Chapter 22: Franz’s Situation (2)

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✦ ✦ ✦

Back in his room, Franz lay down on the bed. When he turned his gaze, he saw the book he had placed there.

‘People actually find this fun?’

Franz flipped through the book with a rustle. It read smoothly. After only a brief bit of plot, it jumped straight into a sex scene, so it didn’t take long to get through. In fact, he couldn’t help but marvel at how much world-building had been packed into that short stretch.

‘If you’re reading this just for the erotic parts, shouldn’t it be enough for it to just be erotic? Why do all these extra details have to be there?’

It was even surprisingly moving. Curious to see just how far it would go, Franz, who had been flipping through the book casually, began slowing his pace. And at some point, his expression grew quite serious.

After reading to the last page and closing the book, Franz thought to himself:

‘I think I understand now why she called it love.’

While it stayed true to desire, the story wasn’t solely about desire. In its own way, it carried a lesson too.

‘What a profound world.’

As Franz savoured the lingering aftertaste, the figure that came to his mind was Leta, who had been adamantly insisting it wasn’t just an indecent book.

‘Still, to think she enjoyed a book like this with such a prim, proper face.’

Her freckled face, with every strand of hair neatly pinned up, looked completely at odds with someone who would be interested in a lewd book like this.

‘As expected, you can’t judge a person by appearances.’

Reflecting once again on this simple truth of life, Franz closed his eyes.

A faint smile lingered on his lips.

✦ ✦ ✦

Franz met Leta again three mornings later.

Though he could no longer follow the path of knighthood, Franz still trained with the knights every morning. He had always enjoyed being active; that was why he had once dreamed of becoming a knight.

‘I’m in good shape today.’

His injured arm moved just as well as before, and it lifted his spirits.

‘I feel like something good is going to happen.’

Wiping the sweat trickling down the back of his neck with a towel, he stepped into the castle, only for someone to block his path, as if they had been waiting.

“Good morning, Sir Aide.”

The woman standing there, her clear, bright eyes shining, was none other than Leta. 

Seeing her made him smile for some reason. Franz answered in a gentle tone.

“Just call me Franz, Maid.”

“My name's Leta.”

As Franz hesitated, wondering if it was okay to call her ‘Leta,’ she covered her face with one hand and pointed at his chest with the other.

“Why are you walking around dressed so loosely at this early hour? Surely you’re not...”

His sweat-soaked shirt had come undone, fully exposing his chest. Franz blushed as he adjusted the edge of his shirt.

“What kind of misunderstanding is this?! I just came back from my morning training.”

Then Leta, as if nothing had happened, brazenly thrust out her chin and retorted.

“What misunderstanding are you talking about?”

“Ha.”

The flustered look from just a moment ago was gone, replaced by shamelessness. Franz forced a laugh and crossed his arms.

“You’re quite the tease.”

“Consider it payback for making me shout ‘sex, sex’ in the middle of the corridor.”

“Strictly speaking, I didn’t exactly make you shout it, did I?"

“You’re shameless, you know that?”

Perhaps it was all the reading she did, but her comebacks were sharp and quick, almost like trading lines in verse.

Somewhere between banter and bickering, their exchange brought them a little closer.

They naturally continued talking as they walked side by side into the castle. Their conversation drifted to small talk: whether he had eaten breakfast, slept well, or what the weather might be like today. It was around that time that Leta began showing interest in Franz himself.

The eyes that had been sneaking quick glances at Franz gradually grew bolder, looking more openly at his body as their psychological distance closed.

As the eyes wandered, so did the heart. As she stared at his well-built frame, the words slipped out before she knew it.

“Tell me, do aides usually train their bodies this much? Or are you just particularly well built, Franz?”

“You think I’m well built?”

"Yes. You’re really impressive. Your shoulders are broad, your chest muscles are large and well-shaped, and your back muscles are…"

As if under a spell, Leta reached out without realising it and touched Franz’s arm. His skin, still hot from his morning workout, radiated heat. The searing warmth snapped her back to her senses, and she quickly pulled her hand away.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t unusual for others to admire his physique. However, it was the first time a woman had actually reached out to touch him.

‘I must smell of sweat.’

He was actually more worried that she might have found it unpleasant. With a small shrug, Franz replied.

“I originally dreamed of becoming a knight. But after I was injured and had nowhere to go, the young master took me in.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I sincerely wish for Lord Alto’s happiness.”

At his words, Leta clenched her fist and nodded firmly.

“I feel the same. Of course, many people say someone like me has no business worrying about the young lady. I’m the eldest in a poor family. Growing up, I never once had a whole loaf of bread to myself. I always had to share it with my brothers and sisters.”

“Ah...”

Leta’s sad story left Franz momentarily at a loss for words. Not wanting to trouble him, Leta smiled lightly and changed the subject herself.

“I’ve talked too much. Have a good day.”

“Wait.”

Almost without thinking, Franz stopped Leta as she turned away, and for a moment, he felt confused.

‘Why did I do that?’

There was no real reason to stop her.

Her round eyes fixed on him, as if asking why. After a brief hesitation, Franz barely managed to come up with a reason.

“For the sake of their happiness, how about we exchange information from time to time?”

“Exchange information?”

He had blurted it out in the moment, but it didn’t sound bad. After all, both of them shared the same goal: Alto and Viviana’s happiness.

“Yes. Since we both want the same thing, we should work together.”

“Alright.”

Leta nodded readily.

✦ ✦ ✦

Thanks to that particular promise, the two often met and spent time talking.

However, there were hardly any opportunities to exchange information. Once the ice was broken, Alto and Viviana grew close at a rapid pace.

By now, they were spending so much time together that it was almost a cause for concern.

‘Well, it’s their first time, so that’s understandable.’

Franz felt a faint unease, wondering if Alto might start cutting down on his work time and cling to Viviana. But he pushed the thought aside, telling himself it would only be temporary, even if Alto became completely absorbed.

In any case, the original purpose of their partnership had vanished, yet Franz and Leta continued to meet frequently.

After their marriage, Leta was reassigned to manage the Fortuna library. Managing books alone wouldn’t have been difficult, but because paperwork was also involved, Franz sometimes lent a hand.

‘Books are heavy, you know.’

That day, they were organising newly purchased books. The pile was far too heavy for Leta to carry alone, so Franz, who had come by for a quick cup of tea, helped her.

As Franz slid a book onto a shelf, Leta, working on the opposite side, spoke up in a bright, cheerful voice.

“I’m so glad the two of them are happy.”

Franz turned to look at her. She was smiling, chattering like a little bird, completely unaware that he was watching.

“Of course, me too! I can't believe I get to manage the library! It really feels like a dream come true!”

“Congratulations.”

It wasn’t as if she’d gained any unexpected windfall — her duties had just changed. Yet seeing her delight, so childlike and genuine, Franz couldn’t help but smile.

‘Adorable.’

Then, his own thoughts startled him. Adorable?

Truthfully, Leta wasn’t the type of woman one would normally call adorable. She was tall, and though she wasn’t fat, she wasn’t slim or slender either. Her plain brown hair and freckled face made her look exactly like a maid straight out of a story.

Yet to Franz, she seemed undeniably endearing.

‘Oh, dear.’

Realising the direction of his feelings, Franz turned his head. The sudden emotion of love caught him off guard.

At the edge of his gaze, a stack of papers caught his eye. It was on the desk where Leta always sat when she wasn't organising the books. He walked over toward it.

“You’re always busy scribbling something — what’s that?”

“Ah! Don’t look at that!”

Leta leapt up to stop him, but Franz was faster. He saw the first page before she could intervene. The text was written in continuous prose, broken here and there by quotation marks…

“A novel?”

Whether it was the correct answer or not, Leta’s face turned bright red like a tomato. Fidgeting with her fingers, she spoke.

“W-well, having read so much, I just wanted to try writing one myself…”

"But then, why are you telling me not to look?"

“Because it’s embarrassing!”

To write a novel — wasn’t that a refined hobby? It suited her, especially given how delighted she’d been to be assigned to the library. Franz chuckled softly as his eyes skimmed the text.

However, a situation even he hadn't anticipated occurred. The novel she had written was an adults-only, 19+ romance.

‘That’s right. The first time I really started talking with Leta was because of an erotic novel.’

He had completely forgotten that she liked books like this. No, she hadn’t just been content with reading them; she’d even gone so far as to write one herself?

‘Just how much does she like this sort of thing?’

Could it be that, contrary to her modest appearance, she enjoyed a scandalous life? But that suspicion vanished the moment he read a love scene.

‘Ah, she really doesn’t know.’

In reality, the act of love between a man and a woman was neither so dramatic nor so fantastical. Yet in her novel, the protagonists’ lovemaking was depicted as something enormous, like the sun exploding.

‘Perhaps that was the concept she was going for…’

Even so, the portrayal was wildly exaggerated.

The plot was simple. Two childhood friends who had grown up like siblings, never seeing each other as potential partners, became trapped in a cabin on a rainy day and, drawn to each other as man and woman, ended up together.

‘For two people claiming it’s their first time, they’re awfully bold when it comes to sex.’

It seemed implausible: two people who had been flustered and embarrassed by even the brush of their fingertips suddenly rushing into sex just because they were trapped together.

Above all, there was no way two people having sex for the very first time could proceed smoothly and skillfully. Naturally, they would be flustered, wouldn't know what to do, and would end up fumbling around, inevitably doing things that ruined the mood.

‘But since I’m not that familiar with this genre, I probably shouldn’t make careless judgments about its plausibility.’

Nonetheless, he felt that the depiction of the sexual encounters was off. In its current state, the novel would be difficult to publish, and even if it were, it would likely draw harsh criticism from readers. To prevent that outcome, Franz delivered his feedback as gently as possible.

“The descriptions are vivid, but they don’t feel realistic. Relationships can’t be nothing but bliss, after all…”

He thought he’d chosen only gentle words, yet Leta’s face turned bright red as she heard them. Franz blinked.

“Leta?”

“Hand it over!”

Leta snatched the papers from Franz’s hands, her eyes glistening with tears, and shouted.

“Fine! I learned everything from novels! How could I possibly know any better?”

He thought he had worded it carefully, but he had struck right at Leta’s sore spot. Deep down, Leta had indeed been struggling with that very worry.

Fuming, Leta glared at Franz and spoke with determination.

“But even you, Sir Aide, don’t know! In novels, the moment it goes in, it’s always described as pure ecstasy!”

“Goes in…”

“If you’re so dissatisfied with my story, why don’t you show me yourself how it's done?!”

“Show you…”

The words kept hammering at Franz’s head — thump, thump, thump.

His head throbbed, and he pressed a palm to his forehead.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course! What? Are you feeling pressured now?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that you have no experience…”

“That’s exactly why I’m going to do it!”

Hearing the voice of the woman yelling at the top of her lungs made his head feel dizzy.

‘Does she even know what she’s saying?’

Franz grabbed Leta by the shoulders and spoke to her in a serious, earnest tone.

“You’ll regret this.”

Leta rolled her eyes and casually let slip words that nearly made Franz choke.

“Why? Is it because your thing is as small as a pencil, Sir Aide?”

“Wh-what do you mean by that?! That’s absolutely not true!”

“Then what’s there for me to regret?”

“That…”

For a moment, Franz flared up at the remark that his 'thing' was only pencil-sized and, in turn, yelled at Leta, locking eyes with her.

‘Does this woman not even know what I’m worried about in the first place?!’

“So, are you saying you have no qualms about having sex with a man you don’t like?”

"Wh-what are you talking about?! Of course I’m saying it because I like you!"

“What did you say?”

"I’m telling you, I like you!"

“Ha.”

Hearing the unexpected reply, Franz rubbed his face again.

'Wait, is this what I think it means?’

‘She wants to have sex with me because she likes me.’

‘That’s what she means, right?’

And here he was, clueless as ever, asking if she was okay to have sex with a man she didn’t even like.

Fully realising that his awareness was at an Alto’s level, Franz smacked his forehead. Then, quickly regaining his composure, he explained his situation to Leta politely.

“First of all, I currently send twenty gold coins each month to my family. I save the rest of my salary, but it’s enough for me to rent a small detached house in the suburbs.”

“Ah? R-really?”

It had been a long time since someone he liked was also interested in him, so what was there to hesitate about?

Franz spoke with a determined expression.

“I’ll do my best.”

“...?”

It was only natural that Leta didn't understand what he was talking about.

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