Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 231: Exposing the Queen Dowager’s Secret
Inside the Queen Dowager’s villa, in the study’s desk drawer, was an enormous stack of illustrations depicting men in rather intimate situations.
In Japan, this genre was known as BL—or yaoi.
“Th-These books… Why would Her Majesty the Queen Dowager have drawings like these…?”
Celestine’s face turned bright red.
She was the epitome of a refined noble lady, always composed and graceful.
But even she couldn’t maintain her elegant demeanor when caught off guard by a pile of BL art.
(She looks kind of cute when flustered… Wait, no, that’s not the point!)
“Well… logically speaking, this must have been her personal hobby.”
Since the Queen Dowager had lived alone here, there was no doubt that these belonged to her.
On the desk, there were still stacks of unused, yellowed paper and pens.
Did that mean… she drew these herself?
“Huh?”
Trying to avoid staring directly at the illustrations, Rest quickly skimmed through them… and suddenly, he spotted something familiar.
“Wait… isn’t this Prince Andrew?”
Among the various male pairings depicted, one of the figures bore a striking resemblance to Andrew Iwood.
It could have been a coincidence…
But his partner in the drawings looked suspiciously like his attendant, Eusgos Betras.
“I’m not one to judge people’s interests… but I really didn’t need to see my acquaintances drawn like this.”
Rest had nothing against BL. People could enjoy whatever they liked.
But this was a bit much.
Even if these were just lookalikes, he really didn’t want to see it.
“…I’ll be waiting outside.”
Celestine, unable to bear looking at the illustrations any longer, quickly turned away.
She hugged her arms, shuddering slightly, and stepped out of the room.
Since she was much closer to Andrew and Eusgos than Rest was, the shock had likely hit her even harder.
“Alright… Let’s just… lock these away forever.”
Rest carefully shut the drawer, pushing aside the forbidden materials.
“…Wait, is there really nothing else in this villa?”
Just in case, he pulled the drawer all the way out.
“Hm?”
Something at the back of the drawer caught on something.
“Is there something hidden…?”
Reaching deep inside, he retrieved the object that had been stuck.
It was a small wooden box, slightly larger than his palm.
There was no keyhole…
But instead, the box was sealed shut with a piece of paper attached to it.
“This is…!”
As soon as Rest saw the writing on the paper, his eyes widened.
The script was instantly familiar to him.
Of course—it was Japanese.
The riddle on the villa’s entrance had been written in this world’s language, but the inscription on this box was in unmistakable, proper Japanese.
(So she really was Japanese…!)
Rest was now certain.
His heart racing, he read the words aloud.
“‘What kind of pan can’t be eaten?’”
“…Huh?”
It was an absurdly simple riddle.
Almost any Japanese person would know the answer.
Compared to the one at the entrance, this was child’s play.
“Frying pan…?”
He muttered the answer absentmindedly—
And in that moment—something changed.
“What the—?!”
The seal on the box suddenly tore apart by itself.
The box sprang open, flooding the room with a brilliant light.
Rest’s vision was engulfed in pure white—
And then—
“Wrong answer.”
“Huh…?”
A voice rang out.
A woman’s voice.
A high, clear voice—one Rest had never heard before.
“Wrong answer. The correct answer is… the toast my mom made this morning!”
“…………!?”
A woman was sitting on a bench in front of him.
Behind the bench stood a wooden gazebo, providing shelter from the sun and rain.
The sky was clear, stretching endlessly in a brilliant blue.
The black asphalt road extended in both directions, and in the distance, the ocean was visible.
“Is this… Japan?”
It was an unfamiliar place, yet unmistakably a Japanese landscape.
A rural bus stop stood nearby, and on the bench sat a high school girl dressed in a sailor-style uniform.