Chapter 37
Chapter 37. While The Count Was Away From The Mansion
“We’ll postpone the envoy’s welcome banquet for a bit. In the meantime, take care of yourself.”
“…I’m just grateful for your concern.”
Marie-Jose bowed to the emperor and turned around, biting her lips nervously. It was never good for them that the envoy’s welcome banquet was postponed.
The welcome banquet was a very important event to officially announce the envoy’s visit to the empire. Envoys who have not passed the banquet cannot officially attend any events in the empire.
‘I should have applied the powder a little thicker.’
Marie-Jose pressed her throbbing temples and walked feebly.
***
‘Sh*t. It’s a lot further behind schedule than I thought.’
Even though they had clearly announced that they would leave before the sun rose the next day, all of the envoys were unable to get up with bloodshot faces. In the end, they were able to depart for the capital only after staying for one more day.
Even so, everyone was in poor condition, so they arrived at the imperial palace only in the afternoon, well past half a day.
Time was further delayed due to the emperor’s procrastination, leaving the envoys standing in the drawing room for a long time to show their own hospitality.
Why am I so anxious and nervous? Heinz stiffened his face, bit his lips, and kicked the horse’s waist.
***
“Henelone?”
Adrian entered the library carrying a cake box and called Henelone’s name with smooches eyes. Normally, the librarian’s seat would be right near the entrance, but Henelone was nowhere to be seen.
“Henelone, are you in?”
Adrian’s voice echoed through the old library. He listened quietly for a moment, but felt no sign of anything.
‘Isn’t there… something?’
Adrian, who carefully placed the cake box on Henelone’s seat, stepped inside the library. The library was not as spacious as he thought. There didn’t seem to be a need to spend much time looking inside, as there were eight rows of bookshelves that were almost as high as his head, two blocks each.
Adrian, who had been looking between the rows of bookshelves, walked along the candle-lit wall. One, two, three, … Eleven one, twelve. And thirteen. Adrian looked at the wall lamp without a candle and tilted his head in confusion.
‘Why is it here…’
There is a bookshelf, right?
The walls inside the library had no decorations except candles, but there was a bookcase next to the thirteenth wall lamp. It was too far away to be a place where all the books there were published were very old.
In his puzzlement, Adrian reached out and touched the bookshelf.
‘Maybe it’s a hidden door or something.’
Rumble. His hands on the bookshelf gained strength. However, the bookshelf did not move and just stayed firmly in place.
“That can’t be possible.”
This is something that only happens in novels. A secret space hidden within the library. There is no way such a thing exists. Adrian sighed and smiled. He lowered his outstretched hand and turned towards the entrance of the library.
He wanted to surprise her with a surprise visit to her library, but it seemed like he was failing.
With schedules behind him, he couldn’t even wait for Henelone. In the end, after trying to suppress his regret, Adrien led himself out of the library.
Flutter, the willow leaves swaying in the wind made a loud noise. He stopped for a moment to look around to see if Henelone was in the garden, but a sharp voice called him out.
“You…what’s going on here?”
“Yes?”
Adrian, taken aback by the question that came to him out of nowhere, turned his head. He looked at the place where the sound came from. He was about half a foot taller than him, and his red eyes were staring at him so fiercely.
Strangely enough, with those red eyes burning with hostility, Adrian asked the man with a faint smile.
“…Who are you?”
Although he asked out of courtesy, he had a rough idea of who he was. That’s because in this empire, the combination of black hair that is blacker than the night sky and blood-red eyes is rare.
What Adrian was curious about was not his identity. If the identity he guessed was correct… Why did he come to this old, old library? And why is he so hostile and asking why he came here? Adrian’s eyes, which had drawn an arc, glanced towards the inside of the garden.
“Stop rolling your eyes and just answer.”
“Haha, I was just curious as to why you came to this library.”
“I’m sure that’s what I asked.”
Adrian shrugged his shoulders at Heinz’s harsh tone. He either asked because he’s really curious… or, there’s something very important here. His intuition pointed to the latter. And his intuition had a fairly high accuracy rate. Adrian met Heinz’s murderous eyes and answered with a deep smile.
“I came to meet the librarian here.”
“…Ha, librarian?”
“Yes, well…. We are quite close friends.”
Heinz grunted and gritted his teeth at Adrian’s sly reply. A close relationship with Henelone. He wanted to grab him by the collar and ask him what the damn thing was between them, but his mouth wouldn’t move. For what reason am I asking this?
And… his heart fluttered anxiously, wondering if he would hear something he didn’t want to hear.
“Your name is… Duke Heinz Woodward, is that correct?”
“……”
Heinz’s red eyes glared fiercely at Adrian. Adrian gave a small nod and smiled suspiciously at the sight of him not denying.
“As expected. I’ve heard of your great reputation. Haha, I can’t believe I see you here. What an amazing coincidence.”
“I have nothing more to do with you.”
“Haha, I still have some business to attend to. Sir, what brought you here?”
“……..”
