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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: My Enemy Sister Cherishes Me
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‘The Luperne Ducal Family's Central Library!’
I exclaimed inwardly. I had never seen so many books in my life.
Bookshelves crafted from finely polished wood, intricately carved with elegant patterns, stretched on endlessly. Here and there, plush-looking sofas, soft enough to melt into, were interspersed.
The second and third floors of the library had an open central area, allowing one to look down below.
Peeking over the railing, I saw that the lower floors were even more splendid than the third. Servants waiting in the central resting areas were also visible.
‘Wow...’
Not wanting to miss a single thing, I looked up again at the rows of books beside me. They said each volume was worth a thousand gold, and the books on the third floor certainly had an extraordinary appearance and titles.
History books from kingdoms that had fallen centuries ago, texts in languages now extinct, and even forbidden books that should not be touched carelessly.
It couldn't even compare to the Crown Prince's library!
Though my family might be a bit dysfunctional, the accumulated wealth and academic resources of the Luperne were truly immense.
A sliver of pride for my family, something I had barely felt in my previous life, pierced through my chest.
"History, swordsmanship, geography... huh?"
I still had a few meters to go to reach the corner I wanted, but I stopped at an unexpected section.
No, to be precise, I didn't stop myself. It was as if an invisible force had forcibly held me in place; I couldn't move as I wished.
‘Magic.’
Above the large, dark brown bookshelves, which seemed unusually full of old books, the name of that section was clearly written in gold.
My feet were firmly fixed in front of that section, unable to move forward.
‘They say stubborn magic books exist.’
I had heard stories that powerful mages' mana would flow and imbue objects around them. If an ordinary person had a mage as a lover, a faint trace of mana might transfer to them, or the author's essence might cling to a handwritten grimoire.
And if the author was stubborn, the book itself might grab passersby and refuse to let go until it was read.
However, this was the first time I had directly felt such a force. Or, to be precise, no grimoire had ever shown interest in me before.
Based on my experience in my previous life, I didn't have any mana in my body.
*Slide—thud.*
A thick, ancient tome slid out of the shelf and dropped into my hands.
"Time and... Magic."
This was it. The book that called to me.
I had been about to just leave, but a sudden curiosity made me open the book. The moment I read the title, a question popped into my mind.
I set the book down on the floor and began flipping through it rapidly. Theon, who was a little distance away, raised an eyebrow, but I paid him no mind.
He'd probably just see me as a typical child interested in magic, I figured.
‘...Is this it?’
After a long time of rustling through the pages, I found a page with a captivating title.
‘Regression—On That Myth’
The same force that had held my feet earlier now drew my gaze. I squinted my eyes and slowly read the text below.
[It has not been confirmed whether magic that erases time and returns one to the past truly exists.]
‘Did it stop me just to make me read this...?’
My heart beat a little faster. The book had stopped me as if it recognized that I was a regressor.
‘Regression magic?’
It was a theory I had never heard of in my previous life. Though my body proved it was possible, to think someone had actually researched it.
Of course, upon reading the next passage, it seemed more like a legend than a theory.
‘The only theoretically possible method is to combine the mana within the legendary gem, the , with the powerful mana of a human. However, the prevailing theory is that the Dragon's Eye, said to exist beyond space and time, is merely a myth... Even if it exists, it is difficult to find, and even if found, the conditions for its activation are difficult to meet.’
‘The Dragon's Eye.’
It was a legendary gem said to grant wishes and possess healing powers. But these were all stories from hundreds, even thousands of years ago.
I turned the page.
‘Even if it were found, there would be no reason for someone with powerful mana to attempt it. Even if one were to regress, their own memories could not be maintained, meaning they would have to risk facing the same future or an even more unfortunate one...’
After that, the author continued to argue that regression magic was practically impossible to achieve.
The conclusion of that long chapter was a philosophical one: don't obsess over useless regression, but rather cherish the time you are given.
‘Cannot... maintain memories?’
"Have you learned the Ancient Language?"
While I was deep in thought, I heard a voice above my head. I looked up to see Theon gazing down at me with wide eyes.
"Huh?"
"That book, I mean."
Only then did I lower my head and properly examine the book.
"Ah... you're right. It was Ancient Language."
As it was an old grimoire, the language used was the Ancient Imperial Tongue. I must have been reading too quickly to notice that fact.
But why did that matter?
In my previous life, I had taught myself the Ancient Language in the Crown Prince's minuscule library—which I'd thought was large back then, but my opinion changed after seeing the Luperne Central Library.
After all, I hadn't received a proper education before running away from home.
It didn't take long, as I could figure it out by associating it with the common Imperial Language once I knew a few rules.
Calein hadn't found it strange at all. In fact, he'd scoffed at me for being slow to learn.
‘You'll be the worst Empress in the Empire's history.’
Though, after that, he would often exploit me to translate grimoires, claiming he had a headache.
"I saw it in another book a long time ago."
I explained with a shrug.
Theon stared at me intently for a while, arms crossed, as if he had turned into a statue.
His furrowed brows, as if he had discovered something incomprehensible, remained that way for a long time.
Even after I turned my eyes back to the grimoire, and until I finished reading and closed the book, he didn't move.
*Hup!*
I inwardly gave a small grunt of effort as I closed the thick grimoire and put it back on the shelf. When I pushed it with my fingertips, the book slid back into its place as if pulled by an invisible force.
This was indeed the Luperne library. Such strange and wonderful books were just casually shelved here.
The book's content ended after just two pages.
To put it bluntly, I didn't quite believe it. It was too different from my current situation, having just regressed.
I, who had never seen the Dragon's Eye and possessed no powerful mana, had regressed perfectly fine, hadn't I? And with my memories intact, no less.
It was one of two things: either the information in the book was wrong, or there were various methods of regression, and in my case, it happened through a different means than the Dragon's Eye.
Either way, the content of this book didn't seem to concern me.
I shook my head, dismissing the complicated thoughts.
Wasn't the important thing the book's conclusion?
[Do your best with the time you are given.]
That was true. Since I had regressed, I would live this life well. I would stubbornly survive and not die.
What I needed to do that was right here on the third floor. I recalled my original goal.
"Uncle Theon, I want to look at the Imperial Map."
Theon, whom I'd expected to grill me about why I needed it, surprisingly pointed to a bookshelf a few meters ahead without a fuss.
"It's high up, so I'll get it for you."
He strode forward with his long, crane-like legs and pulled down the thickest book among countless others.
Wow, it's beautiful.
It was white with intricate golden patterns carved all over it, clearly a sparkling new book at first glance.
Considering that borders throughout the Empire were frequently erased and changed due to constant territorial wars, this was a huge advantage.
In my previous life, I had traveled to many regions with the Crown Prince.
However, since these movements were often forced upon me, it was difficult to connect the region names, environments, and specific locations of each area.
But I was confident that with a proper map, I could combine that information with the memories in my head and gain a decent understanding of the continent's geography.
Because I hadn't forgotten a single village or castle that Calein had burned down.
"Thank you."
I politely bowed and took the book. And then, I smiled inwardly.
Good.
My rough plan was this:
First, I'd identify the regions that could withstand Calein and Callista's war ten years from now, and figure out the routes to get there. Then, I'd steal some family jewels or something to gather money.
Right, even expensive books like this would be good.
And after avoiding each of Callista's assassination attempts, which were still vivid in my mind, I would quietly escape to a corner of the Empire without ever encountering Calein.
After that, whether Calein and Callista tore each other apart or not, I would live well and prosper—that was the plan I had come up with over the past few days.
Suppressing my excitement, I opened the first page. And the next moment, I couldn't hide my bewilderment.
"...What is this?"
Spread beneath the title were countless lines, shapes, and incomprehensible symbols.
I had vaguely expected a picture that would instantly make sense, but my eyes just spun in confusion.
"Is this... the Empire?"
I should have at least been able to recognize the shape of the continent, but where was the round, flat landmass I knew? The map showed a shape closer to a heart.
The colors were oddly mottled, and it even bulged out here and there.
What the, is this book damaged?
Theon tilted his head, puzzled.
"You don't know how to read Akases' Cartography Method?"
"Aka... Cartography Method?"
"It's a cartography method developed by Akases, an Archmage and Geographer. It doesn't just reflect geographical locations but also incorporates the unique characteristics of certain regions. Its accuracy is outstanding, but it's not easy to draw, so only a few families, including the Luperne, use it."
"Unique characteristics?"
"Mana flows throughout various parts of the continent, you see. You know how sometimes space folds or twists, connecting two physically distant regions, don't you?"
"Y-yes."
"With Akases' Cartography Method, areas that are separated yet connected are revealed on the map. So you can see it at a glance."
Theon explained as if it were obvious.
I just blinked, listening to his words. But in my mind, questions about this butler and this enormous library trailed one after another.
Why was an invention that even the Imperial Family didn't possess here?
