Youngest 102
by Cristae102
“Shh.”
Leviathan pressed a finger lightly to his lips.
Hazel and Adolf, who had come out to greet them at the front of the mansion, quickly took the hint and quieted their footsteps.
Leviathan climbed the stairs to the bedroom, carrying the child in his arms. The sleeping face was deeply at rest—he must have been quite exhausted.
“I’m starting to wonder if Asha Drukan and Rubian might have known each other from before.”
The youthful prince’s voice echoed in his ears. Leviathan laid Rubian on the bed and gazed at her sleeping face for a long while.
Honestly… he could barely recall in what state of mind he met Rubian and rode in the carriage with her.
“Are you suggesting Rubian could be the mage the Mage Kingdom is searching for?”
Even his own voice, as he asked that, had trembled so badly it was pitiful. It was an idea he desperately didn’t even want to consider.
Licht had quickly shaken his head.
“No, not at all. Didn’t you also hear just now? The kingdom’s mage failed to find anyone.”
“…”
“So… it must have just been my mistake.”
Leviathan clenched his fist tightly.
The conversation had ended there, but all the way home in the carriage he couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
‘If Rubian really were a mage…’
The thought kept creeping in.
It was an almost terrifying possibility. The very notion was enough to chill his blood.
He habitually slipped a hand into his pocket and toyed with the smooth glass vial inside.
“Sigh…”
As he brushed a lock of hair from the child’s forehead, a deep sigh escaped him.
If Rubian were a mage…
‘That would… be too cruel.’
If she were a mage from the kingdom, she might well have experienced the horrors of the battlefield.
He himself understood the realities of war better than anyone.
For ten years, he had fought—again and again—so his precious ones would never be cast into such a hell.
But if she had been there all along…
‘What was the point of the sword in my hand?’
Everything would become meaningless. He felt he could never endure such a revelation.
“Master, you should rest now…”
Hazel approached and whispered softly.
Leviathan nodded briefly, then rose to his feet.
‘I’ve let these useless thoughts linger too long.’
This was nothing more than a misunderstanding on the prince’s part.
‘Tch, and I’ve only ended up making the child anxious, too.’
Almost in apology, he pressed a long kiss to Rubian’s forehead. Then, after watching a while longer to make sure she didn’t have any nightmares, he turned away.
As he was about to leave the room, his steps suddenly halted.
“……”
It was because a familiar clothes rack in the corner caught his eye with unusual force.
Hanging there were neatly arranged boys’ clothes and girls’ clothes, all mixed together.
‘Rubian has been hiding her gender.’
Suddenly recalling the past, Leviathan’s gaze grew deeper.
‘…Was that really all?’
He startled himself with the thought.
“Really, unbelievable.”
With a snort of disbelief, Leviathan strode out of the bedroom in long steps.
Once you indulge in fantasizing, it has no end.
‘I’d best go greet Rosetta.’
He purposefully quickened his pace down the corridor, shaking off his thoughts.
Dim moonlight trailed behind him, casting a long, spectral tail on his back.
A dark night, beneath the hazy moonlight.
‘Huh? Where am I?’
A strangely familiar atmosphere… It didn’t take me long to realize what was happening.
A dream.
And a dream I’d seen somewhere before!
I pulled my eyelids wide open with both forefingers, scanning the area in quick jerks.
But there was only thick mist all around; I couldn’t see a thing.
‘What’s with this fog! Move out of the way!’
Then, two familiar silhouettes appeared.
“The price for opposing our king shall be severe…. … …”
A line I’d always mulled over.
‘So? And just who are you to say that?’
But despite my desperate wish, all I could make out were vestments of the kingdom and the World Tree’s insignia glimpsed between the sleeves, just as before.
‘Is it really the ‘fourth’ again?’
Just then, like a sudden swing of the camera, my view spun around.
I gasped.
‘Dad…?‘
Because right before me stood Dad, but as he appeared in the original story—Leviathan as seen straight on.
It felt as if I’d entered the body of the mage who killed Leviathan… I was unmistakably facing him.
It was the first time I’d looked so closely at Leviathan’s face. And something about him seemed utterly…
‘So worn out…’
A face completely different from the one I know.
The roughness of his skin was one thing, but more than that, there was a strange emptiness in his eyes. His skin looked ashen and mottled…
And yet, for some reason, he didn’t feel unfamiliar at all.
At that moment, my gaze met Leviathan’s amethyst eyes.
The man’s lips moved.
“Run. Far, far away.”
‘Wait—was that meant for me…?’
Before I could even question it, the thick fog swept in.
And the dream ended there.
“What the…”
I sat up in bed, thoroughly dumbfounded.
What kind of dream was that?
‘Was Leviathan in my dream actually talking to me?’
Or was it just a line from the original story?
But there’s no way Leviathan would tell the mage who came to kill him to run away.
‘What? Was it just my imagination?’
I folded my arms, growing seriously troubled.
Soft sunlight was streaming brightly across the white bedspread. Only then did I realize it was already morning.
“Wait, hold on.”
I’d forgotten…
I meant to use the herb last night!
No sooner did I leap from bed than the door slid open.
“Young Lady, did you sleep well—… Hm? What are you doing under the bed? Playing hide and seek?”
“Hazel! Where’s my herb?”
“Oh, calm down! It’s right here.”
Hazel pointed to the table. She lifted the cloth slightly, revealing the transparent box.
Only then did I breathe a long sigh of relief.
“Whew, I thought it was lost.”
“Oh, was the prize really that precious to you?”
Hazel laughed as she swept open the curtains with a rustle.
‘Did I have that dream because I slept with the herb nearby?’
I looked at the moist, green leaves, falling into thought.
Did its mystical energy somehow react with my magic?
‘Answer me, Wizeria!’
But as usual, the sea of my mind was perfectly silent. I was used to his dereliction of duty by now.
Last night, I’d intended to use the herb—only to fall fast asleep in the returning carriage.
It’s true, I was exhausted from all that had happened, but still!
“Did Dad carry me to bed?”
“Yes. He stayed with you for quite some time, too.”
“Oh…”
If Dad had stayed beside me all night… it would have been hard to use the herb even if I’d woken up in the middle.
I stroked the box, recalling everything from the day before.
‘I really was scared yesterday.’
I’d almost been exposed as a mage.
Thankfully, Dad seemed to have come to his own conclusion, and I guess that’s how the matter blew over…
‘Ugh. I made up another excuse on the spot.’
I felt a little glum.
“So, what are you going to do with the herb? Should I ask Mr. Borvel to brew it for you this evening? Or would it be better on an empty stomach in the morning?”
“No!”
I hurriedly clutched the box to my chest.
“I’ll take care of it myself!”
“You’re going to eat it raw?”
“Yeah. I’ll just chew it up… Anyway, things like this are supposed to be eaten raw.”
“But you hate bitter things!”
Hazel looked at me skeptically but didn’t press further.
In any case, since I was the ace of herbology even Borvel of the North acknowledged, she probably trusted I could handle it.
I hid the box under the covers.
Pat, pat. I’ll eat you later. Sleep well for now.
Then I washed up in a hurry, changed clothes, and laced up the brown shoes Mom gave me—perfect for running.
“Where are you going?”
“To see Khalid!”
“What about breakfast?!”
“Later! I’ll just have brunch or something!”
“I’m sure the Master will be thrilled to hear that!”
Young Ladyyy!
Hazel called after me, forlorn, but no one could stop the fleet-footed winner of the Green Festival.
“Kaaal!”
I dashed to the training grounds.
Along the way I met lots of senior knights. They all congratulated me on my victory and gave me all sorts of presents.
“You’ll trip.”
Khalid, sweating as he trained with a wooden sword from early morning, frowned.
Catching my breath under the cloudless sky, I watched as he approached and shaded me with his hand.
“Whew, it’s hot already.”
“What are you dragging along with you?”
“Oh, puzzles and cookies and blocks and dolls and hairpins and…”
“So did all the seniors skip training this morning to go shopping?”
Unbelievable. For senior knights.
Khalid, ever the unexpected model student, clicked his tongue in dismay.
“Give them here.”
He took the armful of stuff from me, and we headed for the shade of a nearby tree.
I briefly browsed through the gifts, then picked out the brightest colored block.
As I stacked them, Khalid helped from the side.
“That mage—has he gone back yet?”
I lowered my voice to ask. From a distance, anyone would think we were just playing.
Khalid gazed at me thoughtfully.
“Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what…?”
“They say the Northern portal broke down. They’ll have to stay for at least three more days.”
“No way!”
Crash. The tower of blocks I’d built collapsed, all the way down from the second level.