The youngest is hiding a lot of things.

Chapter 17:

The bedroom had already been tidied up by Hazel. I washed up neatly on my own and changed into my pajamas.

“Ahh, this feels great!”

The sleeves were a bit long, so I made sure to fold them up properly. After that, I dove straight onto the bed.

Uncle was sitting at an angle on the sofa in the corner of my room, reading some documents. It seemed someone had brought them to him while I was washing.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to watch me fall asleep before leaving?”

“I’m staying to finish these documents. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

Uncle glanced up slightly and looked at me as I wriggled under the blankets.

“Then you could just go work in your office…”

“I couldn’t finish because of someone. The estate is apparently on the verge of collapse.”

“W-what?! That can’t happen. Then you should work hard before you go…”

It definitely couldn’t collapse. Absolutely not.

I nodded absentmindedly, not really listening anymore. Sleep was already taking over my mind.

Running around all day had completely drained my energy.

“Ruby.”

At Uncle’s call, I forced my eyes open.

“Yeah?”

“You know where Uncle’s bedroom is, right?”

“Upstairs…”

“If you suddenly wake up in the middle of the night, come find me.”

“…Once I fall asleep, I don’t wake up easily.”

I heard Uncle stand up.

Then footsteps followed. The bed dipped slightly to one side. A large, warm hand brushed over my forehead.

“If you suddenly feel like you hate the dark, or if scary thoughts come to you.”

“…Okay, I will.”

I nodded with half-closed eyes. Soon, Uncle’s calloused hand gently covered my eyes.

Everything around me quickly faded into darkness.

“Turn on the light while you read… you’ll ruin your eyes…”

An irresistible wave of sleep washed over me. I was really at my limit now.

“Good night, Ruby.”

“……”

“Today…”

The world slowly sank into silence.

What had he been about to say next?

That he was thankful? That he was happy?

Whatever it was, I was sure it had been filled with warmth.

3

A few more days passed.

Uncle was the kind of person who kept his word.

Of course, he was so busy that it was difficult to have every meal together, but he still tried to spend time with us at least once a day. That alone was enough to make Void look satisfied.

‘Hmm, things are going smoothly.’

I was currently lying around after stuffing myself full at lunch.

Looks like I’ve adapted pretty well here, haven’t I?

‘Now it’s about time I started moving…’

Then suddenly, a thought struck me and I shot upright.

A cold sensation ran down the back of my neck. Wait a minute.

“Am I forgetting something important?!”

It felt like I’d forgotten about another person in this house…

Just then, knock knock—someone knocked and the door opened.

“Hazel?”

“Lady Rubian, it’s snack time!”

Ah, well, let’s recharge my sugar first.

“Okay!”

Hazel smiled softly. Over the past few days, I had gotten quite close to her and was already treating her comfortably.

When I headed to the tea room near my bedroom, I saw there was already a guest.

“Why do you keep wandering around working instead of staying in your office?”

He was signing documents with one hand while lifting his gaze slightly to look at me—his annoyingly handsome face as calm as ever.

“Because I feel like it. It’s my castle.”

Well, that was true.

“You’re late.”

When I plopped down onto the fluffy sofa, Uncle scolded me for no real reason.

Recently, he’d become obsessed with pressuring the chef into making all kinds of new desserts. The chef claimed she had suggested it first, but… who knows?

Of course, tasting new snacks was fun. But I was honestly worried the poor chef might be overworked.

‘What a terrible employer, seriously…’

I’d noticed it back in the capital too, but Uncle seemed to enjoy eating quite a lot.

He didn’t shy away from even the sweetest desserts.

Well, I suppose to maintain such a huge body, he needed to eat well…

‘But still, making the chef suffer every single day!’

“So what did I do wrong this time?”

Uncle waved his hand at me—the one with small teeth marks on the back.

“You’re not a kitten, you know…”

“Just because! I’m avenging the chef!”

“What are you even talking about?”

Uncle muttered as he helped me sit deeper into the sofa.

“It’s been a while since lunch. I shouldn’t let you get hungry.”

For some reason, he sounded displeased.

“I ate a lot, so I’m not really hungry…”

“I am.”

“……”

Well, if he says so, I guess I have nothing to argue.

Clink, clink. A pleasant snack time began.

“How is it?” he asked.

“It’s delicious.”

“You haven’t even eaten it yet.”

Only then did I poke at the strawberry cream cake in front of me and take a bite.

“It’s delicious.”

“You really can’t let your guard down around you.”

As the sweetness spread through my mouth, it felt like the top of my head tingled.

“After you finish, let’s go to the annex together.”

“The annex?”

“The old man being this quiet is suspicious. We should act first before he causes trouble.”

Uncle Leviathan muttered carelessly.

If he said “old man,” then…

‘The old Duke of Gebert?’

Now that I thought about it, I had been thinking about him earlier and forgot!

‘He wasn’t a very important character in the original story, though.’

Maybe that was why he’d stayed quiet?

I blinked silently.

Across from me, Uncle was sitting lazily on the sofa, devouring his slice of cake in just three bites.

“So… the old Duke is staying in the annex?”

“Yeah. He rarely comes this far.”

Uncle crossed his legs and sipped his tea. With such elegant movements, he really did look like a proper grand noble.

“Have you heard anything about him?”

“Just bits and pieces people whispered.”

I brushed it off vaguely.

“I heard he’s sick.”

“He is, but… he’s fine. Actually, he hates it even more when people fuss over him.”

The next words he said were so quiet I barely caught them.

‘Wait a second.’

That cold feeling ran down my neck again.

‘Is it really rude that I haven’t gone to greet a sick elder yet?’

And I was basically a stranger who’d suddenly rolled into this family!

‘What if he already dislikes me?’

Thankfully, no one in the castle seemed to hate me so far.

But if the old Duke did…

If he told me to go back to the capital…

Perhaps sensing my uneasy silence, Uncle spoke again.

“Don’t worry. I told you, if anyone bothers you, Uncle will scold them.”

“What kind of person is the old Duke?”

“Hmm…”

Uncle looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

“An angry lion?”

“…?”

I stared at him blankly at that confusing description, and his dark purple eyes turned to me.

“Yeah. A little bean like you might get eaten up in no time.”

I scoffed lightly.

“Lions are carnivores. They don’t eat beans.”

“Should I call that mature… or childish…”

Uncle laughed softly and tapped the tip of my nose.

Pink cream was smeared on his rough fingertip.

When did that get there? How embarrassing.

“Your Grace, would you like more?”

“Of course.”

Seeing him confidently hold out his plate, I felt a bit exasperated.

“Why are you eating cake like it’s your birthday?”

“It’s delicious.”

Looking at him, you’d expect him to finish a meal with bitter espresso or strong brandy and say, “This will suffice.”

Tastes really are unpredictable.

“Eat more first. Otherwise, I’m not taking you anywhere.”

“Ugh… fine…”

I picked up my fork again.

Maybe because of all the sweetness, my worries about the old Duke faded a little.

‘Hmm, strawberry cream is better than the chestnut cream from yesterday!’

I should tell the chef later.

“Ahh, I’m so full.”

As I patted my stomach, Uncle tapped the table.

“Seems a bit early to be putting down your fork.”

“But I’m full! I ate lots at lunch!”

“You only nibbled.”

“No I didn’t!”

I’m not a mouse!

“If you leave it like that, our chef will be sad. Right?”

“Of course. She’d be heartbroken.”

The attendant placing strawberry milk in front of me chimed in.

Ugh. It’s always important to keep the person who feeds you happy…

After a moment of hesitation, I picked up one shy strawberry buried in cream and ate it.

I scooped up some of the fluffy cake too, and Uncle grinned.

“Now she’ll be pleased.”

Are strawberries bigger in the North or something?

My cheeks puffed up like a hamster’s. The soft cream and tangy juice filled my mouth.

“Mmrrmmrm.”

“Grumbling with your mouth full won’t help.”

Ah, I’ve been caught…

CRASH!

Right at that moment, a thunderous boom shook the entire castle.

“Ahh!”

The four-tier tray on the table rattled, and a faint vibration followed.

Boom. BOOM!

“W-what… hic!”

Startled out of my mind, I swallowed the cake without chewing—and ended up with hiccups.

Uncle frowned deeply and reached toward me.

“Did you bite your tongue? Let me see.”

“Is that really what matters right now?!”

“Drink the milk first.”

Explosions, big and small, kept going off one after another.

Milk or not, my head whipped around in panic.

“Hah… he really couldn’t hold back any longer.”

“Is it an attack?!”

“Yes… and no.”

What kind of nonsense answer was that?

But the strangest thing was—I was the only one in this room who looked shocked.

Everyone else calmly steadied shaking decorations or straightened crooked picture frames like this was perfectly normal.

“My lord, what should we do?”

“If we lock it, he’ll just break down the walls, right?”

“Without a doubt.”

Listening to Uncle and the attendant talk only made me more confused.

Boom boom boom.

Something was getting closer.

It sounded like a charging bull—or the furious footsteps of an enraged giant.

“For now, Ruby, drink your milk. Stop hiccupping.”

Uncle gestured to the strawberry milk in front of me. I reached for the mug in a daze.

CRASH!

At that moment, the thick door flew open.

“Where is the new little brat?!”