WBWB | Chapter 25

I turned my head and saw His Grace the Duke standing there. My heart pounded in my chest. It wouldn’t stop. Well, it couldn’t stop, or I would die, but I was so startled, scared, and flustered that I felt like crying.

“Yo-Your, Your…”

“Your Your?”

“Your Grace! Your Grace!”

“I’m not two people, so you only need to say it once.”

I clutched my chest and took deep breaths, trying to calm down. But it was no use. It took a while for my heart to stop racing.

“What brings you here, Your Grace?”

“What brings me here?”

His words made me realize that I was the one who should be asking that question. Right, this was the Duke’s library, and I was the intruder. 

Belatedly grasping the situation, I picked up the book I had dropped, dusted it off, put it back on the shelf, clasped my hands respectfully, and bowed my head.

“I’ll be going now. Please, enjoy your…”

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

At his words, I immediately sat back down on the sofa. It wasn’t just the difference in our social standing, but the undeniable authority in his voice.

He approached and stood opposite the sofa where I was sitting. The scene felt odd. 

According to etiquette, shouldn’t he be the one sitting, and I the one standing?

“How are you feeling?”

“Thanks to your concern, I’m feeling better than ever!”

“That’s good. So what are you doing here?”

“I was looking for some materials for my lessons…”

“…”

A moment of silence followed.

“…I was reading because I was bored.”

After a few brief conversations, I was beginning to understand. The Duke preferred the truth, not empty pleasantries.

“And?” 

The Duke pressed.

“Pardon?”

“Did you enjoy the book you were just reading?”

I hesitated, unable to answer. I had been lost in thought and hadn’t absorbed the contents of the book.

Seeing my silence, he pulled the book I had put back on the shelves, glanced at the cover, and put it back.

“Are you usually interested in a wide range of subjects?”

“I tend to read whatever catches my eye.”

“How modest. But there are many more interesting things to do in the capital than reading. Why did you develop a fondness for reading?”

“…”

“Reading requires some discipline. There are social gatherings, poetry readings, art exhibitions, and balls in the capital. As Duchess Ventadour’s employee and a member of the court, you would have had plenty of opportunities to experience those things.”

I couldn’t think of a suitable response to that. It was true that the capital offered a plethora of entertainment. But I was never an active participant, always an observer. I was like one of the maids there, relegated to menial tasks.

“I developed a fondness for reading when I was very young. My grandfather had a large and wonderful library. Not as big as this one, of course. And the social life at court… didn’t suit me.”

“I can see that.”

He said something cryptic. What did he mean by “I can see that”? 

Did he mean I look too unsophisticated for social gatherings?

“Perhaps that’s why you adapted to life here so quickly. I’m rather surprised. You seem to have settled in quite well in just six months. It’s colder here than in the capital… and less entertaining, isn’t it?”

He looked down at me, one hand toying with a book on the shelf. When I looked up at him, he averted his gaze slightly.

“I like it here. Fortunately, the young lady likes me, and I owe my smooth adaptation to Your Grace’s consideration.”

Silence followed my reply.

“Yes, Ana likes you. If anything had happened to you, she wouldn’t be well, both physically and emotionally. It hasn’t been long since she lost her parents… She seems to have adapted well to life here thanks to you, too. She’s become remarkably ladylike.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you usually like children?”

“Yes, I do.”

Another moment of silence.

“How did you come up with the idea of using a broken branch when Ana fell into the water? You must have been cold yourself, and yet you gave her all of your clothes.”

“I was just lucky, and anyone would have done the same.”

“Everyone thinks they possess such courage and wisdom until they face a crisis. But not many people can actually do it when the time comes.”

I was flustered by the Duke’s praise. Although things had turned out alright, it was a situation that shouldn’t have happened in the first place if I had been more careful.

“You’re rather… unexpected. You have more fortitude than other noblewomen.”

He pulled out a book from the shelf, examined it, and put it back, then asked,

“Is your lack of complaint about your circumstances due to your nature? Or is it something you’ve learned?”

“I suppose it’s something I’ve learned, like everything else. Um, would you like to sit down, Your Grace? I can stand.”

“Stay where you are. Aren’t you a patient?”

My attempt to change the awkward atmosphere failed miserably.

“These books were collected by my grandfather and father. There are some new books, but I’ve also bought quite a few from secondhand booksellers. Because there’s nothing much to do in winter but read. That’s how I learned to appreciate and enjoy reading.”

“…”

“We share a common interest. And your eyes are sometimes green, too. When they catch the sunlight.”

I didn’t quite understand what he meant.

“Don’t you think we have a lot in common?”

The Duke of Skadi asked.

‘Me? With Your Grace?’

My eyes were much closer to brown than green. And there were far more differences than similarities between the Duke and me.

‘Um…?’

Unable to find an answer, I fidgeted with my hands. I had often been told I was oblivious. But I could sense that something… something had changed. I just didn’t know what it was.

“…I intend to stay at this mansion until next summer.”

‘I see.’

Was the Duke just saying whatever came to mind?

When I looked at him, he glanced at me sideways and then shifted his green eyes upwards, towards the chandelier. I also looked at the chandelier, with its cascading crystal pendants, like frozen ice crystals.

I looked back at him, and our eyes met. This time, he abruptly turned his head towards the bookshelf on the other side, as if searching for a book, his gaze scanning the sides of it. I followed his gaze again. The vast number of books on the shelf were organized by subject, and his eyes had landed on the culinary section.

He closed his mouth. It seemed… he had nothing more to say to me.

‘I should get up.’

This was his personal space, and I had overstayed my welcome. Feeling I should leave him in peace, I gripped the armrests with both hands and shifted, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Then I’ll be…”

“Why haven’t you come to see me?”

“Pardon?”

His words, restarting the conversation just as I thought it was over, made me sit back down.

“Don’t you have anything you want from me?”

“Me?”

“Didn’t I tell you? To come see me if you thought of something you wanted.”

‘What?’

I finally remembered that the Duke had offered to grant me a wish. Honestly, I had completely forgotten about it.

“No, that’s not it… I’ve been thinking about it.”

“I see. How much longer do you intend to think about it?”

“I’ll… think about it until tomorrow.”

“Good.”

As soon as I said it, I felt a sense of urgency.

‘But what should I ask for? I don’t want anything.’

What could I ask of the Duke that wouldn’t be presumptuous, yet not too trivial?

“Then shall we have dinner tomorrow?”

“Pardon?”

“We can discuss what you want while we dine.”

Thus, the deadline for my decision was now set before dinner tomorrow.

“Yes, thank you, Your Grace. Then I’ll return to my room now.”

I stood up, bowed deeply, and turned to leave.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

His voice stopped me again.

“Why did you refuse Madame Pauline’s offer?”

“Pardon?”

I felt like a broken record, constantly repeating the same word.

“I heard you refused Madame Pauline’s offer to change rooms. Why?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. Well…”

I hesitated. 

How did the Duke know about such a trivial conversation between the housekeeper and the tutor?