That Marriage, I’ll Do It in this Life - Chapter 24

If not for the sensation of his touch, Saena might have marveled at the potion’s effectiveness. Instead, her wide eyes remained fixed on her palm, unable to look away.

The contact felt… overly intimate, almost sensual.

‘Sensual…?’

The thought embarrassed her, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She felt ridiculous for describing a healing touch in such a way.

The liquid had long since been absorbed, and the burn completely healed, yet the Duke continued to hold her hand. His expression was unusually serious, making it difficult for Saena to pull her hand away.

However, as the sensation of his fingers on her skin became increasingly hard to ignore, she finally spoke up.

“Um…”

“……”

“T-thank you.”

She gently withdrew her hand as she spoke. The Duke watched her hand slip away for a long moment before he began putting his gloves back on. Saena silently observed as he carefully slid his fingers into the gloves, spreading his palm wide to ensure the perfect fit.

If merely touching someone could evoke such an overwhelming sensation, she could understand why he always wore gloves. No, he had to wear gloves.

‘Hah… What am I even thinking?’

Her thoughts were veering into strange territory, and she shook her head slightly to clear them.

The Duke sealed the vial and held it out to her. He then took out another small pouch from his coat and placed it beside the vial.

“This is a salve for injuries. It’s not for consumption, so use it only externally.”

Saena glanced at her now-healed palm, her expression tinged with surprise and hesitation.

“But… it’s already healed. I don’t need it. It seems like an expensive potion…”

She looked at her smooth, unblemished skin as she spoke. Judging by its effectiveness, the potion was undoubtedly costly.

“Judging by your reckless behavior last time, I suspect you might need it again in the future.”

“……”

She couldn’t tell whether that was meant as consideration or criticism. Saena furrowed her brows slightly before quickly smoothing her expression.

“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

It seemed the Duke’s sole purpose in visiting was to deliver the salve, as he rose from his seat without hesitation.

“In two days, Count Debov is hosting an investment salon, correct?”

“Y-yes? Oh, yes, that’s right.”

“I’d like to briefly attend the salon and take care of the matter we discussed earlier. Could you relay that to the Count?”

The Kramer duchy hardly seemed like it would need investment advice, but Saena blinked in surprise and nodded. He was likely combining two tasks into one. Considering the Duke’s undoubtedly packed schedule, it wasn’t unreasonable.

“Understood. I’ll inform him and make the necessary preparations.”

Saena stood as she replied.

The household staff must have been alerted to his departure, as the head butler and Sage were already waiting in the lobby to see him off.

“Your Grace, I trust your visit was satisfactory?”

“Once again, I apologize for the unannounced visit.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Watching Sage bid farewell to their guest with the poise of a proper heir was a refreshing sight, given the way he had been fussing over her recently.

However, the moment the Duke left, Sage reverted to his usual self, immediately making a fuss.

“What was that about? Why did His Grace come all the way here?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? His Grace personally came here, and you call that nothing? Don’t tell me…”

“……?”

Sage’s eyes widened as he exclaimed.

“Was it a date proposal?”

“……”

“Or a courtship request?!”

“Brother, what nonsense are you spouting?!”

The idea of Duke Kramer seeing her as a romantic interest was absurd.

Even though nothing had happened yet, Saena still thought of Duke Kramer as ‘Elizabeth’s husband.’ That perception hadn’t changed.

“Well, that’s a relief. Our Saena is far too good for him.”

Sage continued to spout nonsense, nodding as if he genuinely believed it. The audacity of his statement was almost impressive. Saena couldn’t help but let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“But if that’s not it, then why did His Grace specifically ask to meet with you?”

“He seems interested in materials related to <Arles-Promesa>. He wanted to look at some records our family has.”

“Huh?”

“Well, he’s a guardian spirit wielder, so it makes sense.”

“Couldn’t he have just made a formal request instead of going through you?”

“Maybe he knows I have an interest in Arlesian and related topics. He specifically asked for my guidance.”

“Hmm…”

Sage frowned slightly, still looking unconvinced.

“Let Father know.”

Saena said, explaining the Duke’s plan to attend the salon and review the materials afterward.

“Alright. By the way, are you going to the party tonight?”

“I’m not going.”

“……”

Sage gave her the same exasperated look the nanny had earlier and shook his head.

* * *

After the Duke’s visit, Saena headed to the Debov estate in Delvon.

“You’ll be staying here tonight, correct?”

“Yes. I’ll return to the capital tomorrow.”

Rupert, escorting her as she stepped out of the carriage, asked the question.

“Understood.”

“Make sure you get some rest as well.”

Saena changed out of her travel clothes and headed straight to the library.

It was her favorite place in the estate. However, since turning back time, she hadn’t set foot in it even once. It had been her sanctuary, but for some reason, she had avoided it until now. Perhaps the Duke’s request gave her the excuse she needed.

‘It’s been so long.’

The library, designed to preserve the books with carefully controlled lighting, exuded a cozy atmosphere. Saena wandered between the shelves, feeling a wave of nostalgia. The scent of books filled her lungs, and she relished it.

The library was still organized exactly the way she had left it. Around the age of fourteen, she had spent nearly three months cataloging every book in the Debov family library and creating a new indexing system. She hated having to search through the massive library to find a single book. Now, anyone who entered could simply consult the detailed index on the central table to locate the exact shelf and position of any book.

At the back of the library was a small, locked room where rare books and family records were kept. Normally, the head of the household would hold the key, but in the Debov family, there was an exception.

‘The key is with me.’

Saena pulled a golden key from her pocket. Decorated with the family crest and jewels, it was an ornate and distinguished key.

In her previous life, when she left the Debov estate to marry, she had cried the most when she handed this key back to her father. It had been a moment of undeniable finality.

「I really have to leave.」

「I won’t be able to study Arlesian anymore.」

The realization that her vague thoughts of departure had become reality hit her like a blow.

The fact that they allowed her to keep the key had been a testament to how much she had loved the library. The sense of loss and despair she had felt then was still vivid in her memory.

‘Marriage… it’s truly the worst.’

Resolving once again to remain unmarried, Saena inserted the key into the lock and turned it.

Since the room was almost always kept locked, the air inside was noticeably more stagnant compared to the outer library. But it also carried a scent she loved—the smell of paper, leather, and dust all mingling together.

Returning to a space she had consciously avoided for so long felt unexpectedly comforting. A sense of peace settled over her.

‘This isn’t the time for this.’

Saena steadied her thoughts. If she didn’t focus on her task, she would end up lingering endlessly. The library always had that effect on her. She would come in intending just to browse, only to lose herself in its contents until mealtime had passed, prompting the nanny to come fetch her.

“This one, and this one… Oh, not this one.”

Saena began pulling out a few books and documents that were appropriate to show Duke Kramer, stacking them neatly. There was a small desk in the inner room, but since she hadn’t entered the space in a long time, it was covered in a thin layer of dust.

“Huh, this…”

Her eyes landed on a familiar book resting neatly on the desk. It was bound in red leather with no title, but its cover bore an intricate and elaborate design.

“It’s been a while…”

Saena slowly ran her fingers over the cover and opened it to the first page. The title was written in the common language, in a handwriting she recognized immediately—it was hers.

[Conversations with a Guardian Spirit]

The inside, however, was filled with dense Arlesian text. Most people wouldn’t be able to read even a single paragraph. The title had been written in the common language purely for her own convenience.

Arlesian was a particularly complex language, with separate systems for ideograms and phonetic characters. Its structure was so intricate that mastering it was exceptionally difficult. To make matters worse, the meaning of an ideogram could change entirely depending on the order in which its components were assembled, making interpretation even more challenging.

Yet in her previous life, Saena had managed to decipher nearly half of this book. Even skipping over the sections she couldn’t translate, it had taken her more than three years to interpret as much as she had. That level of work alone was comparable to that of a renowned scholar of ancient languages, though neither she nor anyone else had realized the extent of her skill. After all, she had pursued it simply as a hobby, driven by her love for the subject.

‘I think I also slipped a sheet with the table of contents inside.’

The thought suddenly came to her. Since the title alone didn’t provide much insight into the book’s contents, she had written out a table of contents for the sections she had translated and tucked it inside. But no matter how much she searched, it was nowhere to be found.

And now that she thought about it, her translation notes were missing as well. She had kept a separate notebook where she transcribed the translated portions into the common language, but it was nowhere in sight. She had always kept the original book and the notebook together on the desk, but now only the original remained.