“This is for the future of Ruberia.”
This response seemed to be completely unexpected for Rena, and she repeated the question with her eyes filled with astonishment:
“The future of the kingdom... you mean?”
“The knowledge that the ladies in the book club will gain will nurture the dreams of dozens or even hundreds of children, and will change their futures.”
“Children’s dreams, you mean?”
Rena stammered in surprise, as if she didn't believe my words.
I explained my conviction to her with a serious look:
“The ladies who complete the club will teach the children of Ruberia. Of course, if they wish. But if possible, the ultimate goal is… to establish a primary school, where everyone can have the opportunity to learn, regardless of their social standing.”
Yes, that was my real goal.
Poor commoner children in Ruberia were only taught basic letters and then had to work to earn their living.
Like the child Nila who works to feed her family.
“I believe that the path to development for Ruberia is ultimately education, and women like you will contribute greatly to this matter.”
She emphasized every word she spoke.
Rena looked at the ground in confusion, her eyelashes trembling lightly.
“My future, personally, is unclear...so how can I bear responsibility for the future of the Kingdom’s children?”
“The ladies who are appointed as teachers will be supported with benefits such as salary so that they can take responsibility for their lives and most importantly, I hope your dreams will grow together as you teach the children. I know it is difficult for a miss from a noble family but I hope you will see it as a noble act for the sake of the Ruberia children.”
It will be expensive, not only in terms of effort, time and labor, but also money.
Securing this funding will be an issue I will continue to ponder.
“Miss Rena.”
I called her, putting sincere hope in my voice.
She raised her head as if an invisible force had attracted her.
“Please, be of help to me. This is not something I can do alone. Please.”
Rena's hesitant look gradually began to change.
“Miss Erica... you showed me a dream. But, is this really a dream come true?”
“That is why I say, let’s do it together. I believe that if a dream is dreamed alone, it is just an illusion, but if the dream is dreamed together, it will come true.”
Rena straightened up in her seat, regaining her composure and usual graceful elegance.
In her eyes looking at me now, there was no longer that cold suspicion, but warm trust.
“I'm joining the book club. I may be remiss, but please help me, Head Librarian.”
“I think I will be the one who will burden you the most. Let us work hard together.”
I smiled and extended my hand to shake Rena's.
Nobles hardly shake hands, but I wanted to extend my hand to her.
I felt firmly convinced that she would be a strong supporter of me.
Rena hesitated for a moment, then a soft smile appeared on her face.
Her hand and mine met in a firm grip.
***
After the interview ended, I accompanied Rena to the library lobby.
Out of consideration, I arranged for her to return home in a special library car.
After that, I quickly ate my food in the restaurant, then returned to my workroom to continue my boring battle with the papers.
Suddenly, the door opened wide, and Rose entered, excited and hurried. She had a letter in her hand.
“Erica, look! There's a reply from Miss Spearn.”
She put the papers aside and sighed in relief.
“Really? Oh, that’s good. I was worried because Eliade didn’t respond, and I thought I would go myself to convince her.”
Rose furrowed her brow and shuddered as if the very thought was terrifying.
“Oh, isn’t this very dangerous? It’s like going into a wolf’s den himself to look for it.”
I strongly agree.
In the palace of Duke Spern, there is not only the evil Eliade, but also Franz. Like a demon's castle.
It was good that I wouldn't have to go myself, but I wondered why Eliade agreed so easily, and what her motives were.
Rose's eyes sparkled with intelligence, as if she had turned into a famous detective.
"It's suspicious. The Spurns certainly sensed something. They realized there was an unusual reason, because the Queen sponsors the club, and His Highness the Crown Prince takes a great interest in it."
“It's okay if they already feel that way.”
Rose tilted her head in surprise at my cold reaction.
“Erica, aren’t you worried?”
"The original purpose of the book club has nothing to do with politics. I just want to focus on providing quality education and learning opportunities for young ladies."
“Great! Leave the evaluation of the Crown Prince’s wife candidates to me. I will examine them carefully with my hawk’s eyes.”
Rose looked full of enthusiasm, as if she was determined.
Maybe it's because of the bonus tea party with the Queen, but I don't want to misunderstand her true intentions.
I arranged the papers and placed them in the corner of the office.
“I will rely on you, Rose, to evaluate with the utmost fairness. This will be an important basis for determining the future Crown Prince wife of the Kingdom.”
Suddenly, Rose's eyes lit up and she smiled meaningfully.
“By the way, regarding the Crown Prince’s wife, we haven’t seen the honorable visitors lately, have we?”
“Who are they?”
Rose sat deeply in the comfortable chair, as if she intended to stay in the room.
She opened her fan and began to flap it, speaking in an excited voice like a dreaming girl.
“You pretend not to know? I mean, His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness Grand Duke Reinhardt used to come to the library almost every day, so why don’t they come these days?”
I replied half-heartedly as I read the next document.
“Ah, aren’t they busy with state affairs these days?”
“I was hoping to see them competing in your love and engaging in an intense nervous conflict!”
I put down the pen and sighed deeply.
“To be clear, I am just a club leader, and my relationship with them is only an official business relationship, there is no personal relationship at all...”
But my tongue became heavy as stone.
Carlex's kiss that took my breath away, the warm moments when we exchanged looks and smiles, the sparkling dreams I shared with him at the bar... all of them were seeping through my fingers like sand.
I held my breath and held myself together.
With this separation from him and being busy with work, I finally realized.
Where is my real place, and what work should I do?
I will never allow myself to be swept away by fleeting emotions again.
“There's no personal relationship that's what I really believe, Rose.”
After hearing my firm response, Rose didn't say anything else.
Rather, she pointed with her pursed lip towards the open door.
“Librarian Erica, it hurts that my relationship with you is only at this level.”
Ludving was standing leaning against the door, arms crossed, and I don't know how long he had been there.
Rose opened her elegant peacock dress and saluted the Crown Prince.
“Your Royal Highness, we have the honor of visiting you despite your preoccupation with state affairs.”
I had a strong desire to tell Rose the truth.
To tell her that Carlex and William are the ones doing the actual work, while His Highness the Crown Prince sometimes just says fancy words or just puts his stamp, of course.
Ludving looked a little tired, brushing his front strand of hair with a sad face.
“Exhausted by the affairs of state, I wandered around looking for an oasis for the soul until I arrived here. As expected, the Royal Library is truly a haven for the soul.”
The Crown Prince smiled sweetly and winked lightly.
Rose quickly covered her reddened face with her fan.
She looked at Ludving suspiciously.
“Haven't you been avoiding meetings, Your Highness?”
“I hope you give me a little confidence,”
He said with a sly smile as he stared at me intently.
I almost told him: “You have to act in a way that inspires confidence so that we can believe you or not,” but I controlled myself.
He is the crown prince of the country, and it is not appropriate for me, as a government employee working for the state, to speak in this manner.
I remembered the salary I would receive in a few days, and I smiled solemnly.
Rose smiled in confusion as she watched the skirmishes between me and the Crown Prince.
“Oh, look at my distraction! I've been out of the information office for a long time. Well, I hope you both have a good time.”
Before I could stop Rose, she was gone like the wind.
I wish I could leave with her, honestly.
Even though I didn't want to, I had to show some courtesy to a member of the royal family out of courtesy.
She prepared the tea quickly but haphazardly, and placed it in front of Ludving.
My hands felt stiff as I put the cup down, and it made a loud noise.
“Thank you for this warm welcome, Secretary Erica.”
But the Crown Prince, of course, did not bat an eyelid.
“Tell me honestly, why did you come? I won’t report it to the library director.”
The Crown Prince gently rolled his eyes behind the teacup and smiled.
The smile of his eyes could mesmerize anyone.
“I came to make sure the book club is going well. And also to check on the nominees for the Crown Prince’s wife.”
“Don’t worry about it, things are going well and Your Highness is banned from entering the library for a while.”
Ludwig suddenly protested, with an innocent face like a child who has had his sweets stolen.
“Why am I banned from entering the library?”
I wanted to put my hand on my forehead and sigh desperately.
Really, where did the Library Director or the Grand Duke go to take responsibility for this man? Isn't this a waste of duty?
“We are preparing to evaluate the candidates for the Crown Prince’s wife. If Your Highness attends as an interested party, the nobles will definitely notice, and the club’s purpose will be misunderstood. I told you before, I do not want the club to be drawn into political conflicts.”
The Crown Prince sighed deeply.
"Huh, that's frustrating. Well, how long will the book club last?"
“We will start with a three-month trial group, and then plan to continue it after that.”
“Hmm, in a month there will be a dance party in the palace, we can do the mid-term evaluation then.”
The way the Crown Prince spoke as if he were evaluating a commodity bothered me.
She frowned involuntarily.
Perhaps seeing the look of disgust on my face, Ludving smiled amusedly.
"That's why I like you. It's all over your face. That 'I hate you to death' expression is so funny."
“Please make sure you pay overtime for the time allocated to evaluate the Crown Prince’s wife. The work is sacred.”
The Crown Prince sat with his arms crossed on the sofa, his feet crossed, staring at me arrogantly.
"Say what you want, Erica. Dresses, jewelry, a palace, and even the best groom I can get you. Oh, right, I'm not available, so ignore me. The candidates are waiting in line."
“His Highness the Crown Prince is the last person I would think of, so don’t worry.”
He stared at me with his ruby eyes like I was some strange creature.
Those ruby eyes make me feel uncomfortable.
A look that penetrates the essence of everything.
His long, relaxed eyelashes fluttered slowly.
"I've never seen someone like you before. Being the wife of the Crown Prince is the only way in the world to become a member of the adopted royal family so why wouldn't you want to?"
also? This dangerous sentence has been appearing a lot lately.
It's the stereotypical sentence I'm tired of seeing in novels from male protagonists.
Although it has been mutating in many ways recently, its essence remains...
“You were the first to make me ■■■■!”
My trembling hands holding the cup.
I felt my whole body freeze.
Could this be real? Even though many fall into…
If so, then...
Instinctively, I quickly changed my facial expression.
I pressed my lips to my nose, furrowed my eyebrows, and furrowed my forehead without paying attention to the wrinkles.
In other words, I was making the ugliest face I could!
When the Crown Prince saw my ugly expression, he was shocked and his face turned blank.
"Why are you making that weird face? Are you sick? Is the work too much and causing you mental fatigue?"
With my wrinkled face, I spoke with difficulty.
“Don’t you ever fall in love with me. This is my protective excuse.”
Loving translation