NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 37: Consultation with the Young Lady
Consultation with the Young Lady
After finishing today’s work, I was heading towards the young lady’s location.
The purpose was to discuss my situation at school, but to be honest, I had intended to handle it lightly until I witnessed the confession drama after school.
Afterwards, I had been planning to resolve it on my own, but if the son of the viscount, Yuto Braveheart, was involved, then it’s a different story.
When nobility gets involved, things never turn out well.
That’s why I decided to consult with the young lady as soon as possible.
Sakura and Lilith also agreed.
They suggested coming along with me, but since I am the one in the midst of this situation, I only took their feelings to heart.
“According to Sakura, she should be in the study…”
Retiring to the study after dinner, I suppose being a duke’s daughter must be busy.
If she seems tired, maybe I’ll offer to massage her shoulders or something. With such thoughts in mind, I arrived at the designated study.
I knocked on the door four times before calling out through the door.
“Young lady, it’s Isaya. There’s something I’d like to discuss. Is now a good time?”
“Yes, that’s fine. Please come in.”
“Excuse me.”
Having received permission, I entered the room.
True to its name, the study was filled with books covering every inch of the walls.
Overwhelmed by the vast number, it seemed more fitting to call it a library rather than a study.
“Hehe, were you surprised?”
The young lady, who is the master in question, was seated on a large sofa placed at the center, engrossed in reading a book.
With semi-long golden hair and deep crimson eyes, she exuded an elegant and mature presence that didn’t give away her younger age.
This beautiful young lady is none other than Elinarese Luna Scarlet, the daughter of the Duke.
Normally, we wouldn’t have any interaction like this, but she’s also the owner who purchased me as a slave for a significant sum of money.
The young lady directed a spirited smile towards me, who was overwhelmed by the interior of the study.
“Well, of course I’m surprised. I wouldn’t even want to think about how many decades it would take to read all these books.”
“I may share them, but I won’t force you. All these books here are part of my personal collection, so they aren’t particularly significant in terms of importance.”
“Your hobbies?”
“See, something like this.”
Saying that, she adjusted the book cover to be more visible.
As I got closer and took a better look…
⟪”Useless Thief Expelled from A-Rank Party Turns Out to Have Cheat Skill that Steals Enemy Stats ~ Please Leave Me Alone, as I Want to Live Freely with my Cute Junior ~”⟫
It had a title that felt almost like a summary, and the illustration prominently featured a beautiful girl character.
Um, so this means…
“—A light novel?”
“Yes. It’s the new release from yesterday. I’ve loved this series since it was serialized online.”
“Heh, really…”
My perplexed reaction seemed to be as expected, and the young lady continued with a chuckle.
“You were surprised that a duke’s daughter like me reads this kind of stuff, weren’t you?”
“Well, um..yeah.”
There was no point in trying to deceive her, so I confessed honestly.
Though I tend to forget due to our casual interactions, the young lady is the daughter of the duke’s family, a household of significant authority even in the otherworldly context.
For her to be an otaku, or someone with geeky hobbies, is quite unexpected.
“It might be surprising, but there are a lot of interesting works in light novels, so I understand the appeal.”
“Huh? Isaya, the once-poor Isaya, has read these too? Now that’s even more unexpected for me.”
“Back when I was in elementary school, to save on heating and cooling costs, I used to stay at the library until it closed. I read them to pass the time during those moments.”
“Your stories of poverty, every time I hear them, they start making me worried…”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need for Isaya to apologize; it’s your parents’ fault.”
“Hahaha…”
As the young lady blamed my parents for my current situation, I could only offer a dry laugh.
Trying to lighten the slightly heavy atmosphere, I shifted my gaze towards the numerous books lined up on the bookshelf.
“There’s really an incredible amount here… Do you take them to school and read them?”
“Well, I don’t go to school in the first place.”
“Huh!? But you’re supposed to be fourteen years old this year, right?”
“I received all the compulsory education from a private tutor three years ago. I obtained my high school graduation qualifications last year, and there’s plenty of time to study what’s necessary for nobles without even going to college. While fulfilling my duties as a noblewoman, I’ve been provided with an environment sufficient for reading light novels.”
“Our worlds are just so different that I can’t even say anything…”
I had sensed an intelligence beyond her age, but I never thought it would be to the extent of skipping grades.
Although possessing the aptitude fitting for a duke’s daughter, she had a broad perspective without becoming arrogant, making it all the more reason to respect her.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how fortunate I was.
Looking back at the bookshelf once more, I noticed works spanning various genres from fantasy to science fiction, romance, and romantic comedy.
It could be said that she had quite the collector’s spirit; it’s not easy to amass such a collection out of pure interest.
“By the way, there seem to be a lot of romance-themed works… Could it be that you admire such stories?”
“I’m a girl too, so I have a normal amount of interest. Well, in reality, things don’t work out that way, so it’s more like I’m venting through fiction.”
“Why? You’re quite a beauty, so you should be popular.”
“Thank you for the compliment. But being popular wouldn’t mean anything. Besides, I’m already engaged.”
“Oh, if you are engaged, then I guess there’s noth—wait, what?!?”
Almost letting slip an exclamation at the outrageous revelation, I realized belatedly and cried out in shock.
Startled by the sudden loud noise, the young lady covered her ears and directed a reproachful gaze at me.
“Quiet down. Don’t suddenly shout like that; you scared me.”
“S-Sorry! But, um, I didn’t think that you, uh, had an engagement, Miss… Isn’t it a bit early?”
“You, really… I’m a duke’s daughter, so obviously, I would have an engagement. At my age, not having one would be weird. Actually, I’d feel offended if someone thought I didn’t have one.”
Gazing at me with a disapproving glare as if blaming my ignorance, she spoke.
No, she’s absolutely right.
It’s my fault for assuming she wouldn’t have one.
Because the young lady doesn’t quite fit the mold of typical nobility, it had naturally led me to that kind of thought.
In a display of remorse, I sat down in seiza (a traditional Japanese sitting posture) and accepted her lecture.
“You, um, do you like your fiancé?”
“Quite the opposite. I’m trying to like him because he’s my fiancé.”
“Trying to develop feelings? So, was your engagement not based on mutual affection?”
“That’s right. He’s a human, the second son of another Duke’s family, and we’ve met a few times. He’s not a bad person, and we’re currently corresponding through letters while I’m on Earth.”
“I see…”
Despite discussing her fiancé so casually, there didn’t seem to be any trace of concern or shadow on the young lady’s expression.
Even if it’s a marriage with someone she doesn’t love, it’s likely a noble’s duty she must fulfill.
Honestly, even hearing it firsthand, I can’t really grasp the reality of it at all.
I don’t intend to meddle in the matter of the young lady’s engagement, but I do hope she finds happiness. I silently prayed that in my heart.
As I was pondering such thoughts, the young lady closed the light novel she had in her hand, and with her deep crimson eyes fixed on me, she spoke.
“So, you didn’t come here just for idle chitchat, did you? If you have something to discuss, go ahead and say it.”
“Ah, right.”
Between the young lady’s hobbies and her fiancé, I had nearly forgotten my purpose for being here.
Get a grip, me.
Regaining my composure, I started explaining what had happened at school.
===
If you like this novel, Please leave ratings and review in NovelUpdates.>>HERE
If you’d like to make a one-time donation to support our translations or subscribe to read up to 5 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi: