Youngest 248

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Just then, Father tapped the map.

“Not a bad idea. Good.”

He quickly issued orders to his nearby officers.

“First, summon Leon and the knights waiting at the harbor and reorganize our formation. Select those who will remain here to protect the people and those who will join me in striking the palace. If anyone surrenders or flees, let them go, but any priests in red-embroidered vestments are to be captured at all costs—and killed if they resist.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ideline, what will you do?”

The elder bowed deeply as he answered.

“I will stay here and protect the people.”

He added that the mages, having spent their mana to maintain the barrier, needed time to recover, and with so many children present, it would be risky to move them hastily.

Just then, while quietly wiping blood from his sword, Licht stepped forward.

“Then I’ll remain here with the knights.”

“Your Highness?”

“Guarding the portal linked to Babylon is part of my duty as a prince. Besides… there are some things I want to discuss with the elder.”

“Pardon?”

Ideline looked openly uncomfortable.

“What business would His Highness the Prince of Babylon have with me?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

The prince smiled, brighter than the rising morning sun. At this, Ideline—despite having just frowned—unconsciously broke into a pleased smile himself.

‘Isn’t he trying to charm Ideline into spilling kingdom secrets?’

That would-be crown prince, whose only asset is his face!

Worried about the prince who was working a little too hard, I decided to intervene.

“Licht, will you be all right? Why not just take the portal back to Babylon? Wouldn’t it be quicker, and safer, to return to the emperor’s side, polish your credentials in a bit of showboating, and be hailed as a hero, rather than suffering through all this here? Isn’t that the faster route to becoming crown prince…?”

“Hm. Rubian, just know: with that comment, you’ve ensured I can never return.”

His ever-beautiful sapphire eyes looked at me softly.

Sighing, I let out a brief breath.

“I really was serious about you going back. If you get hurt, your goal—”

Licht laughed.

“That’s exactly why I’ll stay here.”

“Huh?”

“For the sake of what’s most important to me.”

Did he… put the Babylon crown prince position on temporary deposit in Arcadia or something?

With a charming smile, he took my fingertips lightly in his own.

For a moment, the air around us was abuzz, but the prince paid no mind and pressed a respectful kiss to the back of my hand. Somehow, it felt like a pledge of allegiance.

“Don’t worry, Ruby. I’m only doing what must be done. And, well, I’m not fond of the idea of parting from you either…”

A faint flush rose on his smooth cheeks.

“I’ll bring a present when we meet again.”

“Wait, are you on vacation now…?”

Licht laughed out loud, then let go of my hand without regret.

He raised his arms in surrender toward someone behind me.

“There, hands off. …Balok. I know what you’re about, so please stop stripping in public.”

“Ugh, it’s hot. Damn, I’m fuming.”

“Mother, Father’s suddenly mobilizing the troops.”

“Is he, now? Hazel!”

“Ahhh! Don’t call Hazel, you should stop him yourself!”

What on earth were they doing?

Just then—

A piercing surge of mana sliced through the air, accompanied by a chilling, inhuman scream.

“Elder! It’s a flying type!”

“Aaaah!”

From the direction of the palace in the distance came a mutated magical beast.

Ideline quickly cast a barrier formation as the beast shot toward us like a bullet. Experienced knights nocked arrows and loaded crossbows, deftly preparing ballistae for a counterattack. Licht was equally swift to react.

“Tsk. Go, quickly…!”

“Khal!”

“Yes.”

With heavy-lidded eyes, Khalid swept his gaze over the area.

By now, his family and the Zevert knights, mounted and ready, had spell circles blossoming at their feet.

Ideline and Khal were pouring mana into the ritual that would send us near the capital.

I, too, was preparing for a grand departure astride Arherkalberlominia the Third, when Father reached out a hand.

“Ruby, come here. You’re with me.”

“My Third…!”

“You don’t have a ‘Third’ yet. It’s dangerous, so you’ll ride with me.”

Ugh. I had no choice.

Prancing, I stroked my disappointed steed and turned to Father, just then—

“That’s not the way.”

A hand grabbed my shoulder from behind with astonishing strength.

“Khalid?”

“What are you doing?”

Father furrowed his brow at the ridiculousness, but Khal ignored him and moved his mana.

“I’ll take Ruby, Duke.”

“What? Hey, wha—”

Before Father could even finish—

Flash!

With a brief glimmer, the others’ teleportation circles activated.

The surrounding area emptied at once.

“Hey, what the—”

And then the ground lit up beneath my feet too.

Uh…

Wait a second.

‘But my spell circle…’

Wasn’t it a little different from the others’? Who changed it?

Just as I instinctively moved to examine the spell’s formula, a hand reached from behind and covered my eyes.

“Don’t look.”

Every hair on my body stood on end—a quiet breath caressed my ear like a whisper.

“Let’s go.”

Ch. 26

I glared wordlessly at the man before me.

“……”

Still silent.

“……”

Yet more silence.

“…Sorry.”

At last, Khal broke the unbearable tension by apologizing first.

A dark underground.

Illuminated by magical light, his face was laced with unmistakable discomfort.

“…What did you say?”

“……”

“Say something. You’re scaring me.”

“Could you wait? I’m considering my response.”

At my words, Khal nervously clenched and unclenched his fist.

“What response—”

I slowly looked around me.

A long corridor, shrouded in pitch darkness, stretched out before us.

A deep breath.

“I don’t know whether I should thank you for magically teleporting me to this part of the palace’s underground—a place even the Mage King probably doesn’t know about—”

“……”

“—or demand to know what the hell you’re doing all of a sudden!”

“……”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

So it was.

Khal had teleported everyone else close to the capital, but grabbed me and brought me straight here.

At first, I had no idea where we were.

Then, thanks to the Arcadia crest engraved on the wall and the strangely familiar atmosphere, I realized we were beneath the royal palace.

‘Who would have thought a place like this existed. I guess this part wasn’t restricted by teleportation magic.’

It was almost like a second palace built underground.

‘Did some high-ranking royal reside here in the past?’

Countless mysterious rooms, endless black corridors.

No light penetrated here, giving it the feel of a deep cave—a bit like a bomb shelter.

“Sorry. My mana… it suddenly surged out of control.”

Khalid kindled a lamp affixed to the stone wall, apologizing in a quiet voice.

“How did you know the spell to get here?”

“It just… came to me.”

I stared steadily at his face, washed in yellow light.

What is this feeling of dissonance?

“This won’t do. Let me see your mana—”

“Shh. Wait.”

Suddenly, his large frame stepped in, plunging my vision into darkness.

Only when my back pressed against the chilly stone wall did I realize he’d caged me between the wall and himself.

“Hey, what—”

“Quiet.”

There was an edge to his voice as a deep rumble echoed overhead.

None of that mattered—his scent enveloped me, making my breath catch. His solid chest, close to my nose, made my eyes widen.

Oh no.

I’m about to sneeze.

Just then.

“Upstairs, then.”

Once the presence had faded, Khal finally backed away a little. His smooth jaw inclined slowly toward me.

“…Did you faint, Ruby?”

“Phffft—hah.”

My breath—my breath!

I almost died again!

Khal bent down, peering into my face. Realizing I was simply suffering a bout of self-induced hypoxia, he withdrew a little.

“Go ahead and get mad now—for smothering you too.”

“Ha, forget it!”

For some reason, I was irritated!

I shoved Khalid firmly aside and turned away.

“Phew… First things first, I’d better let Father know I’m safe.”

Luckily, mana flow wasn’t blocked here.

I bit my lip, glanced at Khal, then dispatched a carrier spell to Father.

Oh, my fate.

I should’ve stayed glued to Father from the start, like a cicada on a gnarly tree branch… That’s what I do best.

Then, once again, a tremor rattled the ceiling above.

Intruders! Those bearing the Zevert crest are advancing on the palace!

Someone was shouting that loudly from above—it was audible even down here.

“What! Didn’t they only go as far as the outskirts? They’re at the palace already?”

Khal didn’t respond.

“Let’s get moving. We should go up, too.”

“All right.”

We decided to make our way forward for now.

Khalid insisted on taking the lead, saying something dangerous might leap out; I followed a few steps behind, walking down the corridor.

‘This isn’t the secret passage the second told me about… I have no idea where we’re supposed to go.’

Does he know?

Should I ask?

My heart hammered.

“……”

Just as I raised my hand to my earlobe, Khal abruptly stopped and turned.

“Footsteps.”

“Huh?”

“You’re dragging your feet a bit, aren’t you?”

Muttering, he came closer and crouched down.

“You reopened a wound on your calf.”

“No, not really—”

“You did.”

“What…”

The wound given by the beast looked well on the surface, but hurt dully if I pushed myself—maybe it wasn’t fully healed inside.

And earlier, when he yanked me along, the pain had flared right up.

“I’m fine. Let’s just go. I can still walk.”

But, ignoring my protest—

“Absolutely not.”

Khalid began opening doors as though he owned the place, determinedly searching until he found what looked to be a lounge.

He scooped me up without ceremony and strode across the room.

It had a sofa, a table, a large bed, tapestries and knickknacks—every detail befitting a proper chamber.

He gently set me on the sofa.

“Pull up your skirt and take off your shoes.”

“Now’s really not the time—”

Thud!

My shoulders jumped. For some reason, the sound of Khal using magic to close the door echoed thunderously.

“Ugh…”

He knelt before me, placing my foot across his knee.

The sensation of my skirt being slowly lifted sent a chill through me. My hands clutched the sofa tightly.

“It’s swollen where you were hurt. Your ankle too—why did you push yourself so much?”

His big hand roamed over my calf without restraint.

“Let’s get that fever down first.”

With that, he fetched a glass bottle of cold water and a towel, and thoroughly washed my feet and calves.

A curious silence lingered.

Only the sound of him washing my feet echoed strangely in the room.

“Beautiful.”

He murmured suddenly.

Khal’s gaze never left my ankle.

As his hand smoothed over my jutting ankle bone, he suddenly held it—like a snare.

“Beautiful, Ruby.”

I looked quietly at Khalid’s long lashes shadowed beneath lowered lids.

My heart pounded, my mouth went dry—not because his touch thrilled me, but because—

“You know, if you hold me so awkwardly like that…”

“……”

“You won’t break it.”

The man with unfamiliar eyes lifted his head slowly.

Bathed in dim magical light, his gray-blue eyes had lost the familiar warmth I knew; they stared at me, cold and strange.

When Khalid had pressed against me earlier—

I’d clearly sensed a foreign mana.

“Who are you?”

At that, the well-shaped lips curled faintly upward.

“Who are you, pretending to be Khalid?”