“Wow.”

Hailey opened the door to the study and found herself unable to close her gaping mouth. The Duke’s study was surrounded on all four sides by bookshelves.

From the white ceiling, two chandeliers with multiple candelabras hung low, and a red carpet spread across the wooden floor.

Here and there were sofas, couches, and armchairs, placed to allow anyone to read comfortably from anywhere in the room.

Hailey’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she took in the sight of books densely packed on the shelves. By a rough estimate, there had to be thousands.

“It’s rather cramped compared to the library in the Duke’s castle,” remarked Madam Mastis.

Hailey turned to look at her, finding the comment absurd. Calling such an impressive study “cramped” was beyond her understanding.

Wait, haven’t I heard something similar before?

With a suspicious expression, Hailey tilted her head in thought before letting out a small chuckle. She remembered Peter’s outrageous statement on her first day here, about the mansion being small compared to the Duke’s castle.

“You mentioned looking for a book to read to His Grace, right? Take your time and browse,” Madam Mastis encouraged.

“Thank you, Marty.”

Madam Mastis regarded Hailey with rare satisfaction before turning and leaving the study.

The door closed behind Hailey, leaving her alone in the tranquil and silent room. The faint smell of old books wafted to her nose.

Hailey took a step further into the study, where sunlight poured in warmly. The carpet beneath her feet muffled her footsteps.

She liked it here.

The study, with its warmth, stillness, and comfort, quickly won Hailey over. A sudden thought struck her: she might miss this place if she were to be cast out of the mansion.

“I’d probably miss the perfectly manicured garden, the greenhouse, the beech trees, Brutus… and Jessie and Anna, Peter and Bill, Madam Mastis and Catherine. Hmm… Catherine’s a bit iffy, though.”

Hailey ambled slowly toward the bookshelves. There was no need to rush. Suddenly, she paused, her gaze gliding over the tightly lined book spines as she murmured quietly.

“Maybe even His Grace.”

Though she’d used the Duke as an excuse to Madam Mastis, her true reason for coming here was different. It was the questions that still haunted her nights.

Who had summoned her to this place? And why had they called her here? Could she find the answers hidden among the countless books left behind by wise scholars?

It wasn’t that she wanted to return. Even if she could go back to where she’d come from, there was no guarantee she’d still be breathing. She had no desire to court disaster.

She simply wanted to know if there was a reason she had to come here. Knowing might help her hold on to her place.

The fear of losing her place at any moment—this was the hollow void that pierced through Hailey’s heart.

It wasn’t a place that had belonged to her in the first place. That fact made her uneasy, as though even a minor mistake could send the ground crumbling beneath her feet.

It felt as if no place in the world had ever been prepared for her. It was a fear only those who had experienced it could understand.

“If I read every book in this study, will I figure out the answer?”

As if shaking off the heavy thoughts swirling in her head, Hailey murmured in a deliberately light tone. She slowly began to move, reading the titles engraved on the spines of the books as she passed.

She was searching for books related to religion, but every so often, if a title caught her eye, she would pull the book out and flip through its pages.

Even if it had nothing to do with her questions, that was fine. The comfortable atmosphere allowed Hailey to relax, her expression softening. It was the first time in a long while she felt at ease.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Suddenly, a book title caught her eye. Hailey noticed it on a shelf far above her head. Standing on her tiptoes, she stretched out her hand to reach it.

“Ugh…”

She strained with all her might, her fingers barely brushing against the book. The tantalizing closeness spurred her stubbornness. A green-haired man’s mocking voice calling her “shorty” flashed through her mind.

“Who’s a—ugh—shorty?”

If she fetched the footstool nearby, she could easily grab the book, but at this point, it wasn’t about the book anymore. It had become a battle with herself.

“Urghhh…”

Standing on her tiptoes, Hailey’s arm trembled as she gripped the edge of the book. Just as she thought she was about to succeed—

“!”

A hand suddenly extended from above her head.

Startled, Hailey’s eyes widened. Before she could react, pale, elegant fingers plucked the book from the shelf. She recognized those hands, which she had once found so mesmerizing.

Oh.

For a moment, her mind went blank. It felt as though her thoughts had been swept clean. Where had she seen those graceful fingers before? Hailey, dazed, slowly turned her head.

“…”

Right behind her was someone’s chest, solid like a wall. Slowly, she lifted her gaze. Her eyes trailed over broad shoulders, a thick neck, and a prominent Adam’s apple before stopping at a black mask.

Ah.

The faint scent of cologne replaced the smell of aged paper, and it dawned on her that she was practically leaning against the Duke in this position.

The proximity was too much. Her back was nearly brushing against his chest, and his breath teased her hair. Every time it did, Hailey reflexively tensed her shoulders.

Cold silver eyes bore into her, unflinching. Caught in his gaze, Hailey froze, unable to move a single finger as though she had fallen under a spell.

It wasn’t out of fear. Nor was it pure embarrassment. And yet, maybe it was both—and something else altogether.

“The Secrets of Rebellion: A Guide to Success for the Ambitious.”

The duke read the title of the book in his hand. His languid, unhurried voice carried a faint undertone of ominousness. It was only then that Hailey instinctively sensed danger and began to back away.

Not that it mattered, as there was a bookshelf behind her, leaving her no room to retreat further.

“From what Marty said, you were in the middle of selecting a Santis book to read to me.”

Tayton paused briefly before letting his gaze drop back to the book. The title that had just rolled off his lips was now standing proud in his hand.

“Mutiny, huh.”

“Uh, well…”

“Hailey Salmon.”

Tayton called her name in an emotionless tone that somehow sounded deceptively gentle. Yet, for some reason, cold sweat began trickling down Hailey’s back.

“Y-yes, Your Grace.”

“It seems there’s a superior officer you’d like to overthrow these days. Who is it that’s infuriating you? Hmm? Speak up.”

The duke’s gentle questioning, as if coaxing a child, gave the impression that he already knew the answer. His languid silver eyes locked onto Hailey.

Hailey, unable to meet his gaze, averted her eyes and silently cursed the duke for sneaking up on her. The plush carpet, which had muffled her own footsteps, appeared to have silenced the duke’s as well.

“Of course not! It’s just that—ah! I was trying to grab the book next to that one.”

Tayton’s gaze shifted back to the bookshelf. He let out a lazy sigh before taking a step toward it.

“!”

Caught between the bookshelf and the duke, Hailey instinctively took a step back. Her back hit the solid wood of the shelf. There was nowhere left to flee.

When she realized the duke’s broad chest was now directly in front of her, a faint musk wafted toward her. Her mouth went dry, and the air felt taut, as if pulled tight. An odd tension filled the space.

Unconsciously, Hailey held her breath. Her eyes trembled as she watched his Adam’s apple move slowly.

Then, at that very moment—

“…”

Tayton slowly extended a hand. His thick arm brushed past her head.

Grabbing a book, he murmured in a tone laced with amusement.

“Legendary Seductress: 100 Ways She Enchanted Kings.”

Ugh.

Hailey frowned, bewildered as to why such a book would even be in the duke’s library.

Momentarily forgetting her dry throat, she shot the duke a resentful glance.

“So, you were planning to take me down, weren’t you?”

“No, that’s not it…”

Hailey instinctively opened her mouth to reply but hesitated, unsure how to finish. Somehow, it felt like every word she said was digging her own grave.

“I’ve kindly warned you multiple times, but it seems you just can’t give up.”

The duke’s voice, tinged with mockery, fell over her like a shadow.

I’ll never set foot in this library again!

Hailey hung her head, her expression sulky. As she gazed down at her orange hair, Tayton silently pulled his lips into a smirk. His mouth curved into a mischievous grin.