Youngest 098

Episode 98

“There’s a seat prepared for you over there.”

I peeked toward the maid’s outstretched hand.

At the round table, my brothers and Khalid sat with unashamed faces. When had they escaped all the way over there?

“You left me behind!”

As I grasped my skirt, preparing to stomp over, a few girls grabbed my arm.

“Ah, would you mind sitting with us…?”

“Sorry. I promised to sit with my brothers…”

“Oh, I see. That’s too bad… Oh!”

At that moment, the girls’ eyes widened like lanterns as they scanned the table.

“Th-that person sitting next to the young lords—isn’t that… from the riding competition…?”

That person? What’s with Khalid that they say “that person”?

My ears perked up and I started to approach, but since I didn’t sit with them, the girls didn’t include me in their conversation group…

“Well then, Lady, let’s talk again sometime!”

The girls cut things off crisply and disappeared.

Tsk, what a pity.

In any case, I followed the maids’ guidance to the table and took a seat.

It was beside Khalid.

He glanced at me, then clenched and unclenched his fist under the table. The tips of his ears were a little red—was his heart still hurting…?

“Ruby, you’re unbelievably popular right now.”

Void grinned slyly.

“You guys ran away and left me!”

“Impressive… to have seen through us so quickly.”

“Liam, don’t act all clever to escape this.”

“A voice quacking like a magical beast? Annoying, just annoying.”

Liam turned his face away sharply.

Well… Liam being here at all was a miracle.

The banquet was lively enough, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The musicians played cheerful tunes, and as the prepared food appeared, the mood warmed even more.

But as time went on, I started to feel more and more drained for some reason. Is it the aftermath of the Festival of New Leaves…?

“Ruby, eat up!”

“Mhm.”

Even the children who had been sneaking glances at us soon got absorbed in chatting and eating amongst themselves.

I poked at a piece of meat Void had cut for me, then ended up putting it on Khalid’s plate. I just didn’t have any appetite.

“Khalid, here, have mine.”

“You should eat more yourself.”

Whoosh. The one piece I’d put on Khalid’s plate came back as two.

Then, sitting across from us, Void narrowed his eyes.

“You two seem awfully cozy over there?”

He stretched out his arm, pushing Khalid’s and my plates far apart from each other.

Khalid looked annoyed.

“What’s the problem?”

“What’s the problem, you say?”

“Yes.”

Hm, this conversation sounds familiar.

“My little sister is…”

But this time, Void didn’t stop.

“It’s a problem because she’s a girl, you colorless midnight-sky-ed sap!”

He burst out, practically pouncing.

Of course, Khalid just laughed through his nose. Watching, Liam pushed up his glasses with a finger.

“Stop pestering Sprout, Void.”

“…Sprout?”

He curled one side of his lip in a mean smirk.

“Here you go.”

He piled all his meat onto Khalid’s plate.

“Eat up, get stuffed so you get sleepy.”

“Brother… You realize that’s only a penalty for you, right?”

You should give him vegetables! Vegetables!

Void, indignant, dumped all his vegetables on as well.

“…”

Thanks to that, Khalid, faced with at least twice the usual amount of nutrients, stared at his plate in disbelief.

“Everyone, stop doting on Khalid! I know how you feel, but if he overeats… ugh… nooo…”

I slumped limply over the table.

“Ruby?”

“I’m… exhausted…”

“What, is it the cold? You should’ve just rested at home. You’ll have a cold forever at this rate.”

Void scolded briefly, but there was concern in his eyes.

“Why… are you saying it like theeeat…”

My body felt heavy as lead, and my tongue seemed to drag as well.

I’m so sleepy…

As I rubbed my eyes, Liam clicked his tongue and put down his utensils.

“I suppose now isn’t the time for eating. We should find a lounge or something…”

He was about to help me up when—

Suddenly, commotion broke out at the front of the hall.

“Now, everyone, are you enjoying the party? We’ve prepared a special event to commemorate the day.”

A middle-aged man, who looked to be a palace official, stood before us.

“What’s this? An event?”

Children murmured among themselves.

“A mage visiting from the Allied Nations will be handing out special gifts to commemorate the festival!”

“What?”

Void and Liam’s faces crumpled. What was this sudden talk of a mage? The two boys grumbled under their breath.

‘Ah, so it’s come to this…’

I slowly pushed myself upright from the table.

Cold sweat trickled down my back. This wasn’t just because I felt unwell. Almost reflexively, my hand rose to check the mask hiding my face.

“If you’ll excuse me.”

At that moment, a man in white priest’s robes appeared. His face was mostly obscured by his high collar, not fully visible as it had been in the hedge maze.

Step, step.

Red hair. Brown eyes.

The mage swept his gaze across the wide hall. I could feel Khalid, sitting beside me, clench his fist tightly.

“Congratulations on enjoying the Babylon Spring Festival. Our kingdom has prepared gifts for you all, and I would be glad if you would accept them.”

His polite words accompanied him as he set a box on the podium at the front of the hall.

The box was filled to the brim with round pendants inlaid with small gems.

“What are those?”

Someone asked, and the mage answered courteously.

“They’re magical tools. If you grip them firmly like this…”

“Wooooow!”

A yellow light burst forth.

It shifted into the shape of a cute rabbit, which hopped around—then vanished. Others became birds, tigers, fish…

It was more than enough to captivate the children’s attention.

“Now, now. Please step up one at a time to receive yours.”

Children rushed forward in a wave.

I pressed my lips together and clasped my hands.

‘A mage from the kingdom…’

So they haven’t given up after all.

Just as I expected, what happened in the maze was merely a scouting run.

Now, I realized, was the true moment the mage had been waiting for.

My hands and feet went cold, swept over by a wave of tension I couldn’t help. Just then, someone squeezed my hand firmly.

“It’s okay.”

Khalid whispered softly. I nodded.

‘No point running now.’

Khalid and I had already prepared a countermeasure for this. Besides, if we were to leave the hall now, that might be exactly what the mage was hoping for.

“Aren’t the Zevert young lords and young lady going to come up as well?”

A palace attendant looked toward our table.

“Not interested. It’s a silly toy, nothing more.”

Liam declined. Sure enough, the mage’s chilly gaze flickered toward us.

I hated being the center of attention, so I quickly turned away and tugged on Liam.

“B-Brother, let’s get in line.”

“What, did you really want one that badly?”

I nodded so faintly it was impossible to tell if I was agreeing or not. Void and Liam exchanged glances and joined the line with me.

I warily fixed my gaze on the pendants.

‘Those are… definitely magic-detection tools masquerading as toys.’

It was a different form than the magical devices Asha used, or the ones I’d created.

“Oh! Shall we have the young ladies under ten line up first? Just to be considerate.”

The mage’s smile was sickeningly sweet as he crinkled his eyes.

It must have only looked that way to me… Children my age, all bright with excitement, rushed to the front.

“Now, the young lady over there as well.”

With the mage beckoning, I stepped forward as well.

Khalid gave me a worried look, but I stood tall and looked straight ahead.

“Huh? Mage, why is yours a blue gem? Mine’s red.”

At that moment, a child who’d received a magical tool asked.

“Ah. That’s because I have magic within me. If someone has magic, the gem changes color.”

“So, blue for mage, red for regular people, right?”

“Yes. But no need to worry. Even without your own magic, you’ll be able to play with the light animals as long as the mana stored in the gem lasts.”

“Wow, thank you!”

The child trotted off with joy.

The mage handed out each pendant personally, checking the color of the stone inside each one. The line shrank quickly, and so did my nerves.

Finally, it was my turn.

As I climbed the steps, the mage greeted me from across a small table.

“Ah. You must be Lady Zevert.”

His tone was theatrically formal.

We’d met in the maze, but of course, he acted as if this was our first encounter.

“Hello.”

I returned the greeting without flinching.

‘The Fourth. It’s been a while.’

So, it’s come to this at last.

“You truly have… beautiful hair.”

A glint of pleasure flashed across the mage’s face.

“And what might be under that mask, I wonder?”

At that moment, without warning, the mage’s hand shot forward.

‘This—!’

My eyes flew open wide.