Youngest 187
by Cristae187
What the—! You said your back hurt!
“It seems you’re a bit injured, so let me take you to the physician.”
I felt the firm arm wrapping around me like a vine. The slight trembling—was it because… he was trying not to hurt me as he held me?
“Pardon? Sir Khalid, you? But why? And you’re so talkative today? This is the first time I’ve heard you say more than three sentences!”
No way.
He’s always been a bit of a chatterbox.
I thought this to myself as I gripped Khalid’s cloak tightly. His large frame gave a small start.
“Well then… if you’ll excuse me.”
Kal turned away, his voice a touch hoarse.
Step, step. The sound of footsteps heading to the other end of the alley continued for a moment.
How much time had passed like that?
I felt the pressure of a hand firmly pressed against the back of my head and, rather furtively, raised my head.
“……”
Unlike when he was younger, his jawline was more defined and sharper now.
On his thick, straight neck, his Adam’s apple stuck out conspicuously… I found myself fixated on that thing I didn’t have, when suddenly, it bobbed up and down with a big gulp.
“Hup.”
Startled, I averted my gaze. Then I met his pale blue eyes staring straight through me and flinched once more.
“P-put me down! Now!”
My body jerked like a fish out of water. But Khalid wasn’t about to give in so easily.
“Ruby… my back hurts. Don’t move.”
What? He says he’s hurt?
“Um, okay. Ah, I wouldn’t want you to be hurt.”
I stiffened up like a log again.
Honestly, I didn’t even know what I said in reply.
In my head, only the image of his eyes quietly watching me spun round and round.
“It’s been a while.”
Khalid murmured.
“Two years.”
“Ah, right…”
“How have you been?”
“Well, you know… yeah.”
I nodded evasively, feeling the slight vibration from where our bodies touched. I think he was smiling.
‘Back then…’
He never smiled so calmly in the past. He’d just snicker or smile mockingly…
‘And he never used to just pick me up like this either!’
Had he gotten into the habit from always slinging around the corpses of magical beasts?
Spinning, spinning, chaos abound.
Before I knew it, the end of the alley appeared in the distance. Khalid tilted his head slightly.
“Ruby, mind if I walk slower? It’s hard to go fast.”
“Huh? Isn’t this slow already?”
“My back hurts…”
“O-oh, then, yeah, let’s go s-slower!”
“Alright.”
Thump, thump.
“If it’s uncomfortable, try to bear with it a little longer, Ruby.”
I could distinctly feel the muscles of the arm supporting me so securely.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
What is this?
We’ve been fine for two years, haven’t we?
‘Heart.’
Why are you acting up again, making your existence known so loudly!
Khalid finally set me down after walking out of the alley for quite a long time.
I’d made such a fuss about my stinging back in the alley that he meant to take me straight to the physician. But as soon as we stepped out of the alley, it suddenly felt fine. He did cast a soft healing spell, just in case.
Anyway, we made our way through the festival crowds brimming with excitement and ducked into the first café in sight.
We had a lot to talk about, after all.
“Welcome.”
“Huh.”
What is this place?
It felt like stepping into a tiny greenhouse.
“Our café is a private greenhouse garden space, with individual areas set up for each party. There’s an hourly fee—would you like to stay?”
On closer look, everyone entering was an arm-in-arm couple. So, clearly a date spot of sorts…?
‘This really feels like somewhere I shouldn’t be.’
Awkwardly, I tried to tug Khalid away.
“Come on, let’s just go somewhere el—whoa.”
But I was the one who fluttered away instead.
“Looks perfect for a secret conversation. Let’s go.”
Khalid strode right in.
He told the staff we’d use the entire greenhouse garden, including all tables, until closing, and the attendant led us in with a delighted smile.
‘Seriously?’
Maybe I was overthinking things.
Scratching my head, I followed him to the innermost table.
Thanks to the straight trees and well-kept shrubs all around, the spot was perfectly secluded from outside eyes.
‘Alright, let’s calm down. I’m the only one making a big deal out of this.’
I shook my head to settle myself.
And then—whoosh—my hat fell off. As my neatly pinned silver hair came loose, Khalid, who’d been pulling out a chair for me, clicked his tongue.
“You’ll get found out like that.”
“Oh no. I can’t let that happen.”
If I did, I’d have no choice but to go pay homage to Father and the King of Casalia.
After thinking for a moment, he tugged up my hood, then untied the strings of his cloak and wrapped them snugly under my chin.
Every time his long fingers brushed under my jaw, I wanted to swallow nervously, but I held it back.
“There, now there’s no way anyone could tell.”
He smiled in satisfaction.
Well, yes, but still…
“……”
I caught sight of my reflection in the candlestick on the table.
‘…Pill bug?’
Is this really okay?
“So, why are you here anyway? Don’t tell me you came alone?”
Though I felt a bit reluctant, I replied honestly to his question.
“No, I came with my father.”
“The Duke himself? I’d heard the support team would come, but I didn’t expect him to be here in person. Why, though…?”
“Ah, Allen…”
He said he thought you and the princess might fall in love?
And so we rushed over, eyes blazing?
But I couldn’t just tell him that, so I clamped my mouth shut. Maybe he read something in my silence, as Khalid’s brow furrowed across from me.
“Did that bastard Allen spout nonsense again?”
“Uncle Allen didn’t say a word! …Hey, but don’t I look kind of ridiculous right now? Like a matchstick?”
“You’re cute, so it’s fine.”
“Huh?”
Khalid paused a moment, pouring tea. He tapped his ear.
“…I mean, is it alright if I uncover your ears? Doesn’t it feel stifling to have them covered?”
“Ah, right. I can’t hear very well, actually.”
I think I must have misheard him just now.
Focusing again, I stuck my ears out from under the hood.
“Oh, by the way. Here.”
Khalid pulled out a thick sheet of paper from inside his breast pocket. Even without opening it fully, I knew what it was.
“The gravestone formula…”
“It took two years. I’m sorry.”
His tone was matter-of-fact, but for some reason, emotion welled up. That sort of thing—he really hadn’t changed at all since we were kids.
‘You little mutt…’
For some reason, my nose tingled, and I sniffled.
“But I heard you had a nosebleed?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his unexpected words.
“My nosebleed news traveled all the way here? Did it end up on social media or something?”
“You say the oddest things. Anyway, let’s see.”
I blinked at him.
“I’m right here.”
“No, I mean your mana. Isn’t your condition bad from a lack of it?”
“Ah…”
Was that it?
Khalid slid the formula over and held out his hand to me.
I hesitated, then lifted my hand from my lap.
We were each other’s only partner for exchanging mana. Since childhood, we’d held hands like this all the time. And yet…
That hand reaching out to me felt—
‘Has his hand… always been this big?’
It was all so unfamiliar once again.
Gulping, I swallowed nervously.
So small…
Khalid stared quietly at the small, white hand resting on his own.
Had it always been this little?
Ruby, after two years, seemed even tinier than in his memories.
Or was it that he had grown too much?
He’d lost count of how many times his knight’s uniform had to be refitted. Height aside, his frame had grown more robust with each battle.
‘I can’t hold her the way I used to.’
Not that he ever truly could, but somehow, Khalid felt Ruby might fly away at the slightest breeze.
Maybe it was the way she was bundled in that black cloak, but every feature stood out in sharp relief.
Her smooth, round forehead; her big, deep eyes; those ever-shifting small lips, from which her lovely voice continued to pour.
‘She hasn’t changed a bit.’
Suppressing the smile steadily welling up inside him, Khalid gently closed his hand around Ruby’s.
The warmth and scent from earlier, when he had held her, flooded back. His stomach churned, but he showed nothing outwardly.
Just then—
“Ow. Khalid, that hurts!”
Startled, Khalid quickly let go of her hand.