The Youngest Hides a Lot of Things [Novel] Chapter 73

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 73

Chapter Title: Embraced by Family

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I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was... cotton candy-like, fluffy pink hair.

"Hello?"

Rosetta greeted me with a smile.

I only moved my eyelids before burying my nose in the blanket and mumbling.

"Hello..."

Wow, this is reality.

It felt like I'd been wandering in a dream for quite a while.

But to think it was such a filthy nightmare.

Tch. It's rare to dream of my previous life like that.

Maybe because my body's weak. The worst memories surfaced first. It was so awful that I vowed never to get sick again.

But that last part...

Whether it was misfortune or fortune, dreaming of my past life let me glimpse the original story's memories I'd been missing too.

I bit the inside of my lip discreetly. The original plot that suddenly resurfaced was still vivid.

"Let me see..."

As I sank into thought, a cool hand rested on my forehead.

"Hm, the fever's gone down."

Seeing her gentle voice and softly curving eyes made the dream evaporate in an instant.

A softly spreading smile. I stared at that warm, spring flower-like face as if entranced.

"Anywhere uncomfortable?"

"N-no..."

"Good, that's a relief."

I rolled my eyes around to survey the room.

My bedroom in the Ipson Jebert Ducal Residence.

Around me were a small brazier, wet cloths, medicines, and such scattered about.

Come to think of it...

I swallowed dryly.

My secret got found out.

"......"

"......"

At that moment, Rosetta's and my eyes met in the air.

Rosetta Jebert, as the Duchess—not a gravekeeper or a tomboy playing hide-and-seek—exuded elegant poise befitting her reputation.

I hesitated a bit before parting my lips.

"Um."

"Um."

Our words overlapped like fate.

"Yes?"

"Yeah?"

Rosetta furrowed her brows slightly and smiled.

"You first?"

I nodded and asked softly.

"Uh, what about Dad?"

"Handling the aftermath. His Majesty the Emperor has arrived."

Gasp, the Emperor?

"But why is Dad handling it?"

"Because he threatened to punish the culprits himself."

I was about to ask why... but shut my mouth.

Why, indeed. It's because of me.

Perhaps reading my hesitation, Rosetta pulled her lips into a smile. Her hand brushing the hair from my forehead felt refreshingly cool.

"Blood for blood."

"Pardon?"

"It's an old Jebert family motto."

...What kind of villainous motto is that?

"Kinda lame, right?"

Rosetta said something normal for once.

"Should've specified what kind of blood. Arterial or venous. Enough to cause anemia, or enough to end a life, or..."

"Uh, yeah, that makes sense."

"What does?"

"Jebert people..."

I mumbled, and Rosetta looked puzzled yet satisfied.

Maybe the Duchess is the scariest after all...

She's good at disguises, and somehow seems like she'd be great with a bow too...

I swallowed what I really wanted to say and hid under the blanket again.

"Ow."

Inadvertently tensing up, a stinging pain came from my wrist. Gently rolling up my sleeve revealed white bandages wrapped around both wrists.

Oh, right. The ropes were tied too tight...

Rosetta smiled brightly.

"Yeah, I should've said to start by cutting off the wrists."

"......"

The Duchess is scary...

As I wriggled up, Rosetta helped support me. She sat by the bed and gently stroked my wrists.

"Rubian, I'm sorry."

Her cautious voice flowed out.

"Huh? Why?"

"For not telling you who I was at the Memorial Garden. I must've startled you too much."

Her soft voice reached my ears on the air. I quickly shook my head.

"I'm... fine. I ate delicious food then... and my speech impediment got cured... I was hiding a secret too."

Though I was totally shocked when we met at the open-air bath.

Rosetta gently stroked my hair. She hesitated a bit before carefully opening her mouth.

"Rubian, may I ask why you didn't tell us you were a girl?"

"......"

Sky-blue eyes stared straight at me.

My reflection in them looked so scared and anxious. Rosetta smiled gently as if to reassure me.

"You don't have to say if you don't want to."

"......Because."

"Hm?"

I'd been chewing the inside of my lip, then squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.

"I thought I'd be abandoned if I said I was a girl!"

"......"

Creeeak, click.

My head snapped up.

"Ha."

The man filling the doorway let out a long sigh. Holding a tray in one hand, the Duke closed the door himself and strode toward us.

"Why on earth would you think that..."

A pained mutter flowed out like a sigh. I blankly stared at Dad's wet black hair.

I thought he wasn't home, of course.

He must've rushed over right after washing; water droplets dangled from it.

Rosetta stood and scanned Dad from head to toe. A small whisper followed.

"......Blood."

"All washed off."

It was a low conversation I couldn't hear.

"Ruby."

Dad set the soup on the table and checked my forehead. The two pulled up chairs and sat beside me.

"Was hiding your gender because of me?"

His voice sounded a bit angry somehow.

"No, not exactly because of you, Dad..."

"Worried my past would make me reject you?"

I fidgeted with my fingertips picking my words, and Dad sighed deeply again.

"Spot on."

The bed dipped on one side.

Violet eyes stared straight at me up close.

"Ruby, let me correct your misunderstanding."

"......"

"No matter the reason, I'll never abandon you. Boy or girl, whatever past you have—it doesn't matter."

I stopped fidgeting my fingers.

"You're enough just as you are... Ha."

"......"

"......And I'm the biggest fool for only saying this now."

It was the same in that cave. Who I was didn't matter at all. I was still his precious little kid...

"Sniff..."

For some reason, my eyes burned again, and I bowed my head. Dad carefully pulled me into his arms.

"......Sorry, Ruby. For not realizing all this time."

I'd thought if my secret got out, I'd have to beg forgiveness.

But instead, I was the one apologized to.

Sorry for not realizing. Sorry for letting you tremble in anxiety alone. Sorry for not reassuring you sooner.

From those words, I felt deep love and solid security. Something unimaginable in my past life.

"Such perfect words, nothing left for me to add."

Rosetta, who'd been watching, lightly shrugged.

"When did my husband turn so eloquent?"

I sat on Dad's lap and sniffled. Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, Rosetta wiped my face with a soft handkerchief.

"Sniff, he wasn't like this before?"

"A wind-up doll was better. Creak creak, clunk clunk."

"......Rose."

Dad furrowed his brow, looking troubled.

"It wasn't that bad."

But his protesting voice lacked conviction.

"Waaah. I want a wind-up doooll."

For some reason, tears burst out again with a wail. I bawled like a child, blurting nonsense.

Dad looked flustered, and Rosetta fussed about giving me water.

Maybe.

Maybe I'd wanted to cry like this all along.

To throw ridiculous tantrums and cry, and have people who treasured my ugly crying face... Maybe I'd always wished for that.

"We've got a full crybaby daughter now."

Dad didn't leave me alone. He didn't look disgusted despite seeming fed up.

"Daughter..."

I sipped warm water and worked to calm my hiccuping sobs.

"Will you make me your daughter?"

"Ha, what else did you think I'd do?"

An exasperated laugh escaped him. Dad scrunched his brows and gently shook my cheeks.

"How did I not see it? So many weird things... Yeah."

Slump. This time, the usually stiff Duke's neck drooped.

"What an idiot."

His self-mutter hit my ears properly this time.

I smacked Dad's shoulder repeatedly.

"Don't badmouth my dad...!"

Rosetta watched and chuckled shortly. She winked the bridge of her nose and joined in.

"Yeah! Don't badmouth my husband!"

Dad, suddenly under a flurry of fists from two women, laughed like a sigh.

"You're right. I'm the sinner."

Seeing Dad at a loss, I laughed through dangling tears.

Once the pent-up laughter burst out, something clumped in a corner of my heart finally melted away.

And in that empty space, something grew.

Like a tender sprout peeking out—it was affection that would grow tall from now on.

After eating soup and medicine in bed, sleepiness came again.

Dad and Rosetta kissed my forehead in turn, telling me to rest more, then left.

They really feel like mom and dad...

I rubbed my forehead where their warm lingering heat remained.

Staring at the ceiling idly, the dream contents naturally resurfaced.

The cotton candy-sweet mood plummeted rapidly.

"......A mage."

Not a magic beast.

In the original story, Leviathan Jebert dies by a mage.

On a dark night, under hazy moonlight.