Chapter 99: CH 95

April 28th, 2023

As time passed, Adelia was able to calm down to some extent and regain her composure. However, perhaps due to the extent of her crying, she occasionally hiccuped and sobbed.

It seemed that she was shocked to the core, as she hurriedly drank water from a nearby fountain, but there was no sign of improvement. Furthermore, her eyes were severely swollen and her nose was as red as a strawberry.

Not only was she unable to enjoy the exhibition, but if she were to encounter the Tersian royalty again, it could become even more serious.

“It’s better to rest at the mansion until evening.”

“Are you sure it’s okay? There are still many works of art that we haven’t seen yet.”

“It’s a little disappointing, but the highlights don’t start until evening anyway. We’ll just have to rest and calm our minds until then. If we continue like this, we don’t know what will happen.”

In the end, Adelia returned to the mansion. Even though I offered to stay by her side, she refused.

She didn’t want to cause any trouble for me and thought she might interfere with my enjoyment of the exhibition. Although it was regrettable, her explanation was convincing, so I had no choice but to take her back to the mansion.

On the way back, I couldn’t help but worry that we might run into the Tersian royalty again. Adelia seemed to share my concerns and was constantly looking around.

‘Should I just write it in a book?’

My fondness for the Tersian royal family was on the verge of collapse. Even if they were bastards, treating someone with such contempt was never right.

Even if they didn’t recognize her as their own child, they should never subject her to emotional abuse. Honestly, it was a miracle that Adelia had grown up so well.

I wanted to include a story about a bastard child in Xenon’s Biography, but the story lacks plausibility and there is a high risk of it being discovered by the Tersian royalty. As the relationship between Adelia and the Tersian royalty is kept secret, the list of suspects is narrowed down significantly.

Therefore, it would be wise to patiently wait for an opportunity, even though it is disappointing. If I take the initiative too quickly due to my impatience, it could lead to danger. So, we hurried towards the mansion with a sense of unease in our hearts. Thankfully, we did not encounter the Tersian royalty on the way.

“Adelia!”

“Huh?”

We soon arrived at the mansion and found Nicole standing in front of the gate. Adelia’s expression changed slightly when she saw Nicole.

Come to think of it, didn’t she get lost while traveling with Nicole? While I was thinking about that, Nicole came closer and began scolding Adelia.

“Where were you?! I looked for you for so long… What? Why are your eyes like that?”

“There was a situation.”

Nicole checked Adelia’s swollen eyes and expressed her doubts when Adelia, who had a complex situation she could not speak of, mumbled.

When Nicole realized that Adelia was hesitant to speak, she turned her gaze towards me as if to ask if I could explain instead. However, I couldn’t say anything either, so I just shrugged my shoulders. Nicole also had no choice but to move on when I stumbled over my words.

“Well, there must be a situation. But do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?… Apologize if you know you should. Isaac happened to come back with me to the mansion just in case. Let’s go now.”

“Um… If it’s okay, can we rest at the mansion for a bit? I’m a little tired…”

“What?”

Adelia’s cautious request left a puzzled expression on Nicole’s golden eyes. Given that Adelia’s attitude was so different from her usual demeanor, it was natural for Nicole to have doubts.

Then Nicole looked at Adelia’s swollen eyes and her somewhat uneasy appearance. Nicole was also quick-witted, so she had a vague idea of what might have happened to Adelia.

Sure enough, Nicole nodded slowly, deciding to listen to Adelia’s words without asking for the details. It seemed like her way of showing consideration by not prying too much into the situation.

“Okay. Then let’s go in together.”

“Oh, no. I’ll just rest, and you can go to the exhibition.”

“I’m worried. I’m worried. What if you wander around and get lost again?”

“I’ll just stay at the mansion. How could I get lost?”

“Enough talking. Let’s go inside. What about Isaac?”

Nicole asked me while looking at me. Soon, Cecily and Marie were expected to return, so I planned to stay and watch the exhibition.

“I’ll continue to watch the exhibition. I still have some company.”

“Oh, right. Then Adelia and I will be at the mansion, and we’ll come back when it’s time for dinner.”

“Okay.”

“But, Adelia, are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine.”

And so, Nicole and Adelia returned to the mansion. I stood in place and watched quietly until the two passed through the front gate. As Adelia turned around and looked at me, she gave a gentle smile as if to thank me and nodded her head.

‘I thought she always had an easy-going smile.’

Anyway, Adelia must have gone back, so I turned to go back to the exhibition. It was about time for Marie and Cecily to come back, so I planned to go to the village square. I wasn’t sure what to do until then, but our territory is surprisingly large, so I thought it would be okay to wander around.

‘Oh, right. Should I buy some books?’

Since my father had made various contracts with merchants, there would be a variety of goods imported, including books. Our territory originally had one bookstore, so books would have been imported there. I felt happy at the thought of new books and quickened my pace. As I passed by the statues and stalls I had seen earlier, I entered the shopping district.

There used to be only a blacksmith, simple clothing stores, and stores to buy goods, but now there were more than that. And as I looked around, I saw the bookstore that I used to visit frequently before entering the academy.

I had enough money, so I didn’t hesitate and walked into the bookstore. As soon as I stepped inside, the familiar smell of paper tickled my nose.

“Welcome… Oh my, it’s the young lord. It’s been a while.”

Said the bookstore owner ajumma with delight as I walked into the bookstore. She was now in her early middle age but had a face that seemed to have once possessed some beauty and was characterized by a kind smile.

The middle-aged woman’s name was Luna, and we were somewhat familiar with each other as she used to make book faces before I entered the academy. I bowed my head politely in response to her greeting.

“Hello, Luna. Are you very busy today?”

“Don’t mention it. The books are coming in like crazy. You might like some of them too.”

“Thank you. Where can I find the new releases?”

“They’re over in that corner.”

I thanked her again for her kindness and turned to explore the shelves and display stands that were packed with books. Luna was right, there were so many new books that had come in, and it seemed like more were arriving constantly.

‘Wow, there’s a new book by this adventurer? And there’s a new history book too.’ 

I thought as I looked through the books. Since there was no advanced packaging technology at the time, books could be viewed immediately. Of course, if caught, I would be kicked out, but I was the son of a lord, so I figured Luna would overlook me if I read while standing.

However, I still felt guilty, so I planned to skim through only the beginning and pick out books based on my interest in exploration journals and history books.

‘… There are too many to choose from.’

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The history books alone were so vast that there were at least ten volumes. Moreover, even though I didn’t know where they got them, there were history books not only for humans but also for other species. Even if humans didn’t know, it would be very difficult to obtain the history books of these other species, and I couldn’t even guess where they obtained them from. I pulled out a book on elf-related history out of my growing curiosity and read the title.

‘Let’s see… ‘The Culture and History of Elves’…’

Although I had been reading books related to elves in Professor Elena’s research lab, the ones that came out in bookstores might be a little different. Frankly, the books in the lab were closer to research materials, making it difficult to understand. Whether this book would be easier to understand than the research lab’s books, or just a flickering flame, I would find out once I read it. I was browsing around for a recent publication and was about to turn the page.

“Ehem-ehem.”

“Huh?”

Just before turning the page, until I heard someone coughing next to me.

As if they wanted me to hear, I turned my head in the direction of the sound of the cough. And I could see someone standing lower than my eye level.

I don’t know when they came, but it was difficult to recognize their face because they were wearing a pure white hood. That’s when I looked at her with a curious expression.

“I’m sorry, but it would be better if you don’t read that book.”

If Cecily’s voice felt like it was tickling my ear, this girl’s voice was as clear and innocent as a rolling jade.

For a moment, I was captivated by her voice, but then I looked up and met the gaze of the girl who was staring at me. Her eyes were a unique blend of silver and gray, and her hair was the same color. She exuded an otherworldly aura, like a fairy descended from the heavens.

“Uh?”

“It’s a book full of empty words that sound good but don’t actually help at all.” 

She said, speaking in the refined language typical of nobility. I immediately realized that the hooded girl was a member of the aristocracy.

She might have been looking down on me for not knowing that I was a noble, but she might also have had a rank similar to that of the Ters royal family. Otherwise, there was no reason for her to be condescending from the very beginning.

As I gazed at the girl, I showed her the book in my hand.

“Have you ever read this book?”

Since the girl was wearing a hood, she seemed to be hiding her identity, so I didn’t need to use honorific language. I could use this as an excuse to be informal, and there wouldn’t be any problem. If anything, it would be a problem for the girl.

The girl replied in her characteristic pure voice.

“Of course I have. But it made me frown as I read it. It’s a book written by someone who knows nothing about us and wants to vilify the elves.”

“Um…I see. But who do you mean by ‘us’?”

“…oh.”

The girl flinched and covered her mouth with both hands as if she had been caught off guard when I pointed it out. I asked her in a hesitant voice.

“Hey, are you an elf by any chance?”

“No, no way! Absolutely not! And I’m not a kid either!” 

She exclaimed, flailing her arms like a bird. Her appearance, behavior, and attempt to act like an adult all made her seem like a child.

Eventually, the girl seemed to realize that denying it any further only made her seem more suspicious, so she let out a deep sigh and spoke quietly.

“Whatever… but that’s not important right now. Just put that book down and look for another one.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not?”

The girl was taken aback when I refused without hesitation. It seemed like she had expected me to comply with her request.

However, I had no intention of putting the book down. What I wanted was not someone’s “subjective opinion” but rather “diverse histories.”

Historical records are subjective to a certain extent. As the saying goes, history is written by the victors, and unless it’s written by a god, history cannot be completely objective.

Therefore, the only way for history to become truly meaningful is to read many books and find commonalities among them. Moreover, since the girl in front of me was suspected to be an elf, she could not be viewed objectively in any case.

“That’s just the way it is with perspectives. If you were really an elf, you might dislike this book. Nevertheless, it could be a very useful reference for us humans. After all, there aren’t many history books related to different species.”

“Human beings say that elves are walking libraries. At least we can boast of having more knowledge than you do.”

“That may be true. However, ultimately, that knowledge was written from an elf’s perspective, right? There’s bound to be conflict between what’s in this book and what you already know. And since elves live much longer than humans, they tend to get stuck in their ways. It means that they don’t change very easily.”

“I’m not like that.”

The elf girl timidly retorted, as if something had pricked her. I smiled faintly as I listened to her answer, murmuring softly.

‘Is she the daughter of a family that secretly left Alvenheim?’

As far as I knew, Alvenheim was ruled by the Council and the Queen, who kept each other in check. According to Cindy, they were in a bitter power struggle to maintain their own privileges.

If we were to compare the Council to humans, it would be like a powerful faction of aristocrats who had relinquished all their titles and joined forces. Of course, not only powerful families were in the Council, but also places that helped the Queen.

Could this girl have secretly left such a family? Judging from her speech, I couldn’t imagine her being a normal elf.

“By the way, are you also participating in the exhibition? To see Xenon’s Biography?”

“Of course. How could I miss an exhibition dedicated to Xenon’s Biography?”

The girl responded with a slightly excited tone, seeming to be a fan of Xenon’s Biography. I felt a sense of satisfaction and my liking for her increased as I bent my knees slightly to match her eye level. When I did, the girl flinched slightly but soon met my gaze with her gray eyes shining. I quietly asked her while looking into her mysterious eyes.

“My name is Isaac Ducker Michelle. I am the son of the Michelle family who organized this exhibition. What’s your name, little lady?” 

The elf girl hesitated at my introduction, but then replied in her characteristic innocent tone.

“Arwen. Call me Arwen.”

Arwen is a very ordinary name for an elf, so ordinary that it could even be used as a pseudonym without any problem. As I was thinking that to myself, the girl introduced herself and muttered to me.

“And I’m not a kid. Despite appearances, I’ve lived almost ten times longer than you.” 

“Okay, grandma.”

“Ugh!!!”

The way she yells is also really childlike.

“Huh?” 

Suddenly, I felt a chill down my neck and turned my head around. However, there was no one behind me, only shelves filled with books. Feeling a bit uneasy, I rubbed the back of my neck and muttered softly, 

“What was that…?”

Translators note:

Star Rail is addictive. Himeko is alive ;_;

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