Youngest 101

Episode 101
Ch.10

The eventful banquet had finally ended.

The matter of the tracking mage, which had worried me, was settled for now, and once I removed the bracelet, I quickly regained my energy and ate to my heart’s content.

After having a cake-eating contest with Liam and Void, I finally left the party hall. Naturally, I was the victor.

As I was leaving the banquet, my elder brothers were each caught by acquaintances from their respective academies.

Void was surrounded by a group of mischievous-looking boys, while Liam was engaged by a very strict-seeming academy research professor.

“Everyone’s so busy, aren’t they?”

I spoke to Khalid.

We sat by a fountain near the building, waiting for the carriage.

‘Dad should be out soon… Why isn’t he?’

I went to look for him in the adults’ banquet hall, but he wasn’t there.

I considered whether he was still arguing with His Majesty the Emperor and thought about going there, but decided against it.

The surroundings were quiet.

Sir Leon had gone to prepare the carriage, and everyone else was too caught up in the party to take any interest in this lonely little fountain.

“Ruby.”

“Yeah?”

Khalid gazed at me thoughtfully.

“It’s all over now, isn’t it? And you disposed of the pendant too.”

“Huh? Oh, right.”

“I heard the emperor ordered the mages to return immediately, as soon as tomorrow.”

“I know…”

I turned my head away, my answer vague.

“But why do you look like that?”

Ugh. This uncanny boy.

The truth was, I was troubled. If ‘the fourth’ really was the mage from the original story, I ought to go and deal with him right away.

‘But something…’

Something didn’t sit right.

Perhaps because my memory wasn’t sound; I didn’t feel I had enough solid evidence…

Just then, a jet of water shot up from the fountain. The refreshing rush of water drowned out my already quiet voice.

“Khal, can you set some animal friends to watch that mage?”

Khalid raised his handsome eyebrows.

“Of course.”

For now, I decided, I would watch and wait.

‘Besides, I plan to use the herb tonight anyway.’

I thought of the transparent box already stowed in the carriage.

The memorial herb I’d received as a contest prize.

If I used it to glimpse what happened next in the original story, everything would become clear.

We watched the cool fountain and waited a bit longer for the carriage.

Before long, Khalid gestured toward Dad walking toward us from afar.

“The Duke’s coming. See you at the house.”

Khal whispered briefly and moved away, heading to the stables in search of his horse.

I jumped up from the fountain and waved my arms wildly.

“Da—ad!”

“Ruby.”

Darkness had settled by then. Attendants hurried about, lighting the lamps.

‘Yikes, what’s with Dad’s eyes?’

I was a little startled.

Maybe it was just that the lamps weren’t all lit yet.

He said he’d argued with His Majesty… There was something grim in Dad’s gaze.

‘Or is it just fatigue?’

“Dad, are you sick?”

“I’m not. Are you? I heard something happened at the banquet.”

“Uh-huh. The mage mister suddenly started handing out toys.”

At that, Dad’s lips tightened. There was something oddly intense in his gaze as he looked at me.

It was strange, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

‘What’s wrong?’

Feeling uncomfortable under his stare, I instinctively reached my hands out to him.

“Let’s go. The carriage is waiting.”

Dad took my hands and started walking.

‘…Huh?’

What was this…

Whenever I reached out like this, he used to always pick me up and hold me.

Did he fight with His Majesty? Or did he get scolded for arguing too much?

I tilted my head in confusion. Somehow, Dad’s hand gripping mine felt a little cold.

As soon as we boarded the carriage, Dad habitually opened all the windows. This carriage was specially designed with large windows just for me.

Though my motion sickness was much improved now, Dad always took great care with any vehicle I used.

‘Come to think of it… I am a rather difficult kid.’

I glanced sideways. Dad, his chin resting in the window, was deeply lost in thought.

Clip-clop, the horse began to move, and the night breeze gently filled the carriage.

‘Three wrinkles between his brows…’

Those only appeared when he was displeased or angry…

My tightly clenched hands began to feel damp with sweat.

Not wanting to add to Dad’s troubles, I resolved to stay as quiet as possible. I even dared not fidget, barely letting myself breathe.

Then the carriage suddenly jolted hard, as if the wheel had caught on something.

“Ah!”

My body was thrown upward.

“Damn.”

Dad’s face flashed with alarm as he swiftly caught me.

“Your Grace, Young Lady, are you all right? It seems we couldn’t avoid a stone in the road at night.”

Sir Leon, riding alongside on horseback, called out through the window. From the front, the coachman shouted, “My apologies!”

Dad answered with a couple of thumps on the wall.

“Ruby, are you all right? Come here—”

Dad, spotting me, frowned deeply.

“Why are you pressed up against the wall like that?”

I quickly straightened up. My backside ached a bit, but that hardly mattered.

“The wall—I just like it. It’s cool and hard like this…”

“What on earth are you saying?”

Dad’s frown tightened at my senseless rambling.

“Why are you so stiff… Ah.”

Suddenly realizing something, Dad heaved a long, low sigh.

“Sorry.”

“…”

“I got too lost in my own thoughts.”

Come here. His large hand unexpectedly reached out and pulled me onto his lap.

I idly fiddled with my fingers.

“I’ll be quiet. You can keep thinking…”

Dad looked at me for a moment, then shook his head.

“No. Honestly, there’s nothing left to think about. Did you get hurt anywhere?”

Hearing his gentle tone, so like normal, made my nose sting. His warm hand softly soothed my tense back.

After a moment’s hesitation, I mustered the courage to ask.

“What were you… thinking about so deeply? Is something bothering you?”

“Mmm.”

He brushed my hair from my forehead.

“Actually, it was about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. Ruby, you… You didn’t know Asha Drukan from before, did you?”

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

“…Huh?”

I asked blankly.

Dad briefly explained what had happened in the emperor’s office.

My expression abruptly hardened, in real time. It was a relief the carriage was dim.

‘So Licht… was partly conscious at that time?’

So that’s why he wanted to talk to me then.

‘My God.’

At last, the puzzle pieces fit together.

“After hearing about the search results from the banquet hall, the prince was convinced he’d made a grave mistake.”

Dad continued.

“Apparently, in the carriage his consciousness kept wavering, and from appearances alone… you and that fugitive mage didn’t match at all.”

He let out a long sigh.

“…Yes, truly, there was nothing left to agonize over.”

His voice suggested he had been clinging to something pointlessly.

At that moment, the streetlights poured through the window.

Simultaneously, my eyes met Dad’s intense amethyst gaze, piercing right through me.

An urge to say something gripped me.

“I…”

My mind was a mess.

“It’s not—It’s not what you think, Dad.”

My lips moved automatically.

“I know. I just listened to the wrong people and ended up making things needlessly complicated for myself.”

Dad clicked his tongue softly, smoothed my hair, and gently drew the curtain.

I swallowed hard.

“So… were you upset?”

“Hm?”

“Because… you thought I was a mage.”

A short silence fell.

“Yes.”

My grip on his hand tightened.

“The very thought… I hated it.”

Hearing his quiet voice, I squeezed my eyes shut. Dad, thinking I was about to fall asleep, gently pulled a blanket up over my back.

Pat, pat. His familiar touch soothed me.

‘It’s not that Dad hates me. Get it together.’

I tried to collect myself.

But I kept seeing that scene from before on the darkness behind my closed lids.

Dad’s face, so unusually shadowed.

His hands, colder than I’d ever known.

The tense furrow between his brows, as if he were truly angry.

‘How pathetic… After swearing I’d always tell the truth.’

The memory of being rejected by someone is surprisingly strong.

Even though I knew well how much Dad cared for me…

The dark past, suddenly rising and howling not to be forgotten, was too much to ignore.

I know. At first, everyone is kind.

But people are far more fickle than you’d imagine, and adults, generally, are harsh to children.

“Ruby, are you asleep?”

His low voice checked on me.

“…Tell Leon to drive the carriage slowly.”

I didn’t want to fail.

‘I don’t want to lose anything in this life.’

The warmth of these kind hands.

My family.

I truly never wanted to be alone again.