TYHL 174

~Chapter 174~

What does it mean to be an adult?

Is it just getting older?
Or looking more mature?

I’m not sure.

In my last life, I never really became an adult.
So I don’t know for sure, but one thing I am certain about is that turning eighteen won’t magically transform me into someone new.

After all, the macaron I craved yesterday? I still want it today. The boring class I wanted to skip yesterday? Still want to skip it now.

Maybe being an adult isn’t so different.

“But this is different, Ruby.”
Void’s voice was serious.

“This—this is the real mark of adulthood.”

Gulp.

I swallowed hard.

It was dusk, and we were tucked away in a forgotten corner of the parlor.

The candlelight flickered dangerously across Void’s face, which had finally lost all traces of boyhood.

I was weirdly touched just sitting across from him—mainly because he used to spend his entire moody phase perched in window frames, legs crooked, clutching some poetry or art book, gazing into the distance.

Honestly, it was insufferable.
Though, the maids responsible for cleaning the windows were absolutely thrilled.

But now, finally, he’d come down and taken a seat.

He spoke low,
“This is like the devil’s spring water. It’ll make you do unpredictable things. So think carefully. You’re not officially an adult yet. You still have some time, so—”

“Brother,” I interrupted calmly,
“I’ve been waiting for this moment since the day I turned seventeen. I’m ready.”

He ruffled his hair in frustration, reading the resolve in my voice.

“Damn it. All this fuss over a coming-of-age ceremony…”

“I won’t hesitate.”

“…”

“Just getting older doesn’t make you an adult. You become an adult when you act like one.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Ruby?”

Void took a deep breath, steeling himself.

“All right. Let’s go. Welcome to the adult world.”

Pop—the cork came off the bottle of amber liquid.

He poured it into a glass, and I tried not to smile as I watched.

“The scent of adulthood,” I said, crossing my legs with exaggerated elegance. “It’s strong. I bet there’s a bold fruitiness that gives way to a clean finish…”

—Yeah, right.

Wait a minute.
It just smells like disinfectant—Liam’s kind, at that.
Is alcohol supposed to smell this awful?
They said it was sweet! Why do adults gulp it down like it’s the best thing ever?

What did Void steal from Dad’s office, anyway?
Poison? Was someone trying to assassinate Dad?

“What are you waiting for? Drink up.”

I forced a laugh.
No turning back now—I was going to be an adult, so I had to be brave.

Maybe it would taste better than it smelled.

“Fine, I’ll try a drop,” I said, using all my magical control to tip the glass for just the tiniest sip.

“Seriously? What’s going on in here?”

Suddenly, my hand was empty.

“What—hey! Who—?”

“Dad.”

“Oh. Hi, Dad…”

I looked up at him, trying to look innocent.

Why does he get more dazzling every year?

“You two kept giving each other weird looks at dinner. Were you trying to sneak my liquor?”

“Hehehe…”

“How old do you two have to be before you stop causing trouble?”

“Uh, maybe when we’re… ten… hundred?”

“Don’t you dare add another zero.”

“Aaaah—!”

Dad grabbed my cheeks in his iron grip. I scrambled out of his clutches and protested,

“No, listen! The Emperor’s going to serve me special wine at my coming-of-age banquet. What if I mess up in front of everyone? I need to practice! What if I spit it out or something?”

“Unbelievable. Wasn’t it you who said you’d wait until after your ceremony to drink?”

“Yes, sir!”

“So confident now. Ha, what am I going to do with you…”

He poured himself a glass and tossed it back in one gulp. My eyes went wide.

“That’s just going to burn your insides! Are you okay?”

I jumped up in a panic.

“No way! Brother, emergency ice cream delivery!”

“Here!”

“Go!”

Splash!

Oops—my magic aim was way off. The ice cream landed right on Dad’s broad shoulder before sliding into his glass.

“Uh, Dad… is that, um, affogato? Hahaha…”

Well, that’s that.

“Sorry, sir.”

Gotta apologize like an adult.

“Whew. That was rough.”

The road to adulthood is long and full of obstacles.

Back in my room, I let out a deep sigh.

It was almost bedtime, but I didn’t feel the least bit sleepy. So I sat at my cluttered desk and grabbed the nearest stack of papers.

“All right. Time for some solo overtime.”

These were the diagrams of magical stones that Dad had found all over the continent. There was enough material for a whole book.

Magic is such a strange thing.

I skimmed through the notes again, realizing most of these were rare or forgotten high-level spells.

Unfortunately, the “True Formula of Dispelling” still wasn’t among them.

But I’d made progress.
I’d started completing the unfinished magic circles and, lately, had been tinkering to make them even more efficient.

All in the name of minimal mana usage—
The power-saving mode of magic!

I used to borrow Wizeria’s wisdom for this, but these days, I was trying to do it all myself.

“Where’s my pen…”

As I searched around, my eyes landed on my neglected diary in the corner.

“Oh, right. What am I going to do about this thing…”

Tap, tap, tap.

My fingers drummed on the cover, finally resting on the last line I’d scribbled inside.

—Our house in Zelox, past the herb hill.

“…No way, right?”

If that’s true, I’d have to dig up every grave marker in every cemetery.

Besides, if there was something hidden in that stone, wouldn’t I have noticed by now?

I’d visited the memorial in Zelox so many times. If there was anything special about the grave marker, I should have noticed long ago.

But…
I do remember feeling something odd there when I was little.
That one time, when Mom was disguised as the caretaker.

It was just for a moment.

I’ll check it out as soon as I’m back in Zelox.

But what if… what if there’s really something there?

Honestly, I hate the idea of digging up someone’s grave.

And, worst of all—

How do you even tell your parents you want to investigate the grave of their dead child?

Just imagining it makes my skin crawl.

“I hope Khalid finds the right monument instead,” I muttered, standing up.

I was parched after all that thinking and went to get some water. As I passed by the full-length mirror, my eyes met my own reflection.

I walked closer and checked the seal on my back.