This Novel is not my Novel

"For now, discussing it will only lead us nowhere, so let's talk about the secrets hidden in the special character novels later. Or not. Right now, I want to talk about your skill..."

"I swear to the heavens, I have never arbitrarily spied on your information."

As I carefully mentioned the 【Truth-Reading Eye】, Reisir hurriedly proclaimed his innocence.

Well, I had been extremely wary every time he touched his eyepatch until now.

It was understandable for him to react that way, thinking he was under suspicion.

"It's not that I never once suspected you might secretly read my information. But it's been a while since I stopped having such doubts."

"Really...?"

"Yes. I figured you wouldn't secretly use that skill on me when you know full well how much I dislike it. And you yourself seemed quite reluctant to use that skill on others."

"...You know I used this skill on Professor Skati, Nidr, and Ríolíkin, right? You still think so?"

Reisir watched my expression with an uncharacteristically timid attitude.

His lack of confidence was so pitiful that the words came out on their own.

"Those weren't decisions you made for your own sake, were they? Especially using that skill on Professor Skati... that must have been a huge risk for you too. After all, she's on a leash held by the Imperial Family."

If he hadn't been incredibly resolute, it would have been difficult to carry out.

"What's more, Professor Skati is such an elusive person that it would have been impossible to use the skill on her from a distance without her noticing. So you must have faced her while revealing the silver eyes you had kept hidden. And you didn't stop there; you told me that she was a highly skilled assassin, even though you suspected Professor Skati might be hiding somewhere and listening."

I knew Skati's personality, so I was sure she wouldn't do that.

But Reisir didn't know her, so he couldn't have completely ruled out the possibility of her reporting this to the Imperial Family.

And yet, the reason Reisir stepped forward and acted that way in chapter 68 was...

"It must have been a measure to protect me from her."

Because he was worried about me. To warn me that she was dangerous.

And by pointing out that Skati had no right to hate me, he was trying to prevent her from harming me.

"At the slightest misstep, the ability you've hidden until now could have been exposed to the Imperial Family, and you weren't unaware that it could put you in a difficult position..."

Therefore, Reisir's use of the 【Truth-Reading Eye】 on Skati was by no means something to be criticized.

Skati herself would probably be grateful rather than offended if she learned of the circumstances.

She was the type of person who would be at a loss, feeling sorry for thinking she had hurt me.

If Reisir hadn't intervened back then, she might still be hating me.

"And you used that ability on Nidr because Ríolíkin was so anxious that he wouldn't achieve the goal I presented. You did it for his sake."

For reference, this was in chapter 104.

"Using that skill on Ríolíkin must have also stemmed from your concern for him. Ríolíkin had suddenly entered a berserk state. You were worried about him, so you wanted to check his condition. Also..."

In chapter 114, Ríolíkin wasn't the only person Reisir was worried about.

"You must have also been bothered by the fact that I was blaming myself. That's why you went out of your way to tell me it was okay to be relieved, even though you could have just kept it to yourself. All the while knowing full well that if you said that to me, when I already had a vague idea about your silver Ether Attribute Ability, I would become certain..."

I recalled the image of Reisir grinning as he watched me feel relieved.

His expression, which I usually found annoying, had looked so dependable at that moment.

I looked at Reisir, remembering my impression that day, and Reisir looked back at me.

Our gazes met in the air.

Just as I discovered the light of deep emotion shimmering in his golden eyes, Reisir suddenly spread both arms.

"......Why are your arms suddenly like that?"

"So it's easier for you to hug me?"

"????"

What kind of sudden nonsense was this?

Why on earth would I have to be in the arms of the protagonist of someone else's novel?

In the first place, how had this guy come to think that I would jump into his arms?

Unable to fathom the reason at all, I was utterly bewildered when Reisir explained why.

"When a cat makes eye contact and reveals its trust, it means it's ready to be held, right?"

I correct myself.

This isn't an explanation. It's nonsense worth even less than a dog's bark.

"...Am I wrong?"

"......You are."

"That's strange. I was sure that was the feeling..."

"You're mistaken."

"Really? You're not just playing coy because you're embarrassed?"

It wasn't enough that he treated a perfectly fine person like a cat; he also had to be this persistent.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

So I kicked the other party's shin with all my might.

"Ouch, ouch..."

Although such a sound came from Reisir's mouth, he didn't look particularly hurt.

Still, now that I had taken this action, he probably wouldn't continue with the nonsense.

"Anyway, you're not the type to abuse that skill for your personal purposes and infringe on the privacy of others, are you? If you were that kind of person, you would have used that skill on me during the first semester of last year. If, as others guessed, a flaw truly exists in my Ether Attribute Ability, you could have found out what it was and used it to threaten me."

"I don't do such cowardly things."

"Right, you didn't. Even though you could have at least demanded that I stop bothering you, let alone tried to control me as you pleased."

The readers of the original work found this truly frustrating.

And I was one of them.

While I really liked that Reisir wasn't the kind of person to hold others' weaknesses over them and threaten them, I hated the villain named Karvaldr who tormented him.

"You were like that back then, so you obviously wouldn't have looked at my information after I stopped bothering you. And more than anything... you seem to prefer hearing it directly from me rather than finding out secretly, don't you?"

Just like in chapter 232, when he asked if I had a time-deceleration buff.

"That's why I no longer doubt you. But from the looks of it, you can't seem to control that skill, so I just can't let my guard down. Because it's possible you might read my information against your will..."

"Does that mean...! You were about to poke me in the eye for my sake, worried that when that happened, I would blame myself for destroying our trust and feel sorry toward you?"

I don't know how he could make such a moved face while talking about me trying to poke him in the eye.

What's more, that emotion was born from an absurd misunderstanding.

"I have never thought that. I just did it because I didn't know what you could see, and it made me uneasy."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. I see."

Reisir's face formed an annoying expression.

An impulse to scratch it washed over me.

But if I did, that face, far from contorting, would probably light up as he went on about cats, so I decided to hold back.

"Anyway... in that sense, I want to confirm something."

"What?"

"What your right eye can read, and how much."

"What I can see are the name, stats, skill list, and a brief explanation of the skills."

Had he decided to speak honestly about the 【Truth-Reading Eye】 the moment I mentioned it?

A specific answer came back very quickly.

He answered so lightly, without a hint of hesitation, that I felt embarrassed for bringing it up in such a serious atmosphere.

"How brief?"

"To explain based on Ríolíkin's 【Frenzy】 skill... It just said, 'Though seized by madness, became able to follow a specific person's instructions due to a reflection of inclination.' It didn't say what inclination was reflected or who the 'specific person' was."

"The skill grade?"

"I could see that too."

"【Frenzy】 is classified as a general skill, not an Ether special ability... So that's how you knew Professor Skati was a skilled assassin. Because she possessed assassination-related general skills, and their grades were high."

I muttered as if I had only now realized information I already knew from reading the original novel, then nodded.

Yor also nodded along with me and meowed seriously.

At that, a contented smile bloomed on Reisir's face.

It seemed the protagonist of someone else's novel was finally starting to fall for Yor's cuteness.

I felt incredibly proud. So much so that I had to struggle to control my facial muscles, which kept trying to slacken.

Making a beaming expression didn't fit the possessed body's character, and besides, I had a job to do right now.

"If it's to that extent..."

I feigned a serious expression and muttered as above while stroking my chin like a person deep in thought.

Then, after pretending to have finished organizing my thoughts, I took my hand away from my chin.

I locked eyes with the puzzled-looking Reisir and opened my mouth.

"Use that skill on me now."

"......Uhhh???"

Reisir blinked with a blank expression, and only after a little time had passed did he show his surprise.

His face was colored with astonishment, and bewilderment could be read in his wide-open eyes.

My remark must have been quite unexpected.

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh, no, it's not that... Is it really okay...? Even if I already know everything about your ability, and the explanation is a simplified version..."

"You don't know everything."

"...Huh?"

"It means I have more skills that you don't know about."

"Uh..., uh-uhp!"

As his questioning voice grew louder, I hurriedly covered Reisir's mouth.

And I warned him.

"I said it's fine to talk normally in here, but that didn't mean it's okay to shout. It doesn't seem to be a space inside the library, but it's connected, after all."

"Mm, mm."

Reisir's head moved up and down as if he understood.

After confirming this, I removed my hand, and Reisir asked, lowering his voice significantly.

"Hey... you're talking about an Ether Attribute Ability, not a general skill, right...?"

"Yes, that's right."

"......!"

"Let me say this in advance: it doesn't mean you can just look. Share what you read with me. I'm giving my permission under that condition."

"Karvaldr..."

"Stop subtly spreading your arms, and put them down."

"Ah, this isn't the right timing either?"

"......"

Reisir awkwardly lowered his arms.

But as if to protect me from him, Yor slid in between Reisir and me.