CH 18.1

The reason Shael had to attend the banquet at the Mage Tower was because of the long running contract between the Azbel family and the Mage Tower.

The Mage Tower would provide magic tools to the Azbel family, and in return, the Azbel family had to send a member from their lineage to attend the banquet at the Mage Tower. It was to suppress the curse placed on the Mage Tower using the presence of the lineage of the Azbel family, a famous family of powerful mages.

The suppression of the curse usually takes place on the second day of the banquet. So the banquet would also continue to the next day. Therefore, Shael has to attend the banquet tomorrow as well. It also meant that she would have to spend time in the Mage Tower until tomorrow.

“What would you like to do?”

“Let’s take a walk first.”

Shael looked like she was troubled, then she started walking around aimlessly. However, she suddenly stopped when she saw a huge building. It was the library of the Mage Tower. Shael was looking at that place.

“Would you like to spend some time here?”

“Yes.”

Shael answered without hesitation and then entered the library.

The Mage Tower’s library was more normal than I thought. The reason I thought that was because even outsiders could also use it. The books related to magic were only basic. Rather, there were many other types of books. I could see books on philosophy that usually wouldn’t fit in a place called the Magic Tower’s library, and it even had novels for simple entertainment.

Unlike me, who thought there were nothing to read, Shael picked up a book without much hesitation. It was as if she had already decided on a book she wanted to read. She started reading the book after covering the cover of the book with another book. It looked very suspicious.

“What kind of book is it that you have to cover it up like that?”

“Don’t be needlessly curious.”

‘Isn’t it natural that it would make me want to see it even more if you say that?’

Above all, she might be up to something strange. If she gets into some serious trouble at the Mage Tower, she might suffer a huge blow. ‘No, I’m certain that she would get into some serious trouble.’ 

We have to rule out even the slightest possibility so that such a thing wouldn’t happen!

I used Vision Magic on Shael’s back. It was a magic that created a virtual mirror and helped the user to see from the back of the target. I looked at the contents of the book she was reading.

[Drink a lot of water. It’s one of the easiest looking yet surprisingly difficult ones. It is one of the essential elements to lose weight.]

Shael nodded her head slightly as if she understood while looking at the book. It was a book that I hadn’t really imagined she could read. When we were practicing our dance, I had said to Shael that she seemed to have gained weight. I hope she wasn’t doing it because of that…

Shael closed the book. Then she pulled out another book. It was a book called [100 Exercises to Develop Finger Strength]

When I thought about why she had brought out this book all of a sudden, I immediately found the reason.

Taaagh!

I thought back to that fierce and clear sound. It was the sound Shael made when I flicked her on the forehead. It seemed that for Shael, getting flicked on the forehead by me was a matter of great humiliation. So now she seemed to be preparing for revenge, as she looked at the book with blazing eyes.

[Repeat squeezing and stretching your hand 100 times.]

It was a sentence from the book she was reading.

Shael put her hands under the desk. She must’ve wanted to hide it from me. Of course, I was able to see her hand through the Vision Magic. Shael started wiggling both of her hands. It looked a bit funny. She repeated squeezing and stretching her hand as the book said. Of course, it was a little different from the book.

She repeated it ten times the number mentioned in the book— a whopping 1,000 times! 

After doing that, the villainess calmed her breath little by little so that I wouldn’t notice it. It was a testament to how much effort the villainess was putting into her revenge.

“What are you doing?”

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“I’m done.” Shael stood up. She then spoke up as if she was asking me to follow her, “I need to drink some water.”

Drink water. It was the method she had read in the book about losing weight. She was following the contents of the book she had just read.

I handed her some water.

Gulp…gulp..gulp!

Shael continued to drink water. After all, she always did things excessively.  Even when she was doing her hand squeezing and stretching exercises, she had casually jumped over the recommended amount in the book. Anyway, the villain didn’t know restraint. So I had to tell her.

“Drinking too much can have adverse side effects. Trying to lose weight like that can actually harm your health.”

I also suggested that I had seen the contents of the book she was reading as an added bonus. It was to put a little emphasis on my words. Because the villainess had to know that ‘I knew’.

The villainess was taken aback by my words.

“No way?”

It must have been because I said that I had read the contents of the book.

“It is good to exercise with restraint. It’s not good for your joints.”

The following words affirmed her doubts to some extent.

“…”

Shael walked away in silence. Surprisingly, she didn’t get angry. It must have been due to the shame she was feeling right now. Indeed, it would be quite embarrassing if I did that with my hands 1000 times in front of other people.

The villainess’ face was red as she walked away in silence.