Chapter 38 How to spend a good holiday (2)
Chapter 38 How to spend a good holiday (2)
When I arrived at the library, an employee sitting at a desk caught my eye.
The employee had his eyes fixed on the underside of his desk. He seemed to be in the middle of reading.
I couldn’t tell what kind of book it was because of the chin on the desk.
“Hey.”
As I called in a low voice, the staff raised their heads.
“I want to use the library.”
I took out the Imperial Palace from my bosom and showed it. The staff checked my name and put my name on the visitor list.
“Talk to me when you leave.”
“Yes. Take care.”
It’s the only place where you can’t rest even though the office and all departments are off…….
What a pitiful man.
After cheering me on, I went inside the library.
As soon as I entered, the densely built, tall bookshelves filled my sight.
When I first came here, I was so overwhelmed by the scale of this place that I couldn’t keep my senses for a moment.
Still, this was my second visit, so I wasn’t surprised that much.
Looking around the inside, I noticed a few people reading books in a separate reading space. However, since it was a day off, there were many empty seats.
‘I’ll start by recommending a spot I like and go.’
This is all because of the habits I picked up when I was a job seeker.
I made my way to the reading area and placed my imperial tablet on my favorite desk. After that, I headed back to the bookshelf.
“Let’s see…….”
As I moved my steps, I looked at the number on the bookshelf. The number of bookshelves where the books I am looking for are gathered is from the 50th.
I continued to walk inside and finally found a bookshelf with the number 50 on it.
As I walked slowly, I looked carefully at the title of the book.
「Language of the Principality of Romesia」
「Culture and History of Rome」
「Political System of Quilton Kingdom」
「Language of Perison Kingdom」
“… ….”
It’s all about books about neighboring countries and trading countries of the Eckhart Empire…….
I want to go to a place as far away from the Empire as possible.
I took a closer look at the book just in case, but it was futile.
‘For now, I should at least find out information about neighboring countries.’
I chose a book about the language and history of the kingdoms of Quilton and Perison. Returning to my desk, I opened 「The Language of Quilton Kingdom」.
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“… ….”
The language system is definitely different from the Eckhart Empire.
‘It will take some time to learn this properly?’
I crossed my arms and frowned.
Should I escape to a nearby kingdom first, and then move on to a farther country?
I think that would take too much time.
But not doing this at all seems like a pointless waste of time…….
I was deeply troubled with my eyes closed.
Then I came to a conclusion. To do something at once.
Once you study it, you will be able to use it in some way later.
I opened my eyes and started to read 「The Language of Quilton Kingdom」.
* * *
“Is it my turn now?”
“Yes.”
Flora was playing chess in the room with Mulia. Mullia looked down at the chessboard and then she picked up the bishop.
Mulia’s black bishop easily caught Flora’s white knight.
“Oh! I didn’t see it there.”
“You should have seen it.”
“Haaa… ….”
Flora groaned as she cupped her forehead with both of her hands. Mullia just stared at Flora blankly.
“Now it is your turn.”
“Ugh. What should I move…….”
Flora sighed and picked up her phone.
She has already lost five pawns, two rooks, and a knight.
On the other hand, Mulia only lost three pawns and one bishop.
“Oh, I don’t think this is so.”
Flora put the phone back down. Then he grunted and groaned in agony.
Flora diligently rolled her eyes as she kept looking for which piece to move.
“If you don’t count to 10, it’s your turn.”
“Ugh. Be merciless.”
Still, Flora found one of her movable horses.
One Bishop left!
If you move this, you can grab one of Mulia’s black pawns.
Having made her decision, Flora picked up the bishop without hesitation, and she knocked Mullia’s phone aside.
“Yes. This is it.”
Flora said in a triumphant voice.
“Are you sure you want to hold that phone?”
“Yes!”
“Okay. Now it is my turn.”
Mulia said calmly and picked up the knight. Her judgment was incomparably quicker than Flora’s.
Her knight knocked Flora’s bishop aside,
“Oh!”
Flora let out her shriek.
“Mulia. Can you do this just once?”
“Didn’t I ask if I was going to hold the phone for sure?”
“That’s true, but… ….”
“No.”
Mulia refused very firmly. Flora ended up losing even one bishop.
The two women’s chess match continued after that.
However, the aspect of the game went in the direction of one side losing.
Flora tried to attack somehow, but she was blocked every time, and instead she fell helplessly under Mulia’s offensive.
It wasn’t long before the result of chess,
“Check Mate.”
It ended with Mulia’s easy victory.
“To lose three games… ….”
Flora looked at Mullia with her face of resentment.
“Have you ever beaten me at chess?”
“No… ….”
“Then wouldn’t there be no division like that?”
“You don’t know! The heart of a loser!”
Flora snorted and pretended to pout. But Mullia was busy putting her chess pieces back on her chessboard without even paying attention to her.
“What is it, I’m not paying attention.”
“I’m not really mad. Would you like another round of chess? Like before, except for my look.”
“No. I’m tired now.”
Flora shook her head. Then she ate the chocolate cookies from the tray.
Perhaps it was thanks to her sweet tooth, Flora immediately smiled happily.
As Mullia watched, she smiled softly.
She quickly tidied up her chessboard. Then she got up from the tea table and went to her desk.
On her desk, the books Mulia started reading last night were neatly laid out.
“Flora. Would you like to go to the garden with me?”
“Hmm?”
Flora turned her head. When she found the book that Mullia had stuck to her side, she suddenly remembered Luke, who said he would go to the imperial palace library.
“Do you want to go to the garden and read a book?”
Mullia nodded her head, saying she thought so.
“What better place to read than in the garden?”
“Are you talking about standing?”
“Right.”
Flora ruffled her hair and painted her eye smile.
“I was afraid you would be bored, so I asked you to go to the garden.”
“Whoops. I’m in the mood to go to the library rather than the garden today.”
“Oh, that’s a big deal. All the words to go to the library come out of your mouth…….”
Mulia looked genuinely surprised. Flora looked at her with her fluke eyes open.
“I’m not completely away from books!”
“I know that. Instead, they try not to look at educational books.”
“Novels are also helpful in building culture.”
Mulia agreed with her comments. Through her novels, you can get a glimpse of the author’s thoughts on human beings as well as fun.
She was fully aware of that because she had read various novels besides Mulia and liberal arts books.
“You mean something like 「The Double Life of a Lewd Handmaid」 You saw last time?”
“Hut! He, when did you see that?”
“I happened to see you walking the other day holding a book with that title on it.”
When Mullia finished her explanation, Flora’s face turned red like a ripe apple.
‘It must have been a secret hobby.’
Mulia was able to draw her own conclusions from her Flora’s reaction. At the same time, she also thought she did well to speak up.
Her friend, who is always open to expressing her feelings, is so shy.
Mulia thought the figure was purely cute.
“Mulia. Don’t tell anyone about that Understand?”
“I will.”
Flora finally let out a sigh of relief after confirming that Mullia nodded her head gently.
“So are you going to the library now?”
“Yes. Luke said he was spending time there too today.”
Mullia asked with her head tilted to one side.
“Could it be that we are going to see the secretary?”
“Yes!”
“… ….”
Mulia stared at the wide-smiling Flora.
“Flora. You don’t have feelings for the secretary, do you?”
“That can’t be. Mr. Luke is just a good fellow.”
“Then why… ….”
“If you’re reading alone, you might get bored. So let’s go too.”
From Mulia’s point of view, she wasn’t very persuasive. Since her reading was originally done by herself, she was rather more likely to interrupt immersion.
But it was hard for her to say no because it was written on her friend’s face that she wanted to go.
‘In the past, I would have told her to go alone.’
Because at that time, Luke felt uncomfortable.
But not now. In the meantime, through her actions that her Luke showed her, Mullia changed her own thoughts.
That there is no need to feel so uncomfortable with Luke.
She, of course, had a natural conversation with him, although it was still difficult for her.
“Okay. Let’s go together.”
Flora smiled happily at Mulia’s answer. The two women immediately moved toward the imperial palace library.
* * *
As I continued to hold on to the book, it seemed that I could understand the grammatical system of the King’s Court to some extent. Still, I still have to learn words, anomalous grammar, and pronunciation properly, so it will take quite some time.
My throat was sore, perhaps because I was reading without a break.
“Ugh.”
I think I need to turn my head for a second.
I turned my head from my seat. Then I tried to read the book again, but my vision went dark. Someone had covered my eyes with their hands!
But I was able to immediately recognize who the opponent was.
“Whoops.”
Because Flora is the only one who can let out such a mischievous laugh.
“Daughter of the Marquis Simonian?”
“As expected, you got it right.”
Then she removed her hand. I got up and turned around, and Mulia was with Flora.
“What brought you two here?”
Since there were people reading books around me, I asked in the lowest voice possible.
“Hmm. I came to see if Luke might be bored. It’s been a while since I read a book.”
“I’m not particularly bored… ….”
I would rather say that I had a headache from acquiring new knowledge.
I looked towards Mulia once. Apparently, she was meant to read the book slung by her side.
“Flora asked me to come, so I followed him.”
“Ah. You did.”
Well, there’s no way Mulia came all the way here just to see me.
In the meantime, Flora approached the desk where I was sitting.
“Are you interested in Quilton and Perison Kingdom?”
“Oh, yes. Recently, I became interested in foreign countries as well.”
I couldn’t bear to answer that I was looking for a place to settle down after leaving the empire, so I covered it up.
Suddenly, Mulia put an unexpected question into her mouth.
“Perhaps, Secretary-nim…… Are you learning about foreign countries in preparation for later?”
What is the purpose of this question?
-Continued
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