Chapter 101
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I possessed the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower. Chapter 101 I had only heard rumors about it, never thinking to visit in person until now, but the Imperial Public Library exceeded every expectation I had imagined.
"Wow...."
White marble bookshelves flanked both sides of the grand central hall, towering so high that one would need to climb a ladder to reach the upper shelves. And that wasn't even accounting for the ceiling fresco painted across the impossibly lofty arched dome above. Gazing upon the sheer scale of the artwork—rivaling the creation of the world itself—I found myself recalling the Sistine Chapel I had visited long ago. 'So that's why the identity verification is so thorough?' I admired the golden wall sconces adorning each bookshelf, then slowly stepped forward, remembering the Knights guarding the entrance and the tedious entry procedures. The public library seemed to control access with the same strictness befitting its grandeur and atmosphere. They inspected the fake identification Liam had given me multiple times, and when they made me pass through a magical scanner, it reminded me of an airport security checkpoint. 'To get through all that—just how remarkable is the Blaire Grand Duchy's identity laundering capability?' Honestly, when that magical scanner appeared, I thought I would die of fear. What surprised me was that Ian, whom I had secretly suspected of engaging in illegal activities, passed through without incident. 'Ian, I'm sorry. Haha.' Even though we had been together for quite a long time, since he never revealed his true profession, I had naturally grown suspicious of him. Still, it was fortunate that it didn't seem to be anything illegal. Perhaps he simply disliked talking about himself. Of course, that didn't strike me as strange. If anything, I was the same way at work—I disliked sharing personal details. Just then, Ian's voice reached me as he quietly remained by my side.
"Is there a particular book you wish to see?"
"A particular book? Well...."
Now that he asked, nothing came to mind. Because the Imperial Public Library had so much to see, even just glancing around for a moment! The paintings hung throughout, the sculptures, or simply the spatial aesthetics of this place itself. The hall where I now stood felt as though a pure white unicorn had transformed into a building. So it was difficult to pinpoint something specific to mention.
"Ah!"
The moment my gaze landed upon a sculpture depicting some unidentifiable monster form. Suddenly, a lightbulb seemed to flicker on in my mind.
"I just remembered something."
A rare type of book that wasn't handled anywhere else, but which I had heard existed in the Imperial library! I leaned toward Ian and whispered in a soft voice so as not to disturb the readers.
"I'd like to go to the archive where cookbooks are kept." "...You have an interest in cooking?"
"Oh, no."
That couldn't be further from the truth. But while working under Lemeia, I had happened to hear a rumor. I had been interested in it, but was too busy with work to remember it clearly until now—this seemed like a good opportunity to verify it. I smiled slyly and spoke in a more subtle tone.
"I heard that the Imperial Public Library has numerous cookbooks describing methods for cooking monster meat?"
"Monster... cooking, you mean...?"
"Yes, I heard that in other places they burn them on sight for being barbaric, but the Imperial Public Library has books on it!"
"But why are you looking for that?"
"Ah, well, the Blaire Grand Duchy has quite a lot of monsters, you see."
Located in the barren Northern Region, the Grand Duchy's food supplies were never particularly abundant. Until now, we'd barely managed self-sufficiency, but nature has a way of striking when you least expect it.
"So I thought it would be good to learn how to cook with monster meat."
Besides, there was one advantage to the Blaire Grand Duchy—monsters were infinitely replenished through Monster Waves. But the moment my words ended, Ian's face twisted oddly.
"Hmm?"
Had I gone too far? Well, of course, I'd already considered that suddenly becoming curious about monster cooking might seem a bit grotesque. In this world, monsters were treated as unhygienic and filthy creatures. So if I compared it to the 21st century I came from, it would be like... food made from insects? But already captivated by the monster cookbook, I pretended not to notice his lukewarm reaction and asked again.
"Ian? You're alright, aren't you?"
"...Let's go."
Though he'd clearly been hesitating, he soon turned around and began leading the way. 'But is there no directory or anything here?' I tried to check if the books were organized by section, but there was nothing of the sort. Yet Ian navigated through the seemingly complex Imperial Public Library without any difficulty. And what was even more remarkable— "We've arrived."
He'd found the monster cookbook section I wanted using an incredibly efficient route. First-time visitors had to wander around reading the signs attached to the shelves, but he seemed to know everything, as if he'd memorized the entire place. 'Is he not doing anything illegal, but actually some kind of elite? A secret agent in the romance novel world, perhaps...?' As I regarded Ian with suspicious eyes, our gazes met.
"Is something the matter?"
"Ah, no, no. Nothing at all. Hahaha!"
Embarrassed, I quickly approached the bookshelf Ian had directed me to and began browsing the volumes. From worn covers that looked quite old to pristine spines that seemed freshly published. The designs varied greatly, but they all shared one thing in common—the titles perfectly reflected the bizarre atmosphere of each book. Hmm, there seemed to be something odd mixed in here... 'Well, a place this large would need to be.' With so many shelves, it would be impossible to organize every misplaced book. I pulled out a book that seemed appropriate and glanced sideways at Ian. He'd already taken out a cookbook from nearby and was reading through it carefully. 'I really can't figure him out.' There he was, reading "I Am a Mixed Vegetable Monster" with such a serious expression. Seeing Ian so focused, I decided not to disturb him further and opened the thick book cover myself. ...And not long after, I deeply regretted it. 'What... what did I just see?' I shelved the book with the exhausted expression of someone who had witnessed something they shouldn't have. The basic premise—utilizing monsters in cooking—aligned with my expectations, but the true purpose behind it was the problem. 'It was a cookbook for culinary eccentrics.' Not a guide for the impoverished who would starve to death if their harvests failed in those barren, desolate regions! The section describing in excruciating detail how to prepare Poleta left me so nauseated that I staggered backward from the shelf. And at that very moment, I noticed Ian returning "I Am a Mixed Monster" to its place with an equally dark expression.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Young Lady, are you...?"
Unable to bring myself to lie, I shook my head honestly.
"Ugh, I feel sick. I shouldn't have tried reading something like this."
"...So you hadn't developed a taste for such eccentric cuisine?"
"What? Not at all! I simply thought monster meat might help with the food shortage in the Blaire Grand Duchy!"
"Ah."
Ian finally seemed to understand. Had he really thought I was sampling monster meat according to my personal preferences this whole time? For a moment, I felt wronged by such a tremendous misunderstanding... but I couldn't entirely blame him for it. Come to think of it, I had never explained why I was searching for monster cookbooks in the first place.
"Either way, I've struck out. I've wasted time for nothing."
"Still, your intentions were good, weren't they?"
"...What?"
At his unexpected response, my eyes widened. I hadn't realized it before because he always spoke curtly and only said what he needed to... but could Ian actually say things like this? His sharp golden eyes seemed unusually vivid in my vision today.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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