Chapter 8

“I wanted to express my gratitude to those who helped me. So I just did what I could.”

However, the little rabbit was more courageous than anyone, and unlike yesterday, she delivered her message without any hesitation.

Lysian also looked at her as if he were watching a wonder.

“I also made one for Master Lysian… but if you don’t like it, I’ll throw this away.”

Lestia said, putting back the paper flower she had in her hand into her bag.”

Lysian rushed over and quickly took the flower away.

“What? Who said I hate it? Give it to me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m just asking. You can do whatever you want to do.”

“Really?”

Lestia smiled like a flower in full bloom and placed a bright yellow paper flower on Lysian’s hand.

“…”

Lysian looked at it absentmindedly and folded it carefully, afraid that it would get wrinkled.

Then a silence fell between them. Lestia first broke the silence with a question.

“Master Lysian, I heard you’re busy… can you come here like this?”

“Oh, that’s…”

Lysian panicked and wandered his mind for some sort of excuse. But because he didn’t expect to see her like this, he couldn’t think of any. Dora said quickly,

“Master Lysian, if you don’t mind, would you and Lady Lestia like to have a tea time?”

“Okay, bring it to the study.”

Lysian immediately accepted the suggestion and quickly turned around and walked to the study on the other side of the mansion.

“The study….?”

Lestia blinked blankly and followed him a bit later.

The servants’ mouths dropped open.

“Wow, did you see that? Master Lysian couldn’t say anything to Lady Lestia.”

The servants, who had faced Lestia for the first time yesterday, thought that Lestia was just a little girl who needed to be taken care of.

They thought that when she ran into Lysian, she would not be able to say anything and would have tears in her big eyes.

However, Lestia made her intentions clear without hesitation to Lysian, who everyone was afraid of.

“Young Lady is so sweet and brave.”

“Hey, I think you should say she’s bold.”

The servants began to chatter about the gentle, bold, and cute Princess at the Verchester mansion.

***

As soon as he reached the study, Lysian opened a book and placed the paper flower in it so it wouldn’t crumble.

“Wow…….”

Lestia’s big eyes fluttered as she looked at the study.

The Verchester study, lined with large bookshelves, was too enormous to be called a library.

“I’ll call for you when the tea cakes are ready, so you can look as much as you please. The study belongs to the Verchester anyway, and I don’t mind if you tear it all up.”

“I’m not going to do that!”

“Sure.”

Lestia slowly began to look around the study.

“So much paper…”

She wondered.

What is writing? Why do people read newspapers and books?

Lysian said that reading letters would only add to the complexity, but Lestia was sure he said that just to appease her.

“I wish I could read too.”

Lestia slowly strolled between the bookshelves.

It was then that she spotted a strange book, shining between the bookshelves.

“Huh? This book is shining.”

The book was emitting a faint translucent light that seemed to tempt Lestia.

However, as soon as Lestia recognized the existence of the book, the sparkle disappeared in an instant.

“Did I see it wrong?”

Lestia wiped her eyes with both hands and stared at the book again in disbelief. But the book still lay in the corner of the bookcase.

Suddenly, she thought that she should check the book out.

With all her might, Lestia lifted her heels and reached for the book higher than her head.

Cough. Cough. Cough.

As soon as she took down the book, the dust turned white and Lestia let out a small cough.

It seemed that no one had touched the book in a long time.

With the palm of her hand, Lestia carefully brushed off the dust from the cover of the book.

However, the old cover, made of leather, was not the kind of material that could produce light no matter how hard she looked at it.

On top of that, the title of the book had disappeared halfway, unknown how long it had been in existence.

“What?”

But amazingly, Lestia was able to read the title of the book.

<…………… Definition of qualifier>

“Huh…? I can read? How?”

Lestia, who had never learned a sentence in her entire life, opened her eyes in surprise.

She couldn’t read the newspaper, so how could she read the book?

Lestia felt her heart pounding as she opened the book.

“This is crazy. I really can read!”

It was a very intuitive approach. Just like when one sees a flower, they naturally know it’s a flower…just like that.

She couldn’t believe it even after experiencing it herself. But before she knew it, Lestia couldn’t help but read the words from the book.

Then a magic circle appeared on her gray iris and began to glow.

The space rang and the bookshelves in the study began to resonate.

But Lestia wasn’t the least aware of the situation.

It was just interesting.

The fact that the letters didn’t look like a mystery, but were loaded with meaning, made her body shiver.

There were difficult words that she couldn’t understand because she had never come into contact with them, but she could just read them out loud.

“What is it?”

Lysian felt a vibration ringing through the study.

He was just about to call Lestia when Dora brought in the tea.

“Oh, Master Mathias has returned.”

“Already?”

The vibration continued echoing through the mansion.

Everyone in the mansion felt it and thought that Mathias had returned and was venting his anger.

Mathias, who dealt with earth attribute magic, always shook the earth in this way when he got frustrated.

But today, the extent of it was just as bad. Normally, Joel would have subdued it immediately, but somehow today it had lasted a bit longer.

“You stupid b*stard. Don’t tell me you’re planning to destroy the mansion!”

“I’m worried that will scare the young lady. Lady Lestia!”

As Dora hurried her feet in concern, Lysian quickly rose from his seat.

In the past, he wouldn’t care even if Mathias would destroy the house or not.

But now, Lestia was in the study. If the bookshelves were to fall over, she would be badly hurt.

Lysian slowly moved his feet in the direction where he could feel the magic.

But it was a little strange.

The magic that he could feel was faint, and it didn’t feel like Mathias’s at all.

In addition, he felt it was excessively close to him.

“Mathias.”

But Mathias was not there.

Lestia was just standing there quietly, reading an old book in a low voice.

It was as if she was possessed by something….but she looked happy.

The book that Lestia was reading also shone softly whenever she uttered the words.

“Hey, you. It’s that book.”

Lysian strode towards Lestia.

But Lestia was so engrossed in the book that she was oblivious to the fact that Lysian was nearby.

Finally, Lysian raised his hand and closed the book.

Snap!

“Oh?”

With the light sound of the book snapped shut, Lestia returned to her senses.

“You.”

Lysian immediately grabbed Lestia’s shoulders and turned her around to face him. The book Lestia was holding fell helplessly to the floor.

“How did you read the ancient book?”

“Huh?”

Lestia opened her eyes wide in bewilderment.

However, Lysian saw the golden ancient magic circle that had clearly appeared over Lestia’s gray irises and was slowly fading.

“Well, look at this.”

Lysian’s brows narrowed instantly.

“You’re an interpreter, aren’t you?”

“What? What’s that? I was just amazed that I could read…….”

Lestia stared at Lysian, blinking her big eyes as if she knew nothing. Her expression was full of fear.

The Interpreter.

It was someone who could interpret the books, ancient relics from the distant past.

Magic was the legacy of an ancient civilization. It is said that in the distant past, most humans were able to handle magic at will.

However, that civilization disappeared in an instant for unknown reasons.

Since then, magic has been passed down only through blood and writing.

The people who inherited magic as blood were called lineage wizards.

Like the Verchesters who could use the specific magical powers engraved in their instincts at will. In return, though, each family has its own side effects.

Those who inherited magic through words called themselves magic researchers.

They interpret books and create magical tools to help ordinary people to use magic.

However, interpreting the words of the ancient books themselves was nearly impossible.

Therefore, it was passed down under the control of the Imperial family of the Morcatian Empire.

Rarely, there was a story about the birth of a person who could read ancient books at will.

They were called the Interpreter.

However, the last time history recorded an interpreter was 200 years ago.

But he couldn’t believe that …… Lestia could be the Interpreter.

Lysian pondered.

Did the former Duke of Verchester know about this fact? What about Gerard Verchester?

Would it be a blessing or a curse if this fact became known to the outside world…?

“Did I do something wrong?”

Lestia’s shoulders shook.

Then, realizing that he was holding Lestia too strong, Lysian relaxed his grip.

“No, you didn’t. I’m sorry. Are you hurt?”

“Yes….”

“Let’s go eat something delicious for now.”

Lysian picked up the book that was dropped on the floor and put it into a bookshelf out of her reach.

He then grabbed Lestia’s wrist and headed for the area where the tea and sweets were laid out.

Dora was waiting for them with a worried look on her face. But once they were both safely back, she retreated, leaving the skillfully brewed tea on the table.

The fragrant scent of flowers began to waft faintly through the study that had been filled with the smell of books.

There was also a lovely serving of cookies that looked delicious at a glance.

Lestia, however, didn’t bother to take a bite of it as she looked at Lysian, who was pale and silent.

“Uhm, are you angry, Master Lysian? Was I not allowed to read that book?”