The Youngest Hides a Lot Chapter 202

Ch.21

hedaywasovercast.verythingwashazy.

hatwashowknew.

Adream?Allofasudden?

hatthiswasadream.

waswalkingdownastreet.Myshoesandclothesfeltterriblyunfamiliar.venmybodydidnotfeellikemyown.

Whatisthis?Adreamwhere’mpossessingsoone?

hemontthoughtthat,myreflectionappearedinapuddlebytheroad.

ollowcheeks,parchedlips,eyesdrainedoflife.twasanunsightlyfaceineverypossibleway,butitwasalsopainfullyfamiliar.

,yetnot.

t’stheseventhfromtheoriginalstory.

hatmadenosense.

Why,allofasudden?

“Miss,overthere!”

Soonecalledouttoaswalkeddownthestreetlikeaghost.slowlyturnedmyhead.Mymindwasmine,butmybodydidnotmoveaccordingtomywill.

“akethis.”

Agood-natured-lookingwomanheldoutasmallpieceofcaketo.Shehadevenputitinaboxandwrappeditneatly.

Astrawberrysimredinsyrupsatontopofwhitecream.

Ah,likestrawberrycake!hechefsaidhewouldprepareahugestrawberrycreamcakeformycoming-of-ageceremonytoo.

“Businessjustisn’tgoodtoday,yousee.guesstherearen’tmanypeoplewithbirthdaystoday.”

!t’smybirthdaytoday!

Butonlymyheartshouted.

Mybodyrelystoodthereblankly.henthebakerywomanforcedthecakeintomyhand.

felthergazefallonmyhand,andsheflinched.

hensheclearedherthroatandhurriedlyadded,

“Um,ifittastesallright,cobuysothingelsetomorrow!hemuffinsaregoodtoo,andthingslikemacaronsaredelicious!Wehappentobestartingasaletomorrow,thirtypercentoff...o,fiftypercent!”

startedwalkingagain.

Withoutasinglewordofthanks.

heseventhfromtheoriginalstoryhadnomannersatall.

“Allright?Youhavetocobuysothing!”

heangelicownershoutedearnestlyatmyback.Atthecommotion,amanwhoseedtobeherhusbandcaoutandnaggedher.

“Whatsale?Whatdoyouan,sale?Andwhyareyouhandingoutperfectlygoodcake?”

“don’tknow.Shejustlookedalittle...precarious.Shestilllookedsoyoung...And...”

“And?”

“herewasbloodsoakingintohercuffs.”

Ah,wasthere?

Sothatwaswhythewomanhadflinchedwhenshesawmyhand.thoughtitwasbecauseofthemark.

keptwalkingasthosesmallvoicesfadedbehind.

herewerealotofgoodpeopleintheworld.

hethoughtcato,asifhadonlyjustrealizedit.ogivecaketoacompletestrangeroutofworry.

Justastherewasmalicewithoutreason,therewerealsopeoplewithkindnesswithoutreason.

Wouldsothinghavechangedifhadknownsooner?

keptwalking,wishingthatthekindownerwouldnotbuildwealthsteadily,butbecosuddenlyrichtomorrowinstead.

Beforeknewit,wasonadeep,ruggedmountainpath.

Birthday...

Cotothinkofit.

owoldam?

didnotknow.

adalreadycoofage?

“Run.Far,faraway.”

eviathanZebberthadsaidthatbeforehedied.

Rightbesidehisdaughter’sblackstele.

...

Whencatomysenses,wasrunning.

Behindmyfleeingback,thoughtheardtheDuchess’sblood-chokedscream.

owmanydayshadpassedsincethen?

havetogobacktoFather.

hadrepeatedthosewordshundreds,thousandsoftis,butforsoreason,mybodywouldnotmovethewaythought.

Mybreathcaingasps.twasbecausewaspouringallmymagicintostoppingthemarkfromgrowing.

eviathanZebberthadbeenright.

“Aimfortheheart.Don’tmiss.verythingyouwantwillbeinthiscenter.”

AtimagiccircleunknownevenintheMagicKingdomhadexistedintheAcademyinthecapitalofBabilon.

houghitwasalmostcompletelyruined.

heAcademy’ssecurity,wherehadfledafterescapingfromtheorth,waslax.

BecausetheprofessorinchargeoftheRareBooksArchivehaddiedjustthen.disguisedmyselfashisstudentandslippedintothemourningprocession.heysaidthatafterhiscolleaguesdiedandsothingwentwrongintheRareBooksArchive,hecouldnotovercothegriefoflossandtookhisownlife.

couldnotknow.

Atanyrate,thatwaswherefoundbooksthathadturnedblank,asinglenearlywitheredtree,andahalf-destroyedstele.

verythingintheRareBooksArchiveseedfartoolatetorepair.hereappearedtobenothingcoulddo.

Allcoulddowasstealthemagiccirclefromthesteleandrunawayagain.

Amagiccirclethatmovesti.

twassooldthatitnolongerfunctionedproperlyintheRareBooksArchive,butusedthatmagiccircletostopthetiofmymark.twaspossiblebecausetheRareBooksArchivewasfilledwithanunknownmagic.

hadstoppedthemark’serosionthatway,but.

knew.hiswasnothingmorethanastopgap.

Father’spowerwasendlesslystrong,andmymarkhadalreadygrownenoughtocovermyentirebody.

owlongcouldpossiblylastinthisstate?

hat’swhyhavetogoback.

otheMagicKingdom.

Butcontrarytomythoughts,strangelykeptclimbingthemountain.

heforestwasblack.

owdidnotevenknowthewayback.seedtohavegottenlost,yetforsoreason,wanderingthroughthemazedidnotfeelunpleasant.

heslopegrewsteeperandsteeper,andatallictasteroseinmythroat.hecakeboxinonehandfeltimpossiblyheavy.

Myheadspun.moriestangledtogetheratrandom.

“Buttheworldissowide.Surelytherehastobeoneplacethatcanprotectyou.”

Unabletoendureitanylonger,clungtoatreeandretched.

“ah.aah.”

WhyhadeviathanZebbertstabbedaswordintohisownheart?

Whyhadhelookedat,theonewhocatokillhim,withsuchtendereyes?

“otheMagicKingdom...haveto...goback...”

fwentback?

Withnoage,andnona.

WouldbecoFather’spuppetwithoutknowinganything,wanderfrombattlefieldtobattlefield,andhurtsooneelseagain?

“Whoforcessothinglikethatonhisowndaughter?eshouldbetreasuringhersodearlyitstillwouldn’tbeenough.”

Stoprembering.

Please.Please!

Wipingawaythedroolrunningfrommymouth,movedmyfeetbyinertia.Deeper,deeperintotheforest.Sonoonecouldfind.

hadheardeviathanZebberthadlosthisdaughter.Perhapsthatwaswhyheseedtopity.

twouldhavebeenverynicetobethedaughterofsuchaman.

ewouldhavetreatedherasprecious,pouredloveoverher,andbeenendlesslykind.

Ah...

stoppedwalking.

Atsopoint,abarrencliffhadappearedbeforemyeyes.

Belowmyblood-soakedcuffs,thepinkcakeboxdangledcarelesslyfrommyhand.heinsidemusthavebeenacompletessbynow.

’mtired.

hud.letthestrengthleavemyhand.hecakefellandshatteredcompletely.

wastooexhaustedtostandbackuponthestrengthofonestranger’skindnessalone.

didnotlookforwardtothedaysahead.wasnotcuriousaboutthemorningthatwouldcoagain.Rather,itwashorrifying.

et’sstop.

Wasn’tthismuchenough?

Yes.Perhapsrunningawaylikethiswasonewaytoo.

fhadbeenabletorunawayearlierthanthis...

Wouldsothinghavechanged?

fhad,eviathanmighthavelived.

Butthatwastrulyaaninglessassumption.

tookoutthedaggerhadbeencarryinginsidemyclothes.heonestainedwitheviathanZebbert’sblood.

herehadbeensomuchbloodfromtheman’schest.hadtrieddesperatelytostopitwithbothhands,butitwasnouse.

’msorry.Suddenly,wantedtosaythosewords.

owhom?oeviathan,whohaddied?r...totheDuchess,whomusthavebeenthefirsttofindherdeadhusband?ohissons?otheoldDuke?

Whatwouldbethepoint?

heywereonlypeoplehadneverevent.

tightenedbothhandsashardascould.

hebladeflashed,reflectingthecoldmoonlight.

“ey.”

Alow,hoarseman’svoicecafromsowhere.

Sowherealongthesteepcliffbehind.

Whenlookedclosely,therewasablack,darkcavenearby.

“fyou’regoingtodie,whydon’tyougofartherawayanddoit?”

nlythendidfeelthebluemagichadfailedtodetectbefore.Creak,screech.hesoundofoldchainsdraggingaswell.

Butwhatwasevenmoreintensethanthatwas—

Revealedbeneaththethinshaftofmoonlight...

“hesllofrottingcorpsesisfuckingdisgusting.”

heeyesofabeast.