Chapter 6 (Part 9)

Listening to the siblings’ conversation, Venable chuckled and danced inwardly.

He could almost see the affectionate future Grand Duke couple reading books together in the library after blocking the powers. No, he could see it!

But he had to maintain a calm expression. He couldn’t show his joy in front of the quarreling siblings.

Next to him, Hannah also briefly raised and lowered the corners of her mouth.

As a veteran head maid, she maintained a composed and respectful demeanor.

“Butler Venable.”

Puring called out to Venable.

“Yes, Grand Mage Puring. Please speak comfortably.”

“I will speak comfortably in due time. I plan to stay for one night, so could you show me to my room?”

“Yes, Head Maid Hannah will guide you.”

“Please follow me, Puring.”

Puring stood up and spoke to Juan and Agnita.

“Lady Meia dislikes being disturbed while reading. You both know that, right?”

The siblings nodded at Puring’s words.

“Let’s go to our rooms and rest first. We’ll see the lady when she comes out of the library.”

Juan said,

“I will wait in front of the library door until the lady comes out.”

“I agree with my brother.”

“I will be alone, Agnita.”

Agnita flared up at Juan’s words.

“I will wait too!”

Puring sighed and shook his head at the siblings’ petty argument.

Knock, knock.

“It’s Quini!”

Venable quickly approached the door and opened it. He had told Deputy Butler Kelvain to call Quini quickly. Venable was confident that a pleasant reunion with Quini would stop the actions of those trying to find Meia.

Quini, upon entering, bowed to Puring and then happily greeted Juan and Agnita.

“I came running as soon as I heard you had arrived! It’s been such a long time, Agnita and Juan!”

Puring, who was about to leave the reception room, was delighted by Quini’s sudden visit.

“Quini, it’s been a long time.”

“Grandfather Quini!”

Agnita got up from her seat and ran to hug Quini.

“You’ve become even prettier since I last saw you, Agnita.”

Despite Quini’s compliment, Agnita wore a slightly gloomy expression.

“I really want to see the lady, but she’s in the library.”

“Is that so? I was having a drink and painting in my room.”

“I told you to cut down on drinking.”

“But there’s so much good liquor in the Grand Ducal residence, haha.”

Juan approached the grumbling Agnita and bowed to Quini.

“Hello, Quini.”

“Juan, you must have had a hard time on your journey. How is the Ducal residence?”

Agnita answered in Juan’s place.

“Don’t even ask. I was locked up in a solitary room and had to turn the Ducal residence upside down to escape.”

“What do you mean?”

Agnita briefly explained what had happened after Quini left. When she mentioned what Crown Prince Patzraelli had said, Quini’s face turned grim.

“What? That Crown Prince has gone mad! He threw her away, and now he wants to take her back?”

“Don’t even mention it. For a moment, I thought I was looking at Prince Demian. Maybe it’s because they’re brothers? Their obsession and arbitrary thinking are exactly the same. He said he wanted to take our lady as a concubine, claiming it’s common for a family to produce both a concubine and an empress. If it weren’t for Yudy, I would have hit him.”

After the former Duke and Duchess passed away, the Crown Prince immediately discarded Meia and accepted Meryl as his fiancée. But now he wants to take her back as a concubine!

Quini ground his teeth in anger, showing how furious he was.

“As long as I have breath in me, that will never happen! It’s already annoying that Prince Demian is going around saying he wants to make our lady his princess consort!”

Agnita wholeheartedly agreed with Quini.

“Of course! That can never happen! Even the empress position is unacceptable, let alone a concubine!”

Juan also nodded.

Seeing this, Venable narrowed his eyes and slightly raised the corners of his mouth before speaking with a serious expression.

“There’s no guarantee that she won’t be unilaterally broken off from an engagement twice. She must never accept him again. Moreover, Prince Demian is also lingering around Lady Meia, making the future of the Carpen Empire look bleak. I haven’t served Lady Meia for long, but I can tell she is truly kind and virtuous. I think she should meet someone much better.”

Everyone, including Agnita, nodded vigorously at his words.

Venable’s eyes sparkled as he passionately addressed Agnita, Juan, and Quini.

“If she were to get engaged or married, it would be best if it were to someone Lady Meia desires. Of course, it would be ideal if the person she desires is wealthy, handsome, cherishes and loves her more than his own life, is younger, and has strong power to pressure the Emperor of the Carpen Empire.”

Head Maid Hannah also passionately added to Venable’s speech.

“I heard the nobles of the Carpen Empire have many concubines? Even His Majesty the Emperor has concubines. In our Sirius Empire, His Majesty the Emperor does not take concubines, so none of our nobles do either. This Sirius Empire is a place where only romantics who live solely for their wives exist, hoho.”

As soon as Hannah finished speaking, Hemann, who had been quietly standing by, continued.

“Even if we set aside the Crown Prince of Carpen, if Prince Demian proposes to the Hatzbellua family and insists, Lady Meia would be forced into an engagement or marriage, wouldn’t she?”

Quini responded to Hemann’s words with a face as if he had stepped on a cockroach.

“Our lady will never become a princess consort.”

“But isn’t the reason Lady Meia came to our Grand Ducal residence to avoid meeting Prince Demian? Am I right, Puring?”

Hemann’s question directed at Puring made everyone in the reception room look at Puring.

Puring answered ‘yes’ to Hemann’s question. Even after that, the staff of Grand Duke Florence’s residence did not stop their passionate speeches.

*   *   *

While the staff of Grand Duke Florence’s residence were giving passionate speeches, Meia’s mind was entirely occupied with the words ‘how could this happen.’

She had intended to leave the library due to the earlier strange atmosphere, but the door without a handle was broken.

Theodore also looked very flustered as the library door wouldn’t open.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t expect something like this to happen…”

“It’s okay, Grand Duke.”

They say one can survive even if bitten by a dragon as long as they stay alert.

“I’m sorry.”

Theodore kept apologizing with a gloomy face from behind Meia.

“You didn’t break the door on purpose, so why are you apologizing so much? It’s okay.”

“Yes.”

“Since they know we’re in the library, someone will come and open the door.”

Meia sat back on the sofa and began to read her book again. Theodore also picked up a book and sat beside her.

Time passed quietly like that.

And soon, Meia experienced for the first time in her life what it meant to feel embarrassment and shame.

‘So this is what Venable meant…’

In the morning, Venable had asked her to agree with Lady Jasmine’s words when she was getting dressed.

<Has His Grace never shown you the library, Lady Meia?>

Upon hearing the word ‘library’ from Lady Jasmine’s question, Meia immediately realized that it was the perfect place to be alone with Theodore.

Unexpectedly, Meia agreed to his request.

And now, she was stuck in the library with him. Others might wonder what’s so good about being stuck, but Theodore was very happy with the situation.

It was clear that Venable had changed the activation word after seeing them enter the library. That’s why the activation word didn’t work, and the door wouldn’t open. Initially, he was flustered because the activation word didn’t work, but ultimately, he was very satisfied with this moment of being alone with her. He thought he should give the butler a bonus.

Meia got up and wandered around the library. Of course, Theodore followed her, worried she might pick up a heavy book.

After wandering between the bookshelves for a while, Meia stopped in front of one shelf. It contained the fairy tale books her parents used to read to her when she was young. Feeling nostalgic, she tried to reach for a book on her tiptoes, but she couldn’t reach it.

“Let me get that for you.”

Theodore, who had come up behind Meia, wrapped his left arm around her shoulder and reached for the book on the shelf. Feeling his warmth behind her, Meia’s heart suddenly started pounding.

‘Why does my arrhythmia get worse when I’m with the Grand Duke? It seems to be getting worse by the day.’

Theodore, feeling proud that he could help Meia by getting the book she couldn’t reach, smiled broadly.

“Here it is.”

Meia thanked him as she received the fairy tale book.

“Thank you, Grand Duke.”

“That fairy tale book…”

“Have you read this book too, Grand Duke?”

“Of course. My parents used to read it to me often when I was young.”

The word ‘parents’ made Theodore’s eyes slightly red.

Meia, thinking he might be like her, smiled and said,

“Then shall we read the book together?”

The way he widened his eyes and nodded looked like a big puppy.

“Come a little closer to me.”

Theodore, holding the fairy tale book, sat next to Meia on the sofa, feeling a twinge of jealousy towards the book that had caught her attention. He glanced at her frequently.

She was deeply engrossed in reading the text with her blue eyes. However, he couldn’t focus on the words in the book… his heart was pounding so hard…

Meanwhile, Theodore was anxious as he watched Meia read the book without a care. He also resented the book that had captured her attention. He wanted to burn every book.

‘But… if I get rid of the books… she might not like it.’

She loves books…