe and appetizing.
The glossy sheen made it clear the child had polished it several times.

When the Admiral, the High Priest, and the Elders’ gazes all converged on the apple.
The child held it out to the Admiral.

“My lord.”

Admiral Ekellan gazed down at the apple with quiet contemplation.

The apple resting in his small, plump hands was simply an apple.
Just a real apple.

‘…This is nothing like what I expected.’

I would have understood if Saelika had given me a toy apple or a paper one.
Since it wasn’t rotten or soft, just as the child had said.

Of course, I couldn’t eat it, but that would be something to brush off with an “Oops! I forgot!” wouldn’t it?
Admiral Ekellan had already experienced similar situations several times before.

‘But she’s giving me a real apple?’

Wondering what this meant, I looked around.
The expressions on the Priesthood’s faces were remarkable.

‘Why do they all look shocked again?’

For Admiral Ekellan, this was bewildering, but for the Priesthood of Artemisia, it was inevitable.

What kind of apple was that, after all.

In the eastern garden of Artemisia Temple stands a large apple tree.
Not long ago, when Saelika was bouncing around beneath that tree, everyone laughed and picked apples for her.

“No. Hold Sae. I’ll pick the apple myself.”
“Alright, alright. I’m the tallest, so I’ll hold you.”
“What are you talking about? My arms are the longest, so I should be the one.”

A minor dispute even broke out over who would hold the child.
An apple picked directly by the child herself.

“The biggest, reddest one. Let all the blemishes disappear.”

After picking it, she had carefully wiped it with a handkerchief and even cast a healing spell on it herself.

Of course, everyone was curious.
Who would she give that precious apple to?

‘She’ll give it to me.’
‘She’s going to give it to me!’
‘Obviously to me.’

But to give it to that fellow she’d only seen twice?

The Priesthood’s gazes toward Admiral Ekellan were sharp as daggers.
Especially the High Priest Anatullio—he stared at the Admiral as if regarding a sworn enemy.

‘Why are you staring like that?’

No matter how charitably Admiral Ekellan tried to interpret it, the High Priest’s gaze looked like nothing but a glare.

‘Is he glaring because he’s afraid I won’t accept this apple?’

It was needless worry.
He was prepared to accept anything to fill them with hope.
Though he hadn’t known it would be an actual apple.

“Thank you.”
“Yes. Don’t forget our bet.”
“….”

So I’m supposed to watch whether this rots or not?
Is that really why she called me here?

But I detected no other scheme.
I’d thought for certain it was a strategy to treat me like a daughter while presenting a gift tinged with a child’s clever and innocent thinking.

‘Did she do something to the apple?’

Wondering if she was plotting something, I observed the child closely.
But she simply returned to her seat without hesitation, as if her task was complete.

“Bring it here.”

At the High Priest’s gesture, the door opened and an assistant priest brought in a box.

‘As expected. Now we’re getting to the main point.’

The Temple’s machinations were familiar to me.
Admiral Ekellan felt a sense of relief that the situation was now unfolding as he had anticipated.

But then.

“…What is this?”
“As you can see, food ingredients. Meat and various vegetables.”

Inside the box the priest opened were food ingredients including meat and vegetables, packed in abundance.
All sealed.

‘They’re really just giving me food ingredients?’

“As long as you don’t break the seal, they won’t spoil. They’re also better for your health than ordinary ingredients.”
“Rather than lengthy explanations, it would be best if you experienced them yourself first. We can discuss the specifics of the transaction afterward.”

The priests’ explanation was clean and simple.
Go, try the sample, and if it’s satisfactory, then we’ll trade.
That was all there was to it.

I had expected them to cling to me or desperately try to forge some connection, but they were surprisingly understated.
Rather, they were telling me to go first and discuss things later.

“According to our investigation, that child is an orphan. I suppose they’ll say something trite about how she has no parents, or how she resembles you in some way, Admiral.”

This was the adjutant’s assessment after investigating Saelika.
Admiral Ekellan didn’t think differently.

But the priests of Artemisia seemed eager to separate the child and the Admiral as quickly as possible.

“…Does our little lady have nothing to say to me?”
“Artemia’s priests don’t lie.”
“….”
“You and Artemisia Temple can win-win. The magnificent navy can grow strong.”

What a consistently single-minded child.
From beginning to end, it was all business talk.

The child squirmed awkwardly under Admiral Ekellan’s gaze.
After pondering for a moment, he said, “Oh, right,” and stood up from his seat.
Then he brought his hands together and bowed respectfully.

“Thank you for the gift.”

That’s it?

“If you give him a gift, he’ll spread both arms as wide as possible and hug your legs as cutely as he can. He’ll be absolutely beside himself with gratitude.”
“….”
“And he’ll slip up and say it. Thank you, Dad!”

The Adjutant hadn’t been making up a story on a whim.
It was a prediction born from countless experiences.

Yet with this child, it all fell wide of the mark.

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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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