80. Library

80. Library

“Alright, let’s pick out some books here.”

After securing a nearby table, we laid out the books we brought. Since it seemed like Priscilla would take a while to wake up from her faint, I placed two chairs together and laid her on top of them.

I decided not to pay much attention to the female student studying intently next to us, who seemed to be pouting at us occupying so much space.

“First, these are the three I brought.”

I gathered the books I brought and said. They were all books that Mother would likely enjoy. In particular, one of them had a cover depicting two semi-nude women intertwined, which seemed to attract attention, as the female student studying nearby kept stealing glances this way.

Henir asked.

“What is this book about, Young Lady?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes?”

“I just picked it based on the genre.”

I read books slowly. If I waited to check the content, the magic of the teleporter would likely dissipate before then. That’s why I chose them based on the subject matter and cover….

“Sister, don’t you know there are more than one or two landmines in this genre? You should have at least skimmed them, even if not thoroughly!”

“Th-that so?”

“Yes!!”

Freya scolded me. I pondered my sister’s words and asked Freya back. My expression must have been full of questions.

“Then… do books explode?”

“….”

Books as landmines, does such a terrifying combination exist in this world? Perhaps my dislike for books in my previous life was a manifestation of my survival instinct to avoid exploding.

“Skadi, ‘books as landmines’ means the quality of the content is extremely low.”

“Ah, really?”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, thanks to Claire’s timely explanation, I quickly understood the meaning of the word. Goodness, why are there so many metaphors in the world these days?

“Thanks for telling me, Claire.”

I lightly kissed Claire’s forehead. Claire blushed.

“By the way, among the books I’ve seen, none of them seemed to have low quality…”

“That’s because I gave you books after inspecting each one! So that you wouldn’t be tainted by men… No, I mean, so that you would only read good books!”

“Really?”

I widened my eyes and looked at Freya. I thought she just gave me any book with women in it, but I didn’t know there was such a hidden motive.

To work so hard for this sister, Freya’s kindness unexpectedly touched my heart.

Freya leaned close to my ear and said.

“How about it, Sister, aren’t you grateful…? What’s the proper way to show gratitude, remember?”

“When I’m grateful… I have to kiss you as much as I’m grateful.”

“Then hurry…”

Freya, with an excited expression, offered her lips to me. Following what I had learned over years in the North, I reflexively leaned in, and just as our lips were about to meet, I saw the girl next to me, blushing and stammering, in my vision.

“Ah.”

“Kek!”

“Freya, no. Come to think of it, it’s the no-physical-contact period.”

I grabbed Freya’s face and pushed her back. Trying to distract me on purpose and circumvent the punishment, my sister seems to have become too cunning as she grew older.

“Grrr…!”

“Just endure it for a week, Freya.”

Even so, just forbidding things wouldn’t be a good approach, so I gently stroked Freya’s head and ears to help her endure a little longer. The pleasant texture of her fur flowed through my hands.

I could hear Claire and Iris muttering something from behind.

-Gasp… Beastmen stroking each other’s heads is something lovers do to express their love for each other…!

-Really? No…!

After a few minutes of touching Freya’s head, someone tugged at my clothes from behind. It was Iris.

“Oh, Sister!”

“Yes?”

“Kiss me!”

Iris, seemingly urgent, offered her lips to me. I didn’t know why she was suddenly acting like this, but since it was a request from my adorable sister, I took my hand off Freya and smiled lightly, giving Iris a kiss.

… The female student studying next to us was no longer even looking at her book and was staring at us openly.

Freya shouted.

“You, you…!”

“Nyah.”

“Hey!!”

My hand reached out towards Iris, but because she quickly hid behind me, Freya’s hand only grasped my chest.

“Oof.”

“Ah.”

Normally, Freya doesn’t squeeze my chest this hard when she touches it. This time, perhaps even she didn’t expect it, and the strong pressure transmitted to my head. A tingling sensation sent shivers through my body.

“… Freya.”

“This, um, it was an accident….”

“Then stop squeezing and take your hand off.”

… Still, it felt different from her usual gentle kneading. It was strong and rough, seeming painful yet subtly pleasant, so I thought I’d remember this feeling and try it on my friends later.

Anyway.

“Why does our conversation keep straying from picking books? Let’s decide on the books to send without any strange thoughts. Henir, could you give me the books on your side?”

I sighed and asked Henir. Henir pushed the three books lined up on her side towards us, and I accepted them.

<30 Days Until I Stole My Sister’s Lips>

“Hmm.”

The first book was very thick just by looking at it, and the title was written in a tiny, solemn font on the cover. Who on earth chose this?

“That red one.”

“Priscilla?”

Freya pointed to Priscilla, who was still unconscious on the chair. Come to think of it, why was Priscilla unconscious again? I tilted my head.

“Lady Louer kept trying to touch the Young Lady’s tail… so the Young Lady couldn’t stand it and attacked her with magic.”

“Hey! Why would you say that…!”

I looked at Freya.

“Freya. One day of punishment….”

“Ah, Young Lady! Just a moment. That Lady Louer was quite… clingy. No, I mean, she made it very difficult for the Young Lady… I think there are some extenuating circumstances.”

“… If Henir says so.”

Thanks to Henir’s desperate defense, Freya’s punishment days fortunately did not increase. I picked up the next book.

“These two were brought by Freya, right?”

“Yes! You should read them later too, Sister.”

“Okay. I’ll remember them.”

In conclusion, we had to choose 3 out of 6 books. However, since Priscilla’s chosen book was a no-go from the cover, we only had to choose 3 out of 5 books.

“Hmm… this one, this one, and this one. How about it?”

The books were quite competitive. I couldn’t make a hasty decision, so I closed my eyes and chose three.

Two of the ones I chose, and one that Freya chose. It was a perfect combination.

“Alright. Let’s send these. Henir, could you give me the teleporter?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. Here you go.”

I took the purple crystal. I wasn’t sure how to use it, but by holding it against the three books tied together and rubbing it a bit, the books disappeared with a “pop,” just like when I sent the previous elixir.

They were probably sent successfully.

“Done. Mother must have received the books now.”

Claire said.

“… Aren’t those library books? Is it okay to send them?”

“….”

I avoided her gaze.

“Sister, can I read this book?”

“Huh? Ah, sure. Of course.”

After giving Iris <30 Days Until I Stole My Sister’s Lips>, I handed the remaining books to Claire.

“Claire, please return these books. Understand? I trust you.”

“Uh, uh? Uh, yes.”

Claire, who had been looking at me with an expression of disbelief moments ago, trembled at the words ‘I trust you’ and headed off to find a librarian somewhere, with a blissful smile.

Iris, who was intently reading a book, tugged at my collar and said.

“Sister, I need to go to the restroom…”

“Ah, okay. Just a moment-“

“Stop!!”

Just as I was about to take Iris to the restroom, Freya stopped me. Freya quickly said something to Henir next to her, and then Henir, who stood up, took Iris’s hand.

“I will take her instead of the eldest daughter.”

“Yes… Tch.”

And so, in an instant, three people disappeared, and since Priscilla was asleep, it became a time for just Freya and me.

Freya gave a sinister smile and approached me.

“Sister~”

“Freya. I told you it’s the no-physical-contact period.”

“But….”

Freya lowered her head. Then, she rubbed something in her eyes, and finally, tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at me….

Tears?

“F-Freya?”

“Sister… sob, I’m so tired….”

“W-wait….”

Crying was unexpected. I was startled and approached Freya. Freya’s tears, shed sorrowfully, reflected in my eyes.

“W-was it that hard? I didn’t mean to make you cry….”

“Sisterrrrr…… Hwaaaang……!”

Freya clung to me, and I patted her back with my confused mind.

Was the no-physical-contact rule that sad? Perhaps even though she was going through puberty, her sensitive heart hadn’t changed. With a wavering heart, I said to Freya.

“F-Freya. Don’t cry, okay?”

“Sisterrrrr…….”

“Th-that’s right, Freya. Reduce the no-physical-contact period-“

At that moment, someone wearing glasses appeared and said to us.

“Miss Freya, as I said before, causing a disturbance in the library is prohibited. We have received dozens of reports regarding violence and noise disturbances since earlier, so I apologize, but you must leave.”

“Yes?”

And so, before I could even regain my senses, Freya was caught by the librarian and kicked out of the library.

… I spent the time until the others returned, blissfully stroking Priscilla’s belly as she slept soundly, with a happy smile.

——

“Oh my, my daughter must have sent me some books.”

A wolf beastman with a gentle and mysterious aura, long white hair cascading down, and piercing blue eyes, she was the wife of the Northern Grand Duke and the mother of Skadi and Freya, Frigg von Lyra.

She picked up the books sent by the teleporter and let out a light laugh. The faint scent of her beloved daughters wafted from them, indicating they were undoubtedly prepared by her children.

As she looked through the books, she discovered small writing glued to the corner of one of the book covers.

“… ‘Property of the Academy Central Library – Illegal removal prohibited’?”

Frigg pondered the meaning of the words for a moment, then smiled gently again and placed the book on her own bookshelf.

“Hoho, it seems my eldest daughter made another mistake~ It happens.”

… She was a remarkably lenient person towards her children.