What I Gained by Giving My Body - Chapter 2.11

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Caitlyn woke up panting. The sheets were damp with cold sweat. She pulled at her own hair and finally let out a sigh of relief. It wasn’t raven-black hair like that of the pagan princess or Archduke Akbar; it was golden—like sunlight. (t/n: pagan refers to someone who follows a religion or belief system outside of the main recognized religions.)

‘This time…… I thought and felt as if I had truly become that princess.’

Caitlyn buried her face in her hands. A single thought suddenly popped into her mind, which was filled with self-reproach.

‘They say an animal on some distant continent has the habit of shoving its face into a pile of sand instead of running away when danger approaches.’

How was she any different from that animal right now? Even though she knew from the start that these dreams were unusual, she had ignored them without any plan. Her eyes began to sting. Caitlyn wiped her damp eyes and stood up.

She couldn’t just keep crying; she had to investigate these ominous dreams. To avoid waking her brother, she put on her coat as quietly as possible and stepped outside, her body instinctively shrinking in the cold morning air. A cold wind blew fiercely as if advertising the fact that winter was coming soon.

“Where are you headed, My Lady?”

Just then, a carriage pulled up in front of her. It was a transport carriage used by nobles who weren’t wealthy enough to own a private carriage or commoners with some extra pocket money. Caitlyn swallowed hard. Since prominent nobles usually possessed extensive libraries, she had two choices. The Count Sufferd’s estate or the Archduke Akbar’s estate.

‘……It’s obvious what the Countess would think of me if I said I was looking for books about pagans.’

And naturally, she would tell Leslie not to associate with her. Caitlyn wanted to maintain a good relationship with Leslie, so there was only one choice left. However, she didn’t want to go to Archduke Akbar’s estate. Had she not been kicked out yesterday, treated like an uninvited guest? It was uncertain if the Archduke would welcome her visiting without notice. If she made one wrong move, even the promise she had barely secured might be canceled.

“……Please take me to Ariterium Street.”

“Ariterium, you say?”

“Yes.”

The coachman seemed flustered, as it wasn’t a place a noblewoman would go, no matter how humble her family, but he drove the horses quickly and delivered Caitlyn safely to her destination. Caitlyn pressed a few coins into his hand and began looking around the street filled with shabby shops.

‘……It’s over there.’

An old bookstore with a faintly faded sign that showed its age caught her eye.

[Bayer’s Old Books]

Caitlyn opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside.

“Well, look who it is!”

The white-haired bookseller looked quite pleased to see a customer after such a long time.

“Is this not our Lady Hardick?”

“……I told you not to call me that.”

“Ah, right. Miss Hardick. Still no fun.”

Caitlyn spoke without paying him any mind.

“I’m here to find books about pagans.”

“Sir Edward would know more about that…… why aren’t you asking your brother?”

Caitlyn shook her head.

“Ed was only interested in business. He knows nothing about religion or culture.”

“Goodness, the siblings are both no fun……. They’re over there. There’s no demand but plenty of supply, so if you count the ones shoved in the warehouse, there’ll be quite a lot.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bayer.”

Caitlyn first looked through the books displayed on the shelves. Desperately hoping that there would be at least one book related to her dreams.

She scanned everything thoroughly, but the information she was looking for was written nowhere. Troy, King Priamos, Princess Cassandra, The God Apollo……. At the very least, the name of the country, Troy, should have appeared somewhere.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t find what I was looking for.”

“So you’ll be checking the warehouse, then.”

Bayer, the bookseller, grumbled as he handed Caitlyn a pair of gloves.

“Handle them with care. If even a single page is torn, I’ll charge you for it. Though I don’t know if you have the money to pay me back.”

“I’ll be careful.”

Caitlyn stepped into the warehouse. The familiar smell of old, decaying paper and musty parchment filled the air—not exactly a pleasant scent. Her parents, who had prioritized education despite their meager circumstances, occasionally brought the siblings to Bayer’s bookstore. Each time, Edward and Caitlyn would choose completely different books. Edward picked ones about exploration and adventure, while she…….

‘They were books about prophets.’

They were bitter memories. Usually, those ‘books of prophecy’ were nothing more than books containing gibberish that people couldn’t even properly understand, and those who seemed to have made true prophecies met gruesome deaths. As far as Caitlyn knew, the future was never unclear or just empty talk.

Because it was clear, it was even more unbelievable; because it was set, it was a terrifying future. There hadn’t been a single book that was helpful to a young girl who could see it.

‘Troy…… Troy.’

It seemed finding the country’s name would be faster than searching for the names of all those kings, princesses, and princes. But no matter how much she searched and dug, the name Troy did not appear. Seeing that even a similar name wasn’t visible, it seemed to be a country very far away from the Britannia Empire.