Chapter 14
It was obvious that Marie was trying to match my mood. I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly nice, but she’s visibly opened up to me since yesterday.
But go to the library… Come to think of it, I haven’t read a book since I came to this world. I’ve been too busy getting caught up in events, big and small, and I’ve been rushing to find the information I need.
“Do you get a lot of people coming in and out of the library?”
“Nobles sometimes visit the library, but it’s been raining a lot today, so it should be quiet.”
“Hmm- is that so?”
“Yes. His Majesty has his own private library, so he rarely comes to the general library.”
That’s my favorite…?
“I’ll be there right away, library.”
***
As I left the room, Oscar, who was outside, greeted me with a look that said he was finally going somewhere. But as soon as he realized that my destination was the library on the first floor, he was visibly disappointed.
“Princess, do you like books?”
Why is he getting so frustrated? Isn’t it embarrassing for the escort if I’m not behaving myself and wandering around?
I gave Oscar a curious glance, then opened my mouth.
“I don’t know, I guess it’s just normal.”
“Then you don’t have it in your library very often, do you?”
“Hmm, I don’t know about that either, I don’t have anywhere else to go, so I don’t think I’ll be looking for it often…”
“There’s nowhere else to go in this spacious palace. You’re not as active as I thought.”
He looked openly disappointed.
Of course, I’m bored, and my mostly indoor lifestyle has reduced Oscar to the status of a house dog, guarding the door.
I’d heard his nickname was Podia’s Mad Dog, and while I knew he was a free spirit, I was surprised he was labeled as such.
“Sir Oscar, shouldn’t you have some personal training time? If I’m in my room or the library, you can come and take care of business.”
“Is that so?”
He smiled at my question, as if he’d been expecting it.
I said it as a way to get him to leave me alone. I never expected him to be so pleased.
Normally, an escort driver would be embarrassed or refuse because it’s an invitation to leave work and go play, but to be so open about it, it’s unusual.
I smiled sheepishly and nodded.
“I’ll be in the library for a couple hours anyway, so just make sure you’re back in time to move.”
“I’ll drive you to the library, then, and be back in two hours.”
“Sure.”
It was a very quick answer, as if he hadn’t thought about it at all.
When they reached the library, Oscar politely opened the door for them and bowed deeply.
“I look forward to supporting your reading endeavors, Princess!”
Indeed… First he criticized me for not being active, and now he’s going to support me.
He waited for me to enter with a big smile on his face, and I greeted him with a smile.
As soon as I walked into the library, I heard the door close behind me.
“Looks like no one’s here”
Marie whispered in a low voice as she looked around. Aside from a librarian near the doorway, there was no sign of life in the library.
I nodded with satisfaction.
“The library is quite spacious.”
“They made some improvements to the library during the reign.”
“Speaking of the Zhongxiu, did His Majesty…?”
For some reason, Thierry’s words from Ashtad suddenly flashed through my mind.
That he’d burned down his own palace.
I blurted out the words in an unnecessary attempt to make them meaningful, and Marie whispered to me in a low voice, as I’m sure you know.
“When he usurped the throne, he used his power on the main palace, and a lot of the palace was destroyed, so during the rebuilding process, he made a lot of changes to the palace as a whole. I heard that the library was actually not enough space for the amount of books, so he expanded it.”
“… The books must have been damaged, too. Did you get a lot of them back?”
“No. The fire started on the third floor, so it didn’t do much damage down here on the first floor.”
So they locked all the royalty on the third floor and set it on fire. So the burning was during the usurpation.
It was a strange feeling. I felt both scared and lonely for him.
I swallowed dryly, trying to swallow my confusion, and then a question popped into my head that I’d never asked before.
“Where are the history books?”
“Let me show you.”
I followed the librarian, telling Marie to wait by a table set up on the side of the library. I told her that since she was only going to be looking at books, she might as well pick one out for herself.
The history books were on the front shelf, but I had to go around the corner, so they were far from the table.
I stood in front of the shelf where the history books were organized, glanced at the back of the librarian’s head as she walked back to her desk, and then looked straight ahead again.
‘I suppose I’ll have to look at the Empire.’
Once upon a time, I just wanted Thierry to realize the power that imperials were born with. I didn’t even know what it was, just vaguely.
But now that I’ve seen it firsthand, and that he’s even used it to win the imperial throne, I’m suddenly curious about its origins and limits.
How could such a mysterious power be passed down only to the imperial family?
I’d been possessed in a novel in the first place, so maybe the author of this world just threw it together without much thought, but now it was real to me.
Moreover, it was a series of possessions. I didn’t believe in reincarnation or anything like that, but when something like this happened over and over again, there was no reason not to believe.
‘I don’t die and then get reborn, and I’ve been possessed twice in this world alone.’
Suddenly, I remembered Thierry’s words. To him, coincidence was just the result of someone else’s intentions.
‘What’s happening to me now is a little too big to be a coincidence.’
There must be a reason for all of this.
Like the mysterious power of the imperial family, there must be some strange trick that has been passed down to me. I had a vague feeling that there was something I didn’t understand.
It might have something to do with magic, but finding a wizard to ask would be impractical, so I’d have to find a spellbook or something…
‘But isn’t that kind of thing dangerous, and wouldn’t they keep it in a regular library like this?’
I think it would be dangerous to ask the librarian, and I’ll have to take a long walk through the library sometime.
“Oh, this one.”
With that thought, I scanned the shelves and pulled out a thick book with an old leather cover.
‘I never thought I’d live to see the day when I’d voluntarily look up a history book.’
I sighed and swiped the cover of the book labeled Imperial History. It was quite heavy, and I couldn’t hold it for long, so I set it down on the floor.
I crouched down on the floor for a moment, taking in my surroundings. It was a big, heavy book, so I’d skim the front, and if it was good enough, I’d pick it up and finish it.
The man’s voice was soft and warm against her ear. And that feeling was reflected in his appearance, with his sun-kissed brown hair and bright rose-pink eyes.
“Forgive the rudeness. I’m Ethan Riart.”
Ethan, who looked slightly embarrassed, sent me a series of glances that suggested he was worried about making me uncomfortable.
He’s a handsome man with a soft image and big eyes that make him instantly likable, and his demeanor matches.
‘…? That looks familiar.’
I realized I was still looking up at him, frowning, as I felt my neck stiffen.
He must have noticed me stumbling to my feet, because he gingerly held out his hand as if to offer an escort. Soon our fingertips touched and our palms interlocked.
“Thank you, sir. I’m Alicia, from the Kingdom of Ashtad.”
I stood up, withdrew my hand, and gave him an eye greeting. Then he put his hand to my heart and bowed respectfully.
“You must be Princess Alicia, it is an honor to meet you.”
“… I, too, am honored to meet Sir Riart, er, um… Pleased to meet you?”
I looked up at him with a small, awkward smile, a little embarrassed to be greeted like this.
“I hope you don’t mind if I ask you to call me Ethan, since I’m not knighted?”
“Alas, I will call you Ethan, then.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan smiled, visibly relieved. It was a warm smile, like the first signs of spring, and it was enough to make me let my guard down, even though he was a stranger.
