Chapter 91
Chapter 91. Welcome Banquet for the Envoys
Henelone’s face turned pale at the man’s scornful reply. He looked like a thug who had come with bad intentions.
Now she understood why Heinz had been worried.
The old library stood in the most remote part of the capital. It was a place few people ever visited.
It was more dangerous than she had thought to be working here alone.
W-what should I do…?
The man, easily a head taller than her, began striding into the dark library.
Henelone clenched her fists. She considered trying to hit him, but the man was well-built with solid muscles, and all she had were her bare hands.
While Henelone’s anger simmered, the man stepped closer to her as she instinctively backed away.
“Hey, Young Lady…!”
Bam!
The fist that landed right on the man’s philtrum while he was off guard made a loud sound. The man who got hit hard in the philtrum was looking at the ceiling with his head down.
After a brief moment of silence, two lines of blood dripped down the man’s lips.
***
“…Young Lady. Are you some kind of gangster or something?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Henelone’s face flushed bright red with embarrassment and guilt. She lowered her head, unsure of what to do.
Blood was still trickling from the man’s nose, and several blood-soaked rags lay scattered around them.
“Or… did the captain teach you that…?”
“Huh? The captain?”
“Oh my… Duke. Duke Woodward.”
“No! I just swung my hand without thinking…”
“Hey. But hitting a vital spot like that in one go? That’s some terrifying talent. Honestly, I’m starting to think maybe I don’t even need to be here…”
Henelone’s face turned even redder, almost crimson, at his genuine admiration.
The man she had mistaken for a thug turned out to be Roger, the knight Heinz had sent to temporarily take over as guard.
She felt guilty for not realizing it sooner, and deeply ashamed for having judged him just because of his fierce appearance.
It was wrong to assume things about someone based on looks alone.
“Hey, Roger. I’m really sorry…”
“Hm? Oh, no worries. You’ve got sharp instincts.”
“…What?”
Roger grinned mischievously.
“It’s true. I used to be a bit of a rascal, messing around out at sea.”
***
Roger, who had come as a temporary security guard, seemed both sincere and insincere.
He always arrived at the library before Henelone, but the lights were never turned on. He never left the building, yet he spent most of his working hours lying in the garden, asleep.
Henelone found it both relaxing and uncomfortable.
Working with other people is so nerve-racking.
They hardly spoke, but just having someone else sharing the same space was enough to wear on her nerves. Naturally, her thoughts drifted to Heinz.
That’s where Heinz used to lie down.
Roger was now sleeping soundly under the shade of the willow branches near the small pond. The image of Heinz overlapped with his.
It had been several days since Heinz last came to the library. Frustrated by his continued absence, Henelone let out a deep sigh, her expression gloomy.
Let’s get to work.
Tapping her cheek with her fingertips, she turned her eyes from Roger to the pile of mail on the table.
She went through the letters one by one, but the one she was waiting for still hadn’t arrived.
“That’s odd… Why hasn’t the library’s budget slip come?”
Henelone furrowed her brows, annoyed, and leaned back in her chair with a sigh.
The library’s budget was issued by the palace office. The money itself wasn’t delivered; instead, a payment slip confirming the funds had been deposited into the bank would be sent.
It was Henelone’s job to take that slip, along with the library’s seal, to the bank and withdraw the money.
But the slip, which should have arrived days ago, was nowhere to be found.
“I need to order new books… and buy supplies too…”
Her worried gaze flicked toward the candles burning dangerously low. Some had already run out of oil and couldn’t even be lit.
At this rate, she’d be working in complete darkness soon. Letting out another sigh, she straightened her posture and opened the top drawer.
It seemed she’d have to use what little was left from last month’s budget to buy oil.
But when she took out her coin pouch and counted what was inside, she thudded her forehead against the desk.
“I wonder if I can even buy three drops of oil…”
The budget for the old library was pitiful. It was barely enough to scrape by. No matter how frugally she tried to save, it was normal to be left with nothing.
Henelone lifted her head and stood up, determined.
First, I’ll cover the urgent costs myself. And if the budget’s missing, I’ll send an inquiry to the palace.
Turning off the lights inside the library one by one to save even a drop of oil, Henelone stepped outside.
Roger, having suddenly awoken from a deep sleep, got up groggily and scratched his head.
“Young Lady, are you getting off work already?”
