~Chapter 95~
The magician clicked his tongue lightly.
Lady Zebret.
Her round eyes and smooth forehead somehow reminded him of the “Seventh.”
‘No… honestly, all children have round eyes and smooth skin.’
He had only seen the face of the “Seventh” once. So it was blurry in his memory. Still, he had volunteered to be a tracking magician.
To catch the Demon King’s attention.
And that choice was not wrong.
“I can’t let him down.”
He had even received a precious magical tool.
His lips curved upward. If he could just capture the “Seventh,” the King’s trust would belong entirely to him.
He stroked the brand engraved on his right forearm, the mark of the Demon Kingdom.
‘There was a strange magical power inside that maze.’
So, the magician had to be here.
Of course, Asha Drucan’s magical tools placed everywhere made the energy scattered and confusing.
But the Seventh’s power should still be strong enough to sense.
‘That young lady looked suspicious. If I could just check closer one more time…’
If he could only confirm the magic.
The magician touched his lips. His eyes flashed sharply.
I ran fast. I was already annoyed for being delayed because of the magician, so I ran even harder!
Since the fireworks hadn’t gone up yet, maybe there was still a chance!
But then, far ahead, I saw someone’s back.
“Hah, it’s Licht.”
Licht was walking very slowly toward the exit.
‘Ah…’
I felt deeply disappointed.
‘I guess I lost first place.’
If it weren’t for that magician blocking me earlier, who knows what might have happened!
Anyway. This kingdom never helps me with anything.
“But!”
This Rubian will not give up!
I lifted my head high and clenched both fists tightly.
“Oh, Rubian?”
My charging like a bull (well, at least in my heart) made Licht’s eyes go wide. His face filled with joy.
“Waited… no, no. Rival appears!”
Licht, who had been strolling, suddenly fixed his shoes and started running.
“I can’t lose!”
I ran even harder.
Surprisingly, Licht was slower than I thought. Our speeds were almost the same… well, maybe I was actually faster!
“Hah… hah. Licht, how many stickers do you have?”
“Stickers?”
Running next to me, Licht counted.
“Five. I got one at the first gate… but I only answered two questions right.”
Oh, wow.
My competitiveness burned even brighter. If I had enough badges, I might really win.
The traps earlier had been the biggest problem.
‘What if…’
Maybe this maze competition was exactly my specialty!
Will they hold it again next year? What if I win two years in a row? Then I’d become super strong and smart… just imagining it felt amazing!
“I feel like I could fly!”
“…”
Licht turned and looked at me strangely.
“Fly…? Because you can fly?”
“Uh, yeah!”
“Is that… because you actually can?”
He frowned seriously.
“What?”
“Nothing, nothing…”
Taking a deep breath, Licht looked at me with a serious face.
“Rubian, you…”
His expression was oddly grave.
For some reason, Licht’s pace slowed down.
“Are you, by any chance, with Asha…”
Of course, I didn’t miss the chance.
Because right in front of me, my two hands reached out before his.
“Fiiiirst place!”
I pushed open the Maze Garden gate wide!
“Rubian!”
“Little brat!”
My family came charging at me like bulls (this time for real).
I was crushed in the hugs of my crying and sniffling grandfather and mother. I raised the cards I had collected high in the air.
The judge smiled and checked my name.
“Yes, the winner of the Maze Finding Competition is Lady Rubian Zebret!”
Wow! I did it!
“Grandpa, running practice in the training yard really helped!”
“The training yard… Let’s expand the training yard! Our family’s pride! What an honor!”
Hahaha. I laughed in Grandpa’s arms. Behind him, Father crossed his arms and smiled faintly.
“Of course… my daughter.”
See that, Leon? My daughter.
See that, Marquis Averich? My daughter.
Father, unusually, was bragging everywhere.
I proudly pinned the badge to my chest. Behind me, Licht reached the finish line as second place.
“Oh right, Licht, what were you saying?”
“Ah.”
Licht glanced at my noisy family and shook his head.
“Nothing. Next time.”
“Really?”
“Honestly, I was going to talk with you inside the maze… but your competitiveness was stronger than I expected.”
He scratched his pale cheek.
“Congratulations on winning.”
Licht held out his hand.
I happily reached to shake it.
“Thank youu—”
“Congratulations, Ruby.”
Suddenly, two hands grabbed mine.
A surge of blue magic flowed into me.
It was Khalid, intercepting the handshake meant for Licht.
Licht looked shocked and stepped back.
I glared fiercely at Khalid.
‘Seriously, in front of everyone?!’
The tracking magician seemed to have gone, and nobody else here could sense the magic anyway.
But Khal read my eyes and turned his head awkwardly.
“…Charging.”
“Charging?”
“You’re tired from running.”
Well…
‘That makes sense…?’
Somehow, I couldn’t resist the logic of a battery. I quietly let him charge me. He leaned close and whispered.
“Did it help?”
The meaning was clear.
“Very much.”
I squeaked like a squirrel.
His handsome lips curved into a smile. But soon, his expression sank as if remembering something.
“…Should I approach again?”
I answered with silence.
“Our Ruby. So proud of you.”
Mother Rosetta kissed my cheek.
Wearing the golden badge, I returned to the mansion in triumph. Adolf, Hazel, and all the servants cried with joy.
Maybe because it was real gold, it even seemed to shine with a halo.
I looked at myself in the mirror and grinned. The star stickers I collected were already handed to the judges.
Tomorrow night, at the award ceremony and banquet, they would announce the final scores.
“Hehe.”
After admiring the badge, I sat on the sofa. Father leaned on the backrest with both arms and smiled faintly.
Everyone in the family seemed happy, and I felt like I was floating.
“Well done.”
Father ruffled my hair gently.
I couldn’t stop smiling, remembering how he had bragged about me everywhere.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“No! I feel so energetic! I could run twice more—”
“Her eyes are spinning. Rose, she’s not normal.”
“Oh my.”
Pssshhh.
As soon as Father said it, I deflated like a balloon.
“To be honest… I’m very tired.”
I confessed. The endorphins had faded, and the exhaustion I had pushed aside came crashing in.
“Let’s go to the hot spring together! Soak your body, eat dinner, and then sleep. All your fatigue will disappear.”
“Hot spring!”
I jumped up. There was no way I could refuse such a sweet offer.
“But Ruby, the judges said there was an intruder in the Maze Garden.”
Father suddenly asked.
“Uh, I think it was just some lost man! Nothing serious!”
“…”
I brushed it off. I couldn’t exactly say, ‘Yeah, a tracking magician appeared and cast a Dispel Magic on me.’
But even so, both of their faces hardened immediately.
