Lariette opened her round eyes wide and stared at Asrahan, who had suddenly appeared. Fortunately, she managed to hold back the unseemly sound of a hiccup.
“……This servant of Alteon greets Your Grace the Duke.”
Doha bowed his head politely and greeted Asrahan. His expression was smooth, as if nothing were amiss.
Asrahan blithely ignored Doha’s greeting. There was no need to acknowledge it.
“Asrahan, didn’t you say you had a lot of documents to handle urgently today?”
Lariette asked, recalling their conversation. At a glance, the amount of paperwork piled on his desk was no joke. There was no way he could have finished it this quickly.
A faint smile settled over Asrahan’s usually expressionless face. Then, looking at her, he answered in a low, subtle voice.
“Being with you is more urgent.”
At the unbearably sweet line, Lariette’s cheeks flushed red. When she said such things herself, she felt nothing, but hearing him say it was quite embarrassing.
‘He pretends to be blunt, but he’s good with words!’
She fanned her face with her hand, trying to calm the heat rising to it.
Meanwhile, Doha maintained his relaxed expression, but inwardly, he was grinding his teeth.
The duke, said to be an emotionless monster, was far more persistent and lacking in restraint than he had expected.
The eyes that curved softly toward Lariette twisted fiercely when they turned to Doha.
There was an unmistakable threat in his chilling gaze. A threat that he would tear him limb from limb if he touched what was his.
“So, may I accompany you?”
Asrahan urged him for an answer in a low voice. At that, Doha smiled slyly and replied as if it were nothing.
“Of course. It is nothing but an honor to be able to go out with Your Grace.”
His voice was so bright and innocent that one might mistake him for truly feeling honored.
Doha was highly skilled at hiding his emotions, and so he cleverly played the part of a pure-hearted friend. It would be troublesome if the duke discovered his feelings.
Asrahan stared at him briefly with suspicion, then turned to Halstein. Then he gave an order.
“Have the carriage prepared.”
“Yes, Master.”
Halstein bowed with perfect discipline and left. But the face he showed once he turned around was full of satisfaction.
‘Master! That’s how you do it! That’s it!’
He still could not believe that he had lived to see Asrahan grow jealous of someone and court a woman. He could die right now with no regrets.
Soon, Candel’s black carriage was prepared.
Asrahan helped Lariette into the carriage with an air of practiced ease, and Lariette looked back at Asrahan and Doha with a bright smile.
She was harboring the vain hope that perhaps her lover and her friend might become close.
The carriage set off, and Doha sat quietly in his seat, looking out the window.
A strange feeling kept pricking at his nerves. It was anxiety. He had a hunch that if he followed them like this, something bad would happen.
‘We’re only going to the library, so why?’
Doha swept his sharp eyes over the passing scenery. And when their destination drew near, his complexion darkened in an instant.
“Are we…… going to the Imperial Library?”
“That’s right.”
It was a road Doha knew all too well. The road leading to the imperial palace.
At Asrahan’s answer, he bit the inside of his lip hard and rested his chin on his hand.
There were far too many people in the imperial palace who knew him. It was one thing if rumors spread that the next pope had dressed in the robes of a low-ranking priest, but he did not want Lariette to discover his identity right now.
And so, as soon as Doha got out of the carriage, he widened his eyes as if the thought had just occurred to him and opened his mouth.
“Oh dear, what a shame. Now that I think about it, there was something I had to do at the temple today. I believe I must return at once if I want to avoid being questioned.”
“Gasp, Doha. Are you going to get scolded? Hurry and go!”
“Thank you, my lady. Your Grace, I will take my leave first. Please forgive my rudeness.”
At Doha’s earnest voice, Asrahan gave a single nod instead of answering. It meant he had permission to go.
Doha bowed politely and promptly turned around, disappearing with his priestly robes fluttering behind him. It was an absence that gave Asrahan no reason to complain.
Asrahan lowered his head slightly and glanced at Lariette’s expression. He wondered if she might be disappointed.
But Lariette’s face remained as radiant as ever as she continued.
“Hehe, it’s a library date!”
Lariette looked at him with sparkling eyes and stealthily took his hand. At that adorable action, Asrahan flinched without realizing it.
He found the excessive gleam in her eyes rather frightening. It was because he suspected she might try something strange with him again.
Ever since what had happened last night, Asrahan had felt as though every moment brought him close to his limit.
His eyes kept being drawn to her lips, and the desire to take them between his own would seize his mind from time to time. He had to make considerable effort to control it.
‘It should be fine today.’
Asrahan thought as he looked at the hand holding his. Their destination was the Imperial Library, and surely nothing could happen in such a solemn place.
“Asrahan, may I hold your hand?”
“……Do as you wish.”
Asrahan quietly averted his gaze and stared into the distance as he answered. The corners of his mouth kept twitching, trying to rise.
Her hand inside his gloved one was so small, and so soft.
He should have come without wearing gloves. He briefly regretted it.
“Pfft, you don’t have to hold it that weakly.”
Lariette giggled and poked the back of his hand with her other hand. He had loosened his grip so much, as if it might break if he held it even a little tighter.
Unable to determine the proper amount of strength, Asrahan held her hand awkwardly. It was only natural, since he had never intentionally held a woman’s hand before.
Since they had gotten off near the library within the imperial palace, they arrived quickly.
The library building gleamed with gold decorations and was enormous. Lariette, who rarely had reason to enter the imperial palace, was busy looking around with her mouth slightly open.
The interior of the library was also extremely splendid and magnificent, but after looking around for a while, Lariette soon lost interest.
To begin with, it had been Doha who suggested they go to the library, so now that he was gone, she had no idea what she ought to do.
Lariette passed between the large bookshelves, browsing the books without much feeling. And Asrahan slowly followed her at a distance of one step.
The sight of such a large man trailing after her with the hem of his black coat fluttering was so cute that Lariette burst into laughter.
And at the same time, she recalled something she had wanted to try for a while.
“Asrahan.”
Lariette turned around to look at him and spoke in a small voice. Then she beckoned with her hand as if telling him to lower his head.
Asrahan lowered his head with a puzzled expression. Since there was quite a height difference between them, he had to bend down rather far for their levels to match.
Lariette reached out with both hands, wrapped them around his neck, and pulled him closer. Then she whispered into his ear as he flinched.
“Stop following me around and go find a book you want to read, Asrahan.”
“……Did you have to say it like this?”
“We’re in a library.”
Lariette laughed softly, brought her index finger to her lips, and whispered, “Shh!”
When her rose-red lips entered his field of vision, Asrahan hurriedly took a step back.
Once he left for another area as she had asked, Lariette glanced around to check his position. Then she settled in a place neither too close nor too far from him.
Just then, she spotted a suitable book on the top of a bookshelf. Rather than suitable to read, it was suitable in that it was too high for her to take out.
‘This kind of thing came up often in romance novels.’
A heroine struggling because she could not take something from a high place, and the male lead approaching from behind to take it down for her as if embracing her.
It was a classic scene. But classics were always thrilling.
Full of anticipation, Lariette stretched her arm up to reach for the book she could never possibly touch. She did not forget to lift her heels slightly and struggle as if she were about to jump.
The response came rather quickly. A dark shadow fell over her head, and a firm arm appeared from behind her.
Lariette turned her head and looked back with eyes shining in expectation. But her expression twisted in an instant.
“Was this the book you wanted, my lady?”
It was a man she had never seen before. The unknown man with a greasy face handed her the book and smiled slyly.
His sticky gaze swept over Lariette from her face to her hips. In the past, she would have endured such a look, but the current Lariette was different.
Lariette answered with a smile and opened her mouth.
“Put it back and get lost this instant.”
Who do you think you are, butting in without reading the room? she added in a small voice only he could hear.
The man’s face flushed with humiliation in an instant. He had naturally assumed that, as a noble young lady, she would blush at his kindness.
At her rude attitude, so unlike what he had expected, he huffed and tried to say something, but seeing her face turn cold, he shut his mouth.
If she had the nerve to tell someone she had never met to get lost, then she was surely of high status.
His own status barely allowed him to enter the library, so he did not want to act rashly and get on the wrong side of a high-ranking noble.
Once the man left, suppressing his anger, Lariette made her face gentle again, as if she had never worn such a frightening expression.
Then she looked around and resumed playing the part of a pitiful woman unable to take down a book.
And at that moment, the hem of a black coat fluttered behind her. When she turned her head, Asrahan’s handsome profile was right in front of her face.
“……Did you see?”
“See what?”
Asrahan lowered his eyelashes indifferently and placed the book in her hand.
At his casual tone, as though he knew nothing, Lariette patted her chest in relief.
But Asrahan tilted his head, curled up the corners of his mouth in a smile, and continued.
“Do you mean the sight of you deliberately choosing a spot near me and picking a book placed up high?”
“…….”
“Or do you mean the scene where you threatened another man?”
Asrahan finished speaking while smoothing the wrinkles in the black turtleneck that rose to just below his lips. And Lariette bit her lip hard in shame.
‘What do I do? He saw everything!’
Realizing that he had seen through the scheme she had concocted, she felt so embarrassed she could die.
Asrahan looked at her flustered state with satisfaction and added.
“I like it. Do that to other men from now on as well.”
“Gasp, didn’t I look too fierce?”
“For just that?”
Asrahan sounded genuinely puzzled. To him, who had spent much of his time on battlefields, threats like cutting off someone’s head were familiar.
Not only that, he had actually cut off heads without hesitation, so her words were at a cute level at most.
Lariette, who could not have imagined that he was comparing her threat to a battlefield situation, brightened with emotion.
It was because he was completely different from the other fools who had forced the image of a gentle woman upon her.
“I was worried Asrahan might run away because I seemed too fierce!”
“That is something I should be worried about.”
Asrahan placed the shawl that had slipped to one side back over her shoulder and spoke in a soft voice.
“Of course, if you run away, I will be sure to find you.”
So it would be best not to entertain any foolish thoughts. Asrahan curved his eyes gently and whispered into her ear, as if taking revenge for earlier.
At the inexplicably ominous feeling, Lariette swallowed dryly without realizing it. Then she smiled awkwardly and answered.
“Of course.”
It was an answer that failed to see even an inch ahead.
***
After that, the library date continued just as Lariette had hoped.
They chose books together and took turns reading each other’s books. It was like a dream.
Asrahan only showed a faint smile very occasionally and kept a blunt expression the entire time, but even so, he followed whatever she wanted to do without a word of complaint.
Because of that, Lariette left the library quite satisfied. Since they had not stayed long, it was still bright outside.
“So brownies taste better when they’re moist.”
“I will instruct the chef to make them that way.”
“Gasp, please put ice cream on top too!”
"Yes, I understand."
Lariette went down the stairs, prattling on incessantly to Asrahan.
Asrahan listened attentively to her, marveling at how she could talk about food for so long.
He was the type to think that he ought to hire an additional pâtissier so she could be even more satisfied.
Just then, a familiar and terrible voice reached Lariette's ears.
"Lariette."
Lariette flinched and trembled, slowly turning her head.
And a red-haired man entered her vision.
"……Raon."
It was her older brother, whom she had wanted to meet even less than Count Segreve.
Lariette barely suppressed the urge to snap at him, asking why he was pretending to know her and making a scene.
She did not want to show such an unsightly appearance in front of Asrahan. Thus, she desperately feigned composure.
"Have you been well, little sister? You look good. And this is……."
Raon lifted his head and looked at Asrahan. Then he flinched, his body trembling.
He was a man who had no reason whatsoever to be with Lariette, yet his attitude was perfectly natural.
"……I greet Your Excellency, Duke Candel."
"Lord Blanche, please raise your head."
It was a greeting he would have ignored and passed by on any other occasion, but the man was Lariette's older brother. Therefore, Asrahan accepted his greeting with proper etiquette.
Seeing that, Lariette felt flames surging up from deep within her chest.
She did not want Asrahan speaking with that wretched man. However, Raon stood his ground as though he had something to say to her.
"……Asrahan. Could you go back first? I'll talk with my brother for a bit and come later."
"I can wait, however."
"It's been a while since we met, so I think our conversation will take a long time."
There was not a single thing she wanted to discuss at length with Raon.
But if it was Asrahan, who possessed keen senses, he would likely be able to hear their conversation even from a distance.
That was why Lariette wished he would rather leave for the mansion entirely. So her shame would not be discovered.
"……Very well. I shall send the carriage, so please return without being too late."
"Yes, I'll see you later."
Lariette bade him goodbye with an unnecessarily bright voice. Asrahan looked back at her several times with a reluctant face, then soon departed in the carriage.
And only then did Raon reveal his true colors.
"Ha, Asrahan-? I simply can't believe it. So you're living with that monster duke, are you?"
"Watch your mouth. Unless you want to be buried in the ground again."
Lariette glared at him with eyes that darkened in an instant. Before she knew it, mana was swirling around her hand.
Raon flinched and trembled at the amount of mana. The humiliating experience from a few weeks ago still lingered in his body.
Raon realized he was no match for her with magic. Thus, he quickly changed the subject.
"Are you kidding? You ruined the household atmosphere and left, and now you're living in another ducal house? Are you trying to start a scandal and completely ruin Blanche's image?"
"You should watch your words. Father was the one who told me to leave, and Blanche's image was already ruined. I don't think that's something someone who worked hand in hand with Father to ruin it should say."
"Mother fell ill because of you. Did you know?"
At Raon's pointed words, Lariette's body stiffened rigidly. It was too late for such words to stir up any guilt in her.
"……It is no longer my concern."
"You little……!"
Lariette cut off his words calmly and coldly.
Seeing her as an unfilial child who didn't even recognize her own mother, Raon approached right up to her nose with a choked, emotional look.
Lariette faced him proudly. Simultaneously, she grasped the flow of mana around them. It was so she could immediately counterattack if he used magic.
Raon snorted and laughed, as though he had expected as much.
If he couldn't oppose her with magic, then he had only to use a field in which he was superior.
*Thwack!*
A fierce fist lashed out at Lariette's face in an instant.