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Chapter 16
“Hmm? You just said kids only read—”
Baron quickly shook his head.
“It’s a fairy tale book, so of course kids read it. And I’m a kid.”
“?”
“Aren’t you going to read me a fairy tale and give me a goodnight kiss? And after I fall asleep, tuck me in and pat my head?”
Ah.
The sudden, shameless shift in attitude made perfect sense in an instant.
Ahh, this little one! He doesn’t care so much about the story—he just wants his sister to read it to him so gently!
It was so cute I almost burst out laughing, but I held it back so Baron wouldn’t feel embarrassed.
“Yeah. That’s right.”
Hearing my answer, Baron couldn’t hide the corners of his mouth from twitching as he looked through the bookshelves.
“Okay, let’s pick quickly. What kind of book do you like, sis?”
Baron pulled out a book and opened it.
“This one has a baby rabbit.”
The bookstore lady who had been watching us from the side smiled warmly.
“That one’s for four-year-olds. How old are you?”
“Seven.”
“Hmm, for kids your age, this is popular… Oh, you’re lucky, we still have it.”
She recommended three thin secondhand books.
“This one is the most popular—Northern Gate Picture Fairy Tales. This one is The Headless Magic Knight. And this one is The Princess Who Fell Into a Book.”
They had hardcover covers, but the pages inside were frayed at the edges.
“They’re so popular that they end up like this.”
After thinking it over, Baron and I chose Northern Gate Picture Fairy Tales.
Since this system refunded most of the cost if you returned it in good condition, we decided we should read it carefully and bring it back later.
As we left the bookstore, I suddenly thought it would be nice if I had something to read too.
“Ah, now that I think about it, there’s a public library nearby.”
I couldn’t borrow books directly due to identity verification issues, but with Baron, it should be fine.
“Baron, want to go to the public library? One book for you, one for me?”
Baron nodded without hesitation.
At the library, I chose a history book of the Empire. What I knew so far was only what I’d learned from novels, so I needed more information.
Baron, who had disappeared for a while, returned holding a noticeably thick book. But I couldn’t read the title.
Huh? A foreign book?
After leaving the library, I opened Baron’s book. It was filled with foreign writing and diagrams I couldn’t understand.
“Baron, you can read foreign languages?”
“Yeah.”
He answered so casually that I was surprised.
Do noble kids learn foreign languages that early?
I flipped through a few pages—dense, unfamiliar text filled every inch. Even more packed than the imperial history book I had chosen.
“You… you can read this?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“There’s so much writing. It looks like a professional reference.”
“So it looks smart?”
Baron shrugged and closed the book I had opened.
“So, what’s your book?”
“Uh…”
Baron’s eyes darted around briefly.
“Frogs.”
“Huh? Frogs?”
“Yeah, a book about how to catch frogs.”
“How to catch frogs?”
I stared at the thick hardcover in his hands.
A book like that… this thick… about frogs?
Seeing my reaction, Baron puffed his cheeks slightly.
“You don’t know this, but there are a lot of frogs in this world. If you want to catch different kinds, you need lots of information.”
“What are you even going to do with frogs?”
“Well, that’s a secret for now. Anyway, let’s go.”
I didn’t understand why he was so interested in frogs, but maybe Baron’s dream job was frog hunter.
Like saying you want to be a police car or a dinosaur when you grow up? Though… this book seems way too advanced for that.
But Baron was a noble by birth. Maybe he just wasn’t like normal kids.
＊ ＊ ＊
We stopped by a restaurant for lunch and headed home.
Both of us were carrying things, so I couldn’t carry Baron on my back this time.
Should I talk about frogs?
Tree frogs? Pond frogs? Maybe toads? Or those burrowing frogs?
Wait—do frogs like that even exist in this world?
While I was thinking, Baron spoke first.
“When are you buying clothes, sis?”
“Hmm?”
“Your clothes are really worn out too. If we hadn’t bought my pajamas and food today, we could’ve bought you at least one outfit.”
I shook my head. I only had two worn sets of clothes I’d found in the shack, but if I washed them properly, they were fine. Besides, I needed to wash Baron’s clothes today.
“Don’t worry about me. You’re the one who only has those clothes. At least get pajamas so you can wash the others.”
“I don’t need you worrying about my clothes. I’m clean.”
I glanced at him.
Even though he hadn’t changed clothes since the day we met, he still looked as neat as if he were wearing brand new clothes.
Maybe it was because he was a noble child and naturally well-mannered, but he somehow didn’t get dirty easily.
That made laundry easier, but having only one set of clothes was still inconvenient.
“Even so, there’s a limit after this much time. Even if you can’t see it, there are probably tons of germs. And if we didn’t buy food, you’d end up eating only snails and crabs again today.”
“I’m not starving.”
“Kids need a balanced diet to grow well.”
“I really am fine.”
“You’re not fine. Listen to your sister. I’ll make you a special meal today.”
At that moment, I saw a seagull cutting across the blue sky.
The scenery was so beautiful again. Just me and Baron on the peaceful walk home by the sea.
Feeling happy, I hummed a tune. My steps became lighter too.
“What song is that?”
“Oh, it’s a children’s song. Want to sing it with me?”
“I don’t know it.”
Of course he wouldn’t—this was from my original world.
“It’s easy. You’ll learn it fast. Listen carefully. It’s called Baby Goat.”
Baron widened his eyes as I sang.
After hearing it just once, he memorized it immediately. After humming along a few times with me, he suddenly began singing loudly with excitement.
We even hopped and spun around together.
Before long, both of us were laughing without holding back as we walked home.
With Baron smiling brightly against the blue sea backdrop, everything felt so adorable and precious—singing together again and again, enjoying the world freely.
I was truly happy.
After singing until we were satisfied, we finally neared home.
Next door was bustling with construction workers and equipment. Yesterday, it had only been an empty plot of land, but now the frame of a house was already built.
“Good afternoon. Baron, Hailey. You both seem to be in a great mood.”
Raven, who had been overseeing the construction site, greeted us warmly.
“Hello, Mr. Raven.”
Baron simply lifted a hand in greeting, his expression back to being as stoic as ever—as if he hadn’t just been laughing and singing moments ago.
Raven approached and looked at what we were carrying.
“Oh, you went shopping. And borrowed books too. Interested in imperial history?”
“Yes. I don’t know many things yet.”
Raven’s gaze shifted to the book in Baron’s hand.
“Do you know foreign languages, Mr. Raven?”
“As a merchant, it’s basic knowledge.”
“I heard Baron can read foreign languages too.”
“Ah, so he really is as clever as he looks. Let’s see what kind of book Baron brought.”
Raven’s expression changed slightly when he saw the title. Baron, however, showed no reaction.
“Do you know this frog book, too?”
“Frog… book?”
“Yeah, it’s about how to catch frogs. Sister didn’t believe me.”
Raven glanced at me. I only shrugged.
“I thought it didn’t fit frogs like tree frogs or pond frogs. I wasn’t sure it was really about frogs.”
“The title does say frogs.”
Without another word, Raven took the book and opened it. After flipping a few pages, he nodded.
“Yes, it is about frogs. But not harmless ones. These are creatures that appear near Gate zones… and here it says red frogs emit toxic mist, so you must prepare antidotes before attempting to capture them.”
My head went blank.
To—toxic frogs? They emit poison mist?
