“We’ll send them to your mansion as soon as they’re ready. Please do visit us again, my lady.”

“Alright. If you come up with any more brilliant ideas while talking with other ladies, feel free to contact me anytime.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Madame Kruger saw me off, acting overly familiar. I responded with a smile.

The next place I visited was a jeweler. Just like at the boutique, I freely chose various eye-catching jewels. A sapphire ring as blue as if a piece of the sea had been cut out, emerald earrings with large stones, and necklaces of long strands of lustrous pearls caught my fingertips.

The jeweler, who had been unsure how to treat the Duchess of Penvernon, quickly began bowing deeply at my uninhibited purchases.

‘Ah, this feels good.’

After this outrageous shopping, I felt elated. Sparkling things have a strange power, making people happy just by looking at them. I’ll have to sell them all for cash when the time comes, but I wonder if I’ll be able to part with them?

After finishing this shopping spree, as the carriage leaving the jeweler was passing through the central square of the capital, I noticed something.

A large crowd had gathered in the square. Even considering it was always bustling, there were unusually many people.

Could something be happening? Curious about the reason, I asked Macy to find out.

Macy, who had squeezed through the crowd, quickly returned with news.

“It’s a demonic beast’s horn, my lady. Apparently, demonic beasts have started appearing in the border regions. They caught one with a huge horn, and they’ve put it on display for people to see.”

I tilted my head at Macy’s words. Demonic beasts? What kind of setting is this?

《Unavoidable Fate》 was a typical Harlequin-style traditional romance novel. The love story between Rashid and Priscilla was at the center of the narrative, focusing mainly on the emotions flowing between them.

There were no full-fledged fantasy settings like demonic beasts, dragons, or other races in the work. Because they weren’t necessary.

Rashid was a fully-formed male protagonist. His looks and abilities were top-tier in this area from the start. His status was on par with the billionaires, property owners, and kings of other novels. In other words, he wasn’t a character who needed to go on adventures or grow.

Moreover, the core of the story was romance. It wasn’t an adventure about defeating creatures like dragons or demonic beasts. Even magic or religion were only used for events between the main characters.

‘Yet, for the existence of demonic beasts to be this prominent…’

It became clear that this world, although it was based on 《Unavoidable Fate》, was not simply limited to it.

Histories that had emerged to support the settings revealed in the work were layered here like geological strata. There were also stories that didn’t appear in the novel but exist in the current reality, like magic or demonic beasts.

I couldn’t fathom how vast and wide the world hidden behind the letters might be. Perhaps this world is far more complex and diverse than I had imagined.

‘Then, shouldn’t I study a bit?’

Although I have the knowledge that Alisa has gained in her twenty-two years of life, it seemed like I needed more information than that.

The more information, the better. Even if I want to spend money, it’s better to understand where and how to spend it effectively. If I’m going to continue living in this world, it would be good to seek a way to live with more knowledge.

Usually, at times like this, people would visit an information guild. They’d know secret passwords in advance. And then they’d meet the male protagonist who also serves as the head of the information guild.

But such stories don’t appear in this novel. Alisa, who was just a young lady from an ordinary noble family, wouldn’t know about such a secretive world. If I wanted to find one, I’d have to make some inquiries first.

Perhaps there might be some organization under the Penvernon duchy, but even if there was, it would be awkward to rely on their power.

‘Should I start by reading some books?’

That seems like the best option for now. Since I lack even the basic concepts, I should build up my knowledge gradually.

If we’re talking about the place with the most books in the capital, it would undoubtedly be the Imperial Library. The library, accessible only to nobles, housed an enormous collection of books. From very old books to recent ones, both the variety and quantity were overwhelming. Even though the ducal study is large, it can’t compare to this library.

The carriage, having changed direction, soon arrived at the library.

The Granrose Imperial Library, attached to the Imperial Palace, reminded me of foreign libraries I’d seen in photos before. The well-organized bookshelves and the ornate embossed patterns decorating the ceiling were incredibly beautiful. In the center of the first floor was a staircase leading to the upper floors, covered with red cloth, creating an elegant atmosphere.

‘I used to think I’d like to visit a place like this before I die. I didn’t fulfill that dream, but I’ve come to a similar place.’

I wandered through the quiet building, lost in subtle emotions. Perhaps due to the odd hour, there weren’t many people around. Macy couldn’t enter since she wasn’t a noble, so I had to go alone.

To study about this world, maps, illustrated books, and dictionaries would be useful. What else would be good? With such thoughts, I walked around looking at the titles of the displayed books.

Given the size and vast collection of the place, it wasn’t easy to quickly find the books I wanted.

As I was walking backward, tracing book titles with my finger, I accidentally bumped into someone behind me, not having noticed them.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Not at all.”

As I quickly apologized, the man standing behind me smiled gently.

Golden hair that seemed to gather and scatter sunlight, and eyes as blue as the sea. He was a strikingly handsome man. His face was as refreshing as midsummer. If Rashid was the night, this man seemed to embody the day.

He couldn’t be a servant of the Imperial Palace, probably a young noble from some family. His neat appearance and aristocratic features certainly suggested so.

Come to think of it, he did look familiar… but I couldn’t quite remember. Who was he?

I pondered while looking at the man before me.

If he had a residence in the capital and frequented the Imperial Library, he must be from a fairly prominent family. Perhaps I’d seen him at some ball or dinner party?

Before her marriage, Alisa rarely attended such grand parties, and it was only after marriage that she got to participate in events everyone envied. It was difficult to easily remember the faces and names of the numerous nobles she suddenly met.

‘Seeing as he’s not acknowledging me first, he probably doesn’t know me either.’

Thinking it wasn’t a particularly important matter, I stopped pondering deeply.

“Are you looking for a book?”

The man spoke in a gentle voice. Though he immediately used informal speech, his tone was so soft that unlike some others, he seemed kind-natured. It felt less like treating me as an inferior and more like treating me as a child.

‘I do need help finding books. Come to think of it, he does look older than me.’

I gladly engaged in the light conversation.

“I’m looking for maps, illustrated books… books that would help me study various aspects of this country in detail.”

“Then this book would be good.”

The spine of the book he pointed to read ‘Complete Atlas of the Empire’. It was quite a thick book.

When I pulled it out and opened it, I found maps of the Empire divided by various themes in order. It seemed quite useful, containing most of the information I wanted.

“This is nice. Thank you. You’re very kind.”

I smiled to express my gratitude for his kindness. He responded with a smile that mirrored mine. His smile, sparkling as if bathed in midday sunlight, made me think that many women must lose sleep over this man.

“But it’s interesting that you’re curious about this country. Usually, people who frequent this place…”

“Are nobles, right?”

I quickly continued his sentence.

“Of course, I know some things since it’s the country I was born and raised in, but I felt my knowledge was too fragmented. I only really know about my family’s territory and the capital, but the Empire is vast, after all.”

I carefully worded my response so it wouldn’t sound strange for a Grandian to be studying about Grandia.

“I see. That makes sense.”

“It’s only natural for a citizen of the Empire!”

I said with emphasis. For some reason, I felt like quite the patriot.