11. Emergency midnight meeting (2)
"What? A secret secret?"
Wait, I think I need to think a little.
“Minor characters who hear dangerous secrets inevitably die.”
Isn't this something repeated in movies and series?
I glanced at William to sense his position.
“Director, should I really listen?”
William looked at me with a look of sorrow.
“I apologize, I seem to have burdened you, Miss Erica.”
“No, not that much.”
“If it's too stressful for you… you can drop it, I don't want to cause you any more trouble, Miss Erica.”
For a moment, I doubted my hearing.
The employee is fired on his first day? Isn't this a violation of labor law?
“Director, do you mean I should resign from the librarian position?”
William ran his hands over his face with a clear sign of remorse.
“If I had not appointed Miss Erica as the librarian of the Royal Library, you would not have encountered a serious incident like this today. Even if you did not work as a librarian, I will help you live comfortably in the residence as your guardian. Nothing is more important than your safety and happiness.”
Carlex, who was quietly leaning on the sofa and watching the situation, corrected himself.
His arrogant blue eyes turned to me under his straight, thick eyebrows, sharp as a sword.
“You saved my brother. If you leave your job as a librarian, I will prepare you a comfortable home so you can live your life as you want.”
I was distracted by their sudden suggestion.
A decent, comfortable life, without the need to struggle as a librarian.
A peaceful life with no connection to rebel groups, and no risk of execution by guillotine. This is certainly the life she dreamed of.
But wait, the looks of these two men are worrying.
Although they were calm, there was a subtle contemplation in their looks, as if they were testing me.
They are testing me before they reveal the secret to me.
Can I keep the secret until the end?
Am I a responsible person?
If I withdraw out of fear, they will take back the Book Compass and kick me out of the library.
No matter how much they need a “book reader.”
There was one thing they didn't know.
I want to return to reality.
I can't live like an ordinary noble girl and then grow old and die inside a book.
I felt thirsty, perhaps due to stress.
So I drank the rest of the wine in the cup.
I gently ran the tip of my tongue over my wine-soaked lips, then smiled.
The two men's gazes wavered.
William's ears reddened and he quickly averted his gaze.
But Carlex's indifferent gaze swayed and scattered with determination.
The movement of my tongue, my wine-soaked lips, even the corner of my mouth that was drawn into an arch.
“I want to continue working as curator of the Royal Library.”
“Your life might be in danger, aren’t you afraid?”
Carlex's view changed to become that of a hunter tracking her prey.
“Those strangers have already seen my face, it is too late to escape, they will find me wherever I hide, and most importantly...”
She paused, then smiled steadily at the two men staring at me.
“I prefer working in the library. I read in a book that confronting danger is the best way to defend and attack rather than avoiding it.”
As soon as I finished speaking, Carlex burst out laughing heartily.
I was surprised because it was the first time I had seen him laugh so hard.
Lee nodded elegantly with a satisfied expression.
“That is the best answer, Mrs. Dale. I would like to express my sincere respect for your courage and determination.”
William let out a sigh of relief and worry.
“I knew...you would answer like that.”
I crossed my arms and looked at the two men who tested me with a sharp look.
“You just tested me, didn't you? It hurts me. Didn't you trust me?”
“Ah, that was the director’s suggestion.”
Carlex rudely placed the responsibility on William.
William waved his hands in confusion.
“I didn’t mean that. I was hoping you wouldn’t feel upset… I apologize if I offended you.”
William, his face red, kept bowing and apologizing to me.
It seems that the magician, who was a devout and honest monk, considers himself trash just because he tested someone else.
He looked so compassionate and kind that I burst out laughing.
“I understand, Director, you cannot talk about the kingdom’s secrets easily and I know you were worried about me.”
“Your understanding of this, Miss Erica, makes me truly thank you.”
William looked at me with eyes full of gratitude.
Now it's time to turn my arrows into Carlex.
That nobleman who blamed his good friend while drinking comfortably.
“Don't you have anything to say to me, Your Highness?”
Carlex put his cup on the table and leaned his body towards me.
His perfect, sculpture-like face suddenly moved closer to my nose.
I almost backed away for a moment, but my insistence forced me to stare at him without blinking.
“Since you declared your willingness to face danger and became the ‘Book Reader,’ I, as Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Rubria, swear to protect your safety until the end.”
Carlex's voice was deep and resonant.
The oath that seemed to be engraved on my heart made my whole body tremble and my heart beat violently.
His dark cobalt blue eyes glowed warmly, as if illuminating the darkness.
If my heart were to surrender to this light even for a moment, I would be like a moth rushing toward the fire.
“Thank you. I will do my best as curator of the Royal Library.”
I answered him coldly to hide my groggy feelings.
The reception room was stiflingly silent.
All that could be heard was the sound of the wood burning softly lit in the stove.
It was William who broke the silence.
He coughed quietly and then started talking.
“Miss Erica, have you ever heard of the dimension barrier located in the Kraal Mountain Range?”
I remembered what I read in the original text.
The barrier of dimension in the Kraal mountain range stretching across the continent.
I heard that it is a huge barrier that maintains the balance of the world.
I nodded slightly.
“Yes, I heard about it.”
“The Dimension Barrier conceals a powerful force that maintains the balance of the world. It is guarded by protection magicians. I too, as a monk in the Kral Mountain Range, was entrusted with the task of guarding the barrier.”
William continued his explanation with a gentle expression.
“This is the story that every citizen of Rubria knows, but there is a hidden secret. The immense power of the Dimensional Barrier is embodied in five magic books, which are the five great magic books that carry the power of the elements: Phoenix (Fire), Ondine (Water), Terra (Earth), Anima (Air), and Ignis (Light). These magical books were classified as national treasures of the Kingdom of Rubria, and each of them was stored in a secret place, and one of them is in the royal library.”
William paused for a moment and glanced at Carlex.
“Duke Carlix is in overall charge of protecting the Five Magical Books.”
Carlex replied with an expression that indicated he was very annoyed.
“This is a mission forcibly imposed on me by His Majesty the King.”
William looked at his friend with a look full of confidence.
“Duke Reinhardt’s family has been loyally serving the kingdom for hundreds of years since its founding. His Majesty deeply trusts Duke Reinhardt’s family, so he secretly assigned them this dangerous mission of protecting the Five Books.”
“Hey, what power exactly do the five magic books have?”
William’s expression hardened seriously.
“According to ancient records, the five magical books can be used to create a magic circle that allows the use of immense magical power powerful enough to destroy a country.”
"What?"
I doubted my hearing for a moment.
Can a country really be destroyed with books?
“But there is a fatal problem with the power of the five magical books.”
“What's the problem?”
“When the Five Books are used to create a magic circle, the balance that forms the dimensional barrier is disturbed, and monsters appear. These monsters are monstrous beings who only yearn to kill, and have slaughtered countless people.”
At the mention of the word “monsters,” a spark of anger and hatred lit up in Carlex’s eyes and then quickly disappeared.
William continued.
“The reason why other countries asked for peace from the Kingdom of Rubria and the end of wars between countries is also because of the five books. If one wants, one can destroy a country in one day using the magic books.”
“It cannot be... Was their goal in stealing the ‘Book Compass’ to be...”
I couldn't finish the answer that passed through my mind like lightning.
Carlex replied as if he read my thoughts.
“Either a rebel group that wants to control the Kingdom of Rubria with the power of magical books, or a hostile nation.”
The rebel group...why are they appearing now?
I was willing to risk my life at work to avoid the fate of being guillotined, and now I have bad luck attached to them?
Should I return the book compass now and go live in a deep, remote village that no one knows about?
Amidst my confusion caused by the internal struggle, William smiled kindly and calmed me down.
“We talked about very serious and heavy matters, didn’t we? Because they are very secret and only a few in the kingdom know about them, all you have to do, Miss Erica, is adhere to your duties as ‘book reader’ and librarian.”
“Yes, I understand. Can I still go to work?”
“The Royal Library will be closed for a week. I will be busy preparing measures for the theft of the magic book and submitting a report to the palace during this period. You can rest in peace, Miss Erica.”
A week off on the first day of work?
I tried to maintain a calm expression... but the corners of my lips were clearly drooping.
William added with a bright expression:
“Don’t worry about your personal protection either. We will increase the guards at the residence and library, and the knights of the Duke Reinhardt family will protect you, Miss Erica. His Highness the Duke of Carlex has promised to take responsibility for protecting your safety.”
“Ah, it's an honor. Thank you.”
My feeling that the hero Carlex will protect me is like feeling like I have a load of gunpowder tied to my feet.
I have an ominous feeling.
How can I be protected by the one who pushed Erica towards the guillotine in the original text?
Carlex frowned as if he was dissatisfied.
“Don't you have words of thanks for me?”
“Your Highness, what do you mean?”
“You thanked William, while I am the one who will actually protect you, why don’t you have any words for me?”
I rolled my eyes upward for a moment.
The ceiling wallpaper pattern is really beautiful.
“Miss Dale.”
His tone when he calls me that is creepy.
As if he was politely threatening me.
She showed him a formal smile.
“I will express my thanks based on future situations.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Carlex inquired sharply, but I ignored him and stood up.
“The night has advanced, I will go now. I hope you both have a good time.”
I quickly headed towards the door.
Carlex's sharp look was mischievous, but I drank the wine and heard the important secrets.
Any more talk than this would be beyond my brain capacity.
I am very tired and exhausted physically and mentally.
I have pain all over my body, and I am overcome by drowsiness.
William quickly got up and bid me farewell at the door with a kind smile.
“Miss Erica, you are very tired today. I wish you a peaceful night.”
I felt the cold air, so I fastened my collar and quickly crossed the corridor.
I did not see the servant who was guarding the door.
When I reached the door of my room on the second floor, I realized that the robe covering me was not my robe, but a Carlex uniform.
It may be too late if you bring it back in the morning.
He might leave before dawn.
Moreover, the hero's costume...for the heroine it may be a symbol of love or a bond, but for the secondary character it is just an inauspicious item.
It's very annoying, but I have no choice, so I go back to the reception room.
The reception room door was slightly open.
The warm lights of the fireplace crept in with the soothing voices of the two men.
I was going to hang the uniform on the doorknob and leave, but the content of the conversation I heard stopped my steps.
[To be continued in the next chapter]
Loving translation