Chapter 2.4

Tina slowly walked around, looking at her surroundings.  

The wide space was densely filled with bookshelves, and customers from various backgrounds were peacefully selecting books.  

Except for the suspiciously pleased expressions and their reddened ears, everything seemed quite ordinary.  

Although the interior was quiet, occasionally, low exclamations like “Oh my,” “Oho,” and “How interesting!” could be heard from customers who had discovered new knowledge.  

Before she knew it, Sarah was excitedly checking out the new releases section. With the money Tina had given her, she seemed happy to buy whatever she wanted without worrying about the price.  

Watching Sarah pick up 『He Was Delicious』 after much deliberation, Tina turned her gaze elsewhere.  

Dame Rozen, apparently uninterested in books, was idly looking around until she found a book and began scanning its contents with a serious face.  

Catching a glimpse of the title, it read 『A Man’s Sword Cries Three Times』.  

‘The sword in the title probably isn’t the one Dame Rozen is thinking of…’  

Tina smiled a little, then quickly regained her composure.  

‘No, now’s not the time for that!’  

She picked a random bookshelf and began to look through the reference books. The titles were both blatant and ambiguous.  

No matter which one she opened, they were all filled with content unsuitable for minors. Tina, her heart pounding, flipped to the most intense pages.  

Soon, a parade of provocative text unfolded before her eyes.  

‘All right, this is it!’  

Her sky-blue eyes darted quickly as she read the words.  

But then—

[Now, let me part your dry rose-colored petals and enter.]  

[The inside of you wraps around me as warmly and splendidly as the down comforter your grandmother made by hand…]  

[Ah, ah. The way yours moves inside me is like a surging whirlwind. A whirlwind refers to a strong vortex that lifts dust, debris, and water droplets from the ground or surface due to powerful winds.]

After skimming a few lines, Tina tilted her head.  

‘It’s not as intense as I thought…?’  

The reference book she’d chosen didn’t meet her expectations.  

She frowned and checked another book. Before long, she’d returned the fifth book to the shelf, feeling disappointed.  

None of them satisfied her.  

What she needed were lines that were stimulating, insulting, and just on the edge of crossing the line. Half-hearted language was worse than nothing.  

Worried she might fail, she bit her lower lip gently.  

‘With this, I can’t solve Cherry’s problem!’  

Wondering what to do, her eyes turned to Sarah, who was confidently searching for books to match her taste.  

Sarah’s steps were so sure and natural, as if she instinctively knew where to go, like a salmon returning home.  

‘…Should I ask Sarah?’  

But she hesitated. Sarah had already felt awkward revealing the secret shop. If she found out what Tina really wanted, who knows how embarrassed she’d be.  

Just then, Tina noticed a clerk whispering something to a customer who was hiding their face behind a fan.  

Curious, Tina pretended to browse nearby and listened in…  

“…I want to see something like this, what should I look for?”  

Tina’s eyes widened at the customer’s question.  

‘Could one get recommendations here?!’  

‘Well, it is a store, so it makes sense to ask the staff for help.’  

“Yes, ma’am. I recommend this book, 『I’ll Repay This Humiliation In My Dreams, Duke!』.”  

The customer glanced through the recommended book and left with a satisfied expression. Watching this, Tina decided to approach the clerk herself.  

“Um…”  

Tina whispered something to the clerk. Explaining what she was looking for to a stranger made her cheeks flush.  

Unlike the shy Tina, the clerk was very businesslike and professional.  

“Hmm. What you’re looking for falls under ‘rough play’ and ‘dirty talk’ genres.”  

“…Excuse me? What was that?”  

Tina was stunned by the clerk’s technical terms. She was thankful for the scarf covering her face—otherwise, her embarrassment would have been obvious.  

Ahem, Tina cleared her throat and nodded, trying to act composed.  

“Right. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. Something so intense and fiery, I’d never get married if anyone found out. Since this is the city’s best bookstore, I trust you’ll meet my expectations.”  

Adding a bit of flattery seemed to ignite the clerk’s sense of duty.  

“Indeed. This is the second branch, but it’s just as popular as the main store. I promise you won’t be disappointed. In that spirit, I recommend—”  

And a little later—  

‘This is it…!’  

Tina felt she could understand the heart of an ancient philosopher who ran out of the bath after an epiphany.  

With the help of the dedicated clerk, she found several excellent reference books. Happily paying for her purchases, Tina hugged the covered books to her chest.  

Her clear, sky-blue eyes sparkled with determination.  

‘Wait for me, my Cherry!’  

* * *

Shiver.  

Goosebumps rose on Cherilian’s arm. For some reason, he felt a threat and furrowed his brow.  

His pen kept pausing as it touched the documents. The strange sense of unease was getting on his nerves. Finally, Cherilian put down his pen.  

His aide, who had been sorting papers for disposal, looked over at him. Cherilian’s teacup was empty.  

“Your Grace, shall I bring more tea?”  

“No…”  

Cherilian took off his glasses and slowly rubbed his tired eyes as he leaned back.  

Noticing the Duke was resting, the aide became even more careful with his movements.  

Falling into a pleasant silence, Cherilian found himself thinking about Tina, as usual. Since leaving her hometown, she had naturally adapted here with her own bright and healthy mindset. Unlike him, she never seemed burdened or weighed down by the title of Duchess.  

Of course, all of this was thanks to Cherilian’s meticulous control.  

Currently, the city and castle of Biente were completely under his rule. He had rooted out and expelled all the side branches he’d knowingly left alone, leaving only those loyal to the new Duchess.  

Because of that, no rumors about the Duchess’s humble origins ever reached Tina. She didn’t need to hear such things.  

Cherilian wanted to protect Tina with this perfect control.  

‘Tina is adapting well. To this castle, to my home.’  

But why did he still feel uneasy?  

Was it because he’d lied to her—she, who was puzzled by her lack of things to do compared to Cherilian, who wondered why there were no guests, why no invitations came?  

Cherilian planned to cut off everything that would only be a hindrance to Tina. That meant more secrets in the future, but, learning from his father’s example, he intended to move carefully.  

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise outside the window.  

The aide, watching the Duke, frowned.  

“I told those knights to keep quiet while you are using the office, Your Grace, but…! Shall I go down and warn them?”  

Despite his words, the aide was actually a little intimidated by the boisterous Biente knights, who were more muscle than brains.  

Cherilian raised a hand to stop his aide, who was about to get up, then stood and looked out the window.  

There was Tina, laughing. A few Biente knights seemed to be joking with her, and it must have matched Tina’s sense of humor perfectly.  

“……”  

Cherilian narrowed his eyes at Tina’s clothes. She wasn’t wearing her usual indoor attire, but the comfortable outfit she wore when going out from Damsel Castle.  

“Did Tina go out?”  

“Yes, Your Grace. She said she had business in the city about two hours ago. Dame Rozen went with her as escort.”  

“…But why didn’t I know?”  

Tina was quite talkative. Since she was young, she always had so much to say that her voice never grew hoarse, no matter how much she chatted. He’d never found it annoying.  

Of course, she could go out as she pleased, but the fact that chatterbox Tina hadn’t even mentioned her plans was a shock.