I Live With My Villain Uncle

I turned around the bookshelf that was cut off in the middle and looked at the bottom of the bookshelf on the other side.

As I was looking at them one by one like a walking duck, there was no book on the bottom shelf.

That’s why I can move right to where Russphe is, where we just came from.

The compartments on each bookshelf were so large and high that it seemed that if I crouched down, I could pass through the space.

I knelt on the floor and crawled slowly through the space, hoping to startle Russphe.

It’s so easy, though?

“Russphe!”

I gave Russphe a small cry.

And when I poked my head out, Russphe wasn’t there.

“Where is he? Russphe, are you behind?”

I crawled back out again.

I was planning to surprise him, but Russphe must have followed me back.

However, when I got up and looked, Russphe wasn’t there either.

“Huhhhh?”

I ran again and looked around the bookshelf to find Russphe.

“Russphe?”

I went over to the bookshelf next to it one by one, yet he wasn’t there either.

Where did Russphe suddenly go?

Also, I could hear the voices of Kamaye and Zenda earlier, but now it was strangely quiet.

***

Meanwhile, Russphe sat quietly and waited for Aika, just as she said.

She said she was going to pick up a book, but there was no news from her even after a while.

“Aika?”

Russphe stood up again, turned around the bookshelves, and poked his head out.

But Aika wasn’t there.

“Where is she?”

Russphe decided to sit quietly again in the place where Aika told  him to wait because he didn’t know if Aika would come back while he was looking for her.

Then, he pondered over what had happened earlier.

Russphe has been highly anticipated since the moment he could remember.

He didn’t know why.

People from his family just agreed that umless something big happened to his father, he would take over as crown prince.

Father told them not to be in a hurry, but not the rest of the family.

They always wanted Russphe to be the best, and they tolerated no flaws.

[How about having Russphe registered as the adopted son of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor?]

Russphe also knew the meaning of the word ‘registered’.

It was a word he saw in a book he studied a while ago.

He didn’t mean to listen, but he happened to hear it unintentionally while walking down the hallway.

So should he be more flawless than he is now?

Will he cease to be the child of Father and Mother?

All this time, Russphe had grown up not knowing what he liked.

There was no time for that.

Even if he tried to like something, he had to be wary, and he had to be criticized if his hobbies or actions didn’t match the expectations.

If he chose late, they said he was prudent and frustrating.

If he learned not to hurt the other person, they said he was timid.

They said he was just being prudent and careful, but anything else was wrong.

As a result, he even hated his own personality.

“Aika…”

The only thing Russphe liked.

It was going to the Imperial Palace.

Because he has His Imperial Majesty the Emperor by his side at all times, and he can be free, albeit briefly.

However, it was when he heard that if he went too often, he could end up in people’s mouths, so he decided to cut back.

[Russphe, welcome. Now, come here and greet each other.]

He was called by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, and there was a very, very pretty child there.

Her black hair was sparkling like the night sky.

Her cheeks looked like balls of pure white snow, but there was also a pink part, thus she looked like a doll.

Her name is Aika de Valliot.

She was said to be the nephew of her uncle, Marquis Leguier, a friend of His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.

Marquis Leguier was also a person whom Russphe respected.

Because he isn’t afraid of anything and is a strong man.

He had the idea that he would like to be like Marquis Kassel de Leguier when he grows up later.

[Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Aika.]

[…I’m Russphe.]

[Who did you come with? I came with my uncle. It’s very spacious here.]

[I-I came alone. Ah, with the attendant.]

Then Aika’s eyes widened.

He thought she had a pretty voice.

She sounded like a canary singing.

[You‘re so cool.]

[…Not really.]

Is that something that’s supposed to be called ‘cool’?

If he said he was going to the Imperial Palace, they would tell him to do this again, do that, thus he only came with Kamaye.

But when he heard the pretty girl called him ‘cool’, he was quite proud.

[Hey, Russphe. Do you come here often?]

[Yeah. Why?]

[We’re friends now. Let’s play more next time!]

[Next time…?]

[Yeah, next time. Then bye, for real!]

He couldn’t even ask Aika if she could be his friend, yet she became one.

For the first time in forever, he felt that he wanted to be someone’s friend, but it was already decided.

He wondered if he could do that, but he had already slept for 10 nights and they even promised to meet again.

They were close enough for him to receive all the candies in the bag.

That day, Russphe kept the candies in a small bottle decorated with a ribbon that Kamaye had found for him and he hadn’t taken them out yet.

And today, when we met again, Aika protected me.

Although he was the adult I hated the most and didn’t want to meet.

[Don’t bully Russphe, Mister!]

[Russphe is my friend! You bad mister.]

At that voice, he looked at Aika, and her back was shining brightly.

Rainbow light. No, a prettier light than that.

Because she was emitting the prettiest light in the world, Russphe unknowingly hugged Aika tightly like a doll.

[Russphe?]

[Aika, thanks.]

For being kind, for being great.

And for protecting me from someone I hate.

Also for being friends with me.

So, Russphe decided that he, too, would become the greatest and best friend to Aika.

For the first time, he has something he wants to do on his own.

…But why isn’t Aika coming?

Russphe eventually got up from his seat again.

I must go find my friend Aika.

#5. Exploring the Ancient Library of the Imperial Palace! The Chosen One, Awaken the Power

Is Russphe trying to trick me, just like me?

I sneakily looked through all eight bookshelves, but couldn’t find Russphe anywhere.

And Zenda and Kamaye were nowhere to be seen.

The door was still closed, though…?

I was terrified.

I hurried toward the door.

I don’t know what kind of joke was played, but this was a bit scary.

I was about to run to the door when a little rabbit suddenly appeared in front of me.

“…Rabbit?”

But it wasn’t just a rabbit, its body was translucent, so the other side was showing through.

What on earth is that?

The rabbit was running through the bookshelves as if it were nothing.

I stopped, mesmerized, to watch the rabbit running around the bookshelves.

“I guess I’m just seeing an illusion. What is that?”

Then the rabbit jumped up, stopped, and stared at me.

Before long, he jumped at me once.

Startled, I took a step back.

No matter how cute it was, it could actually be a terrifying ghost.

There’s no way such thing as a translucent rabbit could exist.

“Who are you?”

“Gasp…”

It looked at me and asked who I am? Did that strange rabbit just say that?

No doubt, it must be a ghost.

“W-Who are you?”

“I’m asking. Who are you? How did you get in?”

“You are… Who? Why is the rabbit transparent?”

“I can’t even be transparent? I asked who are you?”

“Are you a ghost? Tell me first.”

“I asked you first.”

“If you want to know someone’s name, you have to say it first before asking.”

I had a long fight with the rabbit.

Thinking that the rabbit must be a ghost, I didn’t say my name until the end.

The rabbit didn’t even respond to my answer.

What kind of rabbit is that?

With each jump of the rabbit, I took a backward step.

Before I knew it, my back bumped into a bookshelf full of books.

The rabbit reached my feet.

My body got hot and I broke out in a cold sweat.

Am I suddenly falling asleep and dreaming?

What if it’s like a monster that came out of a dream?

I had no idea what to do with that little mouth with thorny teeth.

Sniff, sniff.

The rabbit that really came right in front of me put it on my foot and sniffed it.

In an instant, its drooping ears pricked up.

“Do you know Seria?”

Seria?

It’s my mom’s name.