Chapter 69
The small bookshop, barely 30 square meters, was densely packed with bookshelves standing vertically.
The spaces between shelves were so narrow that two adults could barely fit.
While the cramped space might have felt stifling, for Alice, this narrow aisle was more advantageous.
Thanks to the narrow space, even with two bookshelves between them, she could tell all the movements of the person beyond.
She had figured out the Third Prince’s location, but… how to approach him?
And making him collapse was also a problem.
Even if she could stab him with the needle, it would be strange to make him collapse in here…
There were quite a few people in this cramped place.
About two people were standing at each bookshelf, and if she turned her head, she could see the shop owner watching over the shelves.
Plus, there was Ruyd too.
Alice glanced towards the shop entrance where Ruyd was standing.
As if he had been waiting, Ruyd’s gaze met Alice’s.
As Ruyd seemed to misunderstand her look and tried to approach, Alice hurriedly waved her hand to say no.
He’s not taking his eyes off me.
It seems possible to distract Sienna with books somehow.
Alice turned to Sienna.
“This is a magic book… I can’t believe such a small bookshop has books like this too.”
Magic books.
Sienna had been absorbed in the books as if enchanted since the moment she saw the magic book section.
“This is one I wanted to see before but couldn’t. Oh… this is the latest release from the magic tower.”
“This one seems to be new too.”
Alice pulled out a noticeable new book and handed it to Sienna.
“This place… is really nice.”
Her beautiful green eyes sparkled with rapture.
“You can sit over there and read.”
Alice pointed to the windowsill at the end of the bookshelf.
Sienna headed there as if under a spell. As soon as she sat down, she opened the book.
Without Alice having to do anything particularly, Sienna was absorbed in the magic book.
This side is solved.
The problem is that side.
Alice turned her gaze to Ruyd, reflected in the window.
Ruyd was still staring directly at Alice.
As if he wouldn’t miss even her smallest movement.
He was even more persistent than her watching the Third Prince’s movements.
At this rate, I won’t even be able to go near the Third Prince.
If I had known it would be like this, I should have left Ruyd at the duchy somehow.
But in reality, there probably wasn’t a way to leave Ruyd behind.
It’s fortunate enough that more knights didn’t come along.
Alice let out a small sigh.
What should I do?
She had diligently planned to meet the Third Prince in the bookshop alley and prepare to make him collapse.
But she hadn’t really thought about what to do when actually facing the Third Prince.
She didn’t know what the bookshop would look like, and there was no guarantee of meeting the Third Prince today.
Let’s just go and think about it there!
That’s what she had thought, but now that she was here, it was more challenging than expected.
Alice looked beyond the bookshelf.
She could see the dark blue robe moving beyond the people.
Somehow, she needs to catch him today.
If she misses today, there’s no guarantee of meeting him again.
As Alice was racking her brain, the Third Prince emerged from between the bookshelves.
The Third Prince approached the shop owner with a book in hand.
“Will you be buying that book today?”
“Yes. How much is it?”
“Since you’re a regular customer, I’ll take just 5 coppers.”
Here, the Third Prince held out a bronze coin to the shop owner.
After paying, the prince turned.
Towards the back door of the shop.
“…Huh?”
Alice’s golden eyes gradually widened as she watched the Third Prince.
This shouldn’t be happening.
Is he really leaving like this…?
While Alice was flustered, the Third Prince had already reached the back door.
And he opened the door and went out.
He really left, from the bookshop.
“…No.”
Alice instinctively came out from between the bookshelves to follow him.
“My Lady, where are you going?”
But as soon as she came out from the bookshelves, Ruyd was by her side.
“No, it’s just…”
Alice clenched her hands in anxiety. The Third Prince had already disappeared through the back door. Even now, he would be getting further and further from the bookshop.
Should I say my stomach suddenly hurts and I need to go to the bathroom?
Unfortunately, that wasn’t a good idea.
This was Rocfen Street.
Unlike Vicente where each shop had its own bathroom, in Rocfen the bathrooms were communal.
They were some distance from the bookshop, and she would have to go out the front door, not the back.
Then what should I do!
Just as Alice’s head felt like it would burst from anxiety, she heard voices.
“Ahem, I keep some of the more intense romance novels in the basement storage. We’ve just got some very fresh new releases in, would you like me to bring them?”
“Last time you said it was intense, but when I opened it, it was as bland as half-cooked soup. Is this going to be the same?”
“Oh my, this time it’s properly cooked. You’ll probably feel hot all over, not just warm, when you see it.”
“Hmm, then… bring me a few copies.”
It was a conversation between the shop owner and an old lady.
From the stimulating content of the conversation, one thing clearly stuck in Alice’s ear.
There were books in the basement.
Alice quickly turned to the shop owner who was about to go to the basement.
“Me too! I need those books too!”
“Pardon?”
The shop owner turned, seemingly surprised at Alice’s outburst.
“…You need… intense romance books too, my lady?”
The shop owner carefully asked again.
Intense romance.
She heard Ruyd swallowing an awkward cough.
“Ahem.”
Embarrassment or whatever.
Alice quickly nodded her head.
“Yes. I need them. A lot of them.”
The shop owner let out an awkward laugh at Alice’s intense reaction.
“Haha, I see. How, how many do you need?”
“How many do you have?”
“We’ve got about 10 new releases on our end.”
“Bring them all.”
“All of them?”
The shop owner’s eyes widened.
“Yes, all of them. I really… like those kinds of books.”
Alice blurted out whatever came to mind in her urgency.
For a moment, she felt Ruyd’s flustered gaze on her, but what could she do?
This was the best method right now.
How Ruyd would view her from now on… that’s a problem for later.
“All 10… Then you’ll have to wait a bit. I need to fetch some for other customers too…”
“Go with my knight. Then you can bring them all at once.”
Alice turned to Ruyd and said.
“Ruyd, go with him.”
“But…”
“It’s just inside the basement bookshop anyway. Sienna is here too, so what could happen in the short time you’re gone? I really… want to see those… books. So please go together.”
For the first time, a change appeared in Ruyd’s usually stoic expression.
It was an expression that appropriately blended embarrassment and disgruntlement.
It seems like her relationship with Lord Ruyd might be ruined from now on, but there was no helping it.
“Hurry.”
As Alice urged him, Ruyd suddenly turned his head towards the outside of the bookshop.
What is he doing?
Ruyd was looking at something outside the bookshop.
Wondering what he was looking at, Alice was about to peek her head out beside Ruyd when his neck swiftly turned back.
“Then I’ll be going. I’ll be back soon, so don’t go anywhere, My Lady.”
“I won’t.”
Alice smiled gently, telling him not to worry.
With that, Ruyd and the shop owner went down to the basement. As soon as they completely disappeared, Alice checked on Sienna.
Sienna hadn’t moved at all, seemingly completely absorbed in the book.
Alice headed straight for the back door.
The gaze of the old lady, surprised by Alice’s actions contrary to her promise to Ruyd, pricked her back, but Alice was in a hurry.
Rushing to the back door, she opened it without a moment’s hesitation.
Coming out behind the bookshop, she saw a long alley stretching out.
It was a narrow alley that didn’t connect to other bookshops.
Alice could immediately tell that this alley was the shortcut from Rocfen to the imperial palace.
“Please, please.”
Hoping that the Third Prince hadn’t left the alley yet, Alice hurried her steps.
No, it was almost like running.
How long had she been running down the long alley?
Finally, she saw the familiar dark blue robe.
“Huff, huff… found him.”
Fortunately, the Third Prince was still here.
Alice stopped her steps, out of breath from running towards him.
Then she hurriedly lifted her head, fearing he might get further away, but for some reason, the Third Prince was standing still in that spot.
Surely I’m not seeing a mirage.
Why isn’t he moving?
Did he stop walking because he sensed her presence?
Alice slowly took a step forward, feeling a strange atmosphere from the Third Prince’s back.
As the back that had looked small gradually got closer, a gruff voice rang out.
“If you just hand over your pocket quietly, we won’t touch your body.”
“One pocket for a passage fee, I’m telling you this is really cheap, right?”
What’s this?
It wasn’t the Third Prince’s voice.
From the words they were uttering, it wasn’t something the Third Prince would say.
Thugs…?
She felt uneasy that things that had been going well might go wrong at the last minute.
At that moment, a man who had been hidden by the Third Prince revealed himself.
Even from a distance, his very free-spirited features were quite ugly.
The moment she involuntarily grimaced at the sight of the man, he spotted her.
“Whoa, what’s this? We have another guest!”
As the man shouted excitedly, the Third Prince turned around.
The Third Prince who discovered Alice hesitated.
Alice too was quite flustered by this kind of encounter with the Third Prince.
This wasn’t the situation she had aimed for, facing him directly like this.
She had planned to make him collapse naturally as if just passing by.
It had gone completely awry due to the unexpected appearance of thugs.
But to turn back now…
“Beautiful lady, come this way.”
One of the thugs approached her, giggling.
It seems too late to turn back now.
