Chapter 97: Is it funny that I got caught peeking at Mom’s diary?

The nonchalant yet confused Yukina pressed the play button on the window before her.

The scene instantly changed to a place that looked like a library.

Little Charlotte, in a white casual outfit, walked in on tiptoe.

Since Charlotte’s physical development slowed significantly after she started learning magic, Yukina couldn’t determine when this event occurred based on Charlotte’s appearance.

However, since Charlotte wasn’t wearing her usual elaborate witch’s robe or her noble magic hat, this must have happened before she entered the Starsea Magic Academy.

‘Does that mean this place is Charlotte’s home?’

While Yukina was pondering, the Charlotte in the playback walked up to a bookshelf and looked up at the various magic books displayed on it.

These magic books had originally been stored in the family’s main library.

After little Charlotte showed an intense desire for magic in her early childhood, Mom Rhynes secretly moved and sealed these books in this small hidden room.

It wasn’t until Charlotte passed Rhynes’s test and was allowed to learn magic early that these books saw the light of day and were read by Charlotte.

“Which magic should I learn today?”

Charlotte muttered as she scanned the bookshelf. Suddenly, she noticed a thick, yellow-covered book tucked amongst the others.

The book was more than twice as thick as the other magic books, making it stand out significantly.

“Hmm? What magic book is this?” Little Charlotte raised her right hand, trying to pull the book down, but she simply couldn’t reach it.

No matter how hard she tried, her fingertips were still a small fist’s distance from the book.

‘Crap, I’m too short.’

Since she couldn’t reach it, Charlotte simply jumped up.

With her persistent effort, she finally managed to pull the book off the shelf.

However, when she pulled the book out, the other magic books beside it also came down, pitter-patter like dumplings being poured, all smashing onto Charlotte’s head.

“Ouch—”

Charlotte let out a cry of pain.

After tidying up the scattered magic books, Charlotte sat at the nearby desk. She rubbed her throbbing forehead while flipping through the yellow book.

Judging by the content, it didn’t look like a magic book.

“Saint’s Calendar 979… Huh? This is before I was born?”

Although confused, Charlotte decided to continue reading.

“August 21st, Saint’s Calendar 979. Today, I suddenly received a commission from Master to eliminate some mushrooms. A strange mushroom suddenly grew in the forest outside Noypela City. After local residents picked and ate it, they became brain-dead people who only made ‘gurgling, crunching, meow’ noises. Ugh, this is so annoying. Can’t I just enjoy a rare day off?”

It looked like a diary, but whose diary was it?

Charlotte looked at the title again and saw the book was called The Adventures of the Mist Witch.

“The Mist Witch… so it’s Mom Rhynes’s diary! Mom Rhynes is too careless. Why would she put her diary in such an obvious place? If Mom Rhynes finds out I’m secretly reading her diary, I’ll be in trouble. I need to put it back quickly.”

Thinking this, Charlotte quickly jumped off the chair, closed the book, and prepared to shove it back onto the shelf.

But just then, a piece of paper floated out of the book, fluttering down to the floor.

“Eh? What is this…”

Charlotte picked it up and saw it was a photo, showing only the back of a short, blue-haired boy.

The boy was surrounded by a dark forest. No useful information could be gleaned from the background.

“Who is this?”

Charlotte frowned slightly. She felt the figure looked strangely familiar.

After pondering for a moment, she suddenly realized she had overlooked a more important question.

And that was…

‘This is the other world. The technology level is still stuck in the medieval period. There are no cameras. How can there be a photo?’

Thinking this, Charlotte suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

Just then, a soft call came from behind Charlotte’s neck.

“Charlotte~ What are you doing?”

The sudden call was like a centipede crawling up her neck, making Charlotte jump.

“Eeyah, eeyah— What the! It’s Mom Rhynes!” After a flurry of confused sounds, Charlotte realized the person calling her was her mother, Rhynes.

“Mom Rhynes, could you please not scare me like that? I’m only nine years old. I can’t have a heart attack!”

“Hehe, but your reaction, Charlotte, is just too amusing! Mom couldn’t help herself…”

Mom Rhynes acted like a doting mother who couldn’t resist teasing her son who had suddenly turned into a cute little child, which gave Charlotte a chill.

“Honestly, Mom, is teasing me so enjoyable for you?”

“Yes, it is!” Mom Rhynes answered without hiding her pleasure.

Then she changed the subject. “By the way, what are you reading here?”

Rhynes asked, leaning forward, trying to see the book Charlotte was holding.

Noticing Rhynes’s curious gaze, Charlotte paused, then immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

She quickly hugged the thick Adventures of the Mist Witch and the photo that had fallen out of it tightly, not letting Rhynes see.

“No, this is just a very ordinary magic book! The spells in this book are all ones I’ve already mastered! Hahaha!”

Charlotte forced an awkward laugh.

Although she had hidden The Adventures of the Mist Witch behind her, the sharp-eyed Rhynes still managed to peek at the corner of the book.

“Oh? Really? Are you really reading a magic book? Charlotte, you mustn’t lie to your mother!”

Rhynes smiled and leaned her face closer, making Charlotte’s heart pound.

With her extensive experience of being punished by Rhynes, Charlotte immediately confessed.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m not actually reading a magic book. It’s your diary! But I didn’t mean to read it. I only accidentally discovered this book, and I was just curious…”

Charlotte handed the Adventures of the Mist Witch and the photo that had fallen out of it to Rhynes.

Rhynes raised her hand. Charlotte, thinking she was about to be severely beaten, tightly closed her eyes. But unexpectedly, instead of a beating, she received a gentle caress.

Rhynes softly stroked Charlotte’s head.

“How could Mom blame you? You’re my most wonderful daughter! I’m too proud of you to punish you!”

“But… this is your diary after all…” No matter what, secretly reading someone’s diary wasn’t right.

“Although the stories inside are written in the form of a diary, there’s nothing I can’t share with my precious daughter! Mom has wanted to share her adventures as a witch with you for a long time, but before I could, you were abducted by that Chloe woman…”

Saying this, Rhynes stared at Charlotte with a look of resentment.

Feeling ashamed, Charlotte weakly apologized. “I’m sorry, Mom…”