* * *
The servant, too, didn’t hurry him.
By the time I finished getting ready, Klen was still adjusting his clothes.
“Breakfast?”
“You’ll have it with Lord Fabian.”
“Leave my spouse to eat alone?”
“…”
I tried my best to not let my face show my disbelief as I stared at him.
‘When have we ever eaten together?’
Then I realized that all the servants who had been hovering around, helping with preparations, had the same expression as mine.
We’d never eaten together, not even once.
“Did you forget that the schedule was already set?”
It seemed there was already a prior arrangement.
If he meant Lord Fabian, it must be referring to Klen’s older brother, Fabian Valuncio, the heir to the title of count.
I’d only seen him briefly at the wedding, and in the novel, he had already left for a monastery to recover from an injury, so I had no idea what his personality was like.
But judging by how much Klen didn’t want to go, maybe he was a bit of a nag?
“I guess there’s no helping it. Adrian, you’ll have to eat alone today.”
“Ah, yes.”
‘Probably the same today.’
Klen walked toward me slowly, and then,
“…?!”
He kissed the back of my head, a spot that couldn’t even be called the forehead, then took a step back.
My body, startled by the sudden physical contact, froze like a stone.
Maybe he couldn’t see my frozen expression, but he reached out and swept my hair up.
The short strands must have slipped easily between his fingers.
Seemingly satisfied, Klen turned and left the room.
“Wait!”
The servant, who had been frozen along with me, quickly followed behind him.
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence settled among the rest of us.
‘…What’s going on?’
Was he trying to act like we’re getting along?
Or was this some sort of attempt to say, “Let’s try to be friends now that we’re married?”
“Shall we prepare breakfast?”
“Please.”
Either way, it didn’t matter to me.
It was better than things falling apart.
I had no allies here, left alone in this place.
I couldn’t afford to have my partner turn his back on me.
For my own comfort, and for when situations arise where I need to assert myself, it’s better to have someone on my side.
Soon, the table was filled with food.
The breakfast, similar to yesterday’s, still made me feel somewhat unsatisfied. I craved juicy meat.
Normally, I would’ve eaten it all in an instant, but it felt like I was eating with weights tied to my hands, forcing myself to finish as slowly as possible.
My stomach already felt empty as if everything had been digested.
If this kind of life continues, I might really grow weak, not just pretend.
So I took a slow, deliberate step outside, using the excuse of a walk.
“If you’re tired, you should go back inside immediately.”
“I understand.”
But as expected, I couldn’t move alone.
The person following me had a strong physique, as if he should be able to easily catch me if I ever fell, and I couldn’t tell if he was a servant or a bodyguard.
“And.”
“Huh?”
“You can speak casually.”
“Uh.”
I carefully pondered over the words I had added.
Now that I thought about it, even Klen, who acted clumsy, was looked down upon by the servants but didn’t speak formally to them.
I hadn’t treated them that way at my main house either, but…
I guess the thought that I might be inside a novel confused me.
Even though I couldn’t clearly recall my past life, it seemed to affect the way I spoke.
‘Would it be better to do that for the future?’
It’s always best to maintain a good relationship with the people closest to you, no matter where you are.
For now, it might be better to approach them a little more casually.
“Alright, I’ll do that.”
“Thank you.”
I spoke those words, but he seemed to have tensed up.
His shoulders dropped a bit, and I could almost hear a quiet sigh of relief.
My formal speech must have made them uncomfortable.
“But where are you headed?”
“… The library?”
As soon as I spoke the words, my steps suddenly halted.
I had been imagining the location of the Caldrich Castle library in my mind, moving naturally toward it.
But it wasn’t the same structure.
It wasn’t even likely to be in a similar place.
The more important thing was, I didn’t know the layout of this castle well.
The servant, who had been following me, came up beside me and bowed.
“I will guide you.”
Did my flustered movements show too clearly?
He began walking slowly in front of me, and I followed behind.
I had thought the library would be nearby, but it turned out to be quite far.
A separate building, away from the main castle.
Smaller than a temple, but the atmosphere was similar as I stopped in front of a building.
The man turned around.
“This is it.”
And then stepped aside.
“Is it alright if I go in alone?”
“Yes, I will wait here. If anything happens, please call for me immediately.”
The servants could only use the castle library when running errands.
Of course, if they accompanied me, they’d be able to pass through without any problem.
However, I couldn’t properly investigate if he stayed behind.
His face, full of concern, watched me as I entered the library alone.
I deliberately turned my head, pretending not to notice, and walked inside.
Now wasn’t the time for anything to happen.
There wouldn’t be a sudden attack right in the middle of the Count’s castle, but I wasn’t worried.
Whoever it was, I was confident I could handle it.
‘Oh.’
This entire building was a huge library.
Sunlight streamed through the tall ceiling windows, and the cool air, likely imbued with magic, circulated between the shelves, as if protecting the books from damage.
“Are you looking for a specific book?”
It seemed that the librarian, noticing me standing at the entrance, approached and asked.
She didn’t check who I was or why I was there, so she must have already known who I was.
“Uh, a book about magic… maybe.”
I trailed off.
It wasn’t because magic was considered bad or embarrassing.
It was just that I had never shown any interest in that area, and even saying it felt awkward.
“Oh, I see. You’ll find what you need near the south side on the third floor.”
“Thank you.”
She seemed to sense my discomfort and gave a slight smile before nodding.
After exchanging light pleasantries with the librarian, I crossed the library and headed toward the stairs.
The tightly packed books along the walls made my eyes dizzy.
There were more people than I had expected sitting at the long tables in the center of the first floor, and I had to pass by them to reach the stone staircase leading up.
I quickly ascended to the third floor.
Thanks to the directional signs on the floor, finding the south side wasn’t difficult.
The corridors were surprisingly wide enough for people to walk through, and chairs were placed in various spots where one could sit and read.
When I reached the shelf the librarian had pointed to, I scanned the books before me.
‘Magic Theory, Basics, Introduction…’
Seeing the titles written on the various books, I thought I had found what I was looking for.
But the titles alone gave me a headache, making me feel like turning back.
After scanning around briefly, I finally found the book I had been searching for.
‘On Magical Rites.’
The title was definitely correct.
And the contents were probably what I needed.
But as I picked up the thick, heavy book, I was struck by the impulse to turn around and leave.
Could people really use such a book for reading?
* * *
