A silver-haired man with glasses slightly bowed his head. He seemed to be a librarian, so I greeted him first.
“Hello.”
The man nodded slightly. From his glancing gaze behind the thick glasses, he seemed to be the type who found it hard to deal with people.
“Can I borrow some books? Is the head librarian available?”
While maids could enter the library, permission from the head librarian was needed to take books outside. I planned to borrow a few books quickly and return to my room before being noticed by Floria or her associates.
The man blinked silently for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.
“I am the head librarian.”
“Pardon?”
“I am the head librarian.”
“Oh…”
I had imagined a head librarian as an elderly man with a white beard and was caught off guard by the young-looking man in casual attire before me. Realizing my rudeness, I quickly bowed my head.
“I’m sorry, I thought you were a librarian.”
The head librarian position, although not a major post, was an honorable job not just anyone could hold. So this seemingly timid man in front of me was at least of baronial status.
“The librarians left early today. Is there a specific book you’re looking for?”
Despite my maid’s attire, the man didn’t treat me with disdain, indicating he didn’t differentiate based on status.
“I’m looking for books on magic.”
“Please, follow me.”
The head librarian led the way without making eye contact. As I followed, I bit my lip.
“Here are all the books on magic.”
“…”
Seeing the endless rows of books, my motivation waned.
“Take your time.”
“Wait a moment.”
I stopped the head librarian as he was about to leave. He looked back, puzzled.
“I don’t have much time. Could you help me find something specific?”
“Tell me what you need.”
“Do you have any books specifically about fairies? Something that summarizes the key points rather than basic information.”
“If you’re looking for such a book…”
The head librarian brought over a ladder.
“Just a moment.”
He climbed the ladder, stretching for a book high up. He seemed tall, but still had to stand on tiptoe. His precarious position made me anxious.
“Be careful!”
Watching him teeter dangerously, he finally pulled out a book titled . I was impressed by his ability to quickly find exactly what I needed.
‘He truly is a head librarian!’
As he reached for another book, he stumbled.
“Watch out, you’ll fall!”
As he lost balance and toppled backward, he shouted to me.
“Move away!”
But there was no time to move. I reached out to catch him, and the impact sent us both crashing to the floor.
“Ugh!”
Overwhelmed by the sudden pain, I quickly checked on the head librarian.
“Are you alri…”
Oh my, what a surprise.
I blinked in astonishment at the sight of this unexpectedly attractive young man.
The man with silver hair and glasses slightly bowed his head. Clear as if a goldfish could swim in them, his eyes were kind and surrounded by gentle eyelashes. His cherry-like lips and pure appearance, accentuated by his pale skin, made him look almost ethereal.
From the corner of my eye, I saw his thick glasses lying on the ground.
‘Is this a romance comic? Just by removing glasses, a person can look this different?’
He was trembling with a pale face, exuding a fragile beauty. His transformation was so striking, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“I’m, I’m so sorry.”
The head librarian’s face flushed with embarrassment as he hurried to get up. His clumsy movements only made him struggle more. When I helped him up, he finally managed to regain his balance. He squinted and looked around, probably searching for his glasses.
‘It’s a shame to cover that face again.’
Though I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t just leave him like this, so I found his glasses and handed them to him. He quickly put them on and straightened his messy hair.
“Th-thank you. Are you hurt?”
Even though he avoided eye contact, he glanced at me as if checking for injuries.
“I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
He sighed, relieved. Unlike him, I was shocked.
“Oh my, you’re bleeding from your nose!”
“Ah!”
I was perplexed. Why would he have a nosebleed when I was the one who took the impact? He casually blocked his nose with the back of his hand.
“My body is weak, I often get nosebleeds…”
Embarrassed, his ears turned red.
“Here, use this.”
I offered him my handkerchief. He flinched and refused it.
“No, it’ll get dirty.”
“It’s okay, that’s what it’s for.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he accepted the handkerchief.
“I’ll wash it and return it to you.”
I nodded, watching him. He looked genuinely frail, not just delicate. I picked up the books he dropped, all with fascinating titles about fairies.
“I’d like to borrow these, if that’s okay?”
He inspected one of the books and showed me a card inside.
“Please write your name and give it to me.”
“Thank you!”
I smiled, relieved at the easy process. He turned away, his red ears revealing his introverted nature.
“Just a moment, I’ll write my name. Do you have a pen?”
He offered his pen, slightly timid but thoughtful.
If only he could ditch those cursed glasses. I regretfully accepted his pen, hiding his radiant beauty, and wrote my name on the card. He stared at the card thoughtfully.
“I’ll be going now.”
“Wait.”
As I hurriedly turned to leave, the head librarian stopped me. I turned back, wondering if he had something to say. He bit his lip nervously.
“Do you have something to say?”
“……If you feel uncomfortable anywhere tomorrow, please let me know. Usually, the day after an accident feels worse.”
It wasn’t even a traffic accident, just a fall on the floor. But his kindness made me smile.
“I will, thank you.”
I cheerfully responded and left the library. It felt like the librarian’s gaze followed me as I departed.
I sneaked into the palace gardens like an assassin, having heard that the Queen was visiting the Second Prince’s palace.
“She’s said to be having tea around here…”
I stealthily moved, avoiding detection, until I found a secluded spot behind a building wall and peeked out. In the distance, under a gazebo, sat two figures.
‘Found them!’
The middle-aged woman with her blond hair done up and adorned with extravagant hairpieces looked much like the Second Prince, clearly identifying her as the Queen. She appeared surprisingly young for the mother of a grown son, and was strikingly beautiful. Yet, her beauty was marred by a trace of harshness.
‘Seems like the Queen’s portrayal is accurate.’
I was spying on them to see if the original story was progressing as I knew it.
Reneeola’s presence in the palace, contrary to her original fate in the story, was due to my intervention. I wanted to confirm whether my involvement had altered anything else.
“Still not using honorifics properly, I see.”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
“Hah… For someone who is to be the Queen, not knowing proper honorifics…”
The Queen rubbed her forehead as if in pain. Watching her scold with every sip of tea, I let out a sigh of relief.
In the original story, the Queen disapproved of Floria, putting high expectations on her son, Prince Eric. She believed Eric needed a strong external family support to surpass the First Prince and ascend to the throne.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
