Chapter 08
The Knowledge of the Akases Map
The knowledge he spoke of was completely new to me.
A map that accurately reflected magically twisted space—not just innovative but revolutionary.
I had thought such aspects couldn’t be shown on any map.
In my past life, I had seen maps before.
But those maps, while sometimes inaccurate, used simple, easy-to-understand, one-dimensional cartography.
I’d heard of newer map formats existing, but never had the chance to learn them. Clain’s library had nothing like that.
More than that, whenever I showed interest in maps, Clain was displeased.
“You Lufernes always waste effort on pointless things, causing unnecessary change.”
He would snatch the map from my hands, saying so.
“If you ever get interested in things I haven’t approved again, I’ll wipe out every trace of Luferne from you.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll make sure those sky-blue eyes, which resemble the duke’s even a little, will never shine again. I’ll carve that meaning on both sides of your face.”
He pointed to the long scar stretching from his left eyebrow down to his cheek. His left eye beneath it was always shut.
The thought sent chills down my spine, and I had to put the book down.
“Miss?”
Theon called me, breaking my reverie.
“…When was this developed?”
I suddenly asked, remembering from Clain’s memories.
“Two years ago. It was Lady Callista who ordered Luferne’s retainer Akases to develop it.”
Theon said this casually, as if it were common knowledge.
“My sister… did that.”
I sighed deeply inside.
Always wasting effort on pointless things and causing unnecessary change—that was obviously about Callista. She was Clain’s sworn enemy.
If she wanted to fight, fine, but why take it out on me?
“Theon, please teach me how to read this map.”
I reached out and tugged his sleeve. He raised one eyebrow and remained silent for a moment.
“…Sir?”
Theon looked steadily at me and said slowly but firmly,
“…No.”
Ah, I could have guessed.
I had hoped a little. After dealing with Callista yesterday, I thought my standing had improved just a tiny bit.
“But… if I learn on my own…”
“It would take about a month, even if you’re very smart.”
“That won’t do!”
I blurted out in earnest.
I was only free to move about the manor because neither my father nor Callista was here.
But time was short. Just one week left before Callista’s return—she would graduate from the royal academy as the youngest ever and return to her domain.
The thought made goosebumps run down my spine. I remembered vividly the murderous look in her eyes last time I saw her before this life.
I wanted to learn everything I could before then.
“Miss Luferen, whatever your intention, I must tell you…”
Theon looked down at me with a grim expression.
“…Learning has little meaning for you. Especially such advanced knowledge.”
His cold voice was clear. I blinked slowly. In Theon’s otherwise emotionless eyes, I caught a flicker of pity.
“But…”
“Read fairy tales instead. Like innocent children. That would be safer.”
I tried to protest more, but Theon was resolute.
Take care of your body, that was his message.
“Come down now. I won’t teach you to read the map. If you want to learn by yourself, I won’t stop you.”
“…Yes.”
I didn’t oppose him and quietly accepted. But I put the map book on a lower shelf so I could reach it whenever I wanted.
Fairy tales, huh? I’ll learn on my own.
In my past life, I hesitated and it all went wrong. The empire was burned, Theon died, I died—we all did.
Well, Theon was Callista’s man anyway. Becoming friends now won’t change anything.
I suspect Theon was the one who helped Callista hatch assassination plans in my past life.
“Shall I carry it inside?”
When we reached the stairs, Theon asked.
Carry? I felt like a precious cargo. I shook my head hard and went down the stairs on my own.
“If you don’t hold the railing and walk carefully… cough!”
He suddenly coughed again.
“Theon!”
“I’m fine… cough cough!”
I wanted to ignore it but this was worse than before. Leaning on the wall, he suddenly collapsed into spasms on the stairs.
“Cough, cough!”
Oh no… what do I do?
He looked miserable trying to hold back the cough. Then I recalled this was the same stair where I almost fell through earlier.
Theon had pulled me out like pulling a radish.
I sighed inwardly.
Yeah, even if he was a bit cold sometimes, he saved me once. And he helped with the Callista problem.
I should help him now.
Since we wouldn’t be close anyway, I might as well repay this debt.
He’d still be the one plotting to assassinate me, but not helping him wouldn’t change that. I avoided him in my past life too.
I opened the sky-blue water bottle I had and held it to Theon’s lips.
“Drink this and wait a moment.”
“Miss Luferen…? Where are you going… cough!”
I handed him the bottle and headed toward the second-floor corridor. Theon tried to call after me but collapsed again.
In less than three minutes, I returned with a book. Since it was for children, it was on a lower shelf.
Why keep children’s books when children aren’t even allowed in?
“Theon.”
He looked up at me tiredly. After drinking from the water bottle, his coughing had lessened slightly.
“What is it?”
“Read this book to me!”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
“It’s a fairy tale, like Theon said!”
The book in my hand was a story explaining the traditions of a southern region of the continent in simple terms.
It was written in the rare Karnai language, but I had seen it when I visited that region in my previous life.
It was about the poison herb Theon accidentally ate as a child—the “Yellow-green Herb” that made him cough for life and lose sleep.
Most of the continent called it the Devil’s Flower, and it was forbidden to touch.
But the Karnai people in the southernmost part of the continent were different.
They didn’t fear the herb but welcomed it.
“Here you go.”
I smiled childishly and waved the book before Theon. His eyes widened in disbelief at the title:
“Yum Yum Yellow-Green Herb, Cooked Deliciously”
The cover showed a young girl cheerfully gathering the yellow-green herb in a basket.
He flipped it over hastily, checking the publication date and language.
“…Though the title is in the imperial language, the contents seem to be in Karnai or Etania.”
He muttered to himself.
“It’s an old book published decades ago… How did it get into the library corner…?”
“Please hurry and read it.”
Instead of opening it, Theon stared at me in disbelief.
“I don’t understand Karnai, miss.”
Ah, frustrating.
“It’s a picture book.”
Did he grow up so precocious that he never looked at picture books? Children usually look at pictures and adults tell the stories.
At last, Theon opened the book. It was mostly pictures with little text.
That’s why I picked it.
“…The child is picking the yellow-green herb. It looks like it’s edible.”
Wow, his voice reading a picture book was so stiff! I frowned but Theon didn’t notice.
Turning the page showed a picture of the child and her mother. The child held a nasty-looking dark red root of the herb.
“When they brought it home, the mother cleaned it and put it in a pot to steam it. When the child tried to throw away the root…”
Theon’s eyes widened as he turned another page.
“The mother scolded her. Judging from the picture, it seems as if the child did something dangerous. The mother is pretending to cough.”
“Wow, if you throw away the root, you cough.”
I bluntly explained, worried about missing clues. Theon frowned and turned the page.
“They add spices and cook it with the root, and the whole family eats their fill… That’s the end.”
“No one coughed?”
“No. So…”
He closed the book with trembling hands and looked at me.
“That means the root of the yellow-green herb has an antidote effect to block side effects.”
I saw the relief in Theon’s expression and sighed in my heart.
Thank goodness. He understood.
