Translator and Editor: Lily and Einna

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 17

Swallowing the drool pooling in my mouth, I searched through the books again.

There were only a few books in the easy-to-understand imperial language and many more in foreign languages.

I can’t find it.

But I don’t think I should ask anyone for help to find something used in commonly in torture. They’ll question my humanity.

While looking for a word that means “pain,” I frowned, trying to read the long definition in Elf.

It read, “Prediction of the Weather and Yield of the Day Through the Flow of Mana in the Body.”

In short, it seemed to mean that it would rain tomorrow if the joints hurt.

‘Is that right? I’m sure it is.’

I snooped around and went to return the book I was holding.

Come to think of it, I think it’s been a while, but I haven’t heard from Karpel. While mulling that over I looked up while pulling out the book right next to me.

Suddenly a person was standing right there.

I was belatedly surprised, because at first I couldn’t tell if the Karpel standing in front of me was real or a figment of my imagination.

Karpel looked just as surprised as I was.

“I was going to call your name.”

“Oh, y-yeah? Did you just get here?”

I just asked because I was embarrassed by his unexpected appearance, but Karpel didn’t answer.

Instead, my eyes widened at the book I was holding.

I looked at what I was holding. The title was written quite simply in four letters of the ancient language.

The cover was red colored leather.

‘What kind of analysis book is this?’

I didn’t want to embarrass myself by taking the time to read the description on the back and appear uneducated, so I put the book back and got up.

But when he surprised me earlier, Karpel’s eyes were filled with shock, so I wondered what that was about.

‘Is the book about the history of treason? No, it’s just an analysis.’

Somehow I felt awkward and followed Karpel to the sofa.

As I did that, I suddenly became very curious about the title of the book that I was holding earlier.

‘Shall I ask him?’

I shook my head. I thought it would be better to look it up in the dictionary.

The ancient language is derived from characters that depict the twelve constellations.

At first glance, the first letter seemed to mean soil and bones.

The books were arranged alphabetically, based on their first syllable, in the imperial language. So the first syllable was likely to be the same as the book next to it.

I was lost in thought and clapped my hands at the words that flashed up in my mind.

“Positions!”

Karpel was too surprised to respond to my outburst.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Karpel’s face was burning red.

Suddenly, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him.

“What’s wrong?”

Karpel breathed a very, very heavy sigh.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking anymore. What were you planning to do with that book?”

“What?”

I stared at Karpel in a puzzled manner while he observed me persistently, as if trying to read my thoughts.

Karpel, who had stared at me for a long time, exclaimed as if he had just realized something, and his face turned even redder.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I think I’ve misunderstood.”

“What did you misunderstand?”

I sat next to him and he backed away from me. We weren’t even sitting close together.

The space was too small for a person, but if a dog had wanted to sit between us it would have been possible.

As I looked at him, Karpel tried to change the subject.

“Do you have business with me today?”

“Yes. What did you misunderstand, Karpel?”

Misunderstandings grow when left to pile up.

There was no guarantee that he would not misunderstand something again today.

He hardly answered, so I thought of what Karpel had said earlier.

“Positions? What do you want me to do with that?”

“No, I misunderstood.”

I thought studying the ancient language would help me. But seeing him misunderstand, I didn’t think it was the case.

Come to think of it, he looked a little uncomfortable when I was holding the book.

Perhaps he meant that there is something he wants to know about the book itself, not the word on the cover.

‘What’s wrong with the positions book?’

I was thinking about what the book was about, but then I thought about the title once more and finally figured it out while almost exclaiming out loud.

It was not an analysis of proper posture when sitting or standing, but rather some kind of kamasutra*.

[T/N: An erotic book that contains descriptive instructions and pictures of several different positions of intercourse, including positions involving standing, sitting, laying, handstands, bridges, kneeling, and many other forms a body can take.]

“Karpel. Did you see the book?”

“…”

‘He saw it. He saw it.’

I squinted my eyes.

“What position did you think I was going to do with you?”

He shut his mouth and turned his head as if he needed to forget everything he just heard. He seemed very embarrassed.

It seemed he was very embarrassed seeing as he was not shooting hate rays at me with his eyes today.

But it took me a while to notice that.

We’re engaged, and therefore we can do some adult things because of that fact, so of course one may think of it in another way.

Karpel is 16 years old, so he’s at an age where he’s interested in that.

Of course, I was the one who was in trouble, but Karpel also looked genuinely troubled. It made me feel a little unsettled.

Saying that he didn’t know what I was thinking there meant that he had no intention of doing anything in that book with me.

It’s not because we’re young, but instead it’s just that we don’t have any thoughts about it at all. The 16-year-old boy has no intention of doing any of that with his fiancée.

I nodded nervously.

“I’m glad the misunderstanding has been resolved. I don’t intend on doing that either.”

He looked at me with a look of flustered embarrassment.

I acted like I didn’t know what the positions were because I didn’t wanna get any deeper into it. So I turned around.

“Would you rather go to Rose Garden, Karpel?”

“…Why would I go there.”

Karpel said coldly.

I knew he’d say that if I asked for his opinion. In the past, I used to say, “Please go.” That’s how I used to force him.

Of course, Karpel hated escorting me to places where there were many nobles. Those outings were uncomfortable for us both.

I’ll stop taking Karpel by force from now on.

The gatherings Karpel mainly attends are probably in a secret location where nobles gather to participate in the rebellion.

Those events appear once or twice in the novel, and I remembered that the nobles’ names seemed as if they had been decided after sitting in a cafe and looking at the menu.

I couldn’t remember them now, but I would if I saw them.

Anyway, there will be a lot of old men who will play with me when I go, but I came to my senses since I can’t force myself to drag Karpel, who doesn’t want to be with me, to such a place.

Anyway, there will be a lot of older men who will pay attention to me when I go, but I came to my senses about that expectation since I can’t force myself to drag Karpel, who doesn’t want to be around me, to such a place.

“I was thinking of going on a date, but if you don’t want to, I’ll go alone.”

“…I didn’t say no.”

“…”

Are you saying you’re going or not?

Elf is also difficult, but I feel sorry for myself, who has to interpret Karpel’s nuances as well.

Please tell me in the end you’re going.

* * *

I had been making a fuss since morning. I’m sure there would only be children at Rose Garden, but I was excited to leave this place.

My father, who stopped by my room before going to work at the palace, seemed to hate that I was going out with Karpel, but he couldn’t say anything to his excited daughter.

I skipped my morning walk, but Karpel steadfastly went out to train.

While he was out, I stormed into his room and chose what he would wear today.

Even if my fiancé and I live in the same house, the maids were frightened to see me searching his wardrobe without his knowledge.

But without my father, there was no one in this house to stop me.

Karpel had everything in his closet, but nothing caught my eye.

I wanted to choose a suit that was the same color as the dress I would wear, and I also chose the necktie color and a brooch.

There weren’t many many things to choose from in Karpel’s closet, so I thought I would have to change what I was looking for.

There would be no dress code for today.

Wherever I went, I had a matching dress code with my close friends.

Even now that I remembered my past life, the idea of playing with my friends in matching dress codes felt fun.

There was a big age difference, but we were friends anyway.

I had no friends in my previous life because I was so busy living however I wanted.

There was a chef who I could call a friend, but she was like a teacher who taught me how to live alone and cook before being a friend.

I was a young woman who began to take responsibility for life on her own, and the chef died saying that her life was satisfactory.

We lived in different times, so I wouldn’t be disappointed even if I didn’t have any friends.

While I was thinking about that and fixing my hair, it seemed that Karpel had returned.

Since I couldn’t move around, I only listened to the room next door.

I thought he would come in teary-eyed if he found out that I had searched his closet however I wanted, but it was quiet.

I had just finished doing my hair and became free to move around.

At the same time, my makeup was completed by preparing my skin with lotion and swiping a pinky fruit oil on my lips.

When I stepped out, I saw a Karpel standing in the clothes I had chosen.

It seemed that I had some good taste.

His everyday clothing is nice, but this went very well with his appearance without missing anything.

“Wow! You look nice!”

As soon as I saw him, I admired him and Karpel laughed.

I was not a faked expression, but a real smile that raised both corners of his mouth.

“You look lovely today as well.”

He even complimented me for some reason.

He seemed to be in a good mood today. I bowed politely in embarrassment.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Then I smiled, and Karpel held out his arm out to me.

“Let’s go.”

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Rate the novel on Novel Updates.

Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible!