– 16 –
This is a total disaster.
Why are these books causing such a fuss that even knights and the crown prince are coming to seize them!
And of all times, it had to be right when I was about to leave after carefully choosing and paying for them!
I couldn’t believe how unlucky I could be.
There was no way I could escape anyway.
The narrow alley was already filled with knights.
I muttered in a fading voice.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince! I just want to take these two books….”
“Just two books? Do you even know what’s written in those two books?”
Oh my god!
Do I know what’s written in them?
Of course, I do. I picked them because I know.
But do you even know what’s written or drawn in them when you’re asking for them?
They’re full of… steamy stuff, good stuff, really amazing things.
But how can I give these books to you?
So please, just go away, please, Your Highness.
This was the moment I wanted to cry the most since I came to this world.
I didn’t even feel like crying this much when I was contemplating my life….
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen any of the content! I just picked any random books!”
I saw everything.
I poured my heart into choosing the two best works.
Please, just let me go.
“Kailyn Brockburg. It seems you choose books without even looking at the content. Do you even know how dangerous those books might be? Or do you already know everything?”
“Dangerous? What do you mean! It’s just….. And what else do I know…….”
Of course, I know.
I’m not a minor, how could I not know?
Even if it’s just theoretical, I know what I know.
And as an adult, how is this dangerous!
But I barely managed to swallow the words that wanted to spill out.
Calix frowned and spoke.
“I don’t understand why you’re here.”
Well, I don’t understand why you’re here either, why you’re arresting the book sellers and confiscating the books, and why you’re trying to take the two books in my hands!
“Well, I came to buy books…..”
At that moment, one of the knights listening to our conversation stepped closer to Calix and whispered something to him.
I know that person.
He’s the one who fought Grand Duke Leon in the jousting tournament.
He’s the leader of the Knights… his name was… Rell?
As I recalled the man’s name, Calix frowned even more deeply as he listened to him.
Why does he look so serious?
I couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
But it was clear that the atmosphere was tense.
My hands began to tremble more and more.
Finally, Calix spoke again.
“Kailyn BrockburgIf you don’t hand over those books you’re holding right now, you’ll be arrested on the spot for leaking imperial secrets.”
“What???”
A strange sound escaped from my mouth.
What are you talking about?
Imperial secrets?
What kind of nonsense is that?
Is 19+ material considered a secret here?
I thought they were just cracking down on illegal book distribution?
I felt like my eyes were about to pop out of my head.
Arrest me?
On the spot?
By the crown prince?
Hey, Calix!
Do you realize you’re speaking so harshly to Kailyn?
I’m Kailyn, you know.
Why are you being so scary to me?
My breath became shallow and rapid.
“I-I-I… Your… Highness”
I barely managed to spit out the words.
He just looked down at me without responding.
“Se… secrets? I just bought these books… no, I was just about to buy them.”
“Once you hand over the books and we examine them, we’ll find out.”
“What on earth do you need to examine…?”
“Hand over the books.”
He commanded firmly without any further explanation.
At that moment, I realized.
I hadn’t just been caught in an illegal book crackdown, I was in a far more serious situation.
So I had to hand over my books to them.
Ah….
Why has my life been filled with hardships ever since I transmigrated here?
I didn’t want to give them up at all, but I wanted to avoid dying even more, so I had no choice but to hand over the books.
As soon as Calix took the books from me, he quickly flipped through the pages, as if he knew exactly what he was looking for.
Everyone’s eyes were focused on the book, from Rell the captain, who stood beside me, to Rajiv, who stood in my way.
I wanted to close my eyes tight.
But in reality, my eyes were fixed on the page Calix had opened.
And that page, to my surprise, was the climax scene from the last night market visit, the very page with the small words “NSFW” written on it.
That was the very page Eden had seen over my shoulder.
The very page that required explicit NSFW warnings!
Ah… I just want to die young in this life too.
If only I could do it right now!
My eyes slowly drifted away from the book to gauge Calix’s reaction.
Calix was scanning both pages with a serious expression. However, his previously serious eyes suddenly widened, and his body visibly tensed up.
Should I say, “Congratulations on your initiation?”
Seeing his dilated pupils and stiffened body made me feel like my very being was dissolving from embarrassment.
His head seemed to start turning towards me but then stopped abruptly before fully facing me.
Ah… God! Why do you give me such trials?
Yes, Crown Prince.
You’ve taken the book, checked it, and now you’re satisfied?
Yes, that’s my reading preference.
Why did you stop short of looking at my face?
You might as well look at me completely and get it over with.
You’re making me feel even more embarrassed.
At that moment, just when I thought if I couldn’t die young, I might as well faint, the head knight who had been staring intently at the page with Calix coughed repeatedly, his face reddening. After finally calming down, he cleared his throat and spoke.
“Your Highness, there’s nothing here.”
What do you mean?
Nothing? What could possibly be missing?
Were the vivid illustrations so overwhelming that you’ve lost your mind?
There are plenty of drawings there, along with the small warning, “NSFW”… highly detailed, realistic drawings….
Wait?
Something felt off.
I quickly lowered my head and looked again at the open pages of the book.
Where did it go?
It’s not here!
The small handwritten note, “NSFW,” that I saw last time was gone.
How strange?
It was definitely there, written in very small letters….
Like it was handwritten.
Without realizing it, I took a step closer, pointing to the spot where the writing had been and examining the book closely.
It’s really not there! The writing is gone.
It’s disappeared…!
‘Snap!’
Right in front of my face, the book suddenly snapped shut.
Oh my gosh!
Startled, I took a step back and pulled my hand out from between the closed pages.
“Kailyn Brockburg. This is the book you picked up….”
Calix stopped talking at that point.
Oh, can’t I just die of shame on the spot?
Not as a metaphor, but literally, it feels like I could die.
Did I choose it?
Yes, I chose it.
I found it as if I were striking gold.
But it wasn’t over yet.
For some reason, Calix handed that book to the knight beside him and began to flip through the other book he had taken from me.
Once again, he seemed to know exactly where he was going, quickly turning to a specific page.
And that page was an astonishingly candid display of bare skin.
Actually, it wasn’t that surprising, considering this book had similar scenes on almost every page.
Well, the title is “The Endless Days and Nights of Mary the Florist and Hans the Baker.” what else would you expect.
It was an entirely nude page.
No clothes, no text either.
“Nothing here either. These books aren’t it!”
Calix handed that book to the knight beside him and declared.
What is he looking for?
A drawing with clothes on?
Or… oh!!!!!
Is he looking for text?
Come to think of it, Calix had flipped to specific pages in both books. As if he were searching for something specific on those pages.
My mind, which had gone blank, started to function again.
So he’s looking for some kind of writing in these books!
Is there some information hidden in the text, like the “Imperial secrets” Calix mentioned….?
From Calix and the knights’ reactions, it seemed that neither of the books I chose had those writings.
At that moment, I realized that the absence of the writings they were searching for in my books was a stroke of incredible luck for me.
Well, meeting Calix while buying these gracious books wasn’t exactly a stroke of luck. But if, by chance, one of the high-quality books I carefully selected contained the writing he was looking for, I might end up being dragged away by the Crown Prince’s knights.
Of course, the book I saw last time, The Unforgettable Night of the Duchess did have the writing he was looking for, but I wasn’t foolish enough to mention that in this situation.
Right! The books they’re searching for aren’t the ones I chose.
So, in times like this, I need to be more confident.
Whatever they’re looking for, whatever the current situation is, it has nothing to do with me!
I was just trying to buy some books.
Having finally decided on my course of action, I lifted my head high and spoke to Calix, pretending to be calm.
“If you’ve finished checking, please return my books.”
Since my image was already in shambles, I might as well take my books with me.
“Kailyn Brockburg, these books are illegally distributed, so I can’t return them to you.”
At Calix’s response, my attempt to act confidently quickly crumbled.
Ah… illegal distribution!
I see. Yes, I was too confident.
Even if the writing you were looking for wasn’t there, these books were illegally distributed.
I quickly changed my stance.
In this case, I just needed to disappear from his sight as soon as possible.
“Understood. Then I’ll be going now.”
It was clear that the Crown Prince’s group wasn’t here to root out the illegal distribution or the indecent books I had in mind.
There was something much more serious going on.
But I don’t know anything about it.
I’m a writer, but I didn’t write something like this.
I just need to disappear.
“Lady Kailyn Brockburg!”
However, Calix called me back as I was about to turn around.
He even added the title ‘Lady’ out of nowhere.
Do you really need to call me that in this situation?
“Yes. Your Highness.”
“Are those books from earlier also to your taste?”
“……”
“I asked you a question.”
My taste?
Taste?
Have I ever talked about my taste with you before?
Why bring up taste out of the blue?
I couldn’t understand his sudden question.
Ah!
Is it that?
I remembered what he said at the royal banquet.
‘Lady Brockburg, you have an unusual taste. I hope you find that kind of love.’
That was his response when I said I liked persistent and obsessive love.
So, now, the question is, “Is obsessive, persistent love and explicit adult content your taste?”
I could only sigh.
I was at the peak of my inner conflict.
How to answer!
