✦ ✦ ✦
Alto, who had slipped into the bathroom, covered his pale face with his hands.
‘I feel nauseous.’
The moment the actors on stage began performing the sex scene, Alto regretted his decision to watch this play with Viviana so much that he felt like he might die.
What disgusted him most was that he became aroused while watching it. He knew that once he grew excited and gave in to desire, the ugliness he had pressed down inside would come spilling out, yet he still became aroused. His own shallowness sickened him.
The actors’ performance was so explicit that it naturally reminded him of the long night he and Viviana would share. Alto bit his lip.
‘Is that the kind of intimacy she wants from me?’
In that case, it wasn’t wrong to say their sexual compatibility would be lacking. After all, he had absolutely no intention of ever doing such things with her.
Alto kept rubbing his face with his dry hands.
‘Besides, that woman spent her nights with several men. It’s repulsive.’
Just imagining Viviana sharing her most intimate parts with another man made a violent surge of feelings, which he had suppressed his entire life, suddenly rise within him.
‘How ridiculous. There’s no such man in the world, and yet I’m getting angry just imagining him.’
Unless Viviana was hiding a secret lover, the scenario he had just imagined was entirely Alto’s delusion.
‘Viviana.’
Thinking of Viviana anxiously waiting for him to return, his composure returned. After straightening his clothes, Alto returned to the carriage.
‘Viviana must never find out. That I’m this weak and easily shaken, or anything about my secret.’
✦ ✦ ✦
Even though Alto had been so flustered at the theatre, he didn’t halt the day’s schedule and kept going — partly out of sheer stubbornness.
It was a stubbornness that refused to let something so trivial ruin the day.
But when they arrived at the bookstore and he saw how delighted Viviana was, he was glad he hadn’t given up.
“Wow, so this is a bookstore.”
Viviana’s pale cheeks flushed a rosy pink, like a peach. Her charm naturally drew his gaze.
Alto looked at her with a fond smile and asked.
“Is this your first time at a bookstore?”
“The Duke doesn’t like me going out. And my father wasn’t particularly fond of me reading books either.”
“I see.”
She loved bookstores this much. How frustrated must she have been until now?
It wasn’t even a jewellery shop or a clothing store, yet just going to a bookstore made her this happy.
‘I really have been far too indifferent to her.’
Alto lowered his head, deeply reflecting on himself.
“From now on, let’s come to the bookstore more often.”
“Wow! …But, together?”
“Yes.”
At his suggestion that they come together, Viviana’s expression grew oddly reluctant. Thinking she was refusing because she still didn’t trust him, Alto felt fear wash over him once again.
‘I want to get to know you better now.’
He wanted to share that thought, but Viviana, unlike Alto, timidly yet clearly conveyed her intention to keep her distance.
“I-I’ll freely choose the books I want, so Alto, you choose whatever books you want to look at, too.”
Then she hurried off with the maid as if fleeing.
Alto, feeling a little hurt, watched her disappearing figure and shrugged. He couldn’t say anything since she looked so openly happy.
‘Reading, huh.’
Alto looked at the books on display with indifferent eyes. He found it hard to understand why Viviana was so happy to be at the bookstore. Reading simply wasn’t a hobby of his.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve always only read books out of necessity.’
Some people found joy in experiencing life vicariously through novels, but Alto was not that kind of person.
Alto, who had been scanning the bookshelves with a halfhearted glance, quickly lost interest and turned his eyes back to Viviana.
What could be so exciting? Viviana was laughing and chattering merrily with the maid who had accompanied her.
‘What kind of book is she trying to buy?’
It was just as Alto was about to step in that direction that the bookstore owner, clearing his throat, stopped him.
“Ahem, sir, it would be best if you waited for a moment.”
“Why is that?”
"It seems the lady has come to buy a romance novel, which is currently all the rage in the marketplace."
‘Romance novel?’
Alto frowned as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous thing. The bookstore owner smiled warmly.
“They’re novels about love between men and women. Lately, they’ve become extremely popular among young ladies.”
Alto’s eyes sparkled at those words.
‘Could this be? Is this why Viviana suddenly changed?’
After reading novels about love between men and women, she began to reconsider their relationship. With that in mind, all the strange behaviour suddenly made sense: like bringing up sex they’d never had and debating whether they were compatible.
The claim that they were popular among young ladies didn’t seem exaggerated. There were plenty of young ladies her age in the bookstore. As Alto scanned the bookstore shelves, a familiar cover caught his eye.
‘Come to think of it, this seems similar to what I saw in Viviana’s room yesterday.’
Could this be the same kind of content? Just as Alto reached out to touch the book, the bookstore owner called out loudly to stop him.
“Ah, that book is a reserved item, so you mustn ’t touch it.”
“What’s this book about?”
“Do you also know this book, sir?”
“I’ve seen this book at home.”
The bookstore owner chuckled as he replied.
“Ah, it seems the young lady enjoys something a bit daring. This story is about a love affair between a beastman male lead and a human female lead. Later, the male lead transforms into a werewolf, and the work was highly praised for its originality.”
“…A werewolf?”
Alto furrowed his brow, as if thinking, ‘As if she’d like such strange things.’ Noticing his expression, the bookstore owner added in a gentle tone.
“There are young ladies in this world who dream of that kind of love. It’s a common preference, so please don’t think it’s strange.”
“...”
Alto’s crimson gaze lingered on the book’s cover. In a low, husky voice, he murmured.
“A werewolf is the male lead…”
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