49 - The Youngest is Hiding a Lot
49
“……I have an umbrella. I bought it the day before yesterday.”
“Puhahaha! Yes, that’s great too!”
Grandfather laughed heartily and patted my head.
“Then tell a lackey to do it! Tell that guy to do all the dangerous stuff!”
I quietly guessed the meaning of his words and just smiled. Grandfather couldn’t stand it anymore and rubbed his face all over my cheek.
“Itchy, it’s itchy!”
As I was being bombarded with his beard, a thought suddenly struck me.
“Hah, but Grandfather.”
“Huh?”
“Titles are important, but why do you call me Booger?”
Then his thick eyebrows shot up. As I spoke, I felt a sense of injustice welling up inside me.
“Boogers are dirty! And insignificant!”
Grandfather thought about it roughly and answered roughly.
“It just sticks to my tongue. Cute.”
“Eek.”
Are you the same person who was just reciting the importance of titles and relationships?
There’s no credibility at all!
I’m going to ask Borbel to teach me how to make the world’s most bitter medicine!
Ruby shouted and moved away.
Balock, who was watching her retreating figure scurrying across the lobby, scratched the back of his head.
“Is this not it?”
Then Maurice, who was standing on one side of the lobby, approached.
“It seems like you said something grandfatherly for once, but is this not it?”
His large shoulders slumped. The Old Duke’s butler opened his mouth coldly.
“Did you say it as I advised you?”
“I think so, roughly.”
“Then a warm and affectionate grandfatherly aspect should have been added, but that’s strange.”
“Right?”
The heads of the two master and servant tilted simultaneously. Balock’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“Isn’t this all Leviathan’s fault for screwing things up!”
Bang! Balock couldn’t bear his anxiety and punched the door. Crack, the thick door split easily.
“What if Ruby even rejects Zebet's Castle…….”
Hing. His face, which had been blazing with anger, quickly became sullen.
Maurice comforted the restless Old Duke.
“In that case, wouldn’t it be unavoidable to have Rubian-nim stay in our annex?”
“Huh?”
“Because you are ‘Grandfather.’ Aren’t you closer in terms of title?”
“Oho.”
Seeing the sinister smile on the butler’s face, the Old Duke also smiled darkly.
“That’s right……. I, who am unavoidably called ‘Grandfather,’ will have to take her in and live with her……. Um! Solved!”
What exactly is solved?
The main castle servants, who were listening quietly, thought with a surge of emotion.
As I was about to return to my room, I ran into Uncle in the hallway.
“Ah!”
Uncle, hello? The weather is great today. I ran around the Training ground three and a half times. My stamina is growing as fast as Cal and Void’s height…….
I ended up compressing all those words into one insignificant exclamation.
As I stood there like a stone statue, Uncle strode over and lowered himself.
“Why is your face like a burst pudding again?”
“I’m not pudding……. Sorry…….”
As I added gloomily, Uncle stroked my head.
“You don’t have to call.”
“Huh?”
“Call me when you feel like it, Ruby. I’ll be waiting. And don’t apologize.”
“Woo…….”
I felt a strange tingling in my heart.
As I just mumbled, looking at his kind eyes, Uncle chuckled.
“But what if I want to call you?”
“Um.”
Uncle, looking around, untied the curtain decoration hanging on the hallway wall. There was a small bell-shaped jingle at the end of the string.
“I guess you can shake this.”
“……Are you telling me to use the Duke as a bell?”
“Shake the bell to call me. It’s a bit difficult to use me as a bell.”
Hap. I quickly shut my mouth.
A small golden bell in my hand. When I shook it lightly, a clear sound rang out.
“Like this?”
“Yes. Shake the bell if you want to call Uncle. I’ll hear it.”
Does Uncle think of me as a cat? Or does he want to be a cat himself?
Ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling, ting-a-ling.
I shook the bell like crazy.
“Yes.”
Uncle answered. Seeing his face, which replied nonchalantly, I felt a surge of emotion for some reason. I shouted, hitting his solid shoulder with a bang, bang.
“I called you four times, but why did you only answer once!”
Damn it, I can’t go on like this!
\ \ *
As the sunset was faintly setting.
I secretly slipped out of the castle. It was the same path I used to chase Khalid’s squirrel.
“Ugh, this is hard.”
I was back at Zebet's Memorial Garden again.
‘Strangely, this place came to mind.’
Borbel said it was a problem of my heart. So it felt like I had to let this heart out to someone.
At first, I naturally tried to put my hand on my earlobe, but stopped.
‘Cal…… doesn’t have parents.’
He said he doesn’t even have memories of them.
‘What if I hurt him.’
And he would probably say with a very indifferent face, “Shake the bell. What’s the problem if they say it’s okay.”
‘Or Grandfather?’
Due to the conversation just now……. Pass.
‘Hazel?’
But Hazel hadn’t been seen since morning. She must be busy, so pass.
‘Or Void?’
Just pass.
‘There’s no one…….’
Then this place came to mind.
A nameless grave.
“…….”
I tiptoed so as not to be caught by the Gravekeeper and carefully pushed open the white fence.
The Memorial Garden located in the innermost part of Zebet's Castle.
And the grave of the nameless baby, prepared in the deepest part of that place.
It was a place where you could feel a strong will that would not allow any more storms.
“Ah, I only have this to give.”
I was startled when I saw the flower placed under the tombstone.
Without realizing it, I put down the pin that was stuck in my hair.
“Sorry, baby. It was originally yours, right?”
In fact, I had heard a little about the origin of this pin from Hazel.
“I don’t know why I came here……. I just wanted to come.”
Words just kept popping out on their own.
It was a strange thing. To feel a strange sense of stability in a place I was visiting for the first time.
There was no name on the black tombstone. Only the surname ‘Zebet’ was there alone.
“I don’t have a surname, but you don’t have a name.”
Hehe. Something’s strange.
The wind blew. I stared intently at the word ‘Zebet’ and lowered my head.
“You know. Do you know why I’m doing this?”
Of course, there was no reply.
“No. Actually, more than that…….”
Yes.
I had always wanted to ask this grave something.
“Um, is it okay if I really borrow it? That name……. I’ll just borrow it for a moment…… and return it.”
I wondered if I was qualified.
To be honest, I was regretting a little that I had answered yes to Uncle’s words about becoming a real youngest child.
‘Could it be that I’ve done something bigger than I thought?’
I just wanted to prevent the ending of the original work, and I became a child of this house without thinking.
But Zebet, whom I actually experienced, was warmer and better than I thought……. And I suddenly became afraid.
‘I was planning to leave here without any regrets once I achieved my goal.’
But what if I get even closer to Uncle than this? Will I be able to leave?
What if we become a real family?
‘I’m a liar…….’
That question remained in me like a stain.
At that time, a leaf flew from somewhere, spun around, and gently landed on my head. I smiled bashfully as I took it off.
“I don’t know if it’s permission or rejection.”
Through the narrow view, I saw a dry leaf that had fallen on the tombstone. It was when I reached out to remove it without thinking.
“Huh?”
A strange sense of incongruity lingered at my fingertips. I lowered my body as it was and placed both hands on the ground.
‘Is it an illusion?’
I thought I felt magic power…….
But when I put my palms on it, I didn’t feel anything at all. Could I have mistaken the surrounding magic power?
‘Well, all sorts of energies overlap in a graveyard…….’
I felt goosebumps for some reason. Just as I was about to rub my arms and get up.
“Who’s there?”
“……!”
An unfamiliar voice pierced my back like an arrow.
I was so surprised that I plopped down on the spot.
When I turned around, I saw the Gravekeeper, who had her auburn hair tied back and the sleeves of her gray robe rolled up.
“S, so surprised…….”
Cold sweat dripped down my neck.
‘I, I thought it was a ghost…….’
To hear a woman’s voice the moment I realized it was a graveyard!
“The Memorial Garden is off-limits at this time.”
“Yes. I’ll get out right now…….”
I tried to stand up, supporting myself on the ground, but slipped again. It seemed like the strength in my body was completely gone.
“Oh my.”
The Gravekeeper-nim approached, seemingly surprised. She put down the scythe and weeds she was holding in both hands and supported me.
“I didn’t mean for you to rush so much. I’ll have to call someone.”
“No. I’m okay……. Okay…….”
Was it because I was suddenly surprised? The word ‘okay,’ which I always said habitually, seemed to get stuck in my mouth.
I have to say I’m okay quickly.
And I have to run away quickly.
But as always, my body betrayed me, and in the end, something else came out…….
“I’m not okay……. Waaaaah.”
It was a very unexpected cry.
