Volume 4 - CH 4

I was looking up at the swarm of stars in the sky through the window.

This place, which had not yet reached modernity, was clean and free of pollutants.

‘Perhaps… is this place not even on Earth, but on another planet?’

Camilla and her maids beat me, so the pain was still vivid.

As a consequence, I realized the essential to mastering this world.

‘This is in a different world, where I exist as the main character.’

To simplify it, this world was just a world inside of a novel book where I was the center.

“Even my bones are in pain. Ugh……”

This damn pain was especially so vivid.

“My lady.”

“……Huh?”

Penny, who was seated next to me, was beaming at me.

“How could you remain so beautiful with a bruise on your face?”

“Sigh…”

To be honest, I couldn’t disagree with Penny’s comment.

Maybe because I groomed myself more today…… I was really quite beautiful.

Furthermore, because I was wearing a revealing outfit that revealed my neck and shoulder, my slender figure was emphasized even more, adding to my mournful beauty impressions.

It was because I was so pleased to learn Camilla was on probation.

Still, I couldn’t leave my room since it was evident that the servants, male or female, would gaze at me, which sickened me.

‘Every time I look in the mirror, I feel like I’m getting more drunk on Selina’s beauty. Is this what it’s like to be a narcissist?’

I knew I should do some reflection there, but the people surrounding me just wouldn’t allow me.

“My lady, may I come in?”

It was William.

Since yesterday, William had been busy receiving reports from the servants.

“I know it’s late but I need to see you, my lady. May I meet you in the parlor room, my lady?”

From the sense of firmness in his voice, I could vaguely guess his purpose of visiting me this late.

“No, it’s okay. Come in, William.”

I remained at the window next to the bed, without moving an inch.

Normally, I would see him in a little parlor room next to my bedroom, but tonight I wanted to commend him on his outstanding performance of his duties.

“My lady……?”

William came to my bedroom with two books in his hand, taking hesitant steps as I expected.

One book had a ragged cover, while the other had a luxurious hardcover.

“Take a seat, William.”

I motioned for him to sit, pointing to the little table with a chair by the bed.

It was the table where I kept my diary and put perfume.

William couldn’t raise his head properly, perhaps because he saw my bare feet twirling in the air as I sat at the window sill, or the view of my bed.

“I told you to take a seat.”

“……”

With shaky hands, he sat carefully in the chair and placed the books on the table.

“What is that?”

I queried him, pretending not to know, but William replied in hushed tones, as if concerned that someone outside would hear.

“This is what you’ve ordered me to do, my lady. The royal lineage of the Kingdom of Castaques.”

The book with the luxurious hardcover was the one with the Kingdom Castaques’ royal family lineage. It looked to be a leakage from the kingdom itself.

I next took a look at the ragged book next to it.

“What is the other?”

“This is information on the Castaques Royal Family that was documented by an informant who worked actively in the Castaques kingdom throughout the war.”

Oho, it’s the spy’s report.

Indeed, there is hardly any available data about the royal family’s lineage, and the information that can be obtained from it is extremely limited.

“It must be hard to obtain, isn’t it?”

William shrugged his shoulders as I gazed up at him, pretending to be amazed.

“This is very confidential information. A top secret.”

“Great job.”

“No, don’t mention it, my lady. I just hope this can be of any help for you.”

The way in which he stated it showed his devotion and faithfulness.

I gazed at him, looked incredibly emotional, and reached out my hand gently.

“……?”

William, who blinked for a while as if unsure what it meant, sprang to his feet, his eyes wide open.

“It must be hard to obtain, isn’t it?”

William shrugged his shoulders as I gazed up at him, pretending to be amazed.

“This is very confidential information. A top secret.”

“Great job.”

“No, don’t mention it, my lady. I just hope this can be of any help for you.”

The way in which he stated it showed his devotion and faithfulness.

I gazed at him, looked incredibly emotional, and reached out my hand gently.

“……?”

William, who blinked for a while as if unsure what it meant, sprang to his feet, his eyes wide open.

Then he came up to me at once and knelt down on one knee.

“Dear Lady Selina.”

He then grasped my hand meticulously, as if it were a precious piece of glass.

His hand, which was enormous enough to knock down a cow, was faintly trembling.

I smirked at that.

His bashful eyes met mine, then he closed them and carefully lowered his lips to the back of my hand.

The delicate touch tingled my skin.

“Thank you for the honor of serving you, my lady.”

He gradually opened his eyes.

Then I flashed him the most dazzling smile I’d ever prepared in front of the mirror.

“It is I who should thank you. Thank you for helping me, William.”

At the same moment, the white curtains fluttered to the side in the night breeze from outside the window.

William looked at me in awe, as if he had forgotten to breathe.

He remained still for a brief period, as if time had stopped.

His abrupt reaction embarrassed me.

‘Is it perhaps…… that I did not pour enough praise on him?’

Was he demanding money since he had gone to such lengths to obtain the top-secret information for me?

Fortunately, when I saw my reflection in William’s gray eyes, I knew it was merely a misunderstanding.

‘It looks like a picture……?’

The reflection of myself on the window sill in the pouring moonlight was so mysterious and enchanting that I pondered whether this was how a fairy would appear if she descended from the sky.

So beautiful and magnificent.

I am assured that William will be reminded of how I am right now for the rest of his life.

A night when everyone was sleeping.

I scanned the book detailing the royal family lineage of the Kingdom Castaques by using the firelight.

It was a high secret regarding Valhail, a member of the enemy country’s royal family that no one should know about.

This was a terrific chance for me because Penny had gone home for a few days to take after her younger siblings.

‘Valhail Castaques…… Valhail…… where is it?’

The kingdom and the empire were continuously at odds over religion, which finally led to war.

The kingdom was practically certain to win, but the kingdom abruptly requested a cease-fire and halted the war.

That’s roughly what Penny told me about the history of the two countries.

“Valhail…… Valhail……”

The writing style made it impossible to differentiate the name.

It was the moment when I attempted checking the names one by one by pointing them out.

– knock knock-

Someone knocked on my bedroom door.

Someone else, not William, was watching over my room at the time.

‘I’m wondering who it is.’

It wasn’t yet time for Penny to return, and I had no idea who would pay me a visit this late.

Nonetheless, I had a hunch Camilla would pay me a visit.

‘If I’m quiet, she’ll believe I’m already asleep.’

I returned my attention to the book I was reading, reasoning that the escort would not open the door without permission.

“……I believe the lady is already sleeping.”

“Really? Open the door.”

A low voice instructed the escort to open the door.

Heavy footsteps reverberated as soon as I raised my head in astonishment.

‘What the hell?’

How is it possible for that person to open the door without my permission? Late at night?

Is that guy insane?

‘Don’t tell me…… is that Cedric? Or Camilla?’

They were the only two with the power to make the escort do it.

But Cedric isn’t the kind to do such a ridiculous thing!

My heart was racing, so I immediately hid the book.

My bedroom, fortunately, was at the far end of my room.

The structure was similar to the structure of an apartment.

There’s some distance from the door of my room to where my bed is.

As I slid the book inside the drawer and shut it, an unexpected face appeared in the corner.

“A-Adrian……?”

(T/N: I dislike this man. I prefer the obsessive type, but not the rude one!)

That was the first time I truly stammered. Because I was extremely frightened.

“I knew it. You are still awake, noona.”

Adrian sat on my bed, quietly smiling as if he was delighted to see me.

He sat on my bed as if it were normal and acceptable, making my mind blank.

“Because I saw light streaming through the window.”

He then turned to face me, who was still standing there, and opened the thick book he was carrying.

“Read me a book, noona. I can’t sleep.”

I clenched my hand in embarrassment as I watched him speak.

‘This man must be insane, huh?’

It’s too bad I could keep my sanity. For a brief moment, I really was about to curse him aloud there.

Someone knocked on Selina’s bedroom door late at night.

It was Adrian, who was at home for vacation.

He raised a heavy book, pouting his lips as if he were a child.

“I can’t sleep, noona.”

Despite the fact that she never attempted or wanted to be close to her brother.

Selina realized she’d never be able to break through his stubbornness, so she sighed and walked back.

“C-come in.”

Selina consoled herself, pretending not to see Adrian’s brilliant smile, by stating that this would be the last time.

‘Because I won’t be able to see this child when I marry and move to the capital.’

That’s how Adrian portrayed it in the book.

However, there was a significant difference between reading about it in a book and really experiencing it.

‘How could Selina call this person a child?’

First and furthermore, Adrian was not a child.

He was a strong young man with a musk scent.

“H-how….. How did y-you get into my bedroom?”

Adrian shrugged his shoulders, as if it wasn’t a difficult thing to do.

“Sit down, noona.”

His nonchalant gesture irritated me.

“G-get out.”

Adrian then turned his face to me, stiffened, and snapped the book shut.

“Noona.”

“R-right now.”

This was the first time I struggled to behave like Selina.

Because, at the very moment, I really wanted to grab him by the collar and drag him out.

“G-get up… f-from my bed.”

Adrian, who had been silent for a while, slowly got up and approached me.

I looked away from him, afraid I’d curse him out loud if I saw his face.

“Look at me, noona.”

Adrian bent his head and tried to make eye contact with me.

“Please look at me. Noona……”

Because I looked the other way, I was trapped behind the door and him before I knew it.