She Became The Devil’s Stepmother Who’s About To Be Killed - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – When You Get Married, Everything You Have Is Mine, Too

Schlezen Castle Library.

‘Mmh, good.’

Gerard’s study contained the beauty that can be found in any old European-styled castle.

After the frantic wedding, I chose to cut ties with Sinclair’s family, picked a fight with them, and even confronted Molli as soon as I woke up.

Falling into this world and still in battle mode, I was enjoying the first unexpected peace I had ever had.

“Peace, peace. Coming down from the sky.”

I sang the hymn I had sung in the church I went to for snacks when I was young. While closed, the study room was soundproof so no one could hear anything.

Of course, it meant that no one would disturb me, whether I was singing, headbanging, rocking, or rapping with my fingers in the air.

‘No maid is chasing me, it’s my own time and space!’

It had felt like I was walking on thin ice at every moment, thus the muscles that had been cramped relaxed spontaneously.

Sitting on a sofa wrapped in luxurious velvet, enjoying a cup of warm Americano and soft tiramisu…

‘Kyaa~ if I hadn’t possessed this body, I wouldn’t have my own private book cafe like this, right?’

What kind of background music would I like to play? Classic? Jazz? Playing acoustic guitar?

Well… Without music, it was still good enough.

I opened my arms to catch the sunlight coming through the vertical window. The sunshine dust glistened enthusiastically and flew around me like a fairy.

‘Should I pick a book?’

Mmh… I inhaled with my nose placed on the luxuriously leather-bound volume. The leather smelled like a fragrant cork.

Slurping my coffee, I turned over the cover.

The old book, covered in leather, was neatly filled with elegant handwriting. The smell of warm paper and savory ink sprinkled a spoon of sweet sugar on my heart after facing a fierce battle for survival.

To make this one book, some would have spent the whole night copying, while others would gather each sheet as if gathering their hearts and spun them firmly with one stitch and one silk thread. In the meantime, someone must have worked hard to tap the leather with a hammer to spread it out neatly, soaking it in a non-rotting-preservative, and drying it to become sturdy. After receiving the hardcover made in that way, one would have spread glue extracted from the plant, put it on a pressboard and pressed it firmly to fix it, and then looked at it for a few days until binding it into a book.

A precious book containing the hard work of countless people. In such an era, in front of the book that contained the wisdom and devotion of that society, I was silent for a moment.

Nevertheless, I was more desperate about something than that, and that was a glass of cool water. I longed for that pure crystal that went down my esophagus when I gulped it down.

However, the water here was lime water.

Lime water is an alkaline aqueous solution containing calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2, so it is not bad for the body but is still stout.

Besides, I remember in the past drinking lime water and then having diarrhea, so I was afraid to drink it.

However, limescale cannot be solved by a simple water purification method that filters out foreign substances. Because it exists in an ionic state, that is, in a calcium ionic state, rather than being granular like soil or sand. Water had to be passed through a cation and anion exchange resin to adsorb and remove ions in the water. That would be effective in removing sulfate or carbonate rich in this area.

As a graduate of the chemistry education department, I should make a cationic resin filter. For me, for Theodor.

And, if successful, let’s sell the water first, like Kim Seon-dal, in the Joseon Dynasty.* If I even get a patent, at least I know I would be able to live with that money for the rest of my life after divorce.

Admiring the books collected by series under a three-story study, I clenched my fists in front of the section where mineralogy-related books were gathered and shouted, “Jackpot!”

The book《Demon Realm, The Magic Stone》 which I thought would be only in the unique library of Viatria Imperial Academy.

I prayed for a moment of gratitude before I selected the book. ‘How can I achieve my goals so easily?’

In my own home!

In this case, you should express your gratitude to the energy of the universe in obeisance for such a favor. Because nothing in this world is easily obtained.

‘Thank you. Based on your wisdom, I will make a profit to my heart’s content! kukukuku.’

So, shall we pick it up? When I looked through the table of contents, the pictures and ingredients of the magic stone, as well as the efficacy and mining area, were recorded in detail.

‘Wow, it’s more extensive and detailed than I have ever read before in a book?’

Another book that was urgently needed was 《Botanical Series》The food here was absolutely tasteless. My taste buds, having been tamed by the sweetness and saltiness of the 21st century, could never be bland, even if I was bland enough.

When I looked at the kitchen earlier, it seemed that there was not enough sugar or spices? Surely there must be something like sugar cane sugar beet around here…

I moved to the “Plant Section” and pulled out all the books I thought I needed.

Hello~, 《Geography of the Demon World》 sounds good.

Woaah, 《War Of The Empire》has a map of the Empire? Cool!

《History and Culture of Empire》Hmm, let’s save this too.

Every time I went through the bookshelves, my hands got busy.

I read the ledger brought by the butler and the maid and made a list of the things I needed to live here, but it was not one or two books that I needed.

As I pulled them out, it was too much to carry with one arm.

I looked around. Just as expected.

Like in any library, I found a cart for moving books.

I rushed and pulled the cart.

Kukuk~ I ran and dragged the cart. Full of excitement, I loaded books I needed to read, books I wanted to read, and books that just looked pretty.

* * * 

Gerard’s steps quickened.

After Molli visited him, his head was filled with complicated thoughts. Molli may be strict, but she cared more for Theodor than anyone else. Therefore, Sinclair’s sudden intervention may have been disturbing.

However, he couldn’t just listen to Molli’s complaints and do something. In any case, now the hostess was Sinclair, his wife, and it was right for her to take charge of Theodor’s education and child guidance.

Even in the words of the butler and head-maid, Sinclair took away all kinds of books of internal management, so she was probably trying to play the role of hostess properly.

But the maid said that she saw Sinclair enter the main study.

Gerard muttered as he walked.

“It makes no sense. No, it can’t be. This is nonsense!”

Only he could enter the main castle study because he had placed a magic barrier that could not be opened by anyone in the Empire.

A place no one can enter.

‘How did you get into that forbidden area? I was too careless!’

Was it a scheme to reassure me that you wouldn’t act as a spy from the beginning?

The library was lined with forbidden books related to magic and the Demon Realm.

No matter how much she said they were family,

even if she said that she didn’t want to be related to her old family.

The fact that forbidden books were in the Schlezen Castle should not have been known to the outside world.

And,

Bang! The moment the door slammed open.

Gerard felt his heart stop.

It was because Sinclair was reading a bunch of forbidden books related to the Demon Realm with a cart placed next to the sofa.

She was reading, nearly burying her face in the book, diligently taking notes on a piece of paper.

‘Hoh.’

Gerald stumbled in and grabbed her notebook. Sinclair frowned.

“What are you doing?”

She did that even while sleeping yesterday; it seemed to be her habit to frown.

“What are you?”

Sinclair was offended by Gerard’s cold eyes and sudden informal speech.

“Ha…”

She sighed, irritated. The peace that had been gained in a short time flew away in an instant. Thanks to her husband.

That’s right. There was no way such peace could ever come to a world full of demons and curses.

“How did you open the door?”

‘What do you mean? Are you threatening me and you’ll say that reading a book is a serious sin? That’s rude, really.’

Sinclair was angry that he recklessly showed up and destroyed her peace, scolded her without proper reason and then spoke informally.

“I opened the door with my hand.”

‘Did she know how to use magic?’

Gerard was perplexed. He grabbed her hand and held it in his palm.

However… Nothing was felt.

It was Sinclair’s turn to feel perplexed.

‘Is this person crazy?’

“What are you doing right now?”

Sinclair shook off Gerard’s hand.

He was puzzled once again. ‘Is it something to shake off in such a manner just because I held your hand? Is it because of him?’

My pride is hurt. Unconsciously, he clenched his fist because he felt embarrassed by the hand that had fallen helplessly.

“Who told you to read books carelessly?”

“Do I need permission?”

“I didn’t allow you here.”

“Ha…”

Sinclair was about to cry. No wonder peace came so easily.

However, as someone who had already tasted the forbidden fruit, she could not give up on this place. Sinclair got up and glared at Gerard with her arms crossed.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“When we got married, everything you own is mine, but why can’t I come in here?”

Sinclair looked at him like an early autumn snake that was not overwhelmed by his momentum, and Gerard was dumbfounded.

“…”

Sinclair retrieved the notebook from Gerard’s hand, sat down, and calmly ordered.

“Go away. Do not disturb my sacred time. And don’t keep talking informally to me! I don’t like talking informally either. Let’s be respectful to each other.”

“…!”

Seeing Sinclair sitting proudly with her legs crossed, Gerard backed away as if he had gotten hit down in a single blow.

Then, recalling the content in Sinclair’s notebook he had seen before.

—《The Demon Realm, Magic Stones》page 56. Tibelizion in Turanga region?

These were minerals produced in the Demon Realm and were occasionally seen in the Karikas Territory.

‘Why are you transcribing all of these on paper?’

‘Even with a list of books? Are you preparing for the annihilation of humankind?’

And suddenly,

“Hiiiik! Fire, fire!”

Sinclair was startled as she glanced at the burning paper in the palm of his hand. The paper quickly turned to ashes in the air.

Witnessing Gerard’s magic for the first time, Sinclair was stunned and didn’t know what to do.

“With whose permission, and for what purpose do you write a list of books and their contents?”

‘Permission?’

Sinclair’s cochlea* trembled as if it were filled with sputum.

Her whole body shuddered with anger. Sinclair bit her lip in fury and glared at him.

Gerald returned with his own piercing look, raising one eyebrow. He had to know her intentions. ‘What were you going to do with these forbidden books?’

Whether she wanted to destroy the Grand Duchy by announcing the existence of such books or not…

“…”

Sinclair’s lips trembled. Her scarlet eyes burned intensely and seemed to eat him up.

“Did you decide to not answer because I was speaking informally again? If so, I’ll be polite. To what extent is the information you collected important?”

At Gerald’s sarcastic remark, Sinclair bit her lip tightly.

“Tyrant!”

“What?”

“A cheap tyrant!”

Sinclair glared at him, her body trembling with rage.

——

*Kim Seon Dal: character of an ancient novel of satire and humor about Kim Seon-dal, who sold off the Taedong River in the Joseon dynasty. There’s an adaptation movie you can see on Netflix.

** The cochlea is a hollow, spiral-shaped bone found in the inner ear that plays a key role in the sense of hearing and participates in the process of auditory transduction.

This chapter made me laugh a lot. I suffer so much every time Sinclair gets too teacher-like (Tea suffers a lot too, we love you~) but then she’s too cute, and Gerard too.

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