Youngest 077

Episode 77

“Blan…kets! Outerwear! Covers!”

He dashed off somewhere at full speed, then returned, his arms full of things like his furry outerwear, blankets, and anything remotely like a throw, all bundled up.

Yet, in the end, he was so flustered he couldn’t bring himself to actually drape anything over me, only standing there shivering, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

“I-Isn’t the coat too heavy? What if my little sister just… vanishes?”

What’s with him.

“I’m not made of bubbles, you know.”

“Gasp—! I didn’t realize! Liam, did you know?”

Is Void simply… incapable of communicating normally these days?

With a disgruntled face, I let out a sharp retort.

“We literally played windmill-spin just a few days ago! Seriously, what’s gotten into you!”

“Yeah… What have I done…”

Void staggered, his expression as if his world had crumbled.

‘There’s no helping him.’

This is serious.

I shook my head, giving up without regret, and turned away.

But just as I took a step,

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Two broad, dark backs suddenly loomed in front of me, side by side.

“With this broad surface, I guarantee your comfort, little fairy.”

“Ruby gets the comfiest on my back, you know!”

“Wow, incredible!”

Absolutely tiresome!

Naturally, I ignored both of them and stepped outside. Sparks flew between the brothers’ eyes, and Hazel, watching, had to stifle her laughter.

Hmph, I should go find my backup battery!

Where could it possibly be?

“Khaa…! Yikes—!”

As I flung the door open to dash out, my steps tangled.

Because I caught sight of a shadow standing by the door, as still as a withered tree.

“Careful.”

Khalid caught me as I nearly fell. Blinking, I looked up at him.

“Why are you just standing outside the door, not coming in…?”

Seeing his gloomy face, I couldn’t help but furrow my brows.

Surely not… I started to wonder.

“You haven’t been standing here all this time, have you…?”

Khalid, who hardly ever avoids my gaze, sidestepped his eyes.

“Don’t you dare tell me you’ve been guarding this spot for days!”

“…”

I told him not to speak, but he really said nothing.

And then Khalid, who’d been holding my shoulder, let go and stepped back.

Crack. I was more than a little shocked. Khalid pushing me away first—he’s never done that before!

For some reason, I felt thunder roaring inside.

“You, you, you! Why won’t you look at me?”

“…”

“Are you really not going to answer just because I told you not to talk? Were you standing here all this time?”

“…If I answer, I’ll end up lying, so I’d rather not say. Don’t ask me.”

He replied coldly, then clamped his lips shut, eyes lowered, never meeting mine.

“They said he’s reflecting, you know.”

That voice came from behind me.

Two dark-haired heads poked out from the crack in the door, side by side like peas in a pod.

“Reflecting? On what?”

I didn’t even need to ask. One glance at that rain-soaked puppy look was enough.

I bit my lip and glared at Khalid.

“Just look at me… Cough, cough!”

As I broke into a fit of coughing, Khalid snapped his head toward me. His face rapidly flushed blue, then yellow, then drained entirely pale.

“Y-Yeah, I really am hopeless…”

Khalid staggered back.

“That’s not it! You idiot!”

What am I going to do with him.

After a moment’s hesitation, I made up my mind.

I grabbed the wrist of Khalid, who was about to move further down the corridor.

Everyone watching flinched, but I couldn’t care less.

“Ruby? Ruby, Ruby, Ruby? Aren’t you getting a bit too close to him…?”

“Khalid, run!”

I sprinted in the opposite direction, where no one else was around.

“W-Why… Why are you holding my hand…”

Khalid stammered, completely flustered.

Hmph. He grabs my hand all the time without a care, but if I take it first, he always reacts like this.

“Let’s run! Away from those meddlesome big brothers of mine!”

“Ruby! Where are you going!”

Void called out in despair from behind.

“Void, follow her. We have to catch them.”

“Brother! Why are you running the other way? Ugh, you’re so bad with directions!”

“…? That can’t be true.”

“What do you mean, can’t be… Ah! Don’t push up your glasses while looking at me!”

The distant sounds of bickering faded away.

“Aahh, where am I supposed to go!”

“…Just follow me.”

At some point, Khalid’s loosely clasped fingers tightened firmly around mine. I’d started out pulling him along, but somewhere along the way, he took over.

His upright profile appeared just ahead of me.

Still, he doesn’t shake me off.

A faint, lopsided smile crept onto my lips.

“Turns out you’re like this, after all.”

My wonderfully good-hearted little puppy.

My heart thudded, full of happy excitement.

---

We arrived at the greenhouse behind the ducal estate.

“With the power of three and a half laps around the training ground!”

Panting, I flashed a victory sign. For some reason, Khalid’s expression was refreshed, and he let out a soft laugh.

The greenhouse was wide and warm. As I gazed at the flowerbed, where colorful blooms peeked out, I slowly slipped off my outer garment.

“Aren’t you still sick? Don’t take it off.”

“No, I’m almost better! I’m already shaking off the cough too.”

It’s so hot right now! As I fanned myself and stubbornly took the garment off, Khalid, looking rather reluctant, took it and held it in his hands.

“I didn’t even know a place like this existed!”

“There’s a tea table by the pond over there too.”

“How wonderful. Shall we have tea?”

Sitting amidst lovely flowers and a pond for tea time!

But Khalid only shook his head once.

“No. I’m going to stand guard here a bit longer and reflect.”

“Give it a rest already.”

Wow, such stubbornness.

“Why do you blame yourself for me running off on my own and getting into trouble? That’s my fault, not yours!”

“…It’s absolutely not your fault.”

“Fine. Then let’s say it was one hundred percent the fault of those kidnapper misters!”

It seemed Khalid was still deeply shaken about losing track of me at the hot spring.

He was frustrated, angry, and aggrieved. Even without words, I could feel the storm of his emotions.

‘Why’s he beating himself up over this!’

I didn’t know what to call this swelling feeling inside.

Anger? Pity?

Khalid bit his lip, looking straight at me. Maybe he wasn’t sleeping well—his eyes seemed a little red.

“I know, I know. But I can’t help being angry.”

“…”

“Just… let me be for now.”

He muttered brusquely and turned away once more.

I, grumbling under my breath, thrust out my hand abruptly.

“Give it.”

“What…?”

“Don’t play dumb. Quickly.”

“…You don’t look like you’re short on mana.”

“How can you tell just by looking at my face? I swear, everything’s spinning before my eyes right now.”

Though he knew I was exaggerating, gentle Khalid slowly undid his bracelet. Those hesitant fingertips turned toward me.

I seized his hand firmly.

“Here! A handshake of forgiveness! Happy now?”

With it, I gently infused a trace of my magic into him. Khalid’s magic, which had been trickling toward me, hesitated a moment.

“What are you doing? That’s barely any mana at all.”

Sensing him try to pull away instinctively, I tightened my grip, shaking his hand as if in an exaggerated handshake.

“I forgive you! Even though I don’t really know what you did wrong! No, actually, someone else is to blame, so why are you digging yourself into a hole? It’s making me upset too!”

That steady gaze fixed on me. After a brief silence, Khalid spoke.

“…You’re upset? When I’m in a bad mood?”

I didn’t know why those words struck me as they did, but I nodded emphatically.

“Of course!”

His lips parted, hesitating.

A faint crease formed at his smooth brow.

“…Me too.”

“Huh?”

“If you’re upset, I get sad too.”

“O-oh… really?”

Khalid’s eyelids lowered slowly.

I’d been entranced by the flutter of his lashes, but meeting those vividly colored eyes so suddenly, I felt as if something was squeezing my throat.

“That tickles… Enough already.”

Khalid smiled wryly. Without realizing, I’d been sending him little bursts of magic, over and over.

“Sorry.”

As I reflexively tried to pull my hand away, his long fingers tightened their hold.

“But since it feels good, just a bit longer.”

On the other side of the greenhouse’s transparent walls, sunlight poured in. His ash blue eyes, touched by the sun, sparkled like polished glass.

“You said if I feel good, you feel good too.”

“That’s not… exactly what I said, is it?”

“You said it.”

At that moment, my head tilted of its own accord.

‘What is this?’

Thump, thump.

With my free hand, I pressed against my left chest.

Why is my heart pounding as if I’d been running?

I had no idea.