EMLF - 3
Sute Akuyaku Reijou wa Kaibutsu ni Otogibanashi wo Kataru
Book 3: The Duke's Daughter Who Was Devoured Alive
☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
Sunlight pours in through the high windows, softly illuminating the room.
Bookshelves to the right, bookshelves to the left—rows upon rows of spines covering the walls entirely. From richly colored volumes to those worn and sun-faded with age, they stand packed together with scarcely any space between them.
Holding a newly rewritten version of the outdated catalog, I pull books from the shelves one by one, inspecting each carefully—checking for stains, for tears, for any faded passages that have become unreadable. To examine such a vast number of books is no simple task. Though I have been here for several months, steadily continuing this work, I have likely not even completed a fraction of this archive.
I have become one of the librarians of the Royal Library of Dagenhelm.
Amidst that overwhelming tension, I listened to the voice of my own heart.
It told me: I need neither wealth, nor status, nor honor. I simply wish to be with the books I love.
That alone was my desire.
And His Majesty, King Dagenhelm, granted it.
I was permitted to work in this nation’s library, and I now serve here as a member of its staff. Never in my life had I worked before. I had always been cared for, wanting for nothing. But here in Dagenhelm, I was allowed to live not as a duke’s daughter nor as a Biebel, but simply as Sylph.
Library work, with my frail body, was far more demanding than I had imagined. At first, I suffered from sore muscles from the unexpectedly strenuous labor, but lately I have grown accustomed to it, and I feel as though my arms have become a little stronger.
To work, to live—it is no easy thing. And yet, my greatest happiness is here.
I had long since given up.
That a duke’s daughter would never be allowed a choice, that she could not work like a commoner, that she could never belong in a library. I thought it a dream that could never come true—a fleeting illusion destined to fade.
But I was exiled from the Kingdom of Luxborn and taken in by His Majesty of the Kingdom of Dagenhelm. In that moment, Sylph Biebel was, without a doubt, devoured by him. Slain by the monster, I was reborn—as Sylph, a citizen of Dagenhelm and a librarian.
“Sylph-chaaan! You can go home for the day~!”
"Shirufu-cha~n! Kyou wa mou agatte ii yo~!"
“Okaaay! I will as soon as I find a good stopping point!”
"Ha~i! Kiri no ii tokoro de kiri agemasu~!"
When the library is closed, we speak loudly to one another across the vast halls. Working in different parts of this enormous Royal Library, we have no choice but to raise our voices to be heard. At first, it startled me—I had never spoken so loudly before—but now, I find it delightful to speak freely with my colleagues, without concern for decorum or pride. I learned here, for the first time, that opening one’s mouth wide and speaking freely can naturally lift one’s spirits. The heart and body are connected.
Since coming to the Kingdom of Dagenhelm, I have experienced so many “firsts.”
To the people of the Kingdom of Luxborn,
Sylph Biebel is dead. And yet, thanks to you, I am experiencing a sense of fulfillment and happiness unlike anything I have ever known.
From the beginning, I held no hatred, no resentment.
But now, I feel nothing but joy—joy at having been freed from the position of a duke’s daughter, from the role of a prince’s fiancée.
Truly, thank you very much.
☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
After coming to this kingdom, I was assigned a two-story tower within the castle grounds. It had originally been used as a book repository, but when I came to live there, a bed, a wardrobe, and other furnishings were brought in. To be honest, as long as there are books, I could live happily anywhere—even on a stone floor—but I was persuaded that it would be inconvenient, and so it has been made into something like an ordinary home. It was treatment far too generous for someone like me, who had been taken in so suddenly.
Bookshelves line the walls of the tower in a full circle. The person who brought in the furniture said it felt oppressive and a little frightening, but to me, it is an exceptionally calming space.
By day, I spend time with books at the Royal Library; by night, I read in my own room. Such are my peaceful, happy days.
“Coming in, Sylph!”
"Jama suru zo Shirufu!"
“Y-Your Majesty! I'm begging you, please knock! It’s troubling!”
"He, heika! Onegai desu kara nokku o shite kudasaimase! Komarimasu!"
“I’m not troubled.”
"Watashi wa komaran."
“I’m sure you aren’t!”
"Deshou ne!"
It has become routine for His Majesty, King Dagenhelm, to visit at night. At first, I thought he might be watching over me, or perhaps showing concern for someone newly arrived—but after several months, it seems he simply enjoys coming here.
He drops himself into the chair before the table and smiles in satisfaction, just as he always does. In moments like this, it feels much like the day I first met him—except for one crucial difference: I now trust him, and I no longer feel fear.
“You seem to have grown accustomed to life here. Your manner of speech has become far less ladylike.”
"Koko de no kurashi ni mo narete kita you da na. Kotoba ga zuibun ojou-sama rashikunaku natteiru."
“Yes. I thought speaking in such a formal tone in the library might not be very appropriate, so I’ve been trying to gradually break that habit.”
"Ee, yahari toshokan de kono kuchou to iu no wa, amari yoku nai no dewa nai ka to omoimashite, sukoshi zutsu kuzusu you ni wa shiteimasu."
“That is fine. You are nothing more than a humble librarian now.”
"Sore de ii. Omae wa mou shiganai tada no shisho na no dakara."
Every time we meet, I am reminded that His Majesty knows exactly what words will please me most.
I quickly prepare tea, then bring over the “book of the day” and sit in a chair facing His Majesty. Pouring tea into his cup serves as our unspoken signal.
“Today’s book is The Water of the Grey Heron, a collection of short stories written forty-eight years ago by Leonardo Hahn of Dagenhelm.”
"Kyou no hon wa “ao sagi no mizu” ni gozaimasu. Yon-juu hachi-nen mae, Dāgenherumu no Reonarudo Hān ni yotte kakareta tanpen shousetsu-shuu ni gozaimasu."
“The genre?”
"Janru wa?"
“It does not belong to any single genre. There are a total of eight stories, and from the first to the last, they are loosely connected.”
"Tokutei no janru wa mochimasen. Zen hachi-wa na no desu ga, ichi-wa kara hachi-wa made, yuruyaka ni tsunagatte iku monogatari desu."
When His Majesty closes his mouth and lets the faintest smile touch his lips, I begin reading from the first story.
Reading aloud to His Majesty has become my daily routine since coming to Dagenhelm.
During the day, I select a book; when His Majesty visits, I read it aloud to him. I do not know why he has me read in this way. But since it involves the books I love, and since I am sharing a book I have chosen with another, it could never be a burden. The stories slip gently from my lips, one after another. That sensation is something I cherish deeply.
His Majesty never listens idly. He listens in silence, and when I finish, he offers his thoughts or asks questions. Without a doubt, these exchanges with him are one of my greatest sources of happiness.
After spending several months together, I have come to understand the kind of person he is.
He is by no means a good person. He is every bit a king, and at times, cold. Ordinarily, he would never have bothered to pick up someone like me, abandoned in a cage.
He is also like a child—curious, fond of interesting things. He acts and learns according to his curiosity. His coldness often resembles the cruelty unique to children.
And above all, he loves stories.
Though Dagenhelm is an isolated nation, it overflows with literature, and that is because he encourages it. The city is filled with people of culture: novelists, playwrights, authors of children’s books, bards, storytellers. There are even local folktales unique to each region. I have also learned that the tale of the “Monster of Dagenhelm” was created by him. Although Dagenhelm was a closed, militaristic nation, there was no reason to create unnecessary friction with other countries, so he deliberately spread frightening rumors to scare people away.
Most likely—no, almost certainly—if the “desire” I had given that day had not been “to be with the books I love,” he would not have killed me, but would have simply cast me aside.
The “desire” I spoke that day happened to align perfectly with the answer he had wanted.
☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
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