Chapter 35
***
“Hmmmm~”
Ella was heading somewhere, humming a song and holding an arm full of books.
Tan said he had already read the book she gave him this morning and asked for another book.
There were a total of three books she was holding now, all of which were brought to him after careful selection.
And that’s only because of the reviews among readers who said they shed tears and snot while reading it and who said their love story made their hearts swell.
Of course, it wasn’t just romance novels.
She also included <History of the Empire in One Volume> to help build basic knowledge about the world.
The reason why Ella recommended and lent Tan books was simple.
Because he learned faster through books that gave him indirect experience than through explanations.
Without memory, he didn’t know the world, nor did he know his feelings.
For example, didn’t he understand everything that Rubeus said in an attempt to provoke him?
Yesterday, at Tan’s sudden request, Ella explained a basic knowledge about this world to the point that her neck was bleeding.
Yet he didn’t seem to understand most of them.
After explaining something, there was always a question that came back.
“Why? Why should it be like that?”
Ella now seemed to understand why the Miss was so neurotic about his ‘why’.
So she decided to show him the books.
Fortunately, it’s not like Tan doesn’t know how to read, so a clear book would be better than explaining things in words.
It wasn’t because she couldn’t be bothered to answer.
She was wondering if reading books written by authors who knew more than her would be helpful in understanding emotions and the world.
However, as soon as she lent it, he already read it in just a few hours.
As the person who recommended it, she couldn’t be more proud.
Ella clearly remembered what Tan had said the day before.
“So does everyone’s heart tingle when they see Sellonia?”
And even the red ripe ears. With her quick sense, there was no way she would have missed it.
“I’m sure!”
Ella’s confident eyes twinkled.
The reason he wanted to know something was probably because of the girl.
Ella didn’t intend to play the role of matchmaker, obviously. She just wants to help Tan.
Originally, the Miss was a sensitive and sharp-minded person who often got angry at people around her.
However, when she woke up again, she felt like a different person.
Ella liked the changed Miss. She didn’t even save herself from a wild dog attack the other day.
That day Ella decided that she would be loyal to the Miss.
She said the bad traitors had left and she was fine, yet she looked a little lethargic and monotonous.
But after meeting Tan, she started shouting loudly with great energy.
Ella liked Tan because she felt like the Miss had come back to life.
Although she had no idea why Sellonia was jumping up and down when she saw him.
“What are you guys doing here?”
When Ella arrived at the guest room where Tan was staying, she saw maids crouching like thieves with their ears pressed to the door and asked.
“
Gasp
! N-No!”
“Nothing!”
The two maids, startled by Ella’s sudden appearance, turned into rabbit eyes and ran away.
“What was that?”
Ella, who was staring in the direction they had run away with fierce eyes to remember their faces because their behavior seemed suspicious at first glance, eventually knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
A few seconds after hearing the clear sound, the closed door burst open.
“Did you bring it?”
“Yes! Here you go!”
Ella smiled brightly at Tan’s appearance, which was even more dazzling than yesterday, and handed him the books she had brought.
***
Tan read the three more books Ella brought him, and eventually closed the last book.
When he looked out the window, he saw that the day had already passed and night had come.
Books helped him understand the world more than any other explanation.
“Status, status, it says.”
He sat outside the window and tapped the window frame with his long fingers and muttered.
Now he understood why Sellonia told him not to speak informally to others.
This is because the world he lives in, the world he encounters while losing his memories, divides people into classes based on their status.
Tan recalled the detailed tutoring he had received from Ella earlier.
“Title? Where can I get that?”
“Just because you want it doesn’t mean you can get it.”
“Then how did others get it?”
“Well, it varies, such as being a contributor to the founding of the Empire, bringing great profits and prosperity to the Empire and being given a title by the Emperor, or continuing to inherit the family, etc.”
According to Ella’s explanation, not everyone can have it.
“So, you can’t just talk to Count Ford like that yesterday… I don’t know what it was like before because you don’t remember anything, but it seems like you don’t have a title now. Of course! It was really nice of you to step up for the Miss!”
Ella muttered as if she were troubled, but she eventually said all she had to say.
“Ha.”
Tan snorted as if it was the same.
So he shouldn’t treat those bastards carelessly because of the status system or something?
After he found out, he felt even more like a beggar.
She needs to say something that makes sense.
Regardless of status, they can just laugh at him or cut off his head if they don’t like him.
“How can I get that damn thing?”
It was unconvincing and dissatisfying, but funny enough, Tan asked Ella about the method.
Because it didn’t make sense for him to fall behind those guys.
“If you go to war and make a great contribution or leave behind an achievement such as subduing the Demon King like our Miss, you’re often given a title. But now there is no war and the Demon King is dead, so the only way to live is to pay money.”
“Money?”
“Yes. Sometimes, families that have gone bankrupt due to financial difficulties sell their titles for money. Of course, it’s only a facade, so it can’t exercise tremendous power, but it can still be possessed.”
It’s money.
Tan didn’t know much about money because he didn’t need anything or want to buy anything during his life. He never thought about wanting to have anything.
But he thought that if he could have such a ridiculous title, he needed that money.
So where does he get it?
He lowered his gaze to worry about money for the first time in his life.
Then his eyes caught the romance novel Ella had lent him.
In all of these novels, a man and a woman go through various obstacles and crises due to the huge gap in their status, but in the end, they realize that they’re each other’s true love and are happy.
What he felt after seeing it was,
‘What kind of love is that thing?’
What kind of love is this? One guy almost drowned because of love, one guy was stabbed with a sword on behalf of the woman, and one guy gave up eating and drinking because he missed the woman who left.
Tan couldn’t understand the feeling of love that they were blindly pursuing.
He couldn’t even understand what those crazy people were doing to the woman they loved.
Spending the night kissing her and holding her in his arms.
What’s so good about that?
What he sympathized with a little was that their feelings were similar to the feelings he felt toward Sellonia.
That was enough for Tan.
As long as others felt the same way he felt, that was okay.
Again, as long as it wasn’t just him alone, whatever it was, was fine.
Knock, knock
.
“Excuse me… Sir Guest. Are you inside?”
At that time, an unfamiliar voice was heard from beyond the door.
Tan’s face, which expected to see as Sellonia, suddenly distorted grimly.
He wonders how many times this has happened since yesterday.
Sellonia never comes into this room, yet other things keep snooping around.
“What.”
“Well, there’s something I want to tell you. If you don’t mind…”
Tan snapped his fingers with an annoyed expression on his face. Then the closed door burst open.
“
Gasp
! H-How did the door suddenly open…”
The surprised maid muttered, but she soon forgot all about her surprise when she saw his face revealed through the open door.
“I-I made this, so if you’re hungry, try it…”
The maid, her cheeks flushed, immediately lowered her head and held out the plate she was holding.
On a plate, held by the maid, were freshly baked, warm pancakes.
“Not needed. Get out.”
Tan turned his displeased face, for he had no interest in food other than Sellonia and eating with her.
“…Y-Yes. Well then, good night…”
“Hey, you.”
“P-Pardon? Do you need anything?”
Tan called out to the maid who was about to turn around with a sullen face.
The maid, her shoulders flinching, furtively looked at him. She again saw Tan sitting outside her window.
For a moment, the maid was mesmerized with her mouth wide open without realizing it.
How can someone look like that?
It was the image of a perfect handsome man that one had only seen in dreams and books.
The maid’s face turned as red as a blush as her heart pounded.
Tan, who wasn’t interested in that, opened his mouth.
“Do you have any money?”
***
“Uh, you couldn’t give it to him? So it’s the same?”
Another maid saw the pancakes that looked exactly like the ones she was carrying and said to her as she returned to the kitchen.
The maid who had just come out of the room walked over with a blank expression on her face, as if walking on a cloud, and leaned against the wall, holding the plate.
“What’s the matter? Did you get kicked out at the door too?”
“I had a conversation with the guest.”
“Kyaaah! Really? What kind of conversation? Did you see his face up close?”
The fellow maid stamped her foot and made a fuss.
“Tell me. What did you talk about? What did he say to you?”
“He asked if I had any money.”
“Money?”
“Yeah. If I have any money, and…”
“…”
A moment of silence enveloped the kitchen.
Eventually, the black silhouette that had been hiding behind the pillar and listening to the story left the kitchen.
“Ha, that stupid bastard. Alright then.”
A sly smile appeared on the lips of the wheezing silhouette.
It was Rubeus.
“So? Did you give it to him?”
“No. He just said nevermind.”
The maids squeaked like girls and started talking about Tan’s face again.