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Chapter 24
“You said no?”
I crumpled the letter I had been holding. It was the moment my hope shattered.
In the original story, the Duke of Crescent always indulged Lilith’s unreasonable demands. So I naturally thought he’d grant my request too…
But what I got back was an unmistakable rejection.
“Ugh, seriously! Nothing ever goes my way!”
I kicked the desk leg in frustration, only to grab my foot in pain. After curling up for a while, I slumped back in my chair and stared blankly at the ceiling, sighing in defeat.
Three days had already passed since the attack. Though they said the assassin was targeting Calix, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that there was more to it.
‘If I don’t want to die, I have to protect myself.’
Sure, I had the necklace that Roussel gave me containing Estella, but that was only for emergencies. It could only be used twice, after all.
That’s why I came up with the idea to learn magic or swordsmanship.
“…Do you know how many tutors I’ve already assigned to you? How many more must be driven away before you’re satisfied, daughter?”
I muttered the exact sentence that had been written in the reply.
So, I had written to the Duke asking him to assign me a new teacher. And that was the response I received.
Apparently, Lilith had already driven out every tutor she ever had, and now there was no one left to call upon.
“Lilith…!”
I spat her name with resentment. Her history had done me absolutely no favors.
Now the only option left was the academy—but that was another problem.
“You need to be proficient in magic to get in?”
I let out a hollow laugh. That one line had made me tear up the admissions brochure and toss it long ago.
“So normally, students get private lessons before enrolling in the academy, huh…”
Since the Duke refused, my only option was to find a magic teacher on my own.
“What do I even do…”
During the last volunteer outing, I had casually asked Lake, but he said he didn’t know regular magic. It seemed he could only use divine magic through holy power.
“Then there’s just one person left…”
I glanced at the five books sitting on the bookshelf. Even if there was no due date, I was sure it was well past the time to return them.
‘If you’re ever interested later, let me know.’
Saint’s offer from the library echoed in my mind.
Since he had suggested I try learning magic from him, accepting now shouldn’t be a bother. Judging from his skills in the original story, he was likely quite advanced in magic.
But I couldn’t forget—he was a villain in the original story too.
‘Die helplessly in an assassination attempt, or get caught up in something dangerous while learning magic from Saint. Which is riskier?’
My head ached from weighing the odds.
“Maybe it’s okay if I just study for a bit, until I get into the academy…”
Groaning, I rubbed my throbbing temples.
Now that I’d found a compromise, it really did seem like the best option.
Just in case, I brought along a full escort today. I must have checked ten times to make sure the necklace was securely around my neck. Fortunately, no one dared to attack a carriage in broad daylight.
The library was peaceful as always. But there was one difference today—there was another visitor besides me.
Her long, wavy, light brown hair stood out boldly. Holding a thick book and reading intently, her lovely side profile was unmistakably Olivia.
“Lady Adeline?”
She recognized me before I could respond.
“Miss Olivia.”
“Oh my goodness!”
She slammed her book shut and darted over. Her green eyes sparkled like stars.
“I didn’t expect to see you here. What brings you?”
“This is a library I use often. What about you, Miss Olivia?”
“Really? Me too!”
She greeted me with such warmth, but I couldn’t quite return it. I forced a smile, though the corners of my mouth twitched with tension.
‘Why is my life always like this…’
Complaining wouldn’t change anything.
While Olivia chirped away with updates, her eyes drifted toward my neck. Realizing her gaze had landed on my necklace, I quickly opened my mouth.
“Thanks for the gift suggestion last time. His Highness the Prince really liked it.”
“I’m so glad! It looked like it would suit you perfectly!”
Olivia smiled brightly.
So she picked it, expecting Roussel to give it to me? She really was several steps ahead of me.
“Oh, right! Lady Adeline, are you going to the Luben Festival next week?”
She clapped her hands lightly as if the thought had just struck her.
“If you’re free, would you like to go together?”
She asked hesitantly, as if anxious about something.
“I am going… but I already have plans.”
I replied as if I were genuinely regretful.
Her face grew serious at my answer, and she seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then she lowered her voice and asked,
“Are you… going with my brother?”
Her eyes were full of displeasure. But it didn’t seem directed at me—rather, at Lake.
“That’s right.”
She instantly looked crestfallen.
“If my brother does anything weird, just kick him!”
“I don’t think he’s that kind of person.”
Her pouty tone and serious expression made me chuckle.
“Well, that may be true…”
Olivia clearly didn’t trust her brother much.
I noticed it before too—despite Lake’s sweet nature, he and his sister had that typical sibling bickering. Still, he seemed like the kind of person who would handle her teasing well, so I wasn’t too worried.
Just then, the door creaked open, and we both looked toward it.
As expected, the person who entered was Saint. He wore the same pitch-black uniform that would look intimidating to anyone unfamiliar. He hadn’t changed at all.
Our eyes met, and I nodded first in greeting. He, of course, didn’t respond. His pale blue eyes simply regarded me quietly, his expression unreadable.
“Priest!”
When Olivia called out to him, his gaze cooled noticeably.
‘Huh.’
I thought he was just emotionless, but apparently not. It was a subtle, almost imperceptible change—but it was there.
“……”
“……”
What was with this silence? As I grew flustered, Olivia started glancing nervously between us.
What’s going on? I looked back at Saint, but his demeanor remained the same.
“Well then, I’ll head downstairs first!”
Breaking the long silence, Olivia opened a wooden trapdoor in the floor. I didn’t even know there was a passage there. It seemed she hadn’t come to borrow books after all.
‘They knew each other?’
This was news to me.
‘A villain and the heroine, huh…’
That didn’t sound good.
But if you asked who was more dangerous when the heroine meets the villain, I would answer without hesitation: the villain.
The heroine never loses to the villain. That’s the law of novels. So I wasn’t worried about her—if anyone, it was Saint I needed to be wary of.
‘I should say what I need to say and get out of here fast.’
After all, I wasn’t the heroine. I had to finish my business and escape before anything exploded.
“I kept these books for too long, I’m sorry.”
“No problem.”
Saint placed the books I handed him onto the counter, then turned back to me.
“Is there something else you want to say?”
His gaze settled quietly on me.
“You don’t seem like you came just to return books.”
It wasn’t threatening, but the way he stared down at me felt overwhelming. Maybe it wasn’t intentional, but his stern appearance exuded a kind of chill that made the atmosphere heavy.
“Is your offer to teach me magic still open?”
He blinked slowly at that. Even though it was just a brief pause, I nervously swallowed. If even this main character refused, I really had nowhere else to go.
“Of course.”
I let out a deep breath of relief at his positive response.
“You seem busy today, so… how about this time next week?”
“That works.”
I finally felt like I could breathe, and my face lit up.
“Thank you so much!”
I exclaimed cheerfully, forgetting for a moment that he was a villain I was supposed to avoid.
“You got it?”
As soon as Lilith left, Olivia came downstairs and asked Saint urgently. She looked nothing like the calm, carefree person from earlier—she was clearly anxious now.
Even with her pressing, Saint didn’t react much.
Ugh, what a frustrating man. Olivia muttered with annoyance.
“Here.”
She pulled a coin pouch from her dress and placed it on the table. In this line of work, the rule was always money first, even if it put the client at a disadvantage.
When Saint didn’t take it, Olivia pushed the pouch toward him. He sat crookedly in his chair, just staring at it.
With a flick of his hand, the pouch zipped back toward Olivia. Her eyes widened in surprise as she caught it.
“Not that.”
“Then what…?”
Olivia tilted her head in confusion.
“What did you and Adeline talk about earlier?”
His question was completely unexpected.
Adeline… That was the alias used by the noblewoman her brother had called during the commotion in town.
