Chapter 1.11

The Ford siblings, who had always been obsessed with bets since childhood, didn’t bother sending a servant, but went to find Herace themselves. When Shylo split the ashes in half and disappeared down the left corridor, Brienne naturally headed down the opposite corridor.

Whoever found Herace first would ask him to use a tracking spell to find the culprit.

But Brienne’s thoughts weren’t so simple.

‘…Why am I even doing this?’

Without even having time to grieve over Kaiden’s engagement, she was now chasing the culprit who burned the invitation.

Was this really so important? 

Yet, Shylo’s reaction left her feeling unsettled, so she couldn’t just let it go.

But even if she found the culprit with Herace’s help, the engagement was still the problem.

No matter what, a white dress was a symbol of the bride.

If she wore white as Melosi requested, it would go against common etiquette. But if she wore a different color, it would be a blatant insult to the host.

She wondered if she should just refuse to be a bridesmaid, as Shylo suggested, but the mention of “honorable families” and the political undertones made her uneasy.

Now that the invitation had burned up and disappeared, she wished she had someone to ask for advice…

But not a single face came to mind. Ever since she was young and often sick, she had spent her life buried in books.

‘Maybe I just shouldn’t go.’

In truth, Brienne also knew there was no real need for her to attend the engagement ceremony. But she couldn’t ignore the feeling that this might be the last time she would see Kaiden’s face.

‘…Right, if I’m going to go anyway, it’s better to attend the engagement than the wedding.’

No matter what happened, she would never go to Kaiden’s wedding, even if it killed her.

Lost in thought, Brienne soon found herself in front of the library. She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door with a nervous face. She passed through the maze-like shelves and went all the way inside, but contrary to her expectations, there was no one there.

Brienne quickly scanned the room, then hurriedly placed the book she’d brought onto the shelf. She’d brought that bizarre book with her to return it while she was at the library anyway.

But just as she was about to put it back, her hand stopped.

Now that she thought about it, leaving it there and having to explain the book to Herace out of nowhere seemed strange.

‘Even if I tried to explain, if he didn’t know the contents, there’d be nothing more dreadful…… Maybe it’s better to sound him out first.’

After a brief struggle, Brienne ended up taking the book with her again.

“Ah, Miss Ford.”

Luckily, she ran into Herace coming out of her father’s office.

“Why are you coming out from there?”

Brienne, glancing at the door he’d just exited, asked with a sour tone.

“The Marquis called for me. We played chess together.”

“Ah, chess…”

Brienne nodded as if she understood. It reminded her of her father’s face, who always pestered Shylo to play chess whenever he had the chance.

“And why are you coming out of the library again, Miss Ford?”

“This book, I…”

She was going to say she was leaving the book in the library.

But then he would ask why she hadn’t left it there.

Brienne scrambled for words for a moment, but Herace was quicker with his eyes.

“It seems you enjoyed reading that book. Since you’re still holding it close.”

…What was this? Did he know something? 

Brienne unconsciously shrank her shoulders. For some reason, his teasing attitude gave her chills.

“…Young Master. About this, this book.”

“Yes, is there a problem?”

“No! There’s no problem. It’s just that this book…”

Brienne gestured at the book with her eyes. She deliberately trailed off, but Herace only narrowed his eyes, looking as if he knew nothing at all.

Relieved, Brienne quickly hid the book behind her back. If he got suspicious, Herace might get interested in the contents.

“…The book is really pretty. Isn’t it?”

She ended up sounding like someone bragging about the book out of the blue, but Brienne stubbornly raised her chin. The dark gray eyes looking down at her in disbelief soon softened gently.

“Yes, it is pretty.”

His gaze leisurely swept over Brienne’s face.

“Very much so.”

‘Why is he looking at me like that just because I said the book was pretty…’

Meeting his gaze, Brienne suddenly felt embarrassed. She thought he would get misunderstood anywhere with those eyes, and she cleared her throat several times.

“A-and, just to be clear. I haven’t read this book yet. I’m only carrying it around because the cover is pretty.”

A question mark appeared on Herace’s face. He seemed to consider something, then nodded slowly.

“I see. I understand.”

A brief awkward silence passed between them. Watching him, Brienne tucked the book under her arm and handed him the ashes she had wrapped carefully in paper.

“…Um, actually, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is this?”

“I think Shylo did it with magic, but he keeps denying it. Could you help? You are said to be able to use tracking magic…”

Before Brienne could finish her words, Herace gently wrapped his hand around her wrist. Her small hand was completely enveloped by his large one and lifted up.

Brienne flinched, but tried not to show it. Thanks to the clear height difference, her arm started to ache a little, and Herace smiled as if he found it amusing.

“It’s definitely not your brother’s doing.”

“What? Then who…”

Herace let go of her wrist and took the ashes. Brienne instinctively grabbed her now-empty wrist with her other hand.

“Do you really not know?”

Lifting the ashes, Herace tilted his head slightly. His playful gesture filled Brienne’s eyes with curiosity.

Why wouldn’t he just say it outright?

Brienne frowned in frustration.

“It’s been proven it wasn’t your brother’s doing… Now it’s my turn.”

“What? Your turn?”

“Yes, I have a favor to ask of you as well, Miss Ford.”

With a polite smile, Herace looked down at the woman before him.

When he’d grabbed her wrist a moment ago, he’d felt a faint trace of magic from her body.

It wasn’t uncommon for adults to awaken their magic later in life. But the mana circuit Herace sensed in Brienne was thin and crude.

To open such a circuit, there must have been some external force at work…

After finishing his thoughts, Herace stepped closer to Brienne.

“Will you listen?”

A short silence lingered in the quiet corridor. Brienne’s sharp, wary gaze was hidden beneath her long lashes. Her lips, slightly parted, pressed together and finally released a weak sigh.

“…What kind of favor?”

Brienne looked somehow tense.

Herace had been about to ask what had happened after they met in the library, but changed his mind.

He wasn’t the type to read people’s feelings just by their expressions, but Brienne’s ever-changing, curiosity-provoking face was interesting to him.

He felt a sudden urge to see the tiny tremors cross that stiff expression.

‘I hadn’t planned to use such a shallow trick…’

Herace let out a shallow breath and infused magic into the ashes. As a blue light flickered from his hand, the invitation, once burnt to black, was restored to half-torn form.

Just as he expected, Brienne’s eyes widened. Herace handed the invitation to its owner in a calm tone.

“So it was an invitation.”

Brienne’s pale green eyes, sparkling with wonder, turned back to Herace.

“How did you do that?”

“Restoration magic. It’s a simple beginner spell.”

“Magic… That’s amazing. It’s my first time seeing magic up close like this.”

Brienne, enchanted, smiled without a hint of caution as she received the invitation. At that moment, Herace couldn’t suppress the impure thoughts rising up as he gazed into Brienne’s eyes.

How many times had he imagined a moment like this?

The day he saw Brienne by the Bannon family’s lake. Just knowing those same pale green eyes were fixed on him sent a chill through his body.

‘Do you know? That it only happened when both your eyes were fixed on Kaiden Bannon.’

“Ah, right. You said you had a favor? Please tell me. I actually needed this, too.”

Brienne held up the invitation and looked up at him. Under her composed face, Herace’s hand twitched for a moment.

He had thought he’d want nothing more if he could just see her one more time. After hearing the news of Kaiden’s engagement, he’d dared not even dream of it. But now, without realizing it, he found himself wanting more and more.

The reasons for his repeated impulses didn’t end in an instant.

Herace Belif was not foolish enough to be unaware of his own feelings.

“I’d like to become close with you, Miss Ford.”

“…What?”