DFBE 30

Chapter 30

Lucy headed into the city early in the morning.

After getting down from the carriage, she looked around the shopping district.

Soon, she found a signboard with a map of the area.

There were five bookstores in total.

One of them might have a special book.

Could she really check them all in a single day?

The thought felt overwhelming, but since she had already come all the way out here, she vowed to make the trip worthwhile.

Realizing she needed to conserve her stamina, she headed to the first bookstore.

It was the same bookstore she had once visited with Bartholomew.

The clerk recognized Lucy immediately.

After all, she was the customer who had bought dozens of short story collections.

“Welcome.”

The clerk greeted Lucy warmly at the appearance of such a big spender.

“Are you looking for a particular book?”

Lucy said she would browse on her own and wandered around the store alone.

The Bookworm skill.

The Collector stat.

Lucy had hoped the combination of those two would somehow grant her the ability to identify certain books.

But no matter how much she searched the shelves, nothing stood out.

At least I can read book titles better than before.

As a test, Lucy pulled out a book.

It was fairly thick.

Flipping through the pages, she saw the letters blur and sharpen repeatedly.

If I concentrate, I can read it.

That meant the level of books she could understand had increased, which would likely help raise her Intelligence stat as well.

Still, this wasn’t what Lucy had wanted.

What she was searching for was a special book.

After striking out at the first bookstore, Lucy moved on to the second.

The result there was the same.

Feeling hungry, Lucy ate alone at a restaurant.

Her guard knight stood some distance away, watching over her, but that didn’t change the fact that she was eating by herself.

Maybe I should’ve come with Bartholomew.

After spending so much time with him lately, his absence now felt strangely awkward.

Of course, even if Bartholomew had been there, they probably wouldn’t have chatted noisily while eating.

Usually Lucy did the talking while Bartholomew listened.

Still, without anyone to talk to, she felt bored.

What is Bartholomew doing right now?

Yesterday and today, Bartholomew hadn’t visited the annex.

He was the kind of person who acted like thorns would grow in his mouth if he went even a single day without petting Cerberus.

Could his condition have worsened?

Lucy worried about him.

Over the past few days, Bartholomew’s complexion had improved considerably.

So perhaps it was true that his illness wasn’t fatal.

But Lucy couldn’t forget the sight of Bartholomew during one of his attacks.

Bartholomew coughing violently and vomiting bright red blood as though he were dying.

Maybe he had another attack.

And without medicine, would he really be okay?

Lucy knew Bartholomew would no longer take the emergency medicine after she had told him it was a dangerous drug.

To begin with, why did Bartholomew burn the herbs?

Lucy recalled the first time they had spoken.

Bartholomew had been burning medicine prescribed by the temple in a lantern flame.

Considering his condition, he should have been taking medicine regularly.

And yet he refused to take it.

Despite receiving treatment in the temple’s special care chamber.

Anyway, if he had an attack without even the emergency medicine, it must’ve been terrible.

How would he endure that?

Once her Intelligence stat rose a little more, Lucy decided she would send Cecile a letter.

She would add a request asking her to take good care of Bartholomew at the temple.

Having finished her thoughts, Lucy hurriedly finished her meal and stood up.

It was time to continue exploring bookstores.

But to Lucy’s disappointment, the third and fourth bookstores were also failures.

Now only one bookstore remained.

What if I still find nothing here?

A sudden ominous thought crossed her mind.

What if the ability doesn’t actually let me identify special books?

What if, instead of giving her a detection ability, she had to find them herself?

If that were the case, then maybe her whole approach had been wrong.

Everything she’d done so far might have been pointless.

I’ll check the last bookstore, and if there’s still nothing, I’ll come back tomorrow.

If she still found nothing this time, Lucy planned to spend an entire day in a single bookstore searching for clues about special books.

The final bookstore looked noticeably shabby.

It sat tucked away in a corner, its walls covered in vines.

Lucy pushed open the old door and entered.

Creeeak.

“Welcome.”

A clerk who had been reading a book stood up from his seat.

“Are you looking for a particular book?”

Lucy was about to answer as she had before—that she would browse alone—but stopped herself.

I’ve struck out everywhere so far.

Maybe this time she should ask someone who worked there for help.

Thinking that, Lucy parted her lips.

“By any chance…”

Her voice lowered as though sharing a secret.

“Do you have any special books here? Ones that are difficult to find in other bookstores?”

The clerk’s eyebrows shot up.

“Special books?”

Lucy nodded eagerly.

“Something rare, maybe. Or books that only a few copies exist of in the Empire.”

The clerk’s expression turned strange.

Unbothered, Lucy waited seriously for his answer.

After looking Lucy up and down, the clerk finally spoke with an uncertain face.

“I’m not sure if it’s the kind of book you’re looking for, but… come this way first.”

Lucy’s eyes widened.

There really is something!

Excited, she followed after the clerk.

He led her to the most secluded bookshelf in the store.

Even in broad daylight it was so dark that lanterns had been lit nearby.

The shelf practically radiated a mysterious atmosphere.

“Here it is.”

After speaking in a solemn voice, the clerk stared at Lucy for a moment before suddenly coming to his senses and stepping aside.

Lucy calmed her pounding heart and scanned the books on the shelf.

For some reason, she felt certain she might finally find something this time.

I can’t read a single title.

Making a troubled face, Lucy chose a book.

It was the thinnest one she could find.

But even standing on tiptoe, she couldn’t quite reach it.

Just as Lucy bit her lip and stretched her hand with all her might toward the barely reachable book—

An arm suddenly reached past her and pulled the book out instead.

“Ah, thank you—”

Lucy turned around and fell speechless.

The man who had retrieved the book for her was strikingly handsome.

Silver hair reminiscent of moonlight.

Amethyst-colored eyes.

A smile resting perfectly at the corners of his lips.

Why does he feel so familiar?

There was something strangely familiar about him.

The man didn’t seem bothered by Lucy staring blankly at him.

He simply handed her the book he had taken down.

Only then did Lucy close her slightly parted lips and accept the book.

For a moment, she worried her Aesthetician skill might make her blurt out embarrassing nonsense, but surprisingly, it remained quiet.

“You certainly have unusual tastes.”

“Huh?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen a female customer at this bookshelf.”

Lucy didn’t understand what he meant at first.

Then she frowned.

Does he mean these books are too difficult for women to read?

Feeling insulted, Lucy glared at him.

“What does gender have to do with reading books?”

Lucy looked him up and down.

He looked every bit like a nobleman.

Even beneath the robe, his clothing was clearly made of expensive material.

What a waste of a handsome face.

To think someone who looked like that could be so full of prejudice.

Yet instead of being offended by Lucy’s sharp stare, the man’s smile deepened.

“That’s not what I meant. Everyone has different tastes in books. I spoke carelessly.”

“I’m glad you realize that.”

Lucy said that and deliberately opened the book right in front of him.

Then her eyes widened, and she immediately snapped the book shut.

Lucy’s face gradually turned red.

Because on the page she had opened, there was an extremely scandalous illustration.

No way.

Is this an adult book?

Only then did Lucy understand the clerk’s reaction.

The clerk had led her to the section filled with adult books, claiming they were rare books.

Slowly, Lucy lifted her gaze.

The man was still watching her with that same smile.

And somehow, it looked like he was teasing her.

What excuse could Lucy possibly make now?

That she couldn’t read the titles and didn’t realize what kind of books they were?

Instead, Lucy decided to act even more confidently.

“Yeah! Women can read books like this too! Things like this—these are… these are something everyone likes!”