Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Pheromone Stones
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"Are you giving this to us?"
"Yup."
"We'll enjoy it, my lady."
Mesis happily took the snack.
Paymon, who had been seriously contemplating whether to accept, saw him and quickly took the crackers as well.
As Mesis tossed the cracker into his mouth in one bite, piercings glinted through his hair.
I decided to ask something I'd been curious about.
"Mesis."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you have so many of those?"
I asked, pointing to his ear, and Mesis replied as if it were nothing.
"Oh, these. They're pheromone stones."
"Pheromone stones?"
So such things exist.
I had never heard of them before.
Seeing my clueless expression, Mesis seemed to ponder how to explain before he spoke.
"They have various uses, but they're mainly used as control devices."
"Control devices?"
"They're mostly used by Su-in who have difficulty controlling their pheromones."
It seemed some couldn't control their pheromones on their own. I grew curious about this new fact I'd just learned today.
"So, you can't control your pheromones, Mesis?"
"That's not it."
"Then?"
Mesis quietly shut his mouth.
When I looked at him quizzically, his deep purple eyes subtly avoided my gaze.
Huh? What is it? What are they for?
The most frustrating thing in the world was someone stopping mid-sentence.
I grabbed his arm and shook it, urging him to answer quickly, and Mesis flinched.
Paymon, who was watching from the side, chuckled and said.
"Why'd you dig your own grave?"
"What is it? Do you know, Paymon?"
"He uses them to maximize his pheromones."
Maximize them? But wouldn't that make them uncontrollable?
With so many stones, it seemed like it would be overwhelming.
"If you look, they're mostly shades of purple, right?"
I looked at the piercings on Mesis's ear.
Every single one was a deep purple. Just like the color of his eyes.
Paymon whispered with a fed-up look on his face.
"The closer the stones are to purple, the higher their purity and power."
"And?"
"Normally, if someone wears that many, you'd think it's for control, not for the insane purpose of making their pheromones explode."
In other words, it was a crazy thing to do.
Mesis said, his voice tinged with indignation.
"I don't use them all the time. It's a method I only use sometimes, when there are a lot of enemies."
"That's right. And if it seems dangerous, he can use them to control his pheromones again. He insists it's not a completely insane act, so we'll go with that."
Paymon smiled sweetly. The nuance was that he didn't agree at all.
I looked at Mesis, feeling worried.
"I don't like it when you do dangerous things, Mesis."
"Ah."
"It's dangerous."
No matter how I thought about it, it was an incredibly risky method.
When I scowled with all my might and spoke firmly, Mesis, whose lips had been twitching, nodded his head.
"I won't do it."
"Is that a promise?"
"Yes."
"Okay then!"
I beamed at his ready agreement. It seemed about time to go back, and as I packed my bag, I heard Rosaria calling for me.
"Lady Aileen!"
"Wosaria?"
"It's time for your lesson now. Please give me your bag."
"Okay!"
I put everything I'd brought into the bag and slipped on the sandals I'd taken off.
I can't be late for my lesson, so I have to hurry!
I took Rosaria's hand and paused for a moment before heading back to my room.
"Bye-bye! Aileen's going now."
After saying goodbye to the two of them, I looked forward again.
Rosaria, who had stopped to wait with me, smiled warmly and asked.
"Did you have fun playing together?"
"Yup."
Rosaria glanced sideways at the indented patch of grass.
"As long as you had fun, Lady Aileen, that's all that matters."
Watching Aileen's retreating back, the two guards who had been waving side-by-side stood up with disappointed expressions.
"I was wondering why Rosaria wasn't coming back. Turns out she was hogging the young lady all to herself here."
"Right."
Mesis nodded in agreement. He looked at the spot where Aileen had been sitting just moments before.
Her fluffy pheromones lingered here and there in the garden.
Paymon's lips curled into a smile as he murmured.
"I would have really regretted it if I hadn't come."
On my way back to the room with Rosaria, I ran into Kasana, who was waiting at the door.
"Kasa!"
When I greeted her happily, Kasana turned her gaze and gave a silent nod.
Why is she so early today? There should still be some time before the lesson starts.
I knew this because whenever I was in the garden, Rosaria always came to get me with plenty of time to spare.
"Kasa, why are you here so early today?"
As I stepped inside and asked, Kasana gave a faint smile.
"I will tell you about that after the lesson is over."
"Okay. Then Aileen will go wash her hands real quick!"
I quickly went into the bathroom and climbed onto the small stool in front of the sink.
After washing my hands with soap and coming out, Rosaria dried them for me with a towel.
"All clean!"
"Very good. Now, shall we get ready for your lesson?"
"Okay!"
I sat across from Kasana.
Kasana was sitting upright, already checking my homework.
"You've done well again today, Lady Aileen. I shall give you a sticker."
"Wow!"
Kasana opened a transparent box.
Inside were square-cut stickers.
I quickly took the caterpillar sticker and pulled out the grape paper I had carefully stored in my treasure box.
It was almost half full now, so if I worked just a little harder, I could get a present.
"You've collected quite a lot. You will be able to receive your present soon."
"Yup. Aileen likes presents."
I didn't know what kind of present it would be, but any present was a good one.
I proudly checked the paper a few times before putting it back in the box.
"Do you remember all the words you have learned so far?"
"Of course! Aileen is smart, so I know them all."
"Then this is a personal gift from me."
"A present?"
But I haven't even collected all the praise stickers yet?
My eyes sparkled. A wrapped gift appeared from under the table, as if it had been hidden there all along.
"Can I open it now?"
"You may."
With an excited heart, I unwrapped the gift.
Inside was a picture book I'd never seen before.
"Baby... Sprout?"
"That is correct."
"This is what we learned this time!"
I turned to the first page. I could read the first line easily, without any trouble.
It seemed the words she had taught me so far were taken from this book.
I pictured Kasana, who must have put a lot of thought into choosing this picture book.
A warm feeling made me smile automatically.
"Thank you, Kasa. Aileen thinks this will be fun!"
"I am glad to hear that. Then let us move on to the next words."
Kasana took out a notebook with short words listed in it.
I looked at the notebook with interest.
I wonder what picture book she chose to get those from?
Wanting a closer look, I pressed my body right up against the table.
Realizing that Kasana, who always seemed so stern, was actually putting so much thought into every lesson behind the scenes, I felt a surge of motivation.
"Huh? I think I can read this one?"
"Is that so?"
"Yup. Sand. It's sand."
"Correct. Your learning speed is exceptionally fast."
I grinned shyly at Kasana's praise.
In truth, once you learned how to read and write the characters, applying it was very easy.
The continent used a common language, which had been made simple enough for all Su-in to learn.
Kasana explained the meaning of each word in the notebook, one by one.
When I made it through the lesson to the very last word without faltering, Kasana closed the notebook.
"It seems my worries were for naught."
"Worries?"
"Yes. I was planning to decide the future schedule based on today's lesson progress, but it seems that won't be necessary."
"Decide what?"
Kasana took out a document that was in front of her.
It looked similar to the lesson plan she had shown me when we first met.
This time, it was more complex, with various things added.
"A new lesson will be added."
"What else are we learning?"
Rosaria, who must have been listening to our conversation, approached from where she'd been standing aside.
"It seems the lesson content is changing?"
"That is correct."
"Is the new addition a pheromone lesson, by any chance?"
"It has been quite some time since Lady Aileen succeeded in her humanization."
"The timing is indeed appropriate."
A pheromone lesson?
I was so surprised my eyes went wide.
If I learn how to handle pheromones, will I be able to transform freely, too?
Rosaria, sitting beside me, read over the plan.
"The lessons in the room have been reduced to once every two days?"
"That is correct, Lady Rosaria. The pheromone lessons will be conducted in the forest."
"I can go into the forest now?"