Chapter 19
Episode 19
Aren't you already making appeals as if breathing, every day?
Even so, my answer wouldn't change.
“……I refuse.”
“It’s a shame I only have my face and wealth to appeal with.”
The truly unlucky part was that he seemed genuinely regretful.
I stared at his expression, dumbfounded. Suddenly, I felt a strange energy.
Could it be that the wind was blowing from inside?
The wind that blew out of nowhere made my hair flutter aimlessly.
As the wind grew stronger, I closed my eyes and opened them again to find everything quiet once more.
“Young Duke, are you alright?”
He, who should have been behind me, was nowhere to be seen.
Looking around, I was in a place subtly different from where I had been.
In my haste, I called out to the Young Duke repeatedly, but there was no answer.
It seemed to be the correct mine with the fluorite, though?
I decided it was best not to act rashly without knowing anything, so I waited for him.
“……How do I get out of here?”
I called out to the Young Duke and cast my gaze around, but there seemed to be nothing unusual.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but I felt I couldn’t just stay here.
I moved my short legs, as if entranced, further inside.
It was an action contrary to my usual self, who dislikes the dark, but strangely, at this moment, the darkness didn't feel frightening.
“It’s a door?”
There was a door so high and large that I couldn’t gauge its height even by craning my neck back.
My memory of how I even walked here was hazy.
I looked around, took a deep breath, and pushed the door.
It was a door that would be difficult for ten adults to open together, yet it opened easily with my meager strength.
“Excuse me….”
Peeking my head out, the scene inside was detached from reality.
There were enormous bookshelves, enough to hold hundreds of thousands of books, and various books were floating in the air.
I pinched my cheek, wondering if I was dreaming, but all that remained was a dull ache.
With my short arms, I grabbed a book floating in the air.
What kind of place is this, to have so many books?
As I wandered around, unable to do anything, a voice echoed in my head.
‘If there’s something you want, why not look for it?’
This voice was undoubtedly hers, the one who often appeared in my dreams.
I hadn’t seen her for a while….
“What? You’re not in a dream, so how did you appear?”
‘This is a space where others… no, where no one can interfere.’
“Can’t interfere?”
‘Since there are no troublemakers around, that is.’
“Who are the troublemakers?”
‘There are. Such things.’
“By the way, where is this place?”
I didn’t quite understand what was what, but she seemed to know this place.
‘It’s a place where a certain god recorded everything that exists in the world. It’s still being recorded.’
“Why would a god record data? Really?”
‘Because they were clumsy.’
“A god was clumsy?”
‘Yes, a god who wasn’t capable. But they liked humans and caused strange things.’
From her contemptuous tone, I could feel that she didn’t like that ‘god.’
“Do gods like humans?”
‘Not all gods liked humans. Most were indifferent, actually.’
“Then where are they now?”
‘One day, they were given the chance to die. Most, having lived long enough and grown bored, thought, ‘This is it!’ and disappeared.’
“So, you’re saying there are still living gods?”
‘Almost none. Except for gods with extremely deep desires for something… They are anomalies among gods.’
“So, all the myths that only appear in novels were actually true?”
To think that some myths I read in the temple might have been true.
‘No, many were mixed with fanciful content. Though some are real.’
“I see. But I don’t know much about myths, and I don’t really believe them…”
‘Ah, but that one is real.’
“What story is that?”
‘Fitz and Bestia were real.’
They were real? Does that mean their love story was also true?
It was said that ‘Fitz,’ a god, cherished ‘Bestia’ terribly….
If they were still alive, would they be angry that I used the name ‘Bestia’?
Or was it because I used this name that this life was also unfortunate?
Could being born with memories of a past life be related?
But my wandering thoughts didn’t last long.
‘You’re wasting time, as it seems. You can’t stay here long.’
“Can I find everything I want to know here?”
‘Most likely.’
I was now faced with a choice between two options.
Should I find my biological parents and demand they remove me from the House of Baron Rayl?
Or, if not that.
Should I find a way to cure the Duke’s illness?
Even before meeting Duke Russell, I knew he had been searching for renowned doctors and those who practiced healing magic.
And the Young Duke, living desperately to fulfill his father’s wish.
The time for deliberation was short.
My biological parents, whose faces I couldn’t even recall.
The people of the ducal family, who cared for me more than themselves.
It felt strange to even consider both on the same level.
As soon as I finished contemplating, a book flew before my eyes and opened to a page on its own.
It was a profile summarizing everything from the Duke’s official status as the current head of the House of Russell, his physical details, to his frequently used phrases and habits.
Where was his most important health status?
『Health Status: Good』
Good…? Wasn’t he unwell?
As I examined the book closely, small text was written beneath the health status.
\ Frequently scolded for being insensitive. Needs stress management from dealing with the previous Duke’s affairs.
…The Duke is being scolded?
The only person who could possibly scold him would be the Emperor, at best.
“Oh…, oh. I think I just saw something I really shouldn’t have.”
But the Duke was famous for causing trouble even in the imperial palace when it came to matters concerning gods.
Even if he were scolded, Duke Russell wasn't the type to stand by idly.
What was surprising was that it wasn’t the end.
『Family Relations: Has 2 sons.』
Feeling like I had seen something I absolutely shouldn’t have, I quickly closed the book.
What was all this? Was all of that true?
“…Betty?”
What? Have I returned?
When I came to my senses, I was standing there blankly, just as I had been before.
“Yes?”
“You didn’t answer no matter how many times I called you.”
The Young Duke looked down at me with a worried expression.
I gave him a faint smile and replied, “Ah, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
My doubts and suspicions about the House of Duke Russell grew, but I decided to keep them to myself.
I was curious, but… they were people who didn’t readily share the important facts.
It was obvious they wouldn’t answer even if I asked.
\ \ \
On the day of the investigation.
Owen Lake, where the Young Duke and I went, was crowded with people.
He casually looked around and let out a deflated, faint chuckle.
“Indeed, there’s no child as cute as our Betty.”
He seemed to have fully embraced the role of an older brother who doted on his younger sister.
The Young Duke carefully lifted me up.
His firm arms supported me steadily, but the elevated view due to his great height made me a little scared.
As I gently wrapped my arms around his neck, he coughed awkwardly.
“Young Duke, are you uncomfortable?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Then?”
“I was wondering if it would be like this if Bestia and I had a daughter.”
The corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
Feeling a little more at ease with the Young Duke, I poked near his mouth and asked, “Young Duke, are you feeling good? Or bad?”
“…Yes?”
He looked flustered, his pupils darting around, before quickly composing his expression.
It was quite amusing to see him flustered.
However, he didn’t seem to like showing such a reaction.
“Oppa, you should smile. We’re a loving brother and sister.”
I said, pulling his face closer with my small hands.
A flicker of something appeared in his vacant eyes.
His usually straight eyebrows seemed to furrow slightly.
His lips trembled slightly, as if he were holding back something he wanted to say.
It felt awkward that he wasn’t making any brazen, smooth-talking remarks.
Lately, he had been easily embarrassed.
Perhaps it was because I had started teasing him more often.
He seemed shy, yet when I met his gaze, he returned it fully.
His eyes were so intense.
He acted as if he couldn’t afford to miss a single moment of me.
“Yes, our Betty should listen well.”
He stroked my hair with a very awkward but quite gentle hand.
His hands were cold, yet his touch was so gentle that it felt warm.
“Young Duke, you’ll be a good father to your children later.”
I whispered softly, and he replied in a slightly gruff voice near my ear, “I only want to be good to Betty….”
A hint of disappointment crossed his sharp, handsome face.
When I said nothing more, he observed me and whispered again near my ear, “If you wish, I will be good to our children too. Though Betty will always be number one.”
I was taken aback by his subtle assumption that we were already married.
However, I also felt a little thrilled by his words, which seemed to be trying to appease me.
Yes, I admit it.
The Young Duke’s charms weren’t just his looks.
Just as a sweet feeling began to rise.
“Um…”
A voice, like a whisper from below, was heard.
A boy with a slightly ambiguous but striking hair color, somewhere between gray and silver, and a pretty face, was holding the Young Duke’s pant leg and greeting me.
The boy seemed to pay the Young Duke no mind and spoke to me again.
“Hello…”
To be continued in the next episode ▶
