Free Web NovelChapter 452: Chapter 452: Adina 5
After browsing for a while, Tan You finally picked out a book titled *The Origin of the Continent*. The original Adina had a very limited vocabulary, which made reading an arduous task for Tan You.
Just as she was trying to guess the meaning of a word, a cold, deep voice spoke from behind her. "Can’t understand it?"
Tan You turned her head reflexively. Standing behind her was none other than the original Adina’s father, Dumont. He smelled faintly of alcohol, but his face remained as cold as ever when he looked at her.
Tan You gave a slight nod. "Yes, the words... I don’t recognize them all."
She had to rack her brain to express herself in the local language. It was tiring for Dumont to listen, and Tan You herself was utterly exhausted. ’Who would enjoy being branded an illiterate the moment they arrive?’ Tan You considered herself quite cultured, after all.
Perhaps the alcohol had dulled his senses. Faced with the thin little girl before him, Dumont fell silent for a moment. Then, he rubbed the thumb ring on his right hand, and an object shaped like an open book materialized in front of Tan You.
Dumont said, "This is an alchemical device. Just place a book written in the common continental language on it, and it will read it aloud. It reads wherever you point."
Tan You’s eyes lit up. "An alchemical reader?"
"What was that?" Dumont hadn’t heard her clearly, so he asked.
Tan You quickly shook her head. "Thank you, Father."
She hugged the alchemical device to her chest. "Is this for me?"
’I don’t care. Even if Dumont says it’s not for me, I’ll throw a tantrum until I get it. With this thing, my learning efficiency will skyrocket!’
Dumont nodded. "Your sister, Lilith, doesn’t like to read. You can have it."
Tan You’s joy wasn’t the least bit diminished. So what if it was Lilith’s castoff? She wanted it, and she wasn’t that sensitive. Overjoyed, she gave Dumont a deep bow, then scooped up the alchemical device and *The Origin of the Continent* and ran back to Adina’s room.
With her new alchemical reader, Tan You started frequenting the library even more diligently. Of course, she wasn’t about to go gloating to Lilith about it. ’Is this something to gloat about? This is my lifeline!’
To learn as much as possible, Tan You created a strict schedule for herself. She went to the library every morning before dawn and wouldn’t return to her room to rest until the moon had set.
Carrying the sparkling little lamp, Tan You sighed in amazement once again. ’This world of Magic is truly incredible.’
This little lamp used for illumination, for instance, was also a type of alchemical device. It had a rechargeable energy stone at its base. Once the energy was fully depleted, you would exchange it for a new one. The used energy stones were collected by Alchemists, who would then redraw the Magic Array on them.
’Isn’t this just a modern desk lamp? Except a desk lamp plugs into the wall, whereas this is basically a rechargeable one.’ Tan You chuckled at her own comparison. Suddenly, the future didn’t seem so hopelessly bleak.
She had now figured out the original Adina’s innate talent. It was a Dark Element talent, the kind that was hunted down across the continent. Combining this knowledge with fragments from Adina’s memories, Tan You deduced that the girl must have had an Undead talent.
’An Undead talent... Spending your days surrounded by skeletons...’
Thinking about how the Divine Hall of Light reigned supreme, a sense of urgency washed over Tan You. ’I have to use this time to learn as much as I can. Above all else, I need to protect my own life.’
"Miss, Lady Lilith is here," a maid announced softly as she entered the room. Tan You rolled over. "Alright. Help me get dressed."
It wasn’t that Tan You didn’t know how to get dressed; it was that she genuinely couldn’t manage the intricate dress of a noble lady by herself. With the help of the maid, Laura, Tan You was finally properly attired in the elaborate, medieval-style noble finery. She then sat primly by the window to read.
"Adina, are you reading again? I went shopping with Karina and the others today, and they all asked about you. You haven’t been playing with us at all lately. They even asked if we had a fight?"
The blonde, green-eyed Lilith walked in, immediately starting to complain the moment she saw Tan You by the window.
Tan You lowered the *Chronicles of the Continent* she was holding and looked at the original Adina’s twin sister. Even though she had been here less than a month and had spent most of it holed up in the library, she had come to deeply understand just how doted upon Lilith was in this family.
Adina and Lilith were twins, yet their treatment within the manor was worlds apart. On the surface, of course, their parents claimed to treat them with an even hand, but in reality, who couldn’t tell that the fourth young lady of the Edmonds family was out of favor?
"Just tell them I’m sick and can’t get out of bed," Tan You said softly, looking at the rather spoiled little girl before her. Her parents’ favoritism was their own issue; Tan You wasn’t going to take it out on Lilith.
She wasn’t about to pick a fight with a child.
Lilith’s eyes widened. "Absolutely not! You can’t just lie about being sick. I told them you’ve gotten really into reading lately and don’t feel like socializing."
’Hearing this, I can’t help but sigh. Who says noble girls are all just spoiled socialites? She’s only five, right? And she’s already networking everywhere? They have their own little circle, mostly consisting of children whose parents get along well, so the kids all play together.’
Tan You arched an eyebrow. "And what did those friends of yours have to say?"
Lilith pouted. "Not much. Adina, you’re always so quiet. Whenever we play together, you just sit off by yourself. We had a great time today even without you."
Tan You’s hand paused mid-air. She glanced at Lilith. ’This is why,’ she thought. She didn’t dislike Adina’s sister, but she couldn’t bring herself to like her, either. ’For someone so young, her words really knew how to sting. Perhaps she knows that everyone—be it adults or her friends—prefers her.’
"Adina, you’ve been acting so strange lately. You’re either in the library or just staying in your room." Lilith sat on the stool across from Tan You. "You’re not lively at all."
Tan You looked at this cheerful, carefree girl and sighed inwardly. ’I’m studying this desperately right now just to carve out a path for my own survival.’
’In just one more month, I have to attend that blasted talent assessment. With the original Adina’s Undead talent, the moment it’s discovered, I’m guaranteed to suffer the same fate as her.’
That’s why, in the less than a month she’d been here, Tan You had been trying every conceivable method to find a way out. Unfortunately, the original Adina was not favored. She had no one reliable to turn to, her parents didn’t particularly care for her, and she had no money to her name. All of this made it exceedingly difficult for Tan You to accomplish anything.
The Marquis’s estate, in particular, had exceptionally strict rules; neither the young ladies nor the maids were permitted to enter or leave freely. As a result, even after being here for nearly a month, Tan You hadn’t once set foot outside the main gate of the Marquis’s estate.
’Fine,’ Tan You thought. ’Since I can’t get out, I’ll just have to find another way.’
Thankfully, she had the alchemical reader that Dumont had given her in his drunken state. With it, at least she wasn’t completely ignorant about this new world.
