IRGS 31

Chapter 31

Getting better at something you used to be bad at isn’t a problem. Neither is suddenly knowing things you didn’t know before.

But what if you were originally known for being excellent at something, and then one day—without any reason at all—your skills suddenly plummeted?

That would be a problem.

Before I regressed, Leoni and I had been evenly matched in most areas. Still, there were a few fields where I could confidently say I was better than her.

Foreign languages were one of them.

The Kruiden Empire was broadly divided into Central, North Kruiden, and West Kruiden. North Kruiden was shortened to “Noiden,” and West Kruiden to “Werden.”

Although Noiden and Werden were grouped together under the name “Kruiden,” they were practically vassal states, each with its own language and political system. Around this point in time, I had been fluent in both Noidenian and Werdenian.

I was sixteen then. A grand celebration banquet had been held for the Emperor’s fortieth birthday. The Imperial Family prepared a musical performance before the banquet for foreign dignitaries.

The person who supervised that performance was none other than my youngest sister, Elouise.

At the time, Elouise was only twelve years old. Yet no one questioned the Imperial Family’s decision—that alone showed how remarkable she truly was.

The problem was that the crown prince of the Kingdom of Noiden would also be attending.

The royal couple, who had struggled to have children for many years, treasured their late-born son dearly. The little crown prince was only six years old, while the concert lasted nearly two hours. The Imperial Family panicked at the thought of a child enduring something so long and boring.

And the solution they came up with was to have me accompany him under the pretense of being his playmate.

There were several reasons for it. First, I was Elouise’s older sister. Second, I was around the same age range. Third, my mother had been the First Imperial Princess, which meant I was technically part of the Imperial Family as well.

But most importantly, I could speak Noidenian fluently.

My role was to sit beside the crown prince throughout the concert and explain the performance to him in Noidenian.

The little prince had been shy. Perhaps the veil covering his face made him seem even more so. Apparently, it was a tradition in the Noiden royal family that princes and princesses were not allowed to show their faces to anyone outside their family until their eighth birthday.

Even at that age, the crown prince possessed sharp intelligence and an excellent ear for music.

“That one looked the same as before, but the sound is different.”

“Oh my, you can tell the difference? That’s amazing. Earlier, it was a clarinet, and now it’s an oboe. See how this instrument is held a little higher?”

“I think so.”

“They also look slightly different. The clarinet’s mouthpiece looks like a bird’s beak, while the oboe’s is more like a thin bird tail.”

“Umm… I can’t really tell from here.”

“Then later, let’s go backstage together. I’ll show you up close.”

The King and Queen of Noiden had been extremely pleased. During the reception afterward, they openly praised me.

“My son usually only likes watching martial arts demonstrations. He’s never the type to sit quietly through a concert. This is truly impressive.”

“Indeed. He normally doesn’t even speak to strangers. And Lady Bartoli’s Noidenian is remarkable. I could hear it clearly myself. Come now, son, you should greet her.”

The little crown prince had hidden behind the queen and only peeked his head out to greet me.

I remembered the veil fluttering slightly then, revealing a glimpse of his large eyes.

He had been truly adorable.

Unfortunately, the royal couple who cherished that adorable prince never lived to see him again.

The very next year, both of them died in a mysterious accident.

The seven-year-old crown prince disappeared, only to later be found dead.

The throne of Noiden then passed to the prince’s cousin—the youngest king in Noiden’s history, and the man widely suspected of orchestrating the deaths of the former king and queen.

Even within the Empire, people had argued over whether they should send congratulations for his coronation.

Anyway, the important point here is this:

Back then, I had been extremely fluent in foreign languages.

But languages naturally deteriorate if you stop using them. Since I never became Empress, I had no reason to use foreign languages anymore. By the time I died, I had forgotten almost all of them.

Which meant that the current twenty-one-year-old Bartoli—who was supposed to speak Noidenian and Werdenian fluently—was now barely capable of babbling a few words.

Soon, there would be a birthday banquet for Her Majesty the Empress. I would meet numerous dignitaries and officials there.

And if, by some terrible chance, I ended up needing to speak a foreign language?

That would be a complete disaster.

So before then, I needed to recover my language skills as quickly as possible.

But hiring a tutor could let rumors leak out. Especially to Leoni.

That absolutely could not happen.

So I decided to cram by studying from books.

And that was why I had somewhere I needed to visit.

“I’d like to stop by ‘Kennis.’”

Kennis—the guardian god of intellectual seekers, the deity of knowledge and learning.

Of course, I wasn’t talking about visiting the god himself.

I meant the bookstore named after him.

“You mean the Empire’s largest bookstore.”

“Yes, exactly.”

Honestly, I’d wanted to visit for a long time already, so this was a perfect excuse.

Kennis’s husband was Gudrud, the god of perseverance and endurance. The story of how he pursued Kennis for thousands of years before finally receiving permission to marry her was famous. And despite that, the couple was known for their excellent relationship—they supposedly had thirty-three children together.

Interestingly enough, thirty of them had been born by the husband.

Naturally, there were bookstores in the shopping district along the capital’s main street as well. But those were more like retail shops focused on popular books.

Kennis, on the other hand, was more like a wholesaler supplying books to the capital.

Owen nodded.

“If it’s Kennis, then they should have every book imaginable. What books are you planning to buy?”

Since there was no point hiding it, honesty seemed best.

I answered as casually as possible.

“I’m planning to buy books on Noidenian and Werdenian. They’re hard to find in the capital.”

“But aren’t you already fluent in both languages? You even personally guided the Noiden royal family during the concert.”

I shrugged.

“Of course, but if you don’t keep reviewing, you forget things.”

Apparently satisfied, Owen listened seriously.

“You’re quite diligent. I’ll remember that.”

I had been too focused on not seeming suspicious to notice that Owen’s words implied he had attended that concert.

“‘Mastering Noidenian: From Beginner to Advanced.’ ‘The Culture and History of the Kingdom of Werden.’ ‘One Hundred Practical Werdenian Expressions.’”

Arne carefully read each title aloud in the middle of the bookstore.

Those were the books I had chosen.

I clapped excitedly.

“Arne, you can read difficult words so well! You’re really smart.”

“It’s nothing special.”

Judging by his manners and education, he must have received high-level tutoring where he used to live. Knowing this many words at his age was impressive.

“What kind of books do you want to read, Arne?”

“Hmm… I want to read history books. About the history of the Kruiden Empire.”

An unexpected choice.

But instead of commenting on it, I simply added the books to the pile.

Which meant placing them onto Owen’s arms.

“Mother, then I’ll look around by myself for a while.”

Huh?

Leaving those words behind, Arne slipped through the crowd like the wind. The edge of the cloak draped over him fluttered behind.

“Ah, Arne…?”

“Don’t worry about me!”

The direction he headed toward was lined with shelves containing children’s picture books and foreign publications.

Would it really be okay to leave him alone?

…Well, perhaps Arne needed some time to himself too. Being together constantly might count as overprotective. He wasn’t a very young child anymore, and he was unusually mature for his age.

I kept track of his location with my eyes.

The bookstore Kennis was truly magnificent.

At the entrance stood a statue of the god Kennis, and engraved beneath it were the words:

[Homage to those who seek truth.]

The bookstore looked as enormous as the Pantheon in the capital, and merely seeing it from outside filled me with anticipation.

The interior did not disappoint.

The ceiling stretched all the way up to the third floor. Bookshelves covered the walls from top to bottom, lined with what looked like tens of thousands of books. Clerks climbed ladders to retrieve books for customers.

When I inhaled, the scent of paper filled my lungs completely.

The sound of pages turning. The creak of ladders descending.

Something swelled within me emotionally.

Surely even the god Kennis would love all of this.

Before I knew it, Owen quietly approached and stood beside me. Both of us wore gray cloaks to conceal our identities.

“I didn’t realize you liked books so much.”

“Of course I do. Though, well, sometimes I had to read books I didn’t particularly enjoy.”

Namely, books for Empress training.

Owen gave a small nod.

“The duchy also has an excellent archive. Our ancestors have collected books since before the Empire’s unification, so the scale is considerable.”

“Really?!”

“If you’d like, you should come see it after we return. I’d forgotten, but I originally planned to place a tea table inside.”

Good heavens.

Tea time in a library while reading books?

“The tea table… is it white?”

“Yes. White and round.”

My heart was already pounding.

Trying to sound casual, I tossed out another question.

“And perhaps you were planning to put a carpet on the floor too?”

Owen answered seriously.

“Of course.”

“In warm colors?”

“Yes. Warm and dark colors.”

I couldn’t help letting out a soft laugh.