TYHL 194

~Chapter 194~

A few days passed.

Next week was finally my long-awaited coming-of-age ceremony!

“Hmph.”

I bundled myself up in a blanket, clutching warm stones, and headed to the training yard.

‘If the Magic King is targeting me, how would he go about it?’

There’d been no word yet from the princess staying in the imperial palace.

I thought back to the time Dad and I went to meet the Emperor not long ago.

“I had a feeling… So it really was the Cassalian King behind it.”

Even as the years went by, His Majesty the Emperor remained strikingly beautiful—and he still liked to ruffle my hair.

He still looked at the way Dad held my hand, a little enviously.

“Alright. For now, I’ll just have to throw the grandest party possible.”

“Excuse me?”

“Without solid proof, I can’t confront him directly. Anyway, there’s plenty of time before the Spring Round Table…”

The Emperor smiled with a kind of mischievous warmth.

“We’ll just have to keep him under palace arrest—so gently that he won’t even realize it. If he lets his guard down and slips up, then we’ll finally have what we need.”

“Oh.”

“So, imperial house arrest, huh?”

Was that how that phrase was supposed to be used?
I wasn’t sure, but since His Majesty seemed fine with it, I let it go.

“By the way, how often does the young lady here dine with our Licht each week?”

“Huh? Um, not that much lately…”

“And with Baron Riorque?”

“Um… seven times?”

Well, we do live together.

The Emperor looked absolutely stunned.

“Maybe we should set you up with a room in the palace, since you’re always in and out of the archives…”

“If you’re going to lock someone up, make it the Cassalian Potato, not me.”

“Tch.”

“I think the air here is bad. Let’s go, Ruby.”

“I think it’s great.”

From that day, the palace was full of parties—big and small.

Apparently, the Cassalian King was absolutely thrilled, thinking all the festivities were in his honor.

“Hmmm.”

I turned my attention back to the training yard.

Nearby, Liam and Void were sparring with wooden swords.

‘I doubt they’ll just send more tracking mages like before—that trick’s failed too many times. So, what now…?’

At that moment, a wooden sword rolled over to me.

“Ugh, Liam…”

Void flopped down, breathless.

“You lured me out here with the promise of Ruby’s twelfth birthday solo portrait. My body moved before I could think.”

“You’re one to talk. How’d you know I was missing the last signed fairy journal? That was a sneaky move.”

My eyes went wide.

“Excuse me! Would you two stop using my precious childhood memories for your traps?”

Seriously!

I ran over and confiscated their secret weapons. My brothers groaned in defeat from the ground.

I glanced at the messy scribbles in my old fairy journal and my bright smile in the portrait.

‘So you can bait someone by threatening what they care about most… that’s one way to do it.’

The thought made me a little annoyed.

“I’ve gotten stronger, too!”

I tossed off the blanket and started jogging laps around the training yard. See? I can run around the whole place now!

“Ruby! Give back my portrait!”

“Sign the fairy journal, here! Here!”

“Haha! Look at her go! That’s my girl!”

Even Grandpa came out, clapping and laughing.

Leaving the noisy crowd behind, I pumped my fists and ran into the wind.

‘My weakness is my family!’

They’re what matter most to me.

I imagined it:
What if someone tried to kidnap one of them, to threaten me? Even if I knew it was a trap, I’d probably walk right into it.

‘Yikes…’

The thought alone gave me chills.

“Wait, but—”

I stopped and looked around the yard.

‘Are my so-called weaknesses… even really weaknesses?’

“We need to expand the training yard! Morris!”

“Uh, I’ll set up the construction schedule—”

“Now!”

Boom!

Grandpa’s fist crashed right through the fence. Void’s face looked just as shattered.

“Grandpa! You can’t just destroy the fence like that!”

“What? You think you can talk back now that you’re the deputy commander?”

“Thank you for smashing it, Grandpa!”

Um… those two are…
Probably not the best hostages.

“Look at you, all grown up, wearing a magic aura instead of scowling from the window. Oh, how you’ve changed.”

“Let’s just forget about the past, please…”

They probably wouldn’t get kidnapped anyway.

As I was nodding to myself, Dad walked over, sword in hand, ready for some rare training.

“Why is it so loud out here?”

“Dad, your button’s undone.”

“Liam, when did you get home?”

“Button…”

“Are you ever going to stop with the button thing? I said, when did you get home?”

“Got lost at the academy, and home was right there.”

“Are you serious…?”

Yeah, those two wouldn’t be easy targets either.

Suddenly—
The second-floor window slammed open. From it, a fiery glow tumbled out.

“Liam! I told you to come home more often!”

For once, Liam’s broad shoulders flinched. He looked at Dad, voice tentative.

“Would you hide me if I asked?”

“I’d love to.”

“…”

Mom leaped from the window and landed easily.

“Just you wait!”

“My wife’s the strongest in the house.”

Dad shrugged as Liam retreated.

“Will our son ever graduate?”

Her pink hair flowed like living things in the wind.

“Hehe…”

I collapsed to the ground, giggling helplessly.

Khalid wandered over, dusting off his boots.

“Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”

“Guess I don’t have any weaknesses after all.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously, I’m perfect. Flawless.”

Khalid followed my gaze.

“Grandpa, please stop smashing all the fences!”

“Fine! Let’s go for a walk, just the two of us!”

“No way!”

“Same here!”

Grandpa dropped a hand onto Void’s shoulder and grinned. Even giant Void looked helpless.

“Liam, you’re graduating this year, right? Do you know how many letters I get from Headmaster Odelli?”

“I’ll just change my address in the school records.”

“You think that’ll work?”

Mom’s voice warmed. It was a crisis.

“Wait. Rose, the headmaster’s bothering you? Oberon, get ready for battle.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chaos.

Khalid glanced over at me, looking completely lost.

“That’s flawless?”

“Hehehe.”

Honestly…

It’s pretty clear no one’s getting kidnapped around here.

‘My weakness really is my family.’

But these people are just too tough, and too weird, to be used against me. In a word—

“Long live our family.”

Really, long live us all.

But just when I thought I’d figured it all out…

A problem popped up from a totally unexpected direction.

It was the night before my coming-of-age ceremony.

After dinner, on my way to the drawing room with Khalid—

“Young Lady!”

“Uncle Allen?”

Allen came rushing over.

He paused, glancing at Khalid standing guard beside me.

“What’s up?”

Khalid asked.

“Well, I—I just got an urgent message from our team in the south.”

Urgent messages are rarely good news.

“They caught five mages who fled from the Magic Kingdom!”

“What?”

I stared in shock. Khalid stepped closer to Allen.

“Escapees? You really believe that? They were probably sneaking in to invade the continent.”

“Yeah, I mean, that’s definitely possible, but… the thing is, one of the mages…”

Allen hesitated, glancing at me.

“He insists he has to meet with the Duke—your father.”

“All of a sudden? What, does he think Dad meets with everyone who asks?”

“No, miss. His Grace…”

“Huh?”

“He agreed to meet him after confirming the item the mage sent in secret.”

“What is it?”

Please don’t tell me…

I frowned.

“A portrait and belongings from when you were very young…”

Khalid let out a breath of disbelief.

“So, if I had to guess…”

“…”

“He’s claiming to be your birth father.”

“If you ever need my help, please contact me anytime.”

Suddenly, I remembered the princess’s words.

But why now?