Taming The Villainesses novel Chapter 379

Silently, Mirna read the twisted letters written atop the notebook.

She had once taken a course on ancient dead languages at Ark, the Church’s educational facility, so she should be able to decipher the writing.

“What does it say?”

I asked again, and she answered.

“Teo.”

“Teo?”

“That’s what it says. Pronounced exactly like that.”

Teo. That was my name. To think a notebook left behind in this abandoned fortress overrun by monsters would have my name on it—startling, to say the least.

Could it be that Isaiah Gospel, who once possessed this notebook, had known I would come to this place? Just as the thought crossed my mind, Mirna shook her head.

“But I don’t think it’s referring to your name, Sir Teo. In the ancient dead language, the word ‘Teo’ has only one meaning.”

“And that is?”

“God. This notebook is titled God in the old tongue. I don’t know what kind of content it holds, but it could contain something quite significant.”

Shhk. _{freewebnσvel.cøm}

With a subtle look of anticipation, Mirna opened the leather cover of the notebook.

But almost immediately, a hint of bewilderment clouded her face. Narmee, peering at the notebook alongside her, spoke.

“All the writing’s smeared! You can’t read a single word like this.”

Just as she said, it seemed the text had once been written in ink or black dye, but now it was horribly smeared—like it had been soaked in rain and washed away.

Considering how long the notebook must have been sitting here in this monster-infested fortress, it wasn’t surprising the writing hadn’t held up. Now that I noticed it, the area where the notebook had been was terribly damp and reeked of mold.

Narmee said,

“This thing was abandoned in a dump like this. It probably didn’t contain anything important to begin with. What were you even expecting?”

What had I been expecting? I let my imagination wander for a moment.

Maybe... this leather-bound notebook was Isaiah Gospel’s personal journal.

What had he been thinking when he came to this far-off land?

Why had he hidden himself in a place like Fortress Gargarta, surrounded by monsters?

Why did he leave the imp behind, and where had he gone afterward?

Perhaps the notebook contained answers to all that. Maybe even something about the nymph Beatrice he met... or the child they supposedly had together.

But with the pages this badly soaked, there was no reading it unless it could somehow be restored.

Flash.

A sudden thought struck me like lightning.

I reached out and took the notebook from Mirna’s hands and quickly set off. I knew exactly who I needed to bring this to in order to decipher it.

She had once restored and read a book I’d burned to ashes. So something as simple as smeared ink should be far easier than charred pages.

She could definitely do it.

I stood once again in front of Ayra’s door. It was now just past 1 p.m. Surely she had woken by now.

Brushing the dust off my clothes to properly receive an audience with the queen, I cleared my throat.

“Ahem.”

Then, with two fingers, I knocked gently on the door.

“Ayra-nim, are you awake?”

Rustle.

This time, there was movement inside the room.

━Come in.

Having received permission, I gently turned the knob. Creak, the door opened.

Inside, Ayra was still lying in bed in her underwear. It seemed her mind was awake, but her body wasn’t quite ready to get up yet.

I approached her quietly.

She gestured with her hand toward a nearby water bottle. Understanding what she meant, I poured some water into the cup beside it and brought it to her.

Shhk.

“......”

The queen silently accepted the cup. Her pale, cherry blossom–colored lips touched the rim and she drank.

The way she drank water made it look like a commercial for a luxury water brand. For a moment, I couldn’t help but stare in awe. After placing the cup down, Ayra spoke.

“So, what brings you to me?”

“Well, that is...”

I briefly explained the situation: the imp I had found, her master, and the notebook # Nоvеlight # he had left behind.

***

“That’s how it happened.”

It was a simple enough story—hardly needed a long explanation.

But whether she didn’t understand, or something about it displeased her, Ayra furrowed her brow slightly.

“I see. Here I thought you’d come back to pick up where you left off earlier.”

“Earlier?”

I asked, and Ayra lifted her hand into the air, then slowly clenched it like she was grabbing something.

Seeing that gesture—like she was cupping a woman’s breast—I understood exactly what she meant. She thought I’d come to fondle her chest again.

My expectations suddenly shot up.

“So... can I?”

“Anyway, let me see this book you mentioned.”

Ayra brushed off my question without hesitation. Was that a no? All the rising excitement immediately plummeted back down to my feet. She really knew how to toy with a man’s heart.

Was this what they meant by push-and-pull?

I was beginning to understand why so many men would’ve soared to the heavens and crashed into the dirt at the mercy of a beauty’s whims.

Ayra’s composed face practically radiated the sentiment: I hold all the cards in this relationship. You’re beneath me.