Youngest 048

Episode 48

“Rubian, miss?”

“Hello, Doctor Borvel.”

I managed a mechanical smile as I greeted him politely. Honestly, I was halfway out of my mind.

Borvel gave a thoughtful hum and set me in a chair.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m extremely, absolutely, perfectly healthy.”

I did three full laps of the mini training ground just today.

It’s just that I’ve caught a peculiar illness: I can’t call His Grace by any name at all.

Is it incurable? Is this the end for me?

Borvel scrutinized me carefully.

“Hmm, you seem perfectly fine to me, too.”

Mister let out a sharp laugh at that.

“That can’t be. Here, watch. Rubian, who am I?”

I stared dully at the man in front of me.

“Ah!”

“…”

“…”

Mouth wide open, I froze on the spot.

I was out of conversational tactics to deflect him now. At the sight, Mister pressed his forehead in despair.

“See? I’ve lost everything. I’m nothing but an exclamation now.”

“Ha ha.”

Lately, word among the staff was that my name was to be entered in the family register; it was a bit of a hot issue. Borvel, too, seemed to have heard the rumors, and gave an understanding chuckle.

“Well… perhaps this is something that just needs time…”

Will it really get better with time, Doctor?

I gave an awkward, halfhearted smile.

Just then, Butler Adolf, who had been hovering anxiously nearby, approached.

“Your Grace, you should be going soon. There’s a mountain of work to review by today…”

“Sigh.”

With a heavy sigh, His Grace rose to his feet.

Feeling guilty for being the cause of his furrowed brow, I wiggled my fingers in a timid farewell.

“Take care… bring in lots of money…”

Mister stared at my face and muttered like a ghost.

“Honestly. I wish I could turn back time.”

Clack. As soon as the door closed, I let the forced smile drop from my face.

“Is it hard for you to say ‘Dad’?”

Borvel looked at me and asked. My energy drained, I nodded weakly.

“Yes.”

Why would a simple title matter so much?

Well… in both my past and present life, I’d hardly ever called anyone Mom or Dad.

‘In my past life, I was disowned twice before I could even change what I called them…’

Though I’d called the Mage King ‘Father,’ it was nothing but an empty formality, without any soul.

“Ugh. I must look so stupid!”

I buried my head in my arms on the table.

No one was more disheartened by my own helplessness than I was. Above all, it hurt most to see Mister’s face looking even a little disappointed.

“Doctor, do you think I’ll get better?”

I asked desperately, and Borvel’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Of course.”

“How…?”

“Let go of the idea that you absolutely must call him that.”

“Huh?”

“Then, I think it might come out all on its own.”

Is Borvel just kind of a ‘go with the flow’ type?

Finding his simple advice strangely anticlimactic, I laughed, and Borvel joined in.

“Or, perhaps there’s an unresolved problem in your heart getting in the way.”

“A problem in my heart?”

“Is there perhaps a worry, or a secret, you haven’t shared?”

Uh… quite a few, actually.

When I stayed silent, Borvel’s eyes slanted slyly in a half-smile.

“Of course, you can tell me if you wish.”

“Oh, I’ll pass.”

“…”

Oops, that was supposed to stay in my head.

Quickly, I fumbled to correct myself.

“Uh, I mean, I don’t have any! No worries, no secrets. Really!”

“Ah, well, that’s good to hear.”

Borvel patted my head a couple of times and then pulled out an energy-boosting jelly from his drawer. Checking his watch with a glance, he rose to his feet.

“Shall we head to the study now? It’s just about time for your lesson.”

“Oh, yes!”

That was the best thing I’d heard all day.

When your mind was a mess, it was better to occupy it with something else.

‘Maybe all I need is time.’

With that calm thought, I prayed for my troublesome illness to pass soon.

---

Unfortunately, my ailment wasn’t cured so easily.

Spin, spin, spin.

I was crouched in a corner of the mini training ground.

Though I’d managed to run three and a half laps for the first time and even received compliments from my seniors, I couldn’t feel any joy.

‘I want to brag to Mister.’

But to do that, I’d have to call him.

Whether it’s Mister, or Dad.

But, as though something large was stuck in my throat, the words just wouldn’t come out smoothly. It frustrated me to no end.

“Seriously! Why does something as simple as a title matter so much!”

You said you wanted to be an ordinary kid, Rubian!

Ordinary kids don’t hesitate to call someone ‘Dad’!

“What even is ‘ordinary’ in the first place?!”

The outburst burst out from inside me.

Spin, spin. I dug hard at the dirt with my finger.

Then, a large shadow fell over me from behind.

“Oh, my little snot even draws good snails, huh!”

I was hoisted up. Looking down from the sudden height, I saw Grandfather’s face grinning mischievously.

He looked at the symbol of my dug-up frustration in the dirt and barked out a laugh.

“Why, there must be over a hundred! Since it’s my little one’s first work, this training ground should be preserved forever.”

“Then where am I supposed to run…?”

“We can always build a new training ground!”

Grandfather carried me off in his arms with long strides. It was a little embarrassing moving like that embraced by him.

“Grandfather, I ran three and a half laps today.”

His wrinkled eyes grew as round as lanterns.

“It’s a festival!”

We should have a festival!

I clapped both hands over my mouth before he could declare it.

Even with my hands silencing his lips, Grandfather kept mumbling away.

‘Come to think of it, I have no trouble saying ‘Grandfather’…’

How odd.

“I was going to say I can walk on my own now! No festivals! No commemorations! No writing letters to the Imperial House, either!”

I shouted up. Grandfather boomed with laughter.

“Of course, of course! Who do you think you are, after all?”

Still, he didn’t set me down, so I had to cross the wide training ground nestled in his big arms.

Watching his steady stride, I suddenly asked,

“Is your knee any better, Grandfather?”

“It hurts from time to time.”

“Oh…”

That upset me.

Too much time had passed for Grandfather’s injury to be fully healed. Thankfully, he’d started visiting Borvel again, and had gotten much better than before, but he was still not at one hundred percent.

I wilted a bit.

“I’ll study even harder and cure you completely someday…”

“Ha ha! That’s all right, lass! If you’re worried, just come by often and blow on it for me!”

With a swing, Grandfather bounced me up a bit.

“But why are you so down today?”

“Hmm?”

“They say Leviathan’s eyes are red from waiting to hear you call him ‘Dad.’ Is that it?”

Ah, so he heard.

I blinked, looking up at him. Grandfather’s rugged features furrowed slightly.

“My little snot doesn’t seem too eager for it.”

“Well… do I really have to change what I call him?”

“Of course not. You should do whatever you want.”

He replied more gently than usual, then let out a huff of laughter.

“Still, watching that fellow fret and dither is quite a bit of fun!”

“That’s just mean…”

“Still. Ruby.”

His big, thick hand gently pinched my nose and let go.

“When you change what you call someone, the relationship changes, too. You might get closer, or drift further apart.”

“But if you’re right by someone’s side, how could you drift further away?”

“Oh, you can. Being close in body isn’t everything.”

“I came here just so I could stay right by Mister’s side…”

It came out as a mutter, but Grandfather seemed to catch the words all the same.

“That’s right. You did so well. How clever you are, huh? You managed to chase that scoundrel down and ended up with your angel of a granddad too, didn’t you?”

“…It feels like something has changed.”

“That’s just a misunderstanding. Anyway, child, don’t miss this opportunity.”

“What opportunity?”

Genuinely curious, I asked. Grandfather squinted his eyes in mischief.

“The chance to make Leviathan’s kid your umbrella for the rest of your life.”