The Youngest Hides a Lot - Chapter 101
Ch.10
The eventful banquet was over.
The tracking wizard issue that I was worried about was over, and I took off my bracelet and quickly felt refreshed and had a big meal.
After having a cake-eating contest with Liam and Voyd, I finally left the banquet hall. Naturally, I was the winner.
While leaving the banquet hall, the brothers were grabbed by their respective academy acquaintances.
Voyd was a very mischievous-looking boy, and Liam was a very picky-looking academy research professor.
“Everyone is busy, right?”
I spoke to Calid.
We sat by the fountain near the building and waited for the carriage.
‘Dad should be coming out soon, but why isn’t he?’
I even went to the adults’ banquet hall to look for Dad, but he wasn’t there.
I thought he was still being questioned by His Majesty the Emperor, so I thought about going there too, but I just gave up.
The surroundings were quiet.
Leon went to prepare the carriage, and the people were too busy enjoying the party to pay attention to such a boring fountain.
“Ruby.”
“Mhm?”
Calid stared at me blankly.
“Everything’s over. I threw away all the pendants, too.”
“Huh? Mhm.”
“I heard the Emperor told the wizard to return tomorrow.”
“I know…”
I slightly turned my head, as if to brush it off.
“But why is your expression like that?”
Ugh. That ghostly guy.
I was actually worried. If the ‘Fourth’ was truly the same wizard from the original story, it would be right to go and deal with him immediately.
‘But something…’
It didn’t feel right.
Maybe it’s because my memory isn’t clear. I feel like there’s a lack of conclusive evidence to be certain…
At that moment, a fountain gushed out. My voice was drowned out by the cool sound of the water falling.
“Carl, can you send some animal friends to that wizard?”
Calid raised his handsome eyebrows.
“Of course.”
I’ll have to keep an eye on things for now.
‘I’m planning on using the herbs tonight anyway.’
I recalled the transparent box I had already placed in the carriage
The Memorial Herb I received as a prize for the competition.
If I had a glimpse of the original, everything would become clear.
We waited a bit longer for the carriage while enjoying the cool fountain.
Before long, Calid gestured toward Dad, who was walking over from a distance.
“The Duke is coming. Then, see you at the mansion.”
Calid whispered briefly and then walked away. He headed towards the stable to search for his horse.
I jumped up from the fountain and waved my hand.
“Daaaad!”
“Ruby.”
The night had already gotten dark. The servants were running around, lighting up the lamps.
‘Huh, Dad, why are you looking like that?’
I was a little surprised.
Maybe it was because the lamps weren’t fully lit yet.
I heard he went to the Emperor to give a speech…Dad’s eyes looked a little fierce.
‘Or was it not?’
Is he looking a bit tired, or is it just me?
“Are you sick, Dad?”
“No. You? You said something happened at the banquet hall.”
“Mhm. The wizard suddenly said he was going to give out toys.”
At that moment, Dad’s expression hardened. His gaze at me felt somehow strange.
It was strange, but I couldn’t tell exactly what kind of strangeness it was.
‘What’s wrong?’
I felt unfamiliar with Dad staring at me, so I unconsciously reached out both hands.
“Let’s go. The carriage is waiting.”
Dad took my hand and started walking.
‘…Huh?’
What is it…
When I stretched out my hands like this, he always hugged me.
Did he fight with His Majesty the Emperor? No, did he get in trouble for arguing too much?
I tilted my head with a puzzled expression. Dad’s hand that was holding my hand felt a little cold.
As soon as we got on the carriage, Dad habitually opened all the windows. It was a carriage with large windows specially made for me.
My motion sickness had improved a lot, but Dad always paid full attention to my means of transportation.
‘Come to think of it…I’m such a picky kid.’
I glanced around. Dad, who had his chin resting on the window, was lost in thought.
As the horse moved, the night breeze blew gently.
‘Three wrinkles between the eyebrows…’
That’s the kind of wrinkle that appears when thinking of something displeasing or angering…
My tightly clenched hands somehow became damp.
To avoid upsetting Dad, I decided to stay as quiet as possible. I would breathe softly and move as gently as I could.
But at that moment, the carriage wheel got caught somewhere and there was a loud clank.
“Ugh!”
My body also floated up.
“Oh my.”
Dad quickly grabbed my body with a surprised look.
“Your Excellency, Young Lady. Are you alright? It seems he might have missed avoiding the stone in the dark.”
Sir Leon, who was riding a horse from behind, spoke through the window. The coachman in front shouted, “I apologize!”
Dad answered by tapping the wall.
“Ruby, are you okay? Come here…”
Dad, who had spotted me, narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you clinging to the wall like that?”
I quickly straightened my back. My butt hurt a little, but it didn’t matter.
“I, I like walls. When I’m pressed up against them, they feel cool and firm…”
“What are you talking about?”
Dad’s eyebrows narrowed even more at the incomprehensible rambling.
“Why are you so stiff… Ah.”
At that moment, as if he realized something, Dad let out a long, low sigh.
“I’m sorry.”
“….”
“Dad was just lost in thought.”
Come here. A large hand suddenly reached out and made me sit on his lap.
I wiggled my fingers.
“I’ll stay quiet. So think about it…”
Dad stared at me blankly and shook his head.
“No, there’s really nothing more to think about. Didn’t you bump into anything?”
The tip of my nose felt tingly at the soft voice that was usually there. A warm hand stroked my stiff back as if soothing it.
I hesitated for a moment, then mustered up my courage and asked.
“What were you thinking…… to get so lost in thought? Are you worried about something?”
“Hmm.”
Dad stroked my forehead.
“Actually, it was something to do with you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Ruby, you…have known Asha Drukan for a long time, right?”
At that moment, it felt like the air had stopped.
“…Huh?”
I asked back stupidly.
Dad briefly explained what had happened in the Emperor’s office.
My expression hardened in real time. It was fortunate that the carriage wasn’t bright.
‘Richt… had been slightly awake back then?’
So that’s why he wanted to talk to me like that.
‘Oh my God.’
It felt like the puzzle was finally coming together.
“The prince said he was greatly mistaken after hearing the results of the banquet hall search.”
Dad continued.
“While he was in the carriage, his consciousness was wavering…and from the beginning, the appearance didn’t match between you and the fleeing wizard.”
Then, a long breath burst out.
“…Yeah, it really wasn’t something to think about.”
It was a tone that suggested that he had been holding on to something unnecessary.
At that moment, street lights suddenly poured in through the window.
At the same time, my eyes met with Dad’s deep purple eyes that were staring at me as if they were piercing through me.
At that moment, I felt like I had to say something.
“I…”
My mind was already a mess.
“It’s not like that, Dad.”
My lips moved mechanically.
“I know. Dad heard some unnecessary things and got tangled up in my own thoughts.”
Dad clicked his tongue briefly, tidied my hair, and gently closed the curtains.
I swallowed hard.
“So, did you feel bad?”
“Mhm?”
“Because you thought I was… a wizard.”
A short silence flowed.
“Yeah.”
My hands tightened.
“Just imagining it…made me hate it.”
I closed my eyes tightly as I heard a soft voice. Dad thought I was going to sleep, so he pulled the blanket around me and covered my back.
Pat pat. A familiar hand followed.
‘It’s not like Dad hates me. Come to your senses.’
I reassured myself.
But the scene from earlier kept coming to mind over the black screen.
Dad’s face, which was unusually dark.
The temperature of his hands, which were as cold as a stranger’s.
The wrinkles between his eyebrows, as if he was angry.
‘How pathetic… I promised to tell the truth.’
Memories of being rejected by people are surprisingly strong.
Even though I know Dad loves me.
The dark past that suddenly appears, shouting at me to remember myself… is something that is incredibly difficult to ignore.
You know. Everyone was kind at first.
But people are more fickle than you can imagine, and adults are usually harsh on children.
“Ruby, are you asleep?”
A low voice continued to check on me.
“…Leon, drive the carriage slowly.”
I didn’t want to fail.
‘I don’t want to lose in this life.’
The warmth of these warm hands.
My family.
I really didn’t want to be alone anymore.
Storyteller Rolipoly's Words
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