Youngest 115
by CristaeEpisode 115
Around the time my adoption papers were being prepared.
Out of the blue, Father asked me,
“Ruby, when’s your birthday?”
“I don’t have one.”
“…….”
“Is it important? Oh, it’s the day you eat cake, I suppose. But now I can have cake anytime, even without a birthday. Why do you ask?”
The Mage King certainly never bothered to tell me my birthday.
I was too busy surviving to ever be curious about it myself.
Ah, at the orphanage in my previous life, they did throw birthday parties. But since all the kids whose birthdays fell within a few months were lumped together, I only ever knew mine was sometime in winter.
I was about to tell him to just write down whatever he needed for the paperwork, but Father let out a long sigh.
“It’s because, of course, I want to celebrate it for you.”
“Oh… But why celebrate it?”
“Because your existence is precious. It’s the day you met someone who cherishes you for the first time.”
If that’s the case, it might actually be important…
After a moment’s thought, I spoke.
“Then… let’s use the day I met you. That was when we first met, after all!”
“…….”
“Wh-what? Don’t tell me you’re crying…?”
“Come here.”
Father kissed my face over and over for a long while.
“But then, it’s already passed.”
“Right? So next year, we can—”
“No.”
Father cut me off with a calm yet firm tone.
“Even if it’s a little late, we’re having a birthday party.”
“No, next year is fine—”
“What’s that? Ruby, I couldn’t quite hear you.”
Oh no. I’m still too young to afford to buy Father a hearing aid…
Instead, I rolled up a piece of paper into a cone, pressed it to his ear, and shouted.
“I said! It doesn’t matter! We can do it next year!”
Of course, that had no effect on the ever-stubborn Duke, whose old age clearly started with his hearing.
“Good grief.”
Snapping out of my memories, I let out a long sigh.
“The whole manor is in a lively uproar today.”
Hazel, holding up various hairpins to my head, chuckled softly.
“Do we really have to go this far? Isn’t everyone just looking for any excuse to throw a party?”
“Well, it is an excuse. To make the young lady happy.”
“I’m perfectly happy as it is, though.”
“You’ll be even happier with a birthday party.”
Is that so.
I couldn’t help but wonder what meaning there was in belatedly celebrating a birthday long past. Birthdays didn’t even matter to me in the first place.
But Father, and everyone throughout the manor, prepared for my birthday as if under some spell.
‘They always seem to get more obsessed with the things I don’t care about.’
Knowing there was no stopping them, I decided to just let them be.
“Oh? Khal! What are you doing here?”
I had just fastened a yellow pin shaped like a flower—courtesy of Hazel—and was heading out the door, when I ran into Khalid, who had been about to knock.
He stood still, gazing down at me.
“…….”
“What?”
“Today, you look even more…”
“Hm?”
Khalid tilted his head, mumbling.
“Cute…”
“What? You said you can’t hear? Eh, my hair has grown out a little recently.”
I neatly swept my slightly longer hair back behind my ear.
The pin hanging from my fingertips jingled softly. My hairpins had quickly grown more extravagant these days.
Khalid opened his mouth like a fish for a moment, then shut it tight.
“Why are you the one clarifying…”
“What? I didn’t catch that. Anyway, why are you here? Did you come to see me?”
He let out a deep sigh, then got straight to the point.
“Yeah. Um… Ruby, are you free tomorrow?”
The next day.
I went out with Khalid.
Behind us, Hazel and a few guards trailed like shadows. (Seriously, what is Hazel exactly?)
“Where are we going? Is there a secret you want to tell me? Magic?”
Worried that ninja-maid Hazel might overhear, I dropped my voice to a whisper.
Khalid shook his head.
“Nothing like that. For now… let’s go in here.”
Ding-ling.
With a clear chime, the door swung open.
Khalid had brought me to a dessert shop tucked away in a winding Zelox alley.
“What is this? There was a place like this?”
“They say it’s really… delicious. Even better than that cake shop we went to in Ipsum.”
“Wow, a hidden gem in Zelox?”
I widened my eyes and surveyed the interior.
Guided by a server, we were seated at a sunny spot by the window. It was, by any measure, the best seat in the house.
“It’s huge, but there aren’t any customers.”
I whispered, careful not to upset the shop owner.
It was awfully quiet for a famous spot.
Almost as if the place had been rented out just for us.
“We must be lucky. Usually, they say there’s a huge line.”
“Really?”
If that’s true, then we really were lucky.
Soon, the table was filled with all kinds of cakes. I tasted each one with a look of bliss.
“Is it good?”
“Delicious!”
The design was simple, which only made the flavor stand out more.
Local hideaway, for the win!
“So? What’s the secret matter you wanted to talk about, in such a secretive place? Did something happen?”
After I’d eaten my fill, I asked. Khalid shook his head.
“It’s not like that. I just wanted to come here with you.”
“Hmmm.”
I never knew, but maybe he actually likes trendy places?
‘Wait! Did he discover a new side of himself back in Ipsum?!’
Narrowing my eyes slightly, I observed him.
“But… did you find out anything about the Crest?”
The boy asked offhandedly, cutting a cake in half. I shook my head.
“Not at all. Honestly, I have no idea where to even start looking.”
I’d combed through the manor’s library just in case, but found nothing.
‘Naturally.’
There was no way there would be books on magic here.
Nor did I have anyone I could ask for advice.
“I’ll have to coax Wizeria a bit more. I think it’s difficult to find the Oath Sigil that can break this crest because the Mage King’s magic used to mark me is so powerful.”
“…….”
Forking cake into my mouth, I spoke while Khalid stared at me intently.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just… the amount of knowledge in your head… It’s so strange, the way you talk about ‘Wizeria’ as if it had a will of its own.”
I blinked in surprise.
“Oh… when you put it that way, I guess it is.”
At some point, it really did start to feel like a conversation. Like I was speaking to something with its own will.
“I guess it’s kind of like that.”
“Like what?”
“It’s like… without realizing it, you start talking to an AI smart speaker.”
“…That makes even less sense to me.”
I shrugged. Either way, it was too much to hope that I could fully grasp this strange, unknowable power.
“Well, anyway. I need to find out more about the Crest.”
“All right. If there’s anything I can do to help, just say so.”
“Okay!”
My sweet friend.
Grinning cheerfully, I went back to devouring my cake.
Afterwards, we left the shop and strolled through the bustling downtown.
“Wow, it’s crowded!”
The street was packed with people.
I didn’t like noise and bustle, but I figured Khalid would, so I resolved to put up with it for a while.
He was trying to look nonchalant, but in truth he was glancing curious looks all over the lively marketplace.
“Khal, let’s go in there!”
I pointed to a toy shop crowded with kids.
Khalid’s eyes sparkled even brighter.
‘So he really does like happening places!’
Sorry for not realizing it sooner…
Determined to let Khalid enjoy himself, I pretended to have a good time.
“Wow, so cute! Teddy bear!”
As soon as I saw the stuffed bear by the entrance, I grabbed it and exclaimed. Khalid glanced over sharply.
“Cute? Do you want it?”
“No? My mother’s bought me so many, I don’t really need any more.”
My east room was piled high with teddy bears, clockwork dolls, and all sorts of toys. No reason to add more clutter.
“Oh, I see…”
Khalid’s face looked oddly disappointed.
Next, we visited an accessory shop, popular with girls.
“Ooh, this is pretty.”
Once again, I picked up something at random.
“Want to buy it? Should I ask them to wrap it?”
“Huh? Not that I want it, really.”
He bit his lip and trudged away, forlorn.
Similar scenes played out a few more times.
At the bedding shop—
“A blanket! It’s so fluffy!”
“Should I order it?”
“No? Why are we shopping for blankets all of a sudden?”
And in front of the cotton candy stand…
“Rainbow cotton candy!”
“Do you want some? I’ll get it for you.”
“I’m a little sick of sweets now.”
“…….”
Eventually, I had to say something.
“Khal… why are you acting like someone desperate to spend money? Are you that stressed? You feel like you’ll explode if you don’t splurge?”
Hands on hips, I asked seriously, and Khalid let his head hang, looking exhausted. Another deep sigh.
“It’s not that.”
“It’s not?”
“I just wanted to get you a present, but I have no idea what you’d actually want.”
I froze.
“Huh?”
“I mean… should I just buy you everything in this street? How’s that?”
My eyelids drooped in disbelief.
So… you’ve dragged me all over every shop in this crowded street because you want to give me a birthday present?
You were watching me intently to see what caught my eye?
‘Oh my.’
Strangely, suddenly, I felt terribly shy.
“O-of course… you can’t be wasteful!”
I rubbed my nose and blurted it out.
“Besides, it’s not like you have any money!”
“As for money…”
Khalid scratched the back of his head.
Since I had no idea about the lucrative business of the mercenary corps, it never once crossed my mind that he wasn’t worrying about money at all. I simply assumed he was showing off.
‘Still, that was kind of touching. But this is basically a date…’
And then, I froze up.
“A d-date…”
“What?”
A date? With Khal, who’s practically my childhood friend!
“W-what an improper thought!”
I thumped my head. Khalid frowned and pushed down my wrist.
“What’s with you all of a sudden? And what’s this about improper thoughts?”
Instead of answering, I suddenly jerked my head up.
“Khal! So, you want to give me a present, right?”
“Yeah. But what was this improper thought?”
Now, let’s see. It should be around here somewhere…
My head swiveled rapidly as I searched the area. Soon, I spotted what I wanted.
As I strode over, Khalid quickly followed.
“Khal, let’s do that!”