The Person Who Doesn't Find Me Disgusting #9
I settled Leni onto the bed and read to her from a book.
At first she had recoiled every time, but now that she had grown used to it, she sat quietly and listened well.
She did, however, flatly refuse to be held from behind while I read to her, as I had done a few days earlier.
In truth, Emil had no such intentions anyway. Pidea would surely mock him for it, but at least he still possessed a conscience.
“……Do you really not smell anything?”
“Pardon?”
The question came so suddenly that it took him a moment to grasp its meaning.
It was about the curse.
“The smell. Everyone who stays near me for even a little while ends up retching… because of my stench. Yet you act as if nothing is wrong.”
He pondered for a second what to say.
Well, there was no reason to hide it.
“It’s not that I cannot smell, my lady, but I have never once detected any foul odor from you. On the contrary, you carry a sweet fragrance.”
“You’re lying again……”
Leni’s face remained blank, but the corners of her eyes narrowed slightly.
He simply gave a small shrug.
“I cannot force you to believe me, but it is the truth. From the very first time I saw you.”
“……”
Leni stayed silent.
Since he had finished the previous book, he picked up the one lying beside her and opened it.
The faded cover suggested it was quite old.
Leni never hid the books she read, so she had likely gone through nearly every volume stored in Iredain Castle at least once.
“Oh……”
This particular book looked familiar.
Before arriving in Iredain, Emil had done copying work—transcribing books was one of the essential duties of priests who could read—and this title had been among those he had copied.
“……What is it?”
“Nothing. I simply recognize this book. Dialogues on Ontological Truth. It is one I copied myself. Judging by how faded it is, this may even be close to the original……”
At those words Leni looked at him with faint surprise. Why the reaction?
“Can you read the Ancient Imperial Language?”
“Ah… yes.”
Of course he could.
When he looked at the cover again, he confirmed the title was written in the characters of the ancient empire.
You and I are connected by heart, so you can use the language I know. Pidea had told him that once.
Just as she said, Emil could read and write not only the tongue of Rosdea but also the language of Ildengard in the north, the speech of those beyond the straits, and even the tongue of the barbarians past the mountains. He was perfectly fluent in the Ancient Imperial Language—the scholarly refinement of high-ranking priests.
It was the only real talent he had gained in this world, so Emil had made his living through copying and translation work.
Until he realized it was far easier to spread noblewomen’s legs and fill his own pockets.
“You can truly read it?”
Leni sounded skeptical.
It was only natural. The Ancient Imperial Language had nearly died out in the modern age; today it was used by almost no one except scholars studying old texts or high-ranking priests devoted to the holy scriptures.
“Yes, I can. Let me see… this passage says the following……”
It goes without saying that it is difficult to reach any clear conclusion regarding the classical theory that defines the root of humanity’s essential evil as the demon. The reason the Order maintains such a mysterious silence on this subject is equally self-evident. Before one can identify the root of evil, the essential nature of evil itself must first be—
“You really… can read it.”
Leni stared at him with her usual expressionless face, yet her voice carried a trace of bewilderment.
“It is nothing remarkable. A trivial skill. Still, who knows, my lady? I might simply be reciting whatever sounds plausible.”
“That’s not true. I can read the Ancient Imperial Language to a certain degree myself… but I have never seen anyone read it so fluently. This is truly the first time.”
This girl could read the Ancient Imperial Language?
Emil found that fact far more surprising.
What sort of tutor could an illegitimate princess possibly have had to learn such a dead tongue?
Even across all of Iredain—indeed, throughout the entire kingdom of Rosdea—those capable of reading the Ancient Imperial Language could be counted on one hand.
“My lady, that is……”
He wanted to ask her about it, but at that moment a knock sounded at the door.
“Excuse me, my lady? Priest Emil? May I enter?”
“……You may. What is it?”
When the door opened, a maid stood hesitantly in the doorway.
She spoke with obvious reluctance.
“Lady Daisy has arrived.”
Daisy?
Before the maid could even finish, Daisy came dashing forward, shoving the servant aside as she burst into the room.
“Priest!”
“Lady Daisy… what brings you here?”
Startled, he asked the question, and Daisy answered with a pout, her tone almost accusatory.
“How mean! Priest! You shouldn’t ask what brings me here—you should say ‘welcome’ right away! I’m hurt.”
“Ah… forgive me, my lady. Please, come in.”
When Emil apologized, Daisy broke into a bright grin.
“All right. I’ll forgive you!”
It was her usual radiant smile.
A quick glance at Leni showed she was already reading again, seemingly indifferent to Daisy’s arrival. Naturally, the book was not in the Ancient Imperial Language.
“Yes, but what truly brings you here?”
From the maids, Emil had heard that Daisy had repeatedly pestered Alon Ricgard to assign Emil as her personal priest. When he refused, she had grown furious and locked herself in her room.
“Obviously I came to see you, Priest.”
“I see… Have you made peace with the lord?”
Daisy thrust her lower lip out in a pout.
“Don’t even mention Father. I’m still angry. How could he assign you to something like this!”
Something like this.
As she spoke, Daisy gave a small gag.
It was clearly because of the stench emanating from Leni.
Emil checked Leni’s expression, but she continued reading without the slightest reaction.
Even so, a warning seemed necessary.
“My lady, please mind your words. Lady Leni is listening.”
“What? But it’s true. Honestly, even Father would admit he couldn’t stand being in a place like this all day. Yet he assigned you to this sort of—”
“Lady Daisy.”
Emil cut her off firmly.
“It is indeed regrettable that I could not become your personal priest. Nevertheless, I am currently Lady Leni’s priest. It is not appropriate to speak so carelessly.”
“Yes, I understand……”
Though Daisy continued to pout, she accepted his rebuke.
She lacked consideration, but she was not a wicked child by nature. From her perspective, there was naturally no reason to feel any affection for an illegitimate girl like Leni.
“Priest, anyway, come play with me. I haven’t eaten anything for days, so I’m starving……”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because Father wouldn’t listen to me! And he doesn’t care about me at all… I’m truly disappointed. So I gave up. If I stayed shut in my room, I wouldn’t be able to see you.”
“You did the right thing.”
He stroked her hair gently.
She let out a pleased sound and shook her head from side to side.
“Hehe……”
Her hair became tangled in the process, so he used his fingers like a comb to smooth it down.
“In that case, you should eat before we play. I will have a meal brought.”
“Then come to my room. Let’s eat there.”
Her room? A glance at the sky told him noon had not yet passed.
“It is still the time I must remain with Lady Leni. Go ahead and eat first.”
“What? That’s not fair. Then I’ll just stay here with you.”
“Rather than that, perhaps it would be better to eat here……”
He stopped mid-sentence as realization struck him. Daisy had mentioned the stench. To him it was only a sweet scent, but……
Eating here would be impossible.
In fact, the fact that Daisy—who had so little patience—had not once complained about the odor already showed considerable restraint for his sake.
“Enough. Go.”
Leni spoke then.
Both Daisy and Emil turned to her in surprise.
It was rare for Leni to speak first—except to complain.
“You came all the way here just to see the priest. It smells in here, so you won’t be able to eat. Priest, go with her, have your meal, and return.”
Leni muttered as though the whole matter annoyed her.
Daisy, perhaps for the first time, looked at Leni and offered a small smile before tugging at Emil.
“See? Let’s go quickly, Priest!”
“Ah, yes. I will stop by the kitchen and ask the maids to prepare something.”
As he turned to leave, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Wait. What had she called him just now?
She has always called me “you” until now……
When he glanced back at Leni, she had lowered her head.
Really now… Emil called out to her.
“Lady Leni.”
“……What.”
“Thank you.”
When Emil smiled at her, Leni lifted her head for the briefest moment, gave him a quick glance, then lowered her gaze once more.
The book in her hands remained closed.