Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“Mistress, please get rid of such thoughts. Right now.”

Embarrassed, Rebecca’s expression crumpled as she protested calmly. Seeing her reaction, I tilted my head slightly before grinning.

“No, believe me. I’m going to make you happy!”

She would be walking towards a future where she would not die.

I smiled naively like a puppy rolling around in a field of grass on a sunny day. Narrowing her eyes at me, Rebecca raised her hands.

“… Seriously. There’s no saving you.”

Her cold voice was then followed by a long sigh and a click of her tongue. But between the gaps of my fingers I could see her flustered peach coloured cheeks.

***

Clearly, the <Light of Rusbella> was not carrying out its main role. Or the standards here for men’s looks were higher than Mount Everest’s summit.

Really, I wondered how high Rusbella’s standards were. How handsome could the male lead be for him to win Hernandez with looks alone?

‘Well, Dane is handsome enough for me to want to keep looking at him with just one glance but he is considered an extra here.’

Even Amor looked like a honey-like puppy.

So, it went without saying, that one of the few people she considered handsome in the novel, I mean, Hernandez would be extremely handsome.

“I greet the princess. How are you?”

His white hair twinkled like pearls in the sun. His appearance suited the current season of spring very well.

“Well, not very well.”

I replied his greeting late without sincerity.

He was really handsome. He was pretty and yet at the same time, dashing. All he did was stand under a tree but under the mosaic created by the shadows of the leaves and the sunlight, he was blinding.

Even the maids and footmen who were walking past blushed when they saw him.

“You look like you’re mulling over something.”

As a gust of wind rustled his hair, it looked like feathers being swept along with the waves. Whilst staring at his captivating hair, I was also wondering why he was standing in front of the Soletorium. I could assume that his piercing gaze that was fixed on me had other agendas. It was just a feeling but it felt as though his agenda was me.

“I am, duke.”

“May I ask what you’re worried about?”

I gave him a glance before replying him straightforwardly.

“Why is the duke, who should be busy with his official duties, standing in front of the Soletorium?”

“I had been waiting for you.”

A handsome man had been waiting for me. That had been my biggest dream to fulfil after failing into a fantasy world. I had once even hoped it would come true. However, even though my pipe dream had been realised, I remained calm.

“Are you tired?”

He could immediately tell I had been having trouble sleeping these days with just one look at my face. I frowned slightly.

“No, I am not.”

I hate people who make me self-conscious.

“Don’t come near me.”

Once I noticed his hand reaching out for me, I retreated. In spite of the fact that I was obviously avoiding him, he smiled brightly. Then he flinched when he saw my bandaged arm. He licked his lips as if he had something to say.

His face void of expression looked chilling. When I looked at him, visibly displeased, Hernandez smiled softly as his eyebrows drooped.

“May I hold your hand?”

He extended his hand towards me affectionately.

“Why should I have to hold the Duke’s hand?”

If I had known nothing about him, I would have blushed at that moment. But I just stared at his hand.

“It’ll hurt my heart if you are to just walk up the stairs.”

“I’m not an idiot that will fall just by walking up 10 steps without an escort, duke.”

As if I had been waiting, I ignored him as I walked past.

However, the sound of my feet landing on each step did not last for long. I stopped. And the sound of the footsteps that trailed mine stopped as well.

“Princess.”

“How noisy. Can you stop calling me ‘princess’ and just give me the consideration that I am asking of you?”

“What kind of consideration would you like me to provide?”

I spun around.

“I would like you to disappear.”

I smiled as I looked down at him from two steps above him. I lowered my head and whispered so that others could not hear.

“I don’t want to see you, so disappear from my sight.”

A biting chill creeped up my body from the soles of my feet. As if winter had arrived. Satisfied at the icy air, I smiled.

It would only benefit me if he were to get hurt here and get away from me. I did not want him to keep approaching me only to be hurt by my mean words.

Whenever he appeared, I was reminded that this was not the timeline in which I died.

And that only made it confusing, depressing and miserable.

“I’m trying to hide my identity over here and are you just trying to make me stand out even more? What a worthless fellow.”

For a moment, I almost got caught up with my negative emotions. I slowly unwound like I was untying the knot of my messy emotions.

‘I know. He doesn’t remember.’

I should not be mistaken. He did not kill me. I closed my eyes and by the time I opened them again, I calmed down considerably.

I left him as he was and walked towards the administrative office. It was none of my business if he looked hurt right now.

‘Let’s not see each other again.’

Just then.

“Princess?”

Penne stared at me whilst I could not concentrate at all. After following where my gaze landed upon, he nodded as if he understood.

“I see that the princess likes handsome people.’

“No.”

Penne patted the back of my hand.

“It’s alright.”

His soft smile reminded me of an older sister consoling her younger one after finding out that her younger sister was a fanatic.

“That’s not it, Penne.”

Not knowing where to start explaining, I swept my face down at how he was misunderstanding the situation.

“It’s nothing to be shy about. Being a lady like yourself who’s stuck at home all day, the Duke of Devolo is a hard find. He is the most handsome guy in the world.”

“No, Penne. Stop it.”

I felt foreign for some reason.

I had sat down to study my materials but suddenly, Hernandez appeared again. And Granius did not even react. Thanks to that, Hernan was standing in a distance with his arms folded.

‘I mean, the Aedile is on the 2nd Prince’s side (which is to be expected) and Hernandez is the Crown Prince’s guardian, so he shouldn’t be here right now.’

Just in time, the door swung open.

“Hello! Pipio Ashley!”

“Soricks!”

With impeccable timing, Sorick’s arrival brought a breath of fresh air. He came running towards me before slamming his hand onto my desk and flashing me a smile.

“Look at this, Penne.”

Today was the day I promised Soricks I would study with him.

“But what’s this? Isn’t that the duke? Is it audit day already? Penne. Do you know what’s going on?”

“I heard he was carrying out an inspection.”

“Ah. Another person appeared while I was out of sight.”

Like a perching crow, he leaned his head over my desk and instead of frowning like I thought he would, he raised his head. It felt as if I just missed important information in the exchange Penne and Soricks just had.

“I mean, I was just wondering why the Aedile is not kicking someone like him out of the office? He’s an uninvited guest.”

“Kick him out? Do you mean… the duke?”

Penne widened his eyes and I opened my mouth.

“… I mean… He’s not someone from here anyways.”

“Pipio. I know your voice can be louder than that but I’ll let you off for now,” he cleared his throat before continuing, “Anyway, there is no rhyme or reason. But he is here on official business.”

“Official business?”

“Yes. He’s an inspector. I can’t do anything if he suddenly appears.”

I vaguely recalled what happened two years ago. When he first visited this place, he would make useless movements here and there and talked about this and that.

“I have the authority to arbitrarily supervise the templars and officials of this Empire.”

That had probably been the crown prince’s direct orders.

‘Didn’t he say something about ‘dictator’?’

So whenever he was bored, he would come over and whine. Was this the case too? The name of the group matched Castor really well. The crown prince’s authority was so great, it managed to overpower the entire administrative system of the capital.

I remembered how the novel described the ‘dictator’. Their duties included surveillance and gathering intelligence. But individually, they were well trained and arms which helped strengthen the power of Castor’s tyranny. They even appeared for a little while during the war.

‘This is not the time to be thinking about that.’

Whatever the reason was, I just knew he had something to do with this. What was important now was that face that would shift gently whenever I looked at him. I pulled Soricks to sit beside me on my right. I then let out a long breath.

‘If that’s the case, there’s no point growling at him so early in the morning.’

After talking to him in the back garden of my palace, he had not approached me for the past two weeks. Though he did not visit my palace himself, he did send flowers and gifts. But today, he came to see me as soon as I left my doors.

This was not good. The fact that he was visiting me often was not good. Castor might find his frequent disappearances strange and when he finds out I had something to do with it, he might find me interesting again. That was something that was very likely to happen.

To be honest, it was hard to predict what that crazy guy was thinking. But I could get a rough gauge now after facing him over dozens of times.

No. Actually, his train of thought was pretty simple. He only saved me because I was interesting. Even his adoration for Rusbella which then turned into love started from his interest in her.

“You’re heading to the administration with this body?”

Rebecca had stopped me in my tracks. She had stared at my bandaged arm with mixed feelings and when I told her I was heading out, she had strongly protested against it.

She claimed that it would interfere with the tea party I was going to attend in a few days’ time but I was glad to know that she was worried about me.

Still, I was in a position where I could not rest. Fleon and Ray who always fought when they were together actually agreed that I should.

“… If I knew this would happen, I should have listened to Rebecca.”

“Rebecca?”

“A friend.”

I thought I was talking to Soricks but something felt strange.

When I slowly raised my head, I could see a bed of white hair and a face staring straight at mine.

“How interesting. I know someone with the same name.”

“… Really?”

Of course, he would. I looked at him sharply.

“Wow, do you know me, duke? I am Soricks Nocta Amaedeus, Captain of the patrol troop, Ceres! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yes. It’s nice to meet the Templar of Canbarrus (God of Eyes and Owls) in person.”

Hernandez smiled warmly. But it also felt somewhat distant. But as soon as he faced me, his smile suddenly changed.

‘Don’t tell me, he’s acting like he knows me.’

Penne tilted his head and mumbled to himself, wondering if the duke he knew was ever the kind of person to smile like that.

‘Was he always such an obvious person?’

I intentionally averted my gaze as I pressed my hand against my furrowed brow.

“Penne, math.”

Looking at him, I knocked on the desk which caused Penne to exclaim and carry on with his explanation.

“By the way, what does the phrase ‘The power of the imperial family comes from the pain of their hearts’ mean? Does it have a special literary meaning?”

“It’s meant literally. Ah, pipio Ashley’s not a templar so she might not know.”

“… Pipio Ashley?”

Hernandez could be heard quietly mumbling.