CH 35

“Miss, where have you been? I was surprised when you disappeared.”

“Oh my, flowers! So pretty! Lovely flowers!”

One day, a few days before turning four, I pointed at the flower bed with my finger.

“You have to hold my hand tightly. Got it?”

I understood why Maya always acted so protective.

When something happens to me, her life is in danger. Thinking about that, I felt sorry for Maya.

“Mmh.”

In truth, it was a lie to say that I had briefly visited the flower bed.

Another special area alert popped up, unhesitatingly, I went in for a moment and came back out.

In Maya’s eyes, it would have appeared as if I had disappeared the moment I let go of her hand.

Anyway, in that room, I discovered a threatening letter from the notebook I had seen before.

If I came back, they would find me at all costs. Judging by the threatening wording, it was clear that the owner of the room was an eccentric individual with no time to spare.

The handwriting seemed fierce, and the temperament behind it felt nasty.

Yeah, I hate boring rooms like this too, okay?

I wrote a single symbol in reply and left the room.

Now, even if another special area alert came up, I had no intention of entering.

“Hyah! Hyah!” The coachman urged the horses onward, and before long– 

“We have arrived at the Winchester Library.”

After a brief detour through the special area, I gazed enchantedly at the new world unfolding before me.

~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~

The spacious area was filled with bookshelves, and tens of thousands of books neatly arranged.

The place Maya and I had come to today was the library located to the east of the mansion.

I wanted to come a little earlier, but somehow ended up being late… But since I’m here, let’s read to my heart’s content!

“Miss, the children’s books are over there…….”

“Awesome!”

“Huh? But those books are… imperial history books…”

“Awesome! Amazing again!”

I excitedly raised my finger and pointed to the books I wanted to read.

In truth, even in my past life, I quite enjoyed reading. I read everything from classical literature to essays to romance novels.

“Are you sure you want to read these? They probably won’t be interesting at all…”

Maya pulled out the books I pointed to with a hesitant look in her eyes. 

When I wanted to sit down, Maya placed a cushion on the library chair and adjusted the desk height for me. I started reading the books.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“No!”

Even if it wasn’t “Taylor’s Home,” the book I saw in the special area, it was still a way to gather information through different books.

As I flipped through the thick pages and began to read, I could feel Maya and the maids exchanging curious glances. They seemed to think I was enjoying the illustrations.

Thanks to my previously used item, I was able to read all of the text and even understand some of the ancient and foreign language markings.

“The Past and Present of the Janut Empire.”

The empire’s history was exactly as I had read in my previous life. A structure of four families ruling, powerful individuals with abilities, and a lineage of chosen successors.

It was like a myth of how the four noble families came to be.

It was said that there was an ancient dragon, Mechius, who guarded the good and balance of the world, and Phersetos, the great incarnation of evil, who tried to devour and destroy the world. 

After a fierce battle, Mechius sealed away the evil and safeguarded the world, dividing his immense power among four lesser dragons.

Halo the Water Dragon, Akada the Earth Dragon, Taylor the White Dragon, and Winchester the Black Dragon. They were the four noble families, entrusted with the power bestowed by the mighty dragon.

Their mission was to uphold the balance of the world and preserve the power passed down through generations.

Of course, a thousand years have passed since each family was founded, so this was just a record of old legends.

However, no matter how much I searched through the books, I couldn’t find any records about the “Key of Mechius” that I wanted to know about.

Well, maybe I should look into the elixir as well.

“You’re reading something quite interesting.”

As I was digging through the book, I heard a familiar voice and looked up. Across from me stood an old man I recognized from somewhere.

I remembered seeing his face amongst the members when the Afinizu suddenly summoned me. 

It was Recardo’s grandfather and the former Head of the Winchester family, Hector Winchester, who also possessed the mighty power of the black flame.

“Hello, Grandpa!”  I greeted him, staring up at him while I babbled out my unsteady pronunciation.

“Grandpa,” he repeated.

Technically, he was my great-grandfather, but to a baby, that’s what it was, so I decided to call him Grandpa.

Hector raised an eyebrow and then laughed.

“Not bad.”

Twelve years ago, Hector Winchester declared that he would pass on his position as the next head of the family.

After that, Recardo became the head of the family, and Hector had been enjoying his old age by traveling across the country. He occasionally appeared at the Winchester Mansion as well.

“Well, how is the book? It seems like it might be difficult for you to read.”

“It’s interesting.”

As far as I could tell, Hector was not a dangerous man. A man who stood in the middle ground in the fateful struggle between Recardo, the head of the family, and the members of the family who were wary and afraid of him.

The reason the Afinizu was so woefully weakened, and the reason Recardo was able to dismantle it so easily, was because Hector Winchester no longer cared about the House’s affairs.

“But then again, you never know,” he said, faint humor buried deep down in his voice.

A hundred years ago, the empire faced danger due to the terrible curse called “Kaisa,” which originated from Taylor’s.

The revival of Winchester, which was on the brink of destruction, came after that, led by Hector, the head of the House. He would probably know a lot of things that are not mentioned in the records.

“Grandpa, it mentions that we were friendly with the Taylors, but when did we become enemies?”

In response to my question, Hector remained silent and looked at me for a while.

“When Goryeo Mechius gave the dragons their powers, they all got along pretty well.”

His expression hardened a little, and I wondered if I’d said something wrong. After several seconds passed, Hector spoke up.

“Were you really reading the book?”

I realized that he didn’t believe that I had been reading the book.

Well, it’s understandable. After all, for a young child to read a history book with tiny letters. Even if I could read the characters, it would still be remarkable for me to comprehend and ask questions.

“Yes.”

After briefly looking at me, Hector pulled out a chair and sat across from me.

“There was a similar incident with Peri, and it seems that I had prejudices based on that event. Haha.”

Hector, who furrowed his eyebrows as if a certain memory had come to mind, spoke.

“……If you’re interested, I’ll tell you now.”

* * *

“There was an attack on Lady Zestia’s slave market. The soldiers guarding the market were incapacitated, and it is said that 300 slaves were set free.”

In the corridor of the mansion, Rowen, who followed Recardo, was reporting on the events of the previous night.

Bashiron and his daughter Zestia were running the empire’s largest slave market.

Slavery had long since been outlawed by a pact between the Four Houses, but those with debts they couldn’t pay, or defeated soldiers from foreign lands, were still sold into slavery in secret.

“It’s only natural for an ownerless business to get raided,” Recardo responded indifferently.

“As for Zestia’s body…”

Their footsteps echoed down the empty corridor.

~ Translations by Lurelia | Editing by Valpal | Read only at moonlightnovels.com ~

Through the connected window, the autumn scenery of the garden, gradually tinting with colors, stretched out like a painted canvas.

“Bashiron is planning to hold the funeral.”

Although Zestia was wanted, she had already been discovered as a lifeless body. Someone had taken care of her in advance.

The culprit was most likely someone who had orchestrated the attack.

The most likely culprit was Bashiron’s doctor, but he disappeared, and Bashiron’s statements failed to provide any evidence.

“Seize Zestia’s assets and use them to purchase a summer mansion from the bank.”

The area near the Pashurit Mountains was rich in natural resources.

“Understood.”

Recardo, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Oh, and the ‘Ortenian’ given to you by Baron Bashiron in exchange for sparing Miss Permetis will soon be in the process of being acquired by…….”

As Rowen continued speaking, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Recardo’s expression.

Through the open library door, murmuring voices could be heard. Rowen glanced inside and held his breath.

If you were to choose the strongest among the current Winchesters, it would be Recardo Winchester, the head of the family, and then directly after that, former Lord Hector Winchester.

Phenomenally powerful black flames, beyond human comprehension. If Recardo was the lion on the throne, Hector was the lion taking a nap on the front lines.

A man of untold power and experience, whose attention could not be captured by anyone else.

He was also a cruel person who strictly applied the law of survival of the fittest to his own bloodline.

“Oh, I see. Halo helped us,” Sasha exclaimed cheerfully. “Now I know!”

Hector Winchester was looking at the child with an unusually joyful expression.