Volume 8, Chapter 3: The Missing Numbers Former Part (2/2)

(He earned a lot from the Go tournament the other day, huh.)

It seemed he also ran a sweet potato business, but he had other core businesses to attend to as well. Even if he cloned himself, it won’t be enough, yet his ability to handle them all with ease was, begrudgingly, praiseworthy.

“I’m so happy to eat while surrounded by flowers. There’s a rose, an iris, and a wood sorrel,” Rahan said.

No need to say who the wood sorrel referred to.

“I’ve heard many rumours about Miss En’en’s cooking. I wanted to try it out once.”

“My.” En’en’s expression was icy. But it was admirable that she didn’t forget about serving.

(A rumour about En’en’s cooking. Where did he hear that from?)

Maomao’s question was quickly answered.

“The older brother’s shop is popular and the younger sister’s cooking is also second to none, I’ve heard,” he said.

“Yes. En’en’s cooking is delicious. To the point where she won’t lose to the head chef.” Yao handed out high praises extremely naturally.

Before, Maomao heard that En’en’s brother had been saved by Yao. He should be working for Yao’s family, but it seemed he went independent afterwards.

(Due to the change in family head?)

She felt that she had found another reason behind En’en’s bad impression of Yao’s uncle.

“I ate at the older brother’s restaurant three times, but maaaaan, this cooking is delicious too.”

“Three times? During which season did you go? The menu changes every season, right, En’en?”

“Yes, he cooks with seasonal ingredients prepared every month.”

When the topic about En’en’s brother was brought up, Yao bit at it. En’en also joined the conversation.

Maomao was enjoying the crispiness of the duck skin. The greasy skin and flavour of the condiments are trapped within the pancake. You eat it after dipping it in the salty-sweet sauce. The umami and aroma of the meat, the texture of the vegetables, and the simple pancake, all exquisitely blended to invite salivation with every bite.

To express it in one word, it’s delicious.

“Maaaan, this is truly delicious.”

Rahan held the same opinion.

Rahan has another trait that was worth praising. He is good at making conversation. If she had to say it, as he was able to get the shy Yao to speak openly, Maomao felt she understood why En’en was a little annoyed.

While eating in silence, Maomao became full. Since there were no longer plans to serve dim sum, she kept glancing at the direction of the room with the bookshelf, wondering if it’s okay to go read already.

“Maomao, don’t say that you want to hurry back to read, okay?” Yao scowled at Maomao. Apparently, despite not joining the conversation, she managed to give things away.

“….” Maomao sat quietly, eating scallions to kill time.

(That reminds me.)

There was one thing about the arrangement of the bookshelf that bothered her.

“Rahan, were any of the books from the bookshelf taken someplace else?” Maomao asked.

“Books from the bookshelf?” Rahan tilted his head. “I have no idea. Esteemed father won’t do anything to Great Uncle’s things. In fact, we only have the servants clean the room periodically.”

For the weirdo tactician, it was an unprecedented worry. Indeed, she had thought that this outbuilding was cleaned.

“Are you saying that there are gaps in the books? If so, the cleaning servants would get suspicious, but I don’t think Esteemed father would employ strange individuals in the first place. Since it’s truly troublesome to have that person as an enemy.”

Books, being valuable items, can be stolen, but would the servants working at the weirdo tactician’s place go that far?

(This is hard.)

“What is missing?” Yao asked.

“I’m a little bothered about what it could be, but.” Maomao left her seat and returned with two books from the bookshelf, as well as paper and stationary she used for transcribing. “Please check the spine.”

“What’s this?” Yao tilted her head.

[ 三―Ⅵ―１]

[ 四―Ⅱ―３]

…it wrote. In other words, the first part of the sixth section of the third volume. She didn’t understand it, but the number went up every time there was a postscript in each section, so it was finely divided.

At least several hundred books on the bottom shelf were also numbered in this manner.

“I can read the first number, but…”

“They’re western numbers,” En’en answered, knowing a smattering of western words.

“Yes.” Maomao wrote the numbers down on the paper.

[１, ２, ３, ４, ５, ６, ７, ８, ９]

[ Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ, Ⅷ, Ⅸ ]

(T/N: and for those who are unfamiliar with eastern numbers: 一二三四五六七八九)

Upon hearing “numbers”, Rahan’s eyes shone.

Yao gave a start at the paper written with [Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅶ, Ⅷ, Ⅸ].

“Could the next number be [Ⅹ]?” Yao traced it out on the table.

“Correct. As expected of milady.” En’en answered in Maomao’s stead.

“Dad numbered each book properly. But there are gaps in the first and second volumes,” Maomao said.

“Is that so,” Rahan said.

“You love numbers, so I thought you would have noticed it at once.”

“Unfortunately I hardly come to this outbuilding. I’m busy, you see.”

“Then f*cking quit eating here so casually.” Maomao accidentally blurted out her real intention.

“Maomao, please don’t use such vulgar language before Yao-sama.” En’en cut in with her educational guidance.

“The numbering is for systematic labelling, right?”

“Yes. The first and second volume are about the fundamentals. The first volume is about human anatomy, and the second about surgical procedures.” Maomao’s field of expertise is herbal medicine, but she wanted to understand it from the perspective of healing people.

“Unfortunately, I have no idea, but I’m curious. I’ll try asking the servants too.” Rahan rose up from his seat while pushing up his glasses. His plate was cleaned. He seemed satisfied. “I have some work tomorrow, so if there’s anything, call someone.”

“Understood,” En’en replied curtly.

“Thanks for the food, it was extremely delicious. You must be tired. You can leave the tableware as it is, I’ll call for the servants,” Rahan said.

Maomao intended to clear the table as well, but if it’s fine to leave it, then all the better. She wanted to quickly get back to copying the books.

She wanted to head back to the room with the bookshelf as soon as Rahan leaves, but her shoulders were grabbed. “What is it?”

“There’s still dim sum.” Yao smiled to say I won’t let you escape.