The Youngest Hides a Lot of Things [Novel] Chapter 42

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 42

Chapter Title: The Youngest Hides Many Secrets

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42

Ch.5

'Overdoing it, huh.'

Khalid shook his head. A dissatisfied grunt escaped him involuntarily.

"Huff, huff. Water... water, please..."

Seeing the pale face sprawled out before him only made it worse.

"Tch, seriously. What the hell are you doing?"

Rubian lay on the cloak of some knight named Leon or whatever, breathing raggedly. When he handed her the nearby canteen, she snatched it up like holy water.

"Breathe. Drink."

"Th-thanks."

"Why push yourself so hard? You couldn't even finish one lap."

"That's what I... mean..."

Lately, her confidence must've skyrocketed.

Rubian mumbled as she gulped down the water.

Khalid stood with hands on his hips, looking down at her.

Her thin silver hair swayed limply in the breeze.

Whoever the lunatic who cut it, they'd done it ridiculously short.

'Sigh.'

Khalid swallowed a curse. Long lashes cast shadows over her clear, transparent eyes, drawing his gaze.

Even like this, she's pretty.

'A boy? Are all northerners insane?'

Truly,

it was a laughable sight.

'The Magic King's seventh daughter.'

Khalid watched her wipe her sweat, her identity hitting him anew.

'She's a princess.'

Another hollow breath escaped him.

'The princess of mages, disguised as a boy, doing knight training in a place like this.'

Of course, he knew Rubian was no ordinary princess.

'She seems to have forgotten her own status.'

Honestly, he'd never lived in the Magic Kingdom, so he couldn't say exactly how the 'king's children' were treated...

But Rubian had said:

"The Magic King... he arbitrarily takes kids with excellent mana and makes them his children. The palace is full of 'king's children.'"

"..."

"So I'm less his child and more like a weapon he's honed with care. Not the princess you imagine."

Come to think of it, since when?

Cal thought the Rubian from their first meeting and now felt very different. Her livelier, brighter self was nice to see, of course.

"So I hate princess treatment."

But that occasional self-mocking expression felt too mature.

It left Khalid unbearably restless.

"...Still, you seem like a princess to me."

He couldn't help adding hastily.

"At least to me."

Bright and warm, thus impossibly noble princess.

Otherwise, he couldn't explain this urge to protect her so dearly...

Someone once said such feelings resemble a knight's loyalty to his princess.

Indeed. Realizing that, calling her "my lady" came naturally.

'What is a girl like that doing in a dump like this?'

His gut burned black with anger or regret—he couldn't tell which.

Seemed like Rubian alone in the world didn't know how special she was.

And it wasn't just her status.

From what he knew, Rubian was also an incredibly skilled mage. Must be all that complex knowledge crammed in her small head.

Already wielding ultimate power, yet rolling on the ground like the weakest...

'Jeez.'

So absurd, he didn't know where to begin.

"Ha... feeling better now..."

Rubian stirred, slowly sitting up from her sprawl. Khalid quickly moved behind her.

"You should've paced yourself."

"I got too excited..."

Using his shin as a pillar, Rubian tilted her head back with a beaming grin. That smile hit him with faint vertigo.

"Booger! Where's our maknae booger!"

Then, a bull of a man charged from afar, kicking up dust.

"Grandpa made you an energy drink! Drink up quick!"

Khalid chuckled.

Old Duke Jebert fussed over Rubian, feeding her the fizzy concoction.

'Well, she's definitely princess-treated here.'

Fawning over someone barely reaching his waist.

"Tch, Borvel still not here?!"

"It's not doctor time yet..."

"Didn't she flop mid-run?!"

"It wasn't flopping, just exhaustion despair..."

He'd heard about Old Duke Jebert. Before Leviathan Jebert, the old man was the continent's top powerhouse.

'Couldn't wait for fuses on shells, hurled them barehanded to explode...'

His crazy temper buried his talent.

Then Void Jebert approached, dabbing Rubian's forehead with a white handkerchief.

"Ruby, what're you thinking? Can't even do one training ground lap."

Grumbling nonstop, but his hands moved busily. Same as at dinner.

Rubian bristled.

"The mini ground's two full laps!"

"Not even half of half of half!"

"Damn, hurts—don't hit bone!"

"Huh, like I'd hit where...?"

The two bickered on.

Khalid glanced obliquely at Rubian's round head.

Rubian never fought anyone. Always that indifferent face.

He hated it. Like she was ready to bolt anytime.

And she had ditched him in the end—not wrong.

'Come to think.'

Her reactions? Only Leviathan Jebert stuff, it seemed.

Did Ruby always want this place?

"His Excellency is here!"

Finally, the man himself.

For mere training-ground fatigue...

'I'm no better.'

You lot overdo it too.

"Ruby."

Leviathan Jebert appeared, reeking of ink. His mere presence intimidated. Knights stiffened.

Beast pack leader sauntering in.

Less noble, more mercenary—loose garb. Khalid knew those were the deadliest.

'Eyes... lethal.'

Purple gaze swept the area. Khalid tongued the sharp flash that grazed him.

"Uncle!"

Rubian reached out carefree. The duke's eyes softened instantly as he scooped her up naturally.

"You hate hard stuff—why overdo it?"

"Yeah."

"Look at that face. Ghostly pale. Zero cute."

"I know!"

"Know what."

Poke. Nose-tip tap brimmed with affection.

Khalid watched wordlessly.

'Treasure box.'

Pouting, my kid.

Yeah. Reason you're here.

Magic King be damned... just loves it here.

He dazedly hoped that was it.

'Jealous, though.'

You getting another pillar.

He tapped her supporting leg.

'But... her smile's been ages.'

Princess's knight knows limits.

The boy, bittersweet, stepped back.

That night.

Post-training, nearing knight barracks, Cal paused and turned toward the main keep.

The daytime chat with Rubian nagged him.

"Tracking mages increased."

Cal relayed kingdom intel to Rubian.

"No worries. Still southern sweep. Empire's huge—takes time."

"Sudden north push spells trouble..."

"Eh, Babylon court's oddly unco-op. Disruption's holding."

"Disruption? Your beast pals?"

"...Sorta."

Faking trails to foil trackers. Temporary, but prime time-buy.

'Still looked uneasy.'

Creak. Boy easing her bedroom door halted.

"...You here this late—why?"

Rubian's room had a guest.