tyht 06

Chapter 6:

“Yes.”

It was an answer without a shred of hesitation.

“……”

When I peeked out from the crack in the blanket, the man let out a long sigh as he looked at me.

“There’s definitely something wrong with your eyes—or the back of your head.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Neither do I.”

His voice drooped, as if he’d given up.

Even though my body was burning with fever, a laugh kept slipping out of me. I was just happy to hear that he’d come looking for me.

I grabbed a fistful of the blanket and pulled it up so he wouldn’t see me smiling.

“Stop laughing and go to sleep. You’ve got a fever.”

A cool hand brushed across my forehead.

“Now that I look at you, you’re nothing but a walking troublemaker. I picked up something unnecessary.”

“Call it karma.”

“And you talk like a little old man.”

Huh? Was that his way of saying he was going to ditch me now?

“Karmaaa……”

“Trying to sound cute won’t help. I meant your word choice is the problem.”

Ah. I see.

“I wanted a cute youngest kid, but that dream’s shattered. Dreams really don’t come true.”

That snapped my hazy mind wide awake.

“You’re taking me with you? To the North?!”

I bolted upright without thinking. My vision went white for a moment, but that didn’t matter anymore!

“If you jump up like that—hey! Cut me some slack. My heart’s going to burst.”

“You can’t die! But—why? Why did you change your mind all of a sudden? You hated the idea so much before…!”

He let out a deep sigh and carefully laid me back down. His awkward pats quickly calmed me.

“I didn’t hate you.”

Another long sigh.

“I just… genuinely wanted you to live well.”

“……”

“The world’s finally quiet, isn’t it.”

I fell silent.

If the face of a hero returning victorious from war looked strangely shabby in this moment… was that just my imagination?

Wherever a sword is swung, only ruins remain.

Leviathan Gebert might be the one who understood that emptiness better than anyone.

When he said he didn’t want to take me with him, of course it wasn’t just because raising a child wasn’t easy…

Maybe he didn’t want to increase the number of people who stayed by his side…

Because he thought everything around him turned into ruins.

“Uncle, I…”

As my eyelids grew heavier, I whispered softly. The waves of sleep were impossible to resist now.

“I think it’s the quietest… when I’m next to you.”

Leviathan was silent for a moment.

“Is that so.”

A large, warm hand covered my eyes.

A few days passed.

I’d fully recovered.

Well, I still had a slight fever and was stuck in bed—but even that should be gone by today!

“Hehehe……”

Lying on the bed, I let out a villainous chuckle.

The Gebert Knights’ headquarters in the capital was massive and magnificent, worthy of its reputation.

I’d claimed one of its inner rooms and was flailing my arms and legs, drawing butterfly patterns in the air.

“You seem to be in a good mood today.”

I heard a knock, and a familiar face appeared.

“Huh? Blondie?”

What was he doing here?

“Hi.”

The eyes peeking through the door curved into gentle crescents.

“May I come in for a moment?”

So polite. I sat up straight for no reason.

“How did you get here?”

“Well… I walked.”

“……”

Did he think I was asking if he’d flown?

“Looks like things worked out. I’m glad.”

“Yeah… I guess.”

I answered vaguely while looking him over. He was no longer wearing the clothes issued by the shelter.

I’d thought it from the start, but still…

“I heard on the way here—you’re going to the Gebert family?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah. That’s how it turned out.”

“Then are you being adopted by the Geberts?”

“Probably…?”

“Hahaha. Why do you sound so unsure?”

Because the seal isn’t stamped yet, that’s why.

That grumpy man might change his mind again for all I knew.

Suddenly, the blond boy who’d been staring at me bent down sharply at the waist.

“W-What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Sparkling mint-colored eyes filled my vision.

“…As I thought.”

Too close! Way too close!

“W-What do you mean?”

“Mm, nothing. …I’m sure His Grace has his reasons.”

Muttering something cryptic, he straightened up.

“Sorry for disturbing your rest. I’ll be going now.”

“Oh… okay.”

He hadn’t planned to stay long to begin with and walked away without hesitation. Even his gait was elegant, as if courtesy itself were ingrained in him.

What did he even come here for?

I stared at where he’d been, frowning.

But still… he really is the Fourth Prince, right?

The fourth imperial prince of the Barmilon Empire.

Licht Barmilon.

The future crown prince.

In the original story, Licht defeats his rivals one by one and becomes crown prince.

No one ever imagined the ambition hidden beneath his gentle, fragile appearance.

So why was a prince like that at the shelter?

The more I thought about it, the deeper the mystery became.

“I don’t know.”

I flopped back onto the bed.

The imperial succession struggle had nothing to do with me anyway.

“Whatever—let’s just enjoy this peace!”

A few more days passed, and finally, the day of departure arrived!

The man had been gone since morning. I heard he’d stormed through the imperial palace like a whirlwind.

“So you’re really opening a daycare center!”

I only found out later that the emperor had nearly grabbed the back of his own neck in frustration.

With the duke’s sudden return journey, the talk of magic inspections quietly disappeared.

It helped that the runaway mage’s traits didn’t match mine at all.

“Headache?”

“I’m fine.”

“Nausea?”

“None.”

“Coughing—”

“Hey! Stop fussing!”

I smacked his solid shoulder a few times. It felt like punching a stone wall.

We were at the Central Church in the capital.

“Who’s fussing?”

He shot me a sharp glare.

In front of us lay a single document bearing the imperial seal.

Its contents were simple: Leviathan Gebert would vouch for my identity and protect and support me until I came of age.

In short, he’d become my guardian.

I knew it.

Of course.

It wouldn’t be easy for a high-ranking ducal house to formally adopt an unknown child.

Well, whatever.

I could stay by his side now!

I’d planned to leave once I achieved my goal anyway—this might actually be the cleanest solution.

This reminds me of the orphanage…

In my previous life, I’d grown up in one.

When I came of age, I had to live on my own—and honestly, that had been terrifying.

The world was harsh, and I had nothing. Maybe getting hit by that reincarnation truck wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

This time, I’ll prepare properly before becoming independent!

And stop the ending first.

I clenched my fists, brimming with determination.

Holding me under one arm, he signed the document with elegant handwriting. My legs kept wiggling.

I wanted to sign too! Hurry up and finish the paperwork!

“Stop fidgeting.”

With a small laugh, he set me down. I grabbed the pen and rushed over.

Ru. Bi. An.

I carefully wrote my name in crooked letters, even adding emphasis marks.

“…A worm? Is that some ancient script?”

“It’s the imperial language!”

He crossed his arms and stared at the paper like it was an encrypted code. Ignoring him, I handed the document to the priest waiting nearby.

When the church seal was stamped firmly onto the blank space—

“Legal effect confirmed!”

Overjoyed, I jumped while holding the paper.

“You really know everything, don’t you.”

“Hehe.”

“Arms.”

I spread them wide, and he smoothly picked me up.

After handing the document back to the priest, we left the church.

As if to remind me once more, he said:

“I told you earlier, Rubi. The choice is yours.”

I remembered our conversation from before coming to the church.

“Whether you think you can live with me in the North—that’s something you should see and decide for yourself. That’s why I’m not adopting you right away.”

It meant that if I didn’t like his home, I could refuse anytime.

“I’ll stay by your side anyway…”

I trailed off, wrapping my arms around his neck. A low chuckle followed.

“Yeah. I don’t know why you’re so fixated on me.”

Like an imprinting chick. He muttered while rubbing the back of my head. The warmth of his hand had already become familiar.

“Anyway…”

“……”

“For now, you’re the youngest in our family.”

It felt like a little bonfire ignited in my heart.

“Hehe.”

A smile slipped out on its own. He tapped my nose lightly.

“Let’s go. To the Gebert territory.”