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Chapter – 14
“Miss, it’s time for you to get down.”
“Okay, understood.”
Ignis had thankfully given a very positive reply to my letter requesting permission to enter the Royal Library. He also mentioned that he happened to have some work to do in the library and suggested that we spend time together.
“Lenia!”
“Long time no see, Lord Ignis.”
The day we had arranged finally came. As I stepped down from the carriage, I saw Ignis, who had come out to greet me warmly.
Being conscious of the royal palace and the attendant by Ignis’s side, I spoke to him more formally than usual.
Ignis looked somehow more gaunt than the last time I had seen him.
Had things been difficult for him lately?
I hid my concern and asked about his well-being.
“How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine.”
“Did you also have work to do in the library?”
“Huh? Ah… yes, I had something to do as well…”
Ignis and I walked slowly, talking as we moved.
“Um… Lenia. Did you make it back safely that day?”
“Eh? Ah….”
I leaned a little closer to Ignis and whispered softly, mindful of the people around us.
“You mean that day, when we ran into each other after vacation?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Yes, I made it back safely.”
Ignis hesitated for a moment at my words, then asked another question.
“You seem really close to the person you were with that day?”
“Of course, we’re family.”
“Does that mean marriage with them…?”
“Family, you know.”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
Ah, it made sense that Ignis wouldn’t know Serdian. I gave him a look that said, There’s no way I’d be involved like that with a family member.
“No! I mean, I’m saying—!”
I laughed heartily at Ignis’s flustered expression.
“I know, I know. It’s because you’re seeing my younger brother for the first time, right?”
“Yes! I hadn’t met Berenoir’s second heir before.”
“It’s understandable. My older brother rarely participates in royal events, even though he’s over nineteen.”
Serdian belonged to the Tower of Magic, so he seldom attended royal events. Even the crown prince, Ignis, probably had no prior acquaintance with him. Maybe he knew my older brother, but that was it.
“Please don’t misunderstand like that in the future. If I were seeing someone, I would definitely have told you and the others.”
“Understood!”
…Though, for some reason, Ignis seems a little happier now.
If I ever do start dating, I’ll make sure to tell Ignis and the others first.
After walking for some time, we arrived at the audience hall of His Majesty the Emperor. I noticed Ignis looking even more tense than I was, and I gave him a small smile.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Yes!”
If I entered the palace through Ignis, it was inevitable that this visit would reach the Emperor’s ears. So it was natural to greet him before going in.
Hiding my nervousness, I entered the audience hall and bowed respectfully.
“I pay my respects to the great sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yes, come in. You’re the Berenoir heiress, right? I heard the crown prince personally invited you.”
“Yes! I’ve maintained a good friendship with the crown prince through the academy. Thank you for allowing me to visit.”
Maybe because I was nervous, I was already feeling exhausted.
From a young age, I had always felt the overwhelming aura of the Emperor—gentle yet firm at the same time.
As I kept my head bowed, a question crossed my mind.
Both the Emperor and Empress don’t have light-colored eyes, and the Emperor has black hair and black eyes. How did Ignis end up being born with blond hair and light eyes?
“It seems the crown prince really values his friendship with you, given that you’re the first to be personally invited to the palace.”
“I believe that is only natural, considering the crown prince’s warm character.”
“I hope your friendship continues. Don’t overstay your welcome—go see what you came for with Ignis.”
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”
The audience with the Emperor ended far quicker than I had anticipated, which was a relief.
As I exited the audience hall, Ignis was waiting for me patiently.
Seeing me, Ignis visibly relaxed from his tense expression.
I walked closer to him and asked softly,
“Am I really your first guest, Ignis?”
“Ah…!”
Ignis hesitated briefly, then blushed and lowered his gaze as he replied,
“Yes.”
“That’s kind of touching.”
As soon as I said that, his face reddened even more.
I smiled gently at him and led him toward the library.
We walked side by side for a while until we finally reached the entrance to the library.
“As for me, I have something I’m curious about, so I’ll move around actively.”
“Is it important?”
“Not really… I just can’t resist when I’m curious about something.”
Once inside the library, I began scanning the bookshelves, my eyes eventually drawn to a particular book.
…Why am I so drawn to this one book?
As soon as my hand touched it, I felt a sudden drowsiness.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t been sleeping well lately. My head felt briefly cloudy.
I closed my eyes and shook my head from side to side.
Noticing me, Ignis asked with concern,
“Lenia, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, it’s nothing. Maybe just a bit of dizziness.”
Fortunately, I quickly recovered and flipped through the book, saying,
“I actually have low blood pressure…”
“Lenia?”
“….”
“You really aren’t feeling well, are you?”
“J-just a moment.”
I gripped the book more firmly with my trembling hands.
I carefully read through the text once again.
“Found it.”
I brought one hand to my mouth to suppress a scream of excitement.
“You’re really happy to have found it?”
“Yes, of course! I’ve been trying to find this for so long…”
I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I couldn’t finish my sentence.
It felt strange to have found it so quickly, but… well, it didn’t matter. I had it now.
I carefully tucked the notes I had made from the book under my arms, as books from the Royal Library were not allowed to be taken out.
Afterward, I walked alongside Ignis and said goodbye.
“Thank you so much for today. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Ah… already?”
I had found the book much earlier than expected. Ignis still had work to do, so staying longer would probably be a distraction.
At that moment, Ignis suddenly grabbed me, as if he didn’t want me to leave.
“I’ll take you to your carriage!”
“No, it’s just a short walk from here.”
“Even so…”
“Really, it’s fine. We’ll meet again at the academy soon enough.”
“Alright… then, take care, Lenia.”
“Yes. Please take care of yourself too… See you at the academy!”
After a brief farewell, I walked toward the carriage with light steps, feeling good.
Not long after, I arrived near the main gate of the palace, where the carriage awaited. I was about to step forward when someone stopped me.
“Leaving so soon, Miss Berenoir?”
“Eh?”
“Why not stay a little longer with the crown prince?”
“Ah… long time no see, Killian. But… did you know I was coming?”
I recognized him immediately. He was a famous figure at the academy I attended and also the cousin of Ignis.
His name was Killian Epetheon, a year older than me. He was the eldest son of the strict Epetheon Duke, yet he had a rather relaxed demeanor.
His fame at the academy was largely due to his dazzling appearance.
Killian looked at me lazily and continued speaking.
“There’s no need to check when Miss Berenoir comes to the palace. Word spreads quickly when the crown prince invites someone for the first time.”
“Ah… really?”
“In fact, the crown prince seemed happier than usual knowing you were coming.”
“His Highness?”
“Yes. So I thought it would be nice for you two to spend a little more time together…”
“…”
“Therefore, I made this suggestion.”
Since Killian had a very good relationship with Ignis, his suggestion was very welcome to me.
Given the close ties between the Royal Family and the Duke’s family, it was common for Killian and his father to enter the palace.
Well, I had no urgent matters, and it had been a while since I last saw Ignis, so it seemed fine.
“I’d like to, if His Highness doesn’t mind…”
“…”
“I heard he has some work, and if I stayed nearby, it might just be a distraction.”
“This is actually a secret.”
Killian leaned close to my ear and whispered.
“I heard everything was already completed before Miss Berenoir arrived. Apparently, the Empress decreed that no one may be invited until Ignis finishes his work.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Everyone was amazed to see him finish so many tasks even through the night.”
