Youngest 096
by Cristae96
“How are they… managing things?”
Dad slowly rose to his feet.
“There was a kidnapping not that long ago. Everyone’s gotten complacent, haven’t they?”
Mom echoed, her voice icy with concern.
“Well then, I’ll be off. Levi.”
“Yes.”
With that enigmatic farewell from Mom, Dad was swept away on a gust of wind and vanished. I blinked in confusion.
“Dad… where are you going?”
“To give them… a little guidance.”
“Huh?”
“Advice. Sounds like he’s just thought of something to discuss with His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Oh.”
I see. Well, that makes sense.
Still, somehow…
‘Good luck, Your Majesty!’
Strangely, I found myself wanting to root for the Emperor…
Rosetta headed to the hot spring with Rubian. She felt sure that sitting in the warm water with her daughter at sunset would be blissful.
Rubian had been exceptional today.
She’d bravely stamped her entry for the maze contest, then raced through the garden like a whirlwind, throwing open the exit gate ahead of everyone else.
‘Everyone expected the Fourth Prince would win.’
Of course, I believed in my daughter!
“Oh, you precious thing!”
Rosetta hugged Rubian’s head tight, smothering her in kisses. Rubian wriggled in embarrassment, her cheeks turning red.
But seeing how she clung to the badge on her chest, she was clearly proud of herself too.
“All right, let’s get undressed.”
“Yesss!”
They reached the hot spring and pulled aside the changing tent. The maids who helped with dressing were already waiting.
Rubian bounced in cheerfully to undress, only to pause mid-motion.
“Um, Mom…”
“Yes?”
The girl hesitated, clutching her clothes, looking distinctly uneasy.
“What’s the matter? Rubian.”
“Um… I need the restroom…”
Rosetta’s brow furrowed.
“Is your stomach upset? Did you overdo it today? Let me see. Mama can—”
“No! I really just have to go to the bathroom!”
Rubian retreated quickly. Rosetta stopped short, her brow creasing.
“I’ll just be right back to the manor’s restroom!”
“What? But there’s one nearby—”
Zoom. Rubian disappeared before Rosetta could finish speaking. She sighed lightly and shook her head.
She does this sometimes.
Like she’s being chased by something.
Hiding something…
“Wait a moment.”
Rosetta looked up.
Surely she hadn’t gotten hurt during the contest?
She suddenly remembered the injury on her daughter’s body. At the time, Rosetta had burst into tears without realizing it, and Rubian’s face had been full of apology…
Maybe she’s keeping quiet for my sake?
That thought left her unreasonably worried.
“Everyone, I’m going to follow Rubian.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rosetta hastened away.
She half-ran along a little path—a shortcut to the manor—when she spotted a silver head in the distance.
Rosetta was startled.
“Ruby! Did you fall?”
“Ah! You startled me…”
The girl spun around quickly. Rubian, who’d been crouching by the bushes as if she’d stumbled, hastily pulled down her clothes and stood up.
“Let me see.”
“No! I’m fine!”
Rubian insisted, but Rosetta thoroughly checked her daughter’s body.
Thankfully, there seemed to be no injury.
“What are you doing out here?”
“I just remembered… there’s a restroom near the hot spring too, so I was heading back.”
The girl gave a sheepish grin. Rosetta slumped her shoulders in relief.
“Really now, you should’ve waited until I finished speaking.”
“Sorry.”
The girl apologized glumly. Rosetta held Rubian’s hand tightly and headed back to the hot spring.
“I can’t wait to get in!”
Rubian seemed excited again.
“Can I go in the pink spring?”
“Of course.”
“Yay!”
Maybe it was just my imagination.
Suppressing a smile, Rosetta looked ahead.
She’d had a colorful, eventful past.
No need to brag about it all, but the upshot was, those experiences had given her unusually sharp eyesight.
‘Didn’t I see… some kind of mark before she pulled down her clothes?’
A mark? A pattern?
It seemed to have vanished in an instant.
‘Something that looked like… a tree.’
Rosetta narrowed her eyes. Well, since they’d be bathing together, she decided to check again.
‘Ah, I must have imagined it.’
Her suspicion faded soon enough.
When Rubian took off her clothes again, the skin of her lower back was nothing but white and smooth.
She decided what she’d seen was just the shadow of a tree at sunset. Otherwise, it couldn’t have disappeared so suddenly.
Whew. I let out a sigh of relief.
‘I forgot to hide the crest…’
In that maze, I’d been caught by the nullification magic. It was a spell that removed all magical devices cast on my body.
Naturally, that meant the magic veil hiding the crest on my lower back had been undone as well.
And, rather foolishly, I’d forgotten to put it back.
‘I can’t let my guard down.’
I hardened my resolve once again.
The tracking mage was still in Ipsen.
Just like in that maze, he could come after me again at any time.
Thinking of that made my hands and feet cold and my expression harden. Actually, I’d been like that ever since we were at the manor.
Luckily, Dad and Mom seemed to think I was just tired from the contest.
Trying to hide my nerves, I slid deep into the warm water.
As Rosetta settled in beside me, frothing the water, I stole a glance up at her.
‘That was a real scare earlier.’
I’d been trying to redo the concealment spell on my crest in the bushes when Mom appeared and gave me a real fright.
Thank goodness the spell worked quickly and I didn’t get caught.
‘But…’
I pondered as I lifted my lips from the steam.
‘…Didn’t the crest get a little bigger?’
The branches seemed to have grown a bit.
Or am I imagining things…?
I’d never heard of a crest that grows.
Then, for no reason at all, I suddenly remembered the mage’s crest from my dream—the faint image of Yggdrasil’s branches on that slender forearm.
‘Huh? Why’d I think of that all of a sudden?’
I cocked my head, puzzled. Was I just obsessing over the crest too much…?
“Ruby, let’s have spicy stew!”
Just then, Mom’s cheerful face popped into view.
I was startled out of my thoughts and nodded eagerly. If I seemed any more withdrawn, Mom might start to pick up on something.
“Yay, hot spring feast!”
I grinned and bounced up. My shadow stretched long in the sunset.
‘Ah.’
As I walked, hand in hand with Rosetta, a faint thought ran through my mind.
‘Maybe the crest didn’t grow…’
Maybe it was just my shadow stretched across my back that I’d seen.
The next evening.
At last, it was the night of the contest’s award ceremony and celebration.
Starting in the afternoon, Rosetta barged into my room, devoting herself to dressing me up.
“Is all this really necessary?”
“Of course! It’s your first grand banquet, and you have to be the cutest girl there. Besides, you took first place in the Spring Festival!”
“Heh.”
I squirmed with excitement.
That’s right.
Earlier, the Imperial palace attendant had stopped by and quietly told me the tally—my star sticker total had earned me first overall.
What do I do. First overall in my very first contest.
It actually happened.
“I didn’t really expect to get first, but… It’s all thanks to everyone cheering for me, and—really, I want to share this honor with my family…”
“Right! Save your speech for the stage! We’ve got to get ready. Hazel!”
“Yes, I’ve been waiting for your call.”
Hazel and the maids streamed in like a train. As at the prayer banquet, I was scrubbed and polished and transformed into the dazzling Rubian once again.
Tonight’s outfit: a child’s dress of pale yellow striped fabric.
Once again, a wave of heart disease swept the manor. The renowned northern physician Borvel hustled about in a panic before we were finally able to head to the ballroom.
Riding in a breezy carriage, the twilight scenery whirled past.
‘The award ceremony. And the evening banquet!’
Excitement—and a bit of worry—bubbled up.
‘I just hope nothing too tiring happens…’
Sigh.
I fidgeted with the pale scarf covering my lips.