The Youngest Hides a Lot of Things [Novel] Chapter 74

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 74

Chapter Title: The Mark on the Arm

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‘But who was it?’

The hood was pulled so low that his face was completely hidden. His height and build were hard to gauge as well...

“The price for opposing our king will be severe.”

Those clear words were all that lingered in her memory. The voice itself wasn’t distinct, but one thing that stood out...

‘The stigma on his right forearm.’

The long streak of the mark peeking from between his sleeve was vividly recalled.

The World Tree. And the dragon ascending around it.

It was the crest of Arcadia, the stigma etched onto the mages of the Magic Kingdom.

‘I didn’t see the pillar, but that was definitely a branch of the World Tree.’

The thin arm was shadowed by the faint pattern of branches.

She mulled over the mage’s words once more.

‘Our king’ undoubtedly referred to the Magic King.

Cold sweat trickled down her back.

‘In the original story, Leviathan opposes the Magic King and gets killed.’

But who could it be? Excluding the Magic King himself, was there a mage powerful enough to kill a hero?

She racked her brains, but no face came to mind.

‘I need to remember more.’

She stared at the firmly shut door.

Dad hadn’t gotten angry or thrown her out even after discovering her gender.

Would he react the same if she revealed she was a mage...?

She pulled the blanket up over her head.

Her lower back throbbed.

It was right where the Magic Kingdom’s stigma sat.

‘I hate it... so much.’

The mages who had caused Dad to lose his baby, and who would eventually try to kill him too.

She was the one tied to that world, the one who had once called his mortal enemy ‘Father.’

“Whether you’re a boy or a girl, no matter what past you have, it doesn’t matter.”

He’d probably say the same even if she confessed to being a mage.

And like before, he’d stroke her head, tell her it was okay, promise to handle everything...

‘Not knowing he’d die because of it.’

She still hadn’t averted the original story’s ending.

Yet Dad was kind to her, a mage.

The real problem was that she, drowning in his boundless affection, shamelessly didn’t want to leave his embrace.

“Idiot. Get a grip. You’re the only one who can stop Dad from dying.”

She squeezed her eyes shut under the covers.

Enduring the darkness alone was familiar, but calling out to someone still felt awkward.

That evening, Dad came looking for her with Rosetta.

She had just woken from a nap, so she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

After changing out of her sweat-dampened clothes, she plopped onto Dad’s lap and let him feed her soup again.

“Feels like it’s warming you up.”

Dad frowned slightly and touched her forehead.

“Fever’s back up in the evening. Kids do that sometimes.”

Rosetta crossed her arms seriously too.

Really? She didn’t feel particularly sick.

Maybe because she’d spent the day fretting and hadn’t napped enough.

“If I take medicine... cough, I’ll be fine!”

She reached maturely for Borvel’s medicine. Dad let out a deep sigh and fed it to her.

“Cough cough—what do you mean fine?”

“It’s true... urk, bitter.”

“I’ll get the candy.”

Rosetta turned to fetch the candy jar.

As Rubian’s eyes absentmindedly followed her, she tilted her head.

“Huh? What’s that?”

She’d spotted something under the table.

“Ah.”

Rosetta nudged ‘it’ away with her toe.

“It’s nothing.”

But she’d already seen it...

Noticing her gaze, Rosetta scratched her chin awkwardly.

“Um. Truth is, while recuperating down south...”

She paused, glancing at Dad.

“I was recovering down south and found a shoemaker I liked, so I ordered these...”

Rosetta crawled under the table and dragged the box back out.

In her hands was an extravagantly wrapped gift box oozing luxury.

Opening the lid revealed a pair of glossy leather shoes neatly arranged inside.

“As you see, they’re a bit sturdy for a girl. Better to toss them and get new ones fitted.”

Rosetta looked a little embarrassed.

“N-no, I like those! No throwing them away...!”

Rubian flailed wildly in Dad’s arms.

“Huh?”

“They look sturdy and like they’d fit my feet perfectly... Can’t I have them?”

Before Rosetta could whisk them away, she desperately hugged them close. The scent of fresh leather wafted up.

“But we can get something even prettier...”

“You picked them out for me!”

She knew that feeling well.

The faces that came to mind first after tasting delicious cake.

The desire to share good things.

It was proof they were family, irreplaceable people.

And Rosetta had bought her a gift just thinking of her, without even meeting yet.

She loved that fact so much.

“I like these. They’re mine now.”

Even while coughing, she stubbornly declared it. A chuckle came from above her head.

“Rose, give up. Even I can’t break that stubbornness.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on...”

Rosetta’s shoulders slumped, her face a bit dazed. After a moment’s thought, she laughed with a “No helping it.”

“Truth be told... I kept imagining you wearing them. I was so excited to meet our new little one.”

“How’d you know what I’d be like?”

“I was ready to love you no matter what. But such a sweet, cute daughter? Even better.”

Sweet and cute daughter.

Her lips pouted on their own.

“Thank you for saying that...”

She couldn’t hold back the surging tears again.

“So grateful. Hng...”

“Aww.”

She’d gone and awakened her inner crybaby...

In that moment, her body was suddenly turned around. Dad’s eyebrows twitched as he looked at her sniffling face.

“Snot’s about to drip again.”

“It’s tears!”

“Better snot than this. Stop crying.”

“Heng.”

“...No. Maybe crying suits you better. Why hold back and hide so much, kiddo?”

Dad lightly scolded her and pinched her nose.

“Kng!”

“Kreung... My nose hurts!”

Her small, precious nose, now strawberry-shaped...

“Levi, don’t pinch a child’s nose that hard.”

Rosetta shot Dad a glare.

She tried to wipe Rubian’s face instead but paused. Then, keeping a little distance, she spread her arms wide with a smile.

“Ruby. Instead of that stiff, uncomfortable daddy lap... Hm.”

She pondered her words carefully.

“How about mommy’s soft, cozy embrace?”

“Mo...”

Rubian froze stiff.

Mo...

Meaning. Mo...

Dad shook his head and pulled her deeper into his arms.

“Rose, stop. You’ll break her.”

His words carried the subtle confidence of experience.

“Ah. Too soon?”

Rosetta squinted one eye regretfully.

“Eeeng.”

Rubian wriggled and reached out toward the soft, white arms.

Was it because her heart’s lock had come undone?

Or because she’d already shown her weak side to Rosetta before.

Right now, everything just felt natural.

“Mo... Mommyyy.”

“Waa.”

Rosetta hugged her with an ecstatic face.

Rubbing her cheek on the crown of her head, stroking her back, combing her hair. Different from Dad’s embrace... a soft, sweet-scented warmth.

“My nose hurts. And I wanna put on the shoes and run around.”

She suddenly wanted to act like a real baby and throw a tantrum. Rosetta tilted her eyebrows sympathetically and gently stroked her face.

“Aww. Mommy’ll rub your nose. Running in shoes can wait till you rest more. You still have fever and are coughing.”

“Okaay.”

She nodded obediently, and Rosetta hugged her tight like she couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Let’s eat spicy stew together once you’re better.”

“Cocoa too?”

“Of course.”

The casual reply made her heart fluff up. She fiddled with the silky, fine pink hair and grinned broadly.

“What...”

The intense gaze from the side and...

“...”

“...The gift... was the answer?”

Ignoring the duke’s stunned mutterings of shock and anguish.

Rosetta gently touched Rubian’s forehead as she slept, then stood. The fever was down, and the coughing had eased.

Leviathan carefully closed the curtains and gripped her shoulder.

“Let’s go.”

His whisper was cautious.

She swallowed a laugh inside.

Since when had this man become so delicate?

“But what about this?”

Rosetta whispered back with a frown.

It was because of the leather shoes Rubian clutched tightly even in sleep.

“Can’t be helped.”

“Exactly, so don’t wake her. Let’s go.”

Leviathan replied lightly and led her out.

‘Guess I’ll have to buy her a fluffy bear doll.’

Rosetta squealed inwardly.

She’d never bought Void or Liam such things since they hated them as kids.

“This is too exciting...”

Her flushed face mumbled, and Leviathan eyed her questioningly.

They closed the door quietly and stepped out.

The knights and servants guarding outside gave the ducal couple brief bows.

“...”

The boy standing like a statue didn’t even nod.

“Khalid.”

Leviathan sighed as he spoke.

“You’ve been here this whole time?”