Youngest 010
by CristaeEpisode 10
But the young lord simply grinned, his broad, round eyes—at least a head taller than mine—narrowing mischievously.
“That’s enough for greetings, let’s head inside. The sun’s set, and the air’s getting a bit brisk.”
Mister placed a casual hand upon both my head and Void’s. Then, suddenly, he knit his brows.
“The height difference…”
It’s too much.
That seemed to be his muttered complaint, but I was too distracted, keenly observing Void.
“And the old lord?”
At Mister’s question, an elderly butler, elegantly sporting a pince-nez, stepped forward.
“The old lord has been feeling unwell recently; he’s been staying in the Northern Annex…”
His words were a low whisper. Mister gave a short nod.
“I see. I’ll pay him a visit later, then.”
He spoke as if used to the situation.
“For now, it would be best to get them washed up and fed. The journey wasn’t easy.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare everything at once.”
The elderly butler bowed deeply.
“Um… Father, may I visit you in your study later?”
Void shifted nervously, unable to contain the mix of awe and fear in his eyes as he looked upon his father after so long.
“Of course.”
Beaming, Void dashed up the stairs.
“Elto! Where’s my perfect test paper? And my swordsmanship records?”
“Oh, young master! Don’t run! And there’s no such thing as a perfect score!”
Truly, what boundless energy.
“You seem to have grown quite comfortable with the young master,” said the butler with a gentle note of laughter. Leviathan scratched the back of his head, slightly abashed.
“Well… yes, I suppose so.”
“Huh? Weren’t you two close before?” I blurted, unable as ever to hold back my curiosity.
“There was no closeness, nor a lack thereof.”
“Then what?”
“Well, you see,” said the butler, crouching down to meet my eyes.
“The master, it seems, took great pains to avoid seeing young master Void. Whenever the young master saw the lord, he was reduced to tears, and so the master, out of consideration…”
“Aha.”
“Well, it is the master’s own fault. Who wouldn’t be terrified if a large grown man stared down at them—like this?” The butler playfully lifted both forefingers, widening his eyes comically.
“Wouldn’t you agree?”
His smile was soft and warm. I nodded vigorously.
That’s right, exactly.
I know—he can be awfully prickly sometimes.
“Now at last, the awkwardness has faded. My lady suffered more than anyone, mediating between them.”
“…Adolf, you’re rather talkative today,” Mister remarked, sounding displeased.
Inside, the air was thick with warmth, cozying my chilled body. The butler gently removed my cloak, his touch light as he smiled.
“So everyone is a little surprised, you see.”
“Hm?”
“You’re the first child to have nestled so naturally in the master’s arms.”
“Oh, it was just… so comfortable—”
Ah. Suddenly it dawned on me.
Should I have walked in on my own? Wasn’t I supposed to act more composed up here in the north?
“Comfortable, you say? You talk back too, and so brazenly.”
He scrubbed my hair so vigorously my head floated up like a lion’s mane, static crackling.
“Stop it!”
“See? A wild little beast, I told you.”
Mister cackled like a villain; even the butler smothered a laugh, tipping up his glasses.
“Then, shall we get you washed and fed? Hazel.”
A brown-haired maid stepped forward.
“Lady Rubian, would you like to bathe first?”
‘A bath!’
The sound delighted me, but I hesitated, unable to promptly nod.
Caught between indecision and uncertainty, Leviathan spoke up.
“If Rubian consents, you may assist with bathing and dressing.”
The servants exchanged glances.
To make his point clear, Mister repeated himself.
“Do not force her.”
At times like this, he seemed far less harsh.
“As you wish, my lord.”
Sniffling once, I took the maid’s hand.
We slowly ascended the stairs to the second floor.
Unlike the austere façade outside, the interior of the Zevert Ducal Manor glowed with warmth and brightness.
Golden light from ornate chandeliers filled the halls, while thick, luxurious carpets and marble corridors gleamed faintly beneath our feet.
“This way, Lady Rubian.”
Seeing the Zevert crest stitched everywhere gave me a strangely complicated feeling.
Had I really managed to enter House Zevert in one piece?
‘Now, I must begin to find out why Mister will die.’
The real game began now.
“Shall we wait outside, then?”
I nodded quietly.
“If you need any help, please ring the bell.”
The maids looked back at me several times, their concern nearly palpable.
‘I understand why they worry—I do look so small and helpless.’
Yet I had bathed alone more times than I could count, in this life and the last.
In fact, I preferred it this way.
‘It smells nice.’
The bathroom was filled with pearly steam and the pleasant scent of fragrant oils. I slipped off my clothes and eased myself into the tub.
The soft white bubbles felt exquisite on my skin.
Letting my body relax, I melted into the warmth.
“Ahh, so good…”
Enjoying the comfort, I suddenly remembered Khalid.
With no one else around, I pressed my earlobe and tried to summon him, but—just as before—nothing.
‘He really has blocked me.’
By now, I was getting genuinely irritated.
To be honest, my biggest fear was that he’d suddenly appear out of nowhere. He was impossible to predict, after all…
I soaked a bit longer before rising from the bath.
Gazing into the large mirror, I saw my body, pathetically thin and bony, with an unsightly scar slashing across my right side.
‘Well, it wasn’t a complete lie, I guess.’
There were plenty of smaller scrapes, but that scar was the largest by far. Where had I gotten it…? The truth was, I couldn’t quite remember.
‘It must have hurt horribly…’
Perhaps it was a small blessing that I couldn’t recall.
Turning slowly, I checked my back.
“This is the real problem.”
There, stamped on the small of my back, was the crest of the Mage Kingdom.
‘I have to do something about this.’
I had to be ready for any contingency.
If it was discovered that I was the fugitive mage sought by the Mage Kingdom of Arcadia, it would be all over.
I still hadn’t uncovered the reason for Leviathan’s death, nor had I diverted the path to utter ruin.
I pondered deeply.
‘The worst scenario would be exposure as a mage—as well as my power.’
That would truly be the worst ending.
If that happened, I would be driven back to the Mage Kingdom, with none of my goals achieved.
And I certainly wouldn’t be able to prevent the destruction.
‘What if my past in the Human–Dark Beast War was revealed?’
I glanced at my scarred side again.
“Ugh.”
That would signify my identity as a child soldier from Arcadia—and almost certainly lead to my exposure as a mage.
In the end, another bad ending, just like before.
‘What about being found out as a girl?’
That was the lightest of my secrets.
But since it was common knowledge that the fugitive mage from the Mage Kingdom was a girl, I could only make things worse by giving cause for suspicion.
‘Besides…’
I recalled Leviathan from the original story.
Yes, the truth was—
‘I did consider the idea of confiding everything to Mister Leviathan.’
But I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Leviathan had lost his child in a carriage accident caused by a fugitive mage.
“A girl… was what it was.”
To be precise, it was the baby girl Rosetta had carried in her womb.
The duchess gave birth to a dead child.
Everyone in the Empire knew the story.
‘I remember all too well how Leviathan despaired in the original.’
Better than anyone, I knew.
It was after that tragedy—
That Leviathan and Duchess Rosetta began adopting children.
‘But they were all boys.’
The eldest. The second son as well.
That much was unmistakably clear.
“Sigh…”
I did not wish to become the cause of his trauma. Nor did I want to be anything that would remind him of his lost daughter.
Moreover, that incident had sparked the hatred toward mages—not only in Mister, but throughout the entire North.
‘I don’t want to be hated…’
Despite how he acts, Mister has a hidden kindness—he wouldn’t change his attitude overnight.
But if he showed even the slightest sign of avoidance…
‘I don’t think I could bear it.’
So at least, for the time being, while I am here—
“I’ll just be a normal child.”
I’d gained more secrets, many more—but this could not be helped.
Splash, splash! I doused myself with water to clear my head.
‘Thankfully, the mana here isn’t as thin as in the capital.’
Was it because this was once the land of magical beasts?
On the journey here, I’d gently coaxed my mana into motion, and unlike the capital, I didn’t feel faint or strained.
‘Maybe that’s why I’m able to contact Khalid here…’
If only he hadn’t blocked me. Damn.
“All right. Stealth magic first.”
I began channeling my mana.
My internal channels still felt blocked, but using the ambient mana from the air made everything suddenly easier.
Stealth magic, after all, was among the most basic of spells.
I conjured a thin veil, matching my skin tone, and covered both the mage’s crest and my side wound.
‘As long as I don’t become seriously weakened, I should be able to maintain this.’
I was—at least, I thought I was—quite a capable mage.
Maybe, quite.
My mind held a trove of knowledge on magic circles and circuits.
Though my innate mana was never abundant, that very knowledge had earned me recognition as a competent mage back in the kingdom.
‘With little power of my own, I struggle only in places where mana is scarce…’
As long as it’s not the Imperial capital, I’ll get by.
This should be enough.
‘If I can find a circuit that links ambient mana to my own, sensing and syncing it in real time…’
If I could connect that to my stealth spell—
My head was whirring with possibility.
Turning slightly toward the mirror, I caught a glimpse of red swirling in my eyes.
When borrowing knowledge in my mind rather than casting ordinary spells, my pupils sometimes shifted in this way. I never knew why.
Whoosh.
A shimmer of magic flashed and vanished.
Harnessing the ambient mana around me, I completed a new sigil that would keep my stealth spell running at all times.
Now, even if someone were to suddenly strip my clothes, I’d be safe!
‘Of course, I still need to be cautious—I can’t conjure something that isn’t there.’
With a flicker of embarrassment, I glanced downward.
‘Anyway, it’s a blessing the northerners are so ignorant of magic.’
The satisfaction of going unnoticed while using my power—supreme!
“Lady Rubian? Isn’t it taking rather a long time?”
“I—I’m coming out!”
With that, I hurriedly shouted back.
Oh, don’t rush! It’s dangerous!
Ignoring the maids’ anxious voices, I stepped out of the bath.
All in all, it was a highly meaningful first bath.
When I finished, Hazel was waiting for me.
“Lady Rubian, let me introduce myself again. I’ll be acting as your personal attendant—my name is Hazel.”
“Yes! Hello, Hazel!”
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
“Um, I’ll try to loosen up.”
Smiling, Hazel nodded.
For some reason, I found myself shy around those who hadn’t appeared frequently in the original story…
“Then, shall we go to dinner? The chef has been working extra hard ever since word spread that you arrived.”
Oh dear. That seems a bit much.
As Hazel dabbed away the last drops of water on my arms and legs, her brow furrowed in concern.
“Hmmm… These clothes really are too big. I should have prepared a smaller size.”
The other maids behind her nodded in agreement.
None of the clothes they had set out in advance fit me properly.
“These were all tailored to Master Void’s childhood measurements… It seems we’ll have to order a new set.”
“I’m fine, really. I can just…”
I began folding the long sleeves one after another.
“…do this!”
Ta-da!
“Aaack…”
Hazel made a strangled noise, flexing all ten fingers as if unable to resist.
“You are just unbearably adorable—but no! You must wear clothes that fit! I’ll contact the boutique at once!”
Hazel’s eyes blazed with determination.
Is this so important?
Not really understanding, I let the matter drop.
“Shall we head to dinner, then?”
“Yes!”
Together with Hazel, I went down to the dining room.
“By the way, what about Mister?”
“The lord has urgent matters to attend to and will dine separately tonight.”
“Oh, I see.”
That made sense. He had only just returned after a long absence—he must be frantic.
I sat quietly at my seat.
The dining hall was so large it bordered on desolate, but before long, the second son of the house arrived.
Void Zevert made his entrance.