YSGD 22

Chapter 22

“Today, it’s still better if you rest.”
“What?! Today too?!”
“You haven’t fully recovered from your cold yet, have you?”
“I’m feeling a bit restless… How about leveling the soil in the garden or something?”

I was naturally a homebody.
Actually, even among homebodies, there are two types.
One is the type that’s constantly bustling around the house—reading books, journaling, doing chores—never sitting still. The other is the type that does nothing at all, lying around like a corpse.
I was undoubtedly the bustling type.

Back in graduate school, I had research to do, fieldwork to attend, papers to write, and professors to assist. I had to live the second type of life by force, in the end.
But here, eating well, sleeping well, and resting well had revived my “bustling homebody” tendencies.

“The maids will take care of that.”
“No! That’s my joy! If you’re going to do it, do it with me. Okay? Please!”
“…Alright. But only after you’ve fully recovered. In this weather, you can catch a cold again very easily.”
“Ah, I’m so bored… Then, how about cleaning the storage room? That’s indoors, right?”
“Ma’am…”

Betty seemed to think I was hopeless, but… I couldn’t help it.
After all, there were no smartphones in this world.

Even though I had spent a few days bedridden with a cold, I didn’t regret going to the festival because I deeply felt how invigorating such events were.

For now, I’d avoid meeting people…
But as long as I was physically okay, there would still be new “events” in the form of household chores, right?
If I started farming, even more small events would appear!
“I want to farm soon. Just wait until it gets warm—I’ll plant everything.”

“Hmm…”

Reading my desperate look, Betty tilted her head, looking troubled.
It seemed like I was almost fully recovered!
Even though I still had a bit of a cough, after sleeping for days straight, it was natural that I should be better.

“Goodness, ma’am!”
“Huh?”

Suddenly, Betty called me with a shocked expression.
Why was she like that? I tilted my head in confusion, and at that moment…
Drip, drip—a strange sensation ran down my chin.

Startled, I looked down to see a dark red liquid dripping onto the blanket.
‘Damn it. Why a nosebleed at this timing!’

Betty, almost fainting from panic, quickly pressed a handkerchief against my nose.
With one nostril blocked, I spoke in a muffled voice.
“Uh… uh… Should we wash the blanket?”

No sooner had I said that than Betty’s expression turned fierce.
She usually didn’t show her teeth at me, but…
I was slightly shocked and immediately deflated.
Even if it didn’t seem possible, I thought saying it innocently would work because Betty was usually soft with me…

“No way! Go to bed immediately!”

Sorry, Betty.
“No way” applies to you too.

“I’ve slept so much I can’t even sleep anymore.”

Counting sheep, lost in my own daydreams—everything had reached its limit.
Seeing me with a nosebleed, Betty gave me a spoonful of syrupy medicine, gently helped me lie down, even covering my eyes with a sleep mask.
She stayed sitting by my bed until I fell asleep.

I understood that she was probably worried I’d go wandering and get sicker.
So, I stayed quietly in bed, letting out small, varied breaths.
Even though my eyes were wide open under the mask, well… Betty wouldn’t know.

I thought she believed I was asleep because I sensed movement nearby, and soon, I heard the soft rustling of clothes and the click of the door closing.
About ten minutes later, I quietly removed the mask just in case.
As expected, Betty was completely gone.

“Hehe.”

A mischievous smile escaped me.
“Quietly, like a shadow, no one will know. Then it’s like it never happened.”

Though it was broad daylight with the sun high in the sky…
I didn’t care and quickly dressed, leaving the hut.
Judging by the nosebleed, I still had a bit of a cold.
So moving around a lot would be pushing it.

“I’ll go to the library and grab a bunch of books.”

With nothing else to do, I might as well return to basics.
I walked toward the main building, humming happily.

Not long ago, I had been caught by the Duke while sneaking into the bathroom and scolded…
‘But I built some rapport during the festival… so maybe he won’t mind me going for a short trip? And as long as I’m not caught, it’s fine.’

Not wanting to speak to anyone outside the Ga-Na-Da maid group, I hurried along, staying out of sight.
Luckily, my “shadow technique” seemed to work.
‘Hehe. No one noticed me so far.’

Perhaps I had a talent for being an assassin?
Though, I didn’t want to kill anyone.

Since I had been here a few times before, I reached my destination quickly.
But turning the corner, I was surprised.

“Oh?!”

The library doors, once covered in greenish rust, now gleamed in their natural color.
I carefully opened the doors. Initially, they wouldn’t budge, but a little push and they swung open smoothly.

Sunlight streamed brightly through the library’s tall windows.
“Oh…”

The library, which had seemed daunting when I thought of cleaning it with Betty, was now spotless and gleaming.
‘Could the kids have done all this? And they didn’t even show off…’

Seeing how much effort had gone into cleaning made me feel deeply sorry.
Even if someone else had done it, they would probably have collapsed from exhaustion like me.

Along with guilt came a flutter of excitement.
Even in my past life, I loved libraries (though my favorite place was always my home).

Dust gone, the rich smell of books made my heart race.
“They worked so hard… maybe I’ll read a bit here? Not using it would be a shame.
I can just act pitiful in front of Betty…
As for the Duke… eh! It’s fine. He’ll just scold me a little.”

After this little self-justification, I lightly stepped forward.
Countless old books rested in the massive library, lifting my spirits.
I had always loved old things for some reason.

“Hmm…”

Starting from the nearest bookshelf, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Have I been too carefree until now?’

Technically, I had possessed someone, but that was it.
Had I been too indifferent to this world I had been possessed into?

Some excuse could be that I was naturally the “let’s go with the flow” type…
‘I know this is the Celeste territory in the northern Rembrandt Empire. But that’s all I know… maybe that’s a bit much.’

But!
Honestly, I wasn’t studying geography.
How could I remember all the place names in a romance fantasy novel?

I had never had the habit of memorizing every name or place in a novel.
Being addicted to text, just reading was enough to give me great satisfaction.

Besides, most of the novels I read were web novels, so it was natural to read them on the go or in spare moments.
‘Judging by how little I remember… it wasn’t a particularly memorable story.’

Graduate school life was more about absorbing other important information than novels.
If I had known I’d end up dead and possessed, I might have studied romance fantasy instead of pursuing a PhD!

But what could I do? It was already too late.
‘Well… maybe living like this, I’ll remember something eventually.’

I settled my thoughts and pulled out the nearest book from the shelf.
I wanted to focus on the book in front of me for now.
I made my way to the long wooden table in the library’s center, the sunniest spot, and opened the book.

Quietness came.
The only sound was the gentle flipping of pages on a peaceful afternoon.
I immersed myself in the text.

Meanwhile, at the same time…
Xenos sat at his study desk, pen in hand.
Though his eyes were fixed on the papers, his mind was in chaos.
In his head, the festival day had been repeating for several days straight.