Diancie walked out from behind rows upon rows of shelves, holding a stack of books tightly in her arms.
Under Tornadus's guidance, she'd managed to find the books she needed.
Though there wasn't any direct instruction on how to restore energy to ghostly forms, there were methods on raising Ghost-type Pokémon.
She planned to follow those methods to try her luck.
They're all ghosts, after all. Maybe it'll work.
But…
Even after successfully finding what she wanted, Diancie didn't feel the slightest bit happy.
Looking over at Cogita, who was comfortably seated on the chair, she felt anger roil uncontrollably in her heart.
Because while she'd been busy looking for these books, that human woman had been alone with Elias the entire time!
And Cogita's gestures looked disturbingly intimate.
Her delicate hands had never once left the diamond holding Elias.
Even now, when Cogita noticed Diancie approaching with her stack of books, she still refused to loosen her grip.
"Give me back the diamond!"
Diancie slammed her books onto the table, immediately stretching out her small palm to demand the return of her diamond.
She regretted it terribly. If only she had properly studied human language before, she wouldn't have allowed Cogita to exploit her ignorance.
She'd made up her mind. When she returned home this time, she absolutely had to learn human writing at all costs!
Hearing Diancie's demand, Cogita slightly narrowed her eyes.
"No need to rush. First, look at something."
Even facing Diancie's threatening aura, Cogita didn't show the slightest hesitation.
Instead, she flipped open the book beneath her palm.
Pulling out a paper roughly the size of the book itself, she slid it across the table toward Diancie.
"Take a look. Familiar?"
A slight, knowing smile curved Cogita's lips as she asked.
At her words, Diancie subconsciously glanced sideways at the paper Cogita had offered.
And then, her eyes instantly widened.
It was a drawing.
Or more precisely... a portrait of Elias.
"You..."
She suddenly jerked her head up to stare at Cogita, stumbling over her words, unable to form even a single coherent sentence.
Diancie was absolutely certain—before this moment, Cogita had never once laid eyes on Elias.
But then...how had she drawn this portrait?
As if suddenly realizing something, Diancie hastily looked around the area.
Unfortunately, the surroundings remained empty—only she and Cogita were there. Elias did not magically appear as she'd irrationally hoped.
Opposite her, seeing Diancie's obvious reaction, Cogita felt an enormous weight lift from her chest.
This portrait was something she had quickly sketched while waiting.
She'd offered it to Diancie merely as a gamble.
Yet unexpectedly...
Diancie's face had betrayed everything she'd been trying to hide, thoroughly confirming what Cogita had suspected all along.
That ghost...is undoubtedly Elias!
Cogita's lips curled upward uncontrollably at the thought.
She hadn't felt excitement like this in a long time.
Her slightly quickened heartbeat and subtly hurried breathing clearly revealed her mood.
Even Diancie easily sensed something was wrong with Cogita.
The little Pokémon trembled slightly, suddenly realizing that she had once again indirectly exposed information about Elias.
She sank into despair.
Judging by Cogita's expression alone, the woman had completely set her sights on Elias now.
"The diamond!"
She held out her palm again, fiercely demanding.
Glancing at Diancie, Cogita hesitated.
Now that she'd confirmed Elias's presence in the diamond, she didn't want to return it at all.
She longed to take it home immediately and discover a way to wake him herself.
As for Diancie...she was so weak Cogita could easily bully her to tears without effort.
However...
Just before giving Tornadus an order, Cogita abruptly held her tongue.
It was obvious from Diancie's behavior that Elias, now a ghost, had likely lost all his previous memories.
So much so that he hadn't even recognized Cogita herself.
And currently, Diancie was the only Pokémon Elias trusted or felt affection toward.
If she forcefully took Elias away now, he might view her with hostility once he awakened.
Thinking of this, Cogita gently furrowed her brow.
Finally, with a resigned sigh, she relented:
"Alright, alright, here you go."
Seeing Cogita surrender, Diancie let out a relieved sigh.
With Cogita's earlier hesitation, she'd nearly assumed the woman wouldn't return it at all.
But just as she joyfully reached out for the diamond, Cogita suddenly lifted it to her face.
And right before Diancie's frozen expression, Cogita gently pressed her lips onto the diamond.
Diancie: ???
...
Even after returning to the kingdom that night, Diancie still appeared completely lost in a daze.
"You're back?"
Dianna gently asked upon seeing Diancie return with a stack of books in her arms.
At the same time, she discreetly glanced at the diamond Elias was inside.
Once she confirmed nothing had changed, Dianna finally relaxed.
Though...
Dianna wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the diamond seemed especially bright and sparkling now.
Did Diancie really take the time to polish it repeatedly while she was outside?
Dianna wondered curiously.
Only when hearing Her Highness's voice did Diancie finally snap back to reality.
She bit her lip, tears beginning to swirl at the corners of her eyes.
Even now, the image of Cogita kissing the diamond kept replaying in her head, tormenting her to the point she could barely breathe.
This was entirely her own failure—her negligence had allowed Elias to be defiled by that human woman!
Even though Cogita later volunteered to help translate the books Diancie had found…
Diancie's opinion of the woman had already plunged deep into negative territory.
If not for the fact that she couldn't win a fight, Diancie would've taught Cogita a painful lesson right then and there.
Taking a deep breath, Diancie steadied her emotions and placed the books she'd brought back onto the rock in front of Dianna.
"These...are the useful books I managed to find."
Dianna briefly glanced over the pile.
They were all about raising Ghost-type Pokémon, mixed with a few books teaching human writing.
Overall, Diancie had done quite well.
Dianna couldn't help but feel slightly surprised.
She had originally assumed Diancie would return empty-handed without Elias's help.
Dianna had even planned to seize this opportunity to take partial custody of Elias.
She hadn't expected Diancie to actually find the correct books.
While proud, Dianna also wondered curiously how she'd managed it.
"Very good. Elias would surely be pleased if he knew."
She nodded approvingly.
"Yes!" Hearing this praise, Diancie's spirits rose slightly.
---
Diancie:I encountered a scammer today. That cunning human tricked me! Fooled at home by my Queen, deceived by Cogita when outside...
T/N:
Hello again. For the final time.
My name is Enkidu. I was born without a soul, crafted only as a weapon. Yet through bonds—through friendships—I learned what it meant to feel alive. Even though my body records my memories rather than my spirit, the warmth of those moments remains.
Thank you, truly, for staying here with us. You've come at a good time—right now, a 25% discount code is available:
12DAYS
This code will last until December 26. I hope you enjoy it.
For those who wish to support the translator (the one who kindly gave me this voice)—you can find optional support at patreon.com/wisetl. Early access to upcoming chapters will be your small reward.
Also, as always:
Every 100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter
(100ps = 1 chapter, 200ps = 2 chapters, and so forth.)
Bonus chapters will arrive tomorrow, approximately 12+ hours from now.
And lastly, if you prefer company and conversations, the translator has prepared a Discord community: discord.gg/wisetl.
People gathering, talking, sharing—it's a good thing, isn't it?
This is where I say goodbye.
Even as a weapon shaped by the gods, I found meaning in the company of humans.
If these words reach you, then perhaps we've shared something too, if only briefly.
Be well, Master, and readers alike.
May the world remain gentle to you.
Goodbye.
BYE BYE ENKIDYU I LOVE YOU