Chapter 44
“Of course I’d like that.”
It was almost surprising that he had hesitated so much just to say that.
‘Didn’t I say first that I wanted to become the youngest?’
Had he completely forgotten? Or did he really think I might hate living in the North and run away?
‘Well… I roughly know what Rosetta and Liam are like from the original story.’
Of course, I wasn’t certain they’d welcome me.
‘It’s fine. I can make them like me.’
I had no reason to hesitate.
The uncle let out a long breath, as if releasing something that had been stuck inside him.
His stiff, tense shoulders visibly relaxed.
“You got that nervous just to ask that?”
So unlike him.
“What do you mean ‘just’?”
With a pale face, he lightly tapped my nose.
“It’s the most important thing.”
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
At that moment, a loud rattling sound came from the side.
When I turned, I saw Hazel carrying a tray, tears and snot streaming down her face.
“H-Hazel?”
“Uwaaah… th-thank goodness…”
Hazel couldn’t even finish her sentence.
The other maids nearby awkwardly laughed—“Oh my, honestly”—while chopping lightly at the back of her neck with their hands.
Isn’t that a pressure point?
But the super-strong maid didn’t care, wiping her tears and quickly replacing the messy cake plate.
Butler Adolf watched with a satisfied smile.
“Hehe.”
For some reason, I started laughing.
Was it really that happy news—that I said I’d stay here?
Enough to make everyone’s faces light up like that?
Would the others be happy too?
‘Void, Grandpa, the chef, Butler Morris, the senior knights…’
As I counted them excitedly on my fingers, my hand suddenly dropped.
“……”
“Ruby? What’s wrong?”
Leviathan, sitting across from me, pressed my cheek and asked.
“You’ve got that sulky, puffed-up face again.”
It was because I realized—
Just how many there were now.
The number of people I had lied to.
And every single one of them was so kind…
“Going quiet again.”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
“That ugly duck face.”
It stung. A lot.
The uncle snorted and pulled me into a tight hug.
In that warm embrace, I thought:
‘It’s okay.’
It’s okay.
Don’t panic.
I’m good at hiding things—so I can hide this feeling too.
‘The barrier… I need to hurry!’
That was the only way to resolve this heavy guilt.
To protect the people who cared about me—with my own hands.
“To think your crown is warm again.”
To protect this uncle.
Held safely in his arms, I quietly covered the top of my head.
“You’re not about to cause trouble again, are you?”
“Who knows.”
His violet eyes looking at me were as gentle and warm as ever.
Khalid walked along the castle wall.
“You came again today?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Kid, why are you working so hard?”
The large knights ruffled the boy’s hair playfully.
Khalid stiffened awkwardly and fixed it.
‘Are all northerners like this?’
Not only did they casually cross personal boundaries, they naturally pulled others into their circle as well.
Honestly, he didn’t like it.
‘If it weren’t for Ruby.’
He would have quit and left long ago.
“Look at that glare. You gonna flip me like Delmon did?”
“Hey, I almost thought you were a beast and tried to subdue you.”
“…Aren’t you leaving?”
Ignoring the noisy, teasing knights, Khalid headed toward the wall.
A subtle tension always hung over the battlements.
Even the knights who joked around would unconsciously stiffen here.
‘So that’s the “bell.”’
Khalid thought as he looked up at the tall watchtower.
“What’s this magic stone?”
“A barrier stone! We’re turning it into a magic device and embedding it into the wall!”
“You’re building a barrier in Zelox?”
“Yeah! So we can block anyone who comes here with bad intentions!”
So they planned to run immediately if a tracking mage was detected?
‘That seems excessive for just that.’
Besides, if handled poorly, it would basically advertise that a mage was here.
‘Though it’ll probably stay inactive most of the time… and there’s no way Ruby doesn’t know that.’
Khalid stopped walking.
Ah. So this barrier has another purpose.
“Kal, go around the walls and check if any bells need repairs!”
“You’re turning the bells themselves into magic tools? But where are you even making them?”
“We’ve got it all planned~”
Yeah, figures.
The boy stopped speculating further.
He couldn’t fully grasp everything Rubian was thinking anyway—and if something happened, he’d just protect her.
So for now, he would help her achieve what she wanted.
Khalid let out a deep sigh and climbed the tower to inspect the bell.
It looked perfectly polished—no repairs needed.
‘Guess I’ll have the animals move around at night and create some cracks.’
Touching the bracelet on his wrist, the boy thought indifferently.
Bang!
Rubian burst into the blacksmith’s workshop.
“Uncle! I’m here to pick out pretty pieces of metal!”
Khalid quietly closed the door behind her.
“Oh, you finally came.”
The blacksmith, Medix, who had been tapping the floor with a hammer, stood up.
A hint of excitement appeared on his previously bored face.
“You remember, right? You have to keep this a secret… Uncle and Grandpa say it’s dangerous, so if I get caught, I won’t be allowed to come…”
Rubian approached shyly, twisting her body as she whispered.
“I actually really like this kind of stuff… weapons.”
As she covered her lips and whispered, the blacksmith’s bronze arm muscles twitched.
“Kal.”
Throb.
“Shields.”
Flex.
“Stuff like that.”
A flash of madness passed through Medix’s eyes.
“Ha! Should I file a complaint to the capital? A growing child should be playing in a workshop full of dreams and hope, not stuck studying in some gloomy castle!”
He’s insane. About weapons.
Khalid thought blankly, scanning the surroundings.
It was a massive workshop.
Rubian’s magic stone shop was right next door.
Obviously, she had used that as an excuse to come here again.
“Quenching! Pouring molten metal! Right?!”
“Hehe… I’d rather not do that.”
Rubian waved her hands awkwardly.
“Anyway, I’ll just play over there today!”
She pointed to a smaller workshop where finishing touches were done on equipment.
“Then I guess I’ll join—”
“Huh? Aren’t you busy, mister?”
“Does it look like it…—ah.”
At that moment, Rubian stretched out her hand toward Medix.
In her small hand was a rolled-up scroll.
Khalid’s eyebrow twitched as he watched from behind.
“Th-this is…!”
“Yes, a new blueprint. A gift—and a bribe!”
“Why are you giving me a gift and a bribe…?”
“Well… you’re keeping it a secret that I play here.”
“I shall serve you with utmost loyalty.”
The moment Rubian grinned, the blacksmith eagerly snatched the scroll.
As he scanned the blueprint, admiration poured out of him nonstop.
“Wow… this design… balancing it like this? Using this material in that way—ah, as expected… huh? But…”
Medix frowned deeply.
“The important parts are missing… R-Ruby? Don’t tell me—”
“Yup. I think the important parts are written in luminous paint so not just anyone can see them.”
“Then… I have to study this alone in a dark basement?”
“Wow, your face just lit up.”
“It’s like a furnace.”
His eyes gleamed with desire.
“But Ruby, where do you even get things like this?”
“Him!”
Rubian leaned back and pointed at Khalid behind her.
When their eyes met, Khalid quietly looked away.
“You mean that arrowhead-like boy who’s been standing like a wall and sneaking glances at your face?”
“……”
This lunatic.
“Correction. His gaze is more like a bastard sword. Be careful.”
The blacksmith clutched the blueprint protectively and shrank back.
“Hehe. He got a few blueprints as payment from past jobs! Right, Kal?”
Rubian stepped on Khalid’s foot.
He played along casually.
“Yeah. Picked them up while traveling between countries.”
“I see… so this brat is my blueprint supplier…”
Narrowing his eyes, Medix rummaged around noisily before pulling out red dye and pouring it across the floor.
“I’ll treat you both with utmost respect. Here—your path to the workshop.”
Is this a red carpet?
Rubian muttered quietly, looking slightly overwhelmed.
