Predatory Marriage

This man seemed foreign, by the way he spoke, but Leah decided to keep that observation to herself.

The man burst out laughing.

“That’s true,” he said. “You don’t seem like an ordinary person, either.”

Leah just smiled. Since it looked as if the bookshop owner wouldn’t be returning anytime soon, she just told the man the name of the book she had been searching for.

“Do you have the eighth volume of Classic Numismatics?”

“If you can read that book, you must have mastered the ancient languages,” he replied, surprised.

“…I know a little.”

The Estian royal family was obliged to learn many ancient languages, so they would be able to read ancient texts. But Leah was the only one who had troubled to learn them properly. They were quite difficult, even for scholars.

And now she was the sole surviving member of the royal family.

“You are amazing,” the man said, shaking Leah out of her thoughts, his face lighting up. “Have you read Monarchy, State, and Politics? And Honest Interpretation?”

His voice was quick and excited.

“I’ve read both.”

He seemed likely to prolong the conversation if she didn’t do something.

“Were you going to get that book?” Leah reminded him, before he could say anything else.

“I beg your pardon, I got a little excited,” he said, smiling awkwardly. He rose from the counter and slipped past Leah. “Please give me a moment…”

The man mumbled to himself as he fumbled along the bookshelf behind her. Leah looked at the books that were on the counter by the register. They were mostly light novels that might catch the eye of customers. One title caught her attention.

Eat Me…?

That was an odd title. Leah skimmed part of the first page. It looked as if the female protagonist had borrowed money from the male protagonist, who was quite scary, despite his beauty. Then the problems began. It looked like a morality fable, teaching the importance of care with money.

But she soon lost interest; it seemed to her that many characters were mentally unwell. Even she couldn’t consider the male protagonist normal. Shaking her head, she set the book down. – Posted only on NovelUtopia

There was a sound behind her, and Leah turned, startled. A hand grabbed her, pulling, and she squeezed her eyes shut as she slipped off balance, expecting to fall to the floor.

But instead of the shock of impact, something was holding her firmly.

“……”

Softly, Leah opened her eyes, meeting the man’s gaze. Her hood had fallen back as she slipped, and he was looking down at her, his lips slightly parted. Leah averted her gaze.

He had lost his balance on the ladder, reaching for a book on a high shelf, and then grabbed her robe to keep from falling. Fortunately he had recovered quickly enough to catch them both.

But Leah was embarrassed by the position she was in, held so tightly in his arms that she thought he might have left marks from his hands.

“Let go of me,” she said seriously.

Even if it had been a mistake, she couldn’t hide the coldness in her voice. The man released his grip slowly.

“…I’m sorry,” he said, a halting and belated apology.

“How much is it?” Leah asked, taking the book from his hand and pulling her hood back into place.

The man stammered out the price, and Leah set the money on the counter and then left before he could say anything else.

“Leah!”

Mura smiled as Leah approached, walking slowly. She was too tired to go to the coffee shop. She just wanted to go back to the palace. Suddenly, she stopped, glancing at the title of the book in her hand.

“Haa…”

She sighed aloud, momentarily forgetting her manners.