Chapter 10
Sleepless Souls
“The promise is really easy to break, you know.”
The thin voice kept ringing in Eliana’s ears.
“Ha…”
As she tossed and turned in her bed, Eliana suddenly sat up.
Albert, Charlotte. The faces of the two of them kept spinning in her mind like a broken record, making it impossible for her to sleep.
She had ordered Milla to investigate, so soon enough, the information about Charlotte would be in her hands.
She had paid the appropriate amount for it, and Milla was fast and efficient at gathering information, so there was no need to worry about the progress.
But sitting idly and waiting only made her mouth dry.
The image of Charlotte’s glinting eyes felt uncomfortably ominous to her.
“Let’s not think about it.”
She tried to focus on something else, but the invitation from the Empress to the tea party suddenly popped into her mind.
The sharp handwriting, promising to look forward to their meeting, danced before her eyes.
“I should read something.”
Eliana mumbled to herself like a madwoman, leaving the room to head for the library.
When she reached the door of the library, she lightly moved her shoulder.
The library doors, a gift from the previous Duke, were more elaborate and grand than a place for reading should have been.
As a result, it was quite difficult to open them without a fair amount of strength.
“Ugh…”
She pushed the door with all her might.
“Maybe they should just change the door. What’s with this every time?”
Having finally gotten inside the library, Eliana kicked the door with her foot and grumbled.
“Why? I think it looks nice.”
A deep, resonant voice descended over her echoing words.
From behind the tightly packed bookshelves, Richard appeared.
“Duke?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Richard wore a friendly smile as he spoke.
“What are you doing here?”
“Reading books in the library, what else would I be doing?”
“I mean, why aren’t you sleeping again?”
“I told you, I’m sensitive about where I sleep.”
They exchanged trivial words back and forth.
“By the way, Princess, are you still having trouble adjusting to the time difference?”
Richard took a step closer. He gave off an oddly sweet scent, like sugar.
“Yes… well… yes,” Eliana responded, averting her gaze.
It was true that she hadn’t fully adjusted to the time difference, but the current insomnia wasn’t just because of it.
Her mind was overwhelmed by thoughts of those she didn’t want to think about.
When there were too many thoughts, no matter how tired she was, sleep never came.
“Seems like you’re more sensitive than me.”
“I was raised just as delicately as you, Duke.”
Eliana casually walked past Richard.
His shadow followed her as she quickly walked between the bookshelves.
“Why are you following me?”
“Following you? I’m just walking where you’re walking.”
“Then please go ahead.”
Eliana cleared the way, but Richard didn’t move.
“Not going?”
“I’d like to, but do you think I can pass through this narrow path just because you’re stepping aside?”
Richard’s shoulders were almost touching the bookshelves on either side.
If he passed by her, one of the bookshelves was sure to topple over.
“Maybe it’s better to just keep walking straight through.”
“That seems better,” Eliana agreed, continuing her walk.
After weaving through the tangled bookshelves, they finally reached the reading room.
On the desk were books that seemed to belong to Richard and some sandwiches.
“Using the kitchen without permission again…”
“I got permission from the Duke.”
“Then I guess that’s fine.”
“There’s one left. Will you have some too? I haven’t bitten into it yet.”
Richard placed the plate in front of Eliana.
The sandwich, filled generously with eggs, cabbage, and ham, filled her vision.
Eliana swallowed, finding it hard to refuse.
The skill in preparing the sandwich was so good that it was impossible to turn down.
She briefly thought about it.
Did she have anything to do in the afternoon? No promises.
Did she need to dress up? She was staying in the mansion, so as long as it wasn’t dirty, that was fine.
Was it okay to refuse food twice? It would be rude.
After making a series of excuses in her head, Eliana nodded.
“Yes, thank you. I’ll eat it.”
“Surprising. I thought you would refuse, saying your face would get swollen the next day.”
Eliana paused, her hand slightly still.
‘Sharp guy.’
She coughed awkwardly and pulled the plate closer to her.
“I need to choose a book to read, so I’ll excuse myself first.”
Richard chuckled softly as he watched her walk away.
‘Which book should I choose?’
Eliana carefully examined the neatly arranged books.
“Oh?”
One book caught her eye as she scanned the shelves from top to bottom.
It was a novel she had heard about from her university peers during her time abroad.
“The Lady’s Charm… quite an interesting read,” Richard remarked as he noticed the title.
As Eliana sat down with the book, Richard raised an eyebrow.
Eliana’s face turned slightly red as she defended herself.
“It’s the only book I haven’t read yet. The others I’ve already finished.”
“Oh, really?”
Richard’s eyes widened in mock surprise.
It was obviously a lie. How could she have read all the books in such a vast collection?
Realizing the absurdity of her statement, Eliana tried to recover.
“Not all of them, just half… but the books in the same section as this one, I’ve read them all.”
“Who said that?”
His golden eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint, and Eliana couldn’t help but feel annoyed.
She stood up, carrying the book.
“Where are you going?”
“To read a different book.”
“Why? That book is interesting. You’ll regret it if you don’t finish it.”
“Have you read it?”
“Of course.”
Richard answered confidently.
“That book gets interesting after the middle. After much difficulty, the lady returns and starts seeking revenge. She even puts a mark on her cheek.”
Richard pointed to his own nose, grinning widely.
Eliana sat down quietly, listening to his excitement.
“There’s also a book called ‘The World of Noble Couples.’ Once you start, you won’t stop reading until dawn. It’s a shame the Princess’s library doesn’t have it.”
“Do you enjoy reading books like these?”
“I wouldn’t say enjoy. It’s just a genre the late Empress Beatrice loved, so I ended up picking it up.”
For a brief moment, Richard’s golden eyes darkened with a hint of longing.
Beatrice, the late Empress, had been like a mother to Richard.
Her delicate features, with her long, dark hair, rose from his memory.
Eliana, sensing she had made him sad again, took a bite of the sandwich he had made.
“You cook well.”
“Does it suit your taste?”
Richard smiled brightly.
Eliana nodded, her mouth full.
“Did you learn how to cook?”
“I guess you could say that. Paula taught me everything.”
Paula, his former tutor, had been passionate about teaching him everything she knew.
Thanks to her, Richard became skilled in various tasks, from embroidery and sewing to cooking and gardening.
Eliana, knowing who Paula was, laughed awkwardly, as if understanding.
“Is there anything going on these days?”
As she finished her sandwich, Richard casually asked.
His gaze was filled with concern and sympathy.
‘Ah, so you know.’
Since she had mentioned visiting the palace, he probably saw Charlotte and Albert, and heard the rumors.
Eliana swallowed the last bite of the sandwich, thinking of all the unspoken words hidden in Richard’s inquiry.
“Nothing else, except for a person I’d like to hit.”
“Who is that? I’m curious. Do you think you can actually hit them with that arm? If you need, I can do it for you.”
You’d kill them if you hit them.
The veins in Richard’s hand stood out, looking threatening enough.
“I’ll take the gesture. But even though it’s thin, it’s stronger than you think. I’m good with a sword too.”
“No way.”
“Our family has swordsmanship as a basic skill, regardless of gender. If you don’t believe me, ask Gerard.”
“I won’t believe it until I see it myself.”
“Fine, I’ll show you.”
Eliana stood up in frustration, her anger flaring.
“Now? At night? No, no. If we swing swords in the dark, it will be a disaster.”
Richard made a cross with his arms.
“How about tomorrow afternoon?”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes. Do you have any plans?”
“No, I don’t have anything scheduled.”
“Then let’s meet in the training hall tomorrow. You can just swing your sword at me lightly. If you’re not confident, you don’t have to come.”
Richard shrugged, smirking.
“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow at noon in the training hall.”
Eliana replied with confidence, accepting the challenge impulsively.
She hadn’t realized yet that Richard, the famed swordsman who had survived countless battles, might not be someone she could easily beat.
