Chapter 44
“I—I didn’t quite catch your meaning…”
“You failed to understand me?”
“That is correct.”
“What exactly is your status?”
“Well, that isn’t…”
“Are you perhaps a duke?”
“Certainly not!”
“A marquis, then?”
“No! My rank is quite modest…!”
The urge to ask if he realized this was a society built on rigid hierarchy nearly escaped my lips. However, I kept that to myself. Every nation across this land operates under a class system, after all.
Instead, I offered a bright, hollow smile.
“You are dismissed from your post.”
“…Pardon?”
The man’s comprehension lagged behind my words. Once the reality sank in, he lunged forward, desperate.
“My lady! Please, I was mistaken!”
“Mistaken? Fine. Tell me, what was your error?”
Guilty consciences always follow the same pattern. When pressed for specifics, they falter, unable to provide a straight answer. This young man was no different. He clearly hadn’t held this position for long.
Looking at him, it was obvious his career had reached a dead end. Working within the Frazier Grand Duchy, he should have been better informed. He surely knew Marquis Aster Frazier was still away at the frontier. He would have also heard the rumors sweeping through the staff—that Tulia had been granted the Direct Lineage Necklace and held the Grand Duke’s favor.
The Marquis’s sons were a different story, however. Leon and Lisian were rare sights at the main estate, spending the bulk of their time at the capital residence. But a servant in a house this prestigious is expected to memorize the traits and temperaments of their superiors like a holy text.
He must have known through the grapevine that Lisian was a gentle soul, easily stepped upon. That was the only reason he had the audacity to be so insolent.
“Still silent about your mistake?”
“It isn’t that.”
“Then what is it?”
“I… I failed to show the young master proper respect…”
“Failed to recognize him? I distinctly recall you addressing him by his title just moments ago.”
“I—I was simply out of my wits for a second…”
“And you didn’t hear me refer to him as my brother?”
“I… well…!”
“So now you’ve moved on to blatant lies?”
“No, that’s not it!”
His face turned ghostly as a stream of frantic justifications poured out. He was terrified of me—of Tulia Frazier. I wasn’t surprised. When Tulia wore a malicious grin, she resembled a predatory fox from legend. My eyes likely held that venomous, dark green shimmer described in the original story’s artwork.
Keeping my gaze locked on him, I struck the desk with a heavy thud.
Bang!
The librarian jumped, his remaining color draining away.
“You.”
“Yes… yes, Lady Tulia…”
“Fetch the Head Librarian. Now.”
“Ah!”
The mention of his superior made him gasp. He realized I wasn’t interested in a small scolding; I was burning his world down. He tried to cling to me again, begging for mercy and promising it wouldn’t happen twice.
I didn’t care. This wasn’t an accident; it was a choice. If Lisian had arrived with an entourage, this man wouldn’t have dreamed of such arrogance. He had seen a young man standing alone, struggling with a slight stutter, and decided to mock him. He had insulted someone vastly above his station.
There was no reason to put up with a man of such rotten character. Besides, I was currently inhabiting the body of a girl legendary for her spite.
“Go and get him!”
Terrified, the librarian scrambled away at my shout.
You’re finished.
It was time for a villain to show a common bully how it was done.
The ‘Hall of Wisdom’ was thrown into absolute chaos. The Head Librarian, a man who moved in the same circles as Ruk Kelfosher and met with my grandfather regularly, was not someone who took insubordination lightly.
“…I shall ensure he is disciplined appropriately,” he promised.
I didn’t care if the man was retrained or cast out. My goal was simpler: ensuring no one ever looked down on Lisian again. The Head Librarian offered several more bows of apology toward my brother, while the offending librarian stood nearby, looking as though he were at an execution.
“In that case…”
“One more thing.”
I held up a hand to stop the Head Librarian from retreating.
“Before you leave, I require a specific volume.”
I tried to recall the exact wording.
“It’s titled ‘Proper Monarchy for Heirs.’ Is that right?”
I glanced toward Lisian for confirmation. “Is that the one?”
“…Yes. That’s… that is the correct book.”
I turned back to the staff, my voice dropping into a sharp, commanding tone.
“You heard him. Find those books and bring them to me immediately. I’ll give you five minutes.”
“At once, my lady!”
The Head Librarian barked orders, and the room became a whirlwind of activity. I turned back to Lisian and gave him a playful wink.
“They’ll have it shortly.”
Lisian watched me, his eyes wide with a soft, growing wonder, nodding slowly. He looked like a sapling reaching for the light of a summer sun.
Once the staff had vanished to do my bidding, the vast library felt peaceful and private. This was much better.
“T-Tulia,” Lisian began, breaking the silence. “W-what brought you h-here?”
“I had something for you.”
“F-for me?”
I fished a small packet from my robe. “You let me have your food earlier.”
I thought I heard him whisper ‘brother?’ under his breath, but I continued anyway. “I was worried you might catch my cold, so I requested this from the doctor. You should take it now as a precaution.”
“Oh…”
“I’ll go find some water. Just a moment—”
He reached out to stop me as I started to rise. “I can t-take it l-like this.”
“Without anything to wash it down?”
“Y-yes.”
I stared at him, impressed. Taking dry medicine was no small feat. Once he had swallowed it, I finally asked the question on my mind.
“Why didn’t you defend yourself against that man?”
“It was o-only for a m-moment.”
“…”
“A-and he wasn’t w-wrong. I am d-difficult to listen to b-because of how I sp-speak.”
“You aren’t difficult at all.”
“Pardon?”
“The only people who are truly frustrating are the ones who refuse to listen.”
I was thinking of Leon, not him.
“You’re perfectly fine, brother.”
“Brother…”
Lisian repeated the word softly. “You’re u-using the t-tongue of the S-Summer Kingdom.”
“What?”
“Instead of the standard t-term, you’re c-calling me ’oppa.’”
I hadn’t realized ’oppa’ was a foreign loanword in this world. It wasn’t in the original novel’s lore, but it was a fascinating detail to learn.
“Is it a problem? Should I stop using it?”
“N-not at all.”
A wistful, gentle smile touched his lips. “O-our mother was f-from the Summer K-Kingdom.”
That gave me pause. The history of Tulia’s mother—the woman who supposedly betrayed the Marquis and fled with another man—was a mystery even in the original book. The narrative had always painted her as a villain who only took Tulia with her to spite the family. It was a plot point used to cast doubt on Tulia’s legitimacy.
I had assumed it was just a lazy way to make her more of an outcast. But as I looked at Lisian, I saw no doubt or malice in his expression.
“You l-look just l-like her.”
“I do?”
He studied my face for a long beat before nodding. “Yes.”
No one had ever said anything so kind to me, in this life or the one before. Lisian’s simple affirmation felt like a soft blanket of snow settling over my heart.
