~Chapter 129~
“Oh? Rubian?”
Sortie grabbed my arm. The boatman who was rowing looked confused too.
“Is something wrong? Should I turn the boat around?”
“Ah, n-no. My stomach just feels…”
I clutched my stomach and spoke awkwardly.
It felt like my back was burning, then the pain disappeared quickly.
‘Why now, of all times…’
I bit my lip and closed my eyes tightly.
The pain was gone almost as soon as I noticed it. But the dirty feeling stayed for a long time.
It was the feeling of the mark growing.
‘I never wanted to know what this felt like, not in my whole life.’
“Rubian, you’re sweating…”
“I-I’m okay, Titi.”
Hoo…
I took a deep breath, then sat up again. Sortie’s face was full of worry.
“I think I just got a little seasick.”
“R-really?”
“Yeah. It’s my first time on a boat like this.”
I forced a big smile at Sortie.
“Boatman! C-could you please go slower? My friend is feeling seasick…”
“Oh, yes, sure.”
A short sigh slipped out of my mouth.
‘Now it just happens anytime, anywhere.’
Once I noticed the mark growing, I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Suddenly, I felt scared.
I wished someone would pat me and say it was okay.
“Dad…”
Heh.
Just thinking about it made me miss him.
My dad, my mom, and even my grandfather…
To be honest, when I saw my brothers earlier, I was a little happy. I kind of wanted to run to them and have them carry me, just forget everything.
“Are you missing your parents, Rubian?”
“Yeah. A little…”
“…Actually, me too.”
Sortie held my hand gently.
We both looked at the peaceful lakeshore, sniffing a bit.
Meanwhile, outside the library, the two Zebbert brothers looked serious.
“Big brother, I don’t think this is working, is it?”
Liam nodded calmly.
“Yeah. She said she came to camp, but why haven’t we seen our fairy yet… We should try harder to find her.”
Liam straightened Void’s crooked ribbon tie, which had been bothering him.
Void was in third year of elementary, and Liam was third year of middle school, so their tie colors were different.
“They said she didn’t show up at the entrance ceremony, too.”
“That’s right… Hey, this is just my guess, but maybe Father is having fun with Ruby somewhere without telling us again?”
Void grumbled, missing the mark.
“Ah! I wanted to go on the southern vacation too!”
Because the vacation was at the same time as the Academy’s opening, the two of them couldn’t go. It was something they’d never forget.
“So what should we do? Liam, you’re close with the professors—why not ask them?”
“Hm.”
“Or just say you’re visiting the university research department? Ask about Ruby there!”
“Should I…”
Liam looked like he was thinking.
He was the top student for six years straight; all the professors wanted him.
After three years in elementary, middle, and high school, you could enter the university research department. But strangely, there was no set graduation time—some people quit after a year, and some stayed their whole life.
Liam always thought that was a mystery.
Then, his eyes narrowed.
“Wait. I think… there’s an even faster way.”
He spotted a busy golden-haired head looking around in the distance.
“Actually, besides our fairy, there’s another kid who’s really easy to spot. The same age as her.”
“Ah…? You mean…”
Liam pushed up his glasses and fell silent.
Void saw the answer in that silence and grinned. The brothers hurried their steps.
At that time…
Khalid clicked his tongue, annoyed.
He had just been thrown out of the nurse’s office, all because the diligent librarian had taken him there.
“Khalid, you seem healthy—really healthy. You should stop skipping and get back to class.”
‘…Ugh, what a bother.’
Khalid brushed back his hair, his face expressionless.
He walked toward the dormitory where his class activities were held.
‘I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Rubian.’
To be honest, he thought he’d be in the same class as Rubian. Now that he wasn’t, he found it even less interesting.
“Why aren’t we in the same class?”
“Look at your face. Are you upset again?”
“I’m sulking. You didn’t even tell me about this.”
Rubian explained in her usual calm, steady voice.
“We don’t have a choice, Khal. We look too different in age on the outside.”
“It’s only a two-year difference.”
“In the world of kids, two years is a lot. Plus, I’m living as an eight-year-old now.”
“Are you saying… I’m too old?”
Said twelve-year-old Khalid, gloomily.
“I want to go home…”
“Hey! Mentally, we’re both like old kids anyway, so it’s fine!”
“Is that supposed to comfort me?”
Anyway, Khalid didn’t like the Academy for a lot of reasons.
Of course, he came here with something to do.
‘I have to meet someone called Yuliophe.’
He didn’t know anything about them yet, so he couldn’t make a move.
All in all, it was a frustrating place.
His dorm roommates always bothered him, and outside, girls stared at him too much.
Khalid took a quiet path. He already knew the area well, so he didn’t mind.
‘I’d rather be doing sword training up north.’
There was no tension here—everything felt lazy and slow.
Khalid thought he always felt like a stranger wherever he went.
He didn’t even know his own past, so he sometimes felt unfamiliar to himself.
‘Could I ever really belong anywhere?’
Walking down the narrow path, Khalid looked up at the sky. The clear blue autumn sky reminded him of Rubian’s eyes.
‘But I hope Rubian… doesn’t feel the same.’
She always said her dream was to be a “normal kid.”
Maybe this was what “normal” meant to her—peaceful, calm, safe.
‘If that’s true, am I the one who stands out the most around her?’
Khalid lightly clenched his fist.
That’s when it happened.
“Catch him.”
Suddenly, everything went dark.
“Wha—?!”
Before he could say anything, a rough hand covered his mouth. His arms and legs were tied up in a flash.
‘Wasn’t this place supposed to be peaceful and lazy?!’
He quickly sensed there were three attackers.
“Okay. Drag him down the back alley.”
A creepy voice ordered. Khalid struggled as he was dragged into a dark alley.
Khalid glared at the three boys in front of him.
“From now on, just answer yes or no. Understand?”
A boy with dark purple eyes came close.
Khalid shook his head, and the cloth over his nose fell off.
It actually smelled nice… They must have picked that blindfold carefully.
His wrists were tied behind the chair, but he could break free with a little effort.
“Where’s my little sister?”
Void Zebbert glared down at Khalid, threatening.
“That’s what I was going to ask you.”
“Wait, Void.”
Another boy with sharp features cut in.
“You told him to answer yes or no, but that question doesn’t work. Calm down.”
“Oh, right.”
“Let me do the questioning.”
Liam pushed up his glasses and stepped forward.
“Have you seen our family’s fairy? Yes or no.”
“Yes.”
Liam froze.
“Did only you see her? You cheeky little brat.”
He tried to get Khalid in a headlock, but Void stopped him.
“Brother, brother, calm down!”
“Haha, you two…”
Finally, the third attacker, Licht, who had been smiling in the back, burst out laughing.
“You shouldn’t threaten someone like that after kidnapping them.”
“Wait, this was a kidnapping…?”
Void’s mouth dropped open.
