2. The book thief? No, I'm not
“You are not at all timid in a theft mission like this!”
I did not regain my consciousness until that sharp voice directed towards me.
“Carlex”, nicknamed “Duke Reinhardt”.
Since he was eighteen, he has lived on the battlefields, and is considered the most famous warriors and leaders in the kingdom, and is called “the Protector of Ruberia Sword.”
He is the duke who conquered the northern borders.
He is also the man who sent Erica to the guillotine.
Meeting someone of your stature is an honor for my family, but... wait, why is the protagonist here? In the original story, he never met Erica!
Let's calm down first.
I'm not one of the rebel forces now, so everything is fine.
While I was trying to calm myself down, he gave me a cold look...and then...
Cluck
Lock the book room door! Hey, why did you lock the door?
“There seems to be a misunderstanding. I am not a thief.”
As soon as I started to defend myself, Carlex approached me with a commanding presence.
I stepped back, but only walked a few steps until I bumped into a wall of books.
He extended his arm to block my path, as if he didn't even want to give me a chance to escape.
I was pushed towards the bookshelves, and was trapped in his lap, motionless.
His icy blue eyes stared at me with a cold stare.
“لا يُسمَح بدخول قاعة الكتب السحرية إلّا لأفراد العائلة المالكة والنبلاء رفيعي المستوى، أمّا الدخول غير المصرَّح به فيُعاقَب عليه وفقاً للقانون الوطني ألا تعلمين ذلك؟”
I was amazed by the sight of his beautiful, sculpture-like face, kneeling close to me.
“Aren't you listening?”
I immediately regained consciousness when I heard his upset voice.
No, I know this is not a time like this.
I gave a false cough and then faced him with a serious expression.
“I am not a thief, Your Highness Duke Reinhardt.”
Something sparkled in his eyes.
“You know me.”
Of course I know you, you are the hero of the original story, but I cannot say that.
“Even young children know the name of His Highness Duke Reinhardt, the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom.”
“Really? But I wonder what the name of the gentle lady hiding here like a thief is?”
This man is reprimanding me politely!
I suppressed my rising anger and maintained my polite smile.
“I couldn’t introduce myself because I was astonished. I, Erica Dale, from the Baron Dale family, came to visit Director William.”
You did it! Finally I saluted properly!
If my nanny saw me, she would shed tears of emotion.
When I first moved into this body, I knew nothing about the etiquette of a noble lady, so people looked at me with strange looks.
The good Baron's family understood that it was because of the psychological trauma of losing my father.
“Why did you come to see the director?”
“It's personal, so it's hard for me to say it.”
I avoided his gaze and lingered a little.
It was embarrassing to explain in detail that this was to avoid a forced marriage.
“You cannot reveal the reason for the visit, yet you claim that you are not a thief?”
Suddenly, Carlex violently pushed my shoulder.
The hard books on the shelf hurt when they hit my back.
I frowned and shot a sharp look at the hero.
“Quite suspicious and also...”
Carlex's eyes slowly moved to my right hand.
He held my wrist firmly with his elegant, straight hand.
He raised the compass in my hand and looked at me with contempt.
“You even tried to steal the ‘Book Compass,’ isn’t that perfect proof?”
Book compass? This compass?
“I looked at it just out of curiosity. I was going to put it back.”
“You're still lying until the end.”
Carlex laughed sarcastically and tried to grab the compass, but suddenly stopped.
His eyes sparkled at the sight of the compass needle moving.
His cold gaze changed noticeably.
“So, you are the ‘book reader’.”
Carlex said in a softer voice, gently holding my hand and taking the compass.
“I'm sorry. I haven't seen you before.”
As soon as the compass reached his hand, its light went out as if it were a lie, and the needle stopped.
“What is a ‘book reader’?”
“Isn't that why you came to see the director?”
Instead of answering, Carlex placed the compass back in my palm.
Strangely, the needle started spinning as soon as it touched me.
“Refers to someone who has the ability to locate magical books using the ‘Book Compass’.”
Magic books? Did Erica have this ability? Why did I develop an ability that didn't exist in the original story?
Because the original story focused heavily on the love story of the heroine, “Frisia,” and the hero, “Carlex,” I could not be sure.
It's unfair for me to suffer after moving into this world, and then gain such a useless ability! The library's search system would be more convenient.
Anyway, I had an ominous feeling that things were going to get more complicated.
The employee's intuition never deceived me.
In this case, it's best to run away quickly.
I smiled at him formally and bowed in greeting.
“Oh! Well, I have to tell the manager. I’ll go now, please.”
I tried to sneak out from under his solid arm blocking my path, but his voice stopped me.
“How lucky, there is a magic book I am looking for.”
"What?"
Carlex's face came uncomfortably close to mine.
“Use the ‘Book Compass’ to find it now, I will get permission later.”
“Hey, Your Highness, I don’t even know how to use it, it would be difficult if you did it suddenly.”
I tried to get away from him as much as possible and furrowed my eyebrows.
At that moment, I heard the noise of shouting and the sound of feet coming up the stairs from behind the door.
Are those bastards following me yet?
This was the worst case scenario.
While I was thinking about how to escape, Carlex frowned in dismay.
No wonder he's a hero, even that expression looks annoyingly handsome.
“Why is there so much noise outside?”
When Carlex started toward the door, I reflexively grabbed his arm.
Carlex is my only key to success now!
He rejected my touch immediately.
How embarrassing.
“Don't touch me.”
How careful! A harsh reaction to just grabbing his arm.
Well, maybe he hates it.
But wouldn't it be rude for him to refuse so bluntly?
If it were my wish, I would want to scold him, but first I must extinguish the fire burning under my feet.
“Please help me, Your Highness, they are chasing me! They are trying to kidnap me and sell me to an old nobleman!”
I did my best to play the role of a noble, innocent lady in distress.
Despite my award-worthy acting performance, he looked at me expressionless.
“What does that have to do with me?”
"What?"
Oh my God, what a hero who lacks humanity!
“Good is rewarded with good.” Is it not one’s duty to help out of compassion in such a situation?
I was stunned and just looked directly at his handsome face.
He looked at me with a cold look.
“Why should I help?”
“Oh, really...”
Well, he's the hero who's only nice to his girlfriend.
Since I'm a secondary character, it doesn't matter if I'm kidnapped or not. It's ridiculous to help a stranger so easily...
My neck started to hurt from thinking about how to convince the hero, when I noticed the compass in my hand.
So, I have to create a reason for him to help me.
I stood up straight, put my hands on my hips, and looked at him defiantly.
“Let’s make a deal, Your Highness. I will find the magic book, so help me.”
“What if I refuse?”
“I have nothing to lose. The worst case is that if you don’t help me, I will be kidnapped and forcibly married, and you will not find the book you want.”
“Are you threatening me now?”
“A threat? There shouldn’t be an equivalent for everything.”
I smiled solemnly and raised the compass.
Carlex frowned between his eyebrows as if feeling uncomfortable, then smiled briefly.
“Deal accepted. What kind of help do you want?”
“First, come with me to solve the problem of those bastards.”
Inwardly, I cheered in victory and quickly pointed out the door.
Carlex slowly tilted his head towards me.
I sensed pent-up anger in his cobalt blue eyes beneath his long eyelashes.
I was going to try to avoid him, but I felt like I would lose, so I faced him with fixed eyes.
Carlex whispered in my ear as if threateningly.
“Miss Erica, consider it an honor. It is rare for me to move according to someone’s wishes.”
Carlex pushed the door open and went out.
Did I just grind my teeth? Maybe it was my imagination.
Anyway, I hurriedly followed him.
On the stairs of the fourth floor, a young employee and a friendly-looking middle-aged woman were trying to force Verdi's followers from going up.
“Do you want to be beaten? Why all this fuss to find Our Lady?”
One of the henchmen grabbed the young employee by the collar and shook him violently.
“Please, calm down. This is a sacred place. It is a library.”
“You should shut up first!”
Just as the henchman was about to launch a punch at the poor employee's face, Carlex strode closer into the chaos.
Then suddenly, he grabbed the back of the subordinate's neck and threw him down the stairs.
“What, what's going on? Ah!”
The henchman screamed horribly as he rolled down the stairs.
When he reached the end of the stairs, his head hit the ground and he collapsed unconscious.
Maybe he broke his arm or leg in one or two places.
“There seem to be a lot of insects in the library.”
Carlex studied the unconscious subordinate for a moment, then muttered coldly.
The remaining follower tried to run away with a face full of terror, but he met Carlex's eyes.
The solemn Duke looked at the strange man as if he were looking at an insignificant insect.
"Who... who are you? Why are you attacking us..."
The henchman protested in a trembling voice, but Carlex gave him a kick instead of an answer.
The henchman sat trembling, clutching his stomach.
When he coughed in pain, blood came out.
The clerk and the middle-aged woman, who had witnessed the scene, looked at the Duke with eyes filled with complex feelings of gratitude and fear.
certainly.
This constitutes a one-sided assault.
Can't the hero deal with villains in a more intelligent and humane way?
Even though I asked, I felt like the villain who instigated the crime.
The middle-aged woman stepped forward and bowed to greet Carlex.
“Thank you for your help, His Highness Duke Reinhardt.”
Carlex nodded indifferently apologetically and accepted the greeting.
“Lady Marian, where is Director William?”
“He went to the palace to treat His Majesty’s illness.”
The corner of Carlex's mouth lifted into a wry smile.
“It seems that His Majesty’s chronic illness has returned. Do not inform the director about this. I will inform him later.”
“Are you present, Your Highness the Duke?”
Lady Marian answered calmly.
Carlex looked at Ferdi's henchmen on the ground and frowned.
“Call the Metropolitan Guard immediately. Having such scoundrels creating this chaos means the Royal Library’s security system is at its worst! What is Director William doing?”
“I apologize, Your Highness.”
Lady Marian hesitated and bowed apologetically.
She looked with anxious eyes toward the magical book room on the fourth floor, then opened her eyes wide.
She spotted me standing awkwardly in front of the book room.
“Who...who is this lady?”
[To be continued in the next chapter]