The Youngest Hides a Lot of Things [Novel] Chapter 57

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 57

Chapter Title: The Youngest Keeps Many Secrets

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Leviathan furrowed his brows seriously, arms crossed.

The voice of the one he longed for so achingly every night echoed like a promise.

"Levi! Has anything changed about me?"

That was one of the phrases he—who feared nothing in the world—dreaded most. He hadn't even noticed when his girlfriend's long hair had been snipped short...

"I thought it was tied up like usual."

That was his excuse.

Later, Rosetta had found his oblivious reaction amusing and done it on purpose to tease him, but Leviathan, of course, had no idea.

'Why am I thinking of that now?'

He pondered how to handle the rising sense of crisis right this moment.

For some reason, the cigarette he'd quit smoking came to mind.

"Then I'll take my leave."

The count tidied up and hurriedly withdrew.

Leviathan thought deeply, then turned to Adolph, who was standing quietly off to one side.

"No word from Borvel yet?"

"No, sir."

Seeing his master's face crumple in dissatisfaction, Adolph added,

"Don't worry. I instructed that any letters from Iosiah be sent straight here."

Leviathan nodded and fiddled with his half-empty teacup.

"Strangely... I'm scared."

Adolph doubted his own ears. It was the first time he'd ever heard Leviathan admit to fearing something.

But without betraying his surprise, he composed himself and asked,

"What do you mean, Your Grace?"

"Just looking at that kid makes me anxious for some reason."

Her clumsy attempts to call him Dad were endearing and admirable.

But did he even deserve to hear those words?

Rubian, who had dropped into his life out of nowhere and stayed by his side.

It was a stroke of luck he'd never dared dream of repeating—but precisely because of that, he feared she might vanish like the wind after a brief stay.

'If I were your real father, would things be different...?'

Leviathan had never felt his own shortcomings so acutely as he did lately. Perhaps parenting was simply enduring wave after wave of anguish and self-reflection.

"Ta-da! Tie it like this... and done!"

Sortie was quite the handywoman.

"Oh."

I gave a short exclamation of admiration at the knot the lady had tied.

After our first meeting in the drawing room, we'd grown reasonably close.

The lady visited the count and the duke's mansion nearly every day.

The Jebert Duke's Mansion in Ipson was always bustling with visitors.

Uncle had to carve out tightly packed slots to meet with the nobles—and since trekking to dangerous Zelox was too much for them, they'd all flocked here instead.

Today was one of the particularly busy days.

"Lady Olson!"

Sortie sprang up from the bench and waved toward the garden entrance.

I turned to look. A girl in a voluminous dress was approaching with quick steps.

"What, it's Olson?"

Void, who had been swinging his wooden sword at a nearby garden tree, remarked offhandedly.

"You know her?"

"Yeah. She's a nag. Girls."

"Eek, meanie. You should get along with your friends."

Void huffed and tapped his wooden sword against the tree.

Sortie scurried over.

"How have you been? It's been ages!"

"Yes. Hello, Titi. And Young Master Jebert as well..."

Lady Olson of Count Olson shyly spoke up. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she glanced at Void.

"Hello. Long time no see... I just couldn't wait for the academy term to start, so I came by."

"I-I never asked you to wait!"

Void grumbled and kicked at the ground, as was his habit.

'What? What's going on? Don't tell me this is that cliché...!'

I watched the boy and girl's budding shy affections with a pounding heart.

Lady Olson approached with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling.

"Do you remember what I told you before the break?"

Gasp! What had she said before vacation?

The lady smiled serenely and took another step closer. What emerged from behind her back wasn't a bouquet of confession flowers.

-It was a stiff demerit notebook.

"You broke the fence with that wooden sword, didn't you? Demerit: 5 points! Five points!"

"Ah, you came to hand out demerits?! Being student council president doesn't make you all-powerful!"

"The young master of House Jebert, running from demerits... How cowardly!"

"Uwaaah! We don't match! Not at all!"

Void flailed his arms in all directions and bolted far away.

"Whew. Refreshing."

Lady Olson dusted off her hands and turned back around.

The triumphant lady approached Sortie, who was standing nearby.

"So, Titi, what are you up to here?"

"Ah! Playing with Rubian."

"Rubian...?"

Our eyes met exactly. I let out a pure gasp of admiration.

'Wow, two incredibly pretty girls...'

Lady Olson with her long, wavy brown hair cascading down, and Lady Titi with her sky-blue hair in neat twin braids. True to their noble upbringing, they were dressed in splendid outfits that wafted a lovely fragrance.

'They must've gone to the hot springs.'

Envious.

Lost in idle thoughts, I noticed Lady Olson approaching with her hand extended.

"I heard about you from Father. I'm Olivia Olson of the Count Olson family."

Student council president, indeed. She was a girl with a sharpness beyond her years.

I took her hand lightly.

"Yup, hello. I'm Rubian."

"Hmm. Not very... Jebert-like, are you?"

Huh? What did that mean?

While my internal radar spun trying to parse insult or compliment, Sortie jumped in.

"Right? So round and tiny and squishy!"

"Yes. House Jebert's new hope. A revolutionary change."

For some reason, I felt like I'd become a symbol of a new era.

"For someone like you to end up as Void's little sister... My deepest condolences."

"Haha."

Olivia tilted her head sympathetically, as if she truly pitied me.

What on earth do you get up to at the academy, Void...?

"Huh? Liv, condolences can't be too shallow, right?"

"Oh, Titi. You should enroll in our academy as soon as possible."

"Eh?"

"This big sister will give you a proper education. Of course, you'll have to be an exemplary student who follows all the academy rules."

"Sister really loves the academy, huh."

"It's a fine place brimming with rules and demerits."

Olivia stroked Sortie's head with a smile.

"Pretty bonnet. New one?"

"Yup! Mom got it for me."

"I got ribbons for the new term too. Size, color—all regulation."

"Ooh. Harzen Boutique?"

"Mollips. The bold Young Master shops there too."

"Wow, that fashion whiz Young Master? I actually stopped by there recently too..."

I felt dizzy, like the world was spinning, as I listened to the two ladies' back-and-forth.

'Somehow...'

No opening to join in!

Come to think of it, chatting with girls my age felt like forever ago...!

"Hmm, this might go on a while. Shall we grab some cake? I hear Jake's Tea Salon just opened in Ipson."

"Waaah! Sounds great!"

I inched backward awkwardly.

"Huh? Lady Rubian, where are you off to? Void's a pass, but you'd be welcome."

"Hehe. Gonna play with big brother Void... Wooden sword practice too..."

As I turned sheepishly, Sortie grabbed my hem.

"Ah, I haven't shown you all the knots yet!"

"Next time!"

I left the two staring blankly at me and exited the garden.

Felt like I didn't belong there...

I'd thought living in the duke's mansion had made me a somewhat normal kid.

No way! The road to normalcy was far longer and rougher than I'd imagined!

Back in my room from the garden, I practiced tying knots obediently.

'If I embed a tiny barrier stone right here, it could double as a sword charm?'

A proud smile crept onto my face unbidden.

I planned to process the barrier stone from my windowsill into a portable ornament.

It wouldn't match a full magic tool's power, but as an activated magic stone, it should prove useful in a pinch.

'Dad's heading out for the spring subjugation after the New Green Festival.'

To be honest, I wanted to tag along—but of course, he'd never allow it. So this was the best I could do.

"Still a bit sloppy, so practice, practice!"

The guests who'd flooded the mansion had ebbed away like the tide. Was Dad still buried under paperwork?

"Aigoo. Poor guy, working even on vacation like some office drone."

Pitiful. So pitiful.

I let out a short sigh.

Then came a knock-knock at the door.