Youngest 149
by CristaeEpisode 149
Even the faces of the other friends who had paid me little mind until now…
From afar, Sortie, just entering the ballroom, covered her mouth and laughed, “Oh my. Is the game of hide and seek over?”
A little embarrassed, I quietly buried my face in my father’s shoulder.
“Ah, a-ah! So that’s how it is! Oh dear, Duke! How do you do! Haben! Come greet him now!”
“Huh? No, what? I mean… why… why is she over there…”
Haben still seemed utterly dazed.
Count Abelus, in a completely different mood than before, was now fawning by his side.
“My lady! So you were the young lady! Goodness.”
“So, did you write down the names?”
My father, lightly ignoring the exchange, turned to ask me.
Before I knew it, a piercing gaze brushed my knee. It seemed the skirt had ridden up a bit, revealing a small scab that was plainly the result of a fall.
‘Hmm… Looks like Dad has figured things out.’
Seeing Haben trembling, pale-faced, I glanced at the Count beside him.
Then, smiling, I replied,
“Nope! I got along really well with the others!”
Haben’s shoulders gave a visible jolt.
“See? I even made a friend! His name’s Jerdin!”
As I pointed my hand, Jerdin, white as flour, bowed his head.
“Ah, h-hello… D-Duke…!”
“Yes. Jerdin, was it? Thank you for being good friends with our Ruby.”
“N-no, not at all. Ru— I mean, the young lady helped me so much…”
Jerdin mumbled incoherently.
Watching him, I glanced at Haben.
‘Haben’s actions were wrong…’
But in the end, he was also just a child.
It had taken demerits to force it, but he’d apologized to Jerdin, after all.
Besides, Haben hadn’t threatened me enough to make me wish for my father’s retribution.
‘If he’s got a brain, he’ll have learned something.’
Isn’t that what school is for, anyway?
And, honestly, I’d enjoyed getting a bit of payback on him myself…
I’d feel too guilty just tattling.
“But… what happened to your name tag?”
Having finished talking with Jerdin, Dad frowned as he looked at the name tag dangling from my chest.
“I honestly can’t imagine what my youngest has been doing at the academy.”
“Heheh…”
I simply glossed over it with a laugh.
At that moment, Count Abelus, who’d been impatiently seeking a moment to butt in, spoke up.
“Ha ha. Hahaha. M-my lady, your hair color had changed, and your name tag was, ah, quite distinctive, so I failed to recognize you.”
“…”
“Well, you seem to have gotten a bit closer with our Haben during camp. Perhaps if you’d come this way, you could have a chat…”
I stared silently at the Count, who was grinning schemingly, then turned my head away firmly.
“Dad, you know, is it okay if I write down the names of those who bullied me now?”
As soon as I spoke, Dad held out his palm without a moment’s hesitation.
“Write them.”
On his strong, broad hand, I carefully traced letters with my finger.
“…The Count wants to back out?”
“Nooo!”
Sheesh!
In the end, I drew a long, sharp arrow.
Pointing it straight at Count Abelus.
“Aha.”
Dad’s brow arched.
“That gentleman over there pointed at Jerdin and me earlier, calling us commoners and looking down on us… He glared at us and shoved us, which was a little scary.”
Pretending to whisper but letting everyone hear, I spoke up, and the Count’s face went pale.
He probably thought I wouldn’t notice if he didn’t openly sneer, but I see you, Mister.
‘Telling Haben to get in with me?’
Whether it was me or Haben, using children that way seemed rather despicable.
“N-no. That’s a misunderstanding…”
“Is that so, then.”
The atmosphere around Dad grew chill.
The retreating Count gulped, and Dad laid a heavy hand on his shoulder.
Crunch. His hand gripped the lean shoulder so tight blue veins bulged across his skin.
“We’ll have a private talk later, Count.”
A black shadow fell over his slight body. Beads of cold sweat stood out on the Count’s brow.
“Wha—? N-now, actually, when I think about it again, maybe things aren’t so—”
“The Abelus family’s workshop had been receiving deliveries of our northern ores, hadn’t they?”
A business partner, smiling coldly, held out his hand for a handshake.
“Let’s see how well we can downsize this business together.”
“Aaagh!”
Well…
It’s adult business now.
They’ll sort it out themselves.
I climbed down from Dad’s arms (I am, after all, a graduate of the autumn camp!) and strode through the banquet hall.
As I headed toward my assigned seat, the crowd parted before me like the Red Sea…
Dad seemed utterly used to it.
“She was the young lady…”
“No way… Why was she pretending to be a commoner?”
The more all this attention focused on me, the more…
‘I’m embarrassed!’
Stares jabbed at my unmasked face! I felt practically naked!
Out of habit, I tried to hide slightly behind Dad’s arm, when suddenly I felt a strong gaze.
Looking up, I met my father’s eyes, fixed intently on me.
“Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He started to speak, then closed his mouth.
Soon after, he broke into a soft laugh, ruffling my hair.
“Stop it! I’ll look like a lion!”
“I’m catching up on ten days’ worth of missing you. Don’t interrupt.”
“Well, then, let me stare at you, too!”
I locked eyes with him, unwilling to lose.
I expected some playful remark, like telling me not to be cheeky or that he’d let me stare all I liked, but he hesitated for a moment and then closed his mouth again.
‘What’s that about?’
He’d been holding back his words for a while now.
Bending down, Dad straightened my ribbon tie and spoke gently.
“Ruby. Later, at dinner… How about we have a talk?”
His tone was soft.
“Mm? Sure! What are we going to talk about? Wait, did I do something wrong? Did you find out I didn’t eat my bell peppers?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
He laughed, brushing the hair stuck to my forehead aside.
“Not eating your peppers isn’t a wrongdoing.”
“Huh?”
“You’re never at fault, not even once.”
Hmm…
Maybe people grow more generous when they see family again after a while.
‘Really, I feel like even if Dad pinched my nose right now, I wouldn’t mind at all!’
So what could it be about? Maybe he wants to tell me about his trip? Maybe something interesting happened?
It didn’t matter to me—I simply smiled.
At that moment, the A-Class kids entered the hall. The last-day event brought both classes together, so it was packed!
“Khal! Over here!”
I waved my hand vigorously toward Khalid as he entered.
As soon as he spotted me, Khalid came right over.
“You’ve grown again since I last saw you.”
Dad straightened, tousling Khalid’s hair.
Khalid touched his own head, replying in his usual blunt way.
“Not really.”
“You have, kid.”
Dad nudged him playfully.
‘Right. Khalid doesn’t have parents, so I need to look after him extra well!’
With determination, I moved up close beside Khalid.
“What? Why?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just going to stay right next to you today!”
“I… don’t really get it.”
But even as he complained, he didn’t leave my side for a moment.
And then, a little while later.
The door burst open with a thunderous crash as a fearsome lion strode in.
“Kooootaaakjiiii!”
Oh my goodness.
What is Grandpa doing here?!