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Chapter : 11
Midnight Emergency Meeting 2
“What? Confidential information?”
Wait… I need to think about this carefully.
“Extras who hear important secrets must always be killed.”
That cliché appears in movies and dramas all the time.
I subtly glanced at William.
“Director… do I really need to hear this?”
William looked at me with a pitiful expression.
“I’m sorry. I’ve placed too much burden on you, Lady Erika.”
“No, it’s not that bad…”
“If it’s too difficult for you… you may step down. I don’t want to trouble you any further.”
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
I just started my job and I’m already getting fired? Isn’t that a labor law violation?
“Director… are you telling me to quit being a librarian right now?”
William wiped his face with a guilt-stricken expression.
“If I had not appointed Lady Erika as a Royal Library librarian, you would not have experienced such danger today. Even if you do not work as a librarian, I will ensure you can live comfortably in my residence. As your guardian, nothing is more important than your safety and happiness.”
Calix, who had been leaning back on the sofa watching calmly, straightened his posture.
Under his thick, straight brows, his arrogant cobalt-blue eyes turned toward me like a sharpened blade.
“You saved my younger brother. If you resign from being a librarian, I will provide you with a comfortable residence. You may live doing only what you wish.”
A peaceful life where I wouldn’t have to struggle as a librarian.
A peaceful life with no involvement in rebellion… and no execution.
That was exactly the life I had once dreamed of.
But… why did their eyes feel unsettling?
Their expressions were calm, but there was something in their gaze—like they were testing me.
They were testing whether I could handle the truth they were about to reveal.
Whether I could keep a secret until the end. Whether I could take responsibility.
If I backed down in fear, they would retrieve the Book Finder and expel me from the library. Even if the existence of the Book Reader was necessary.
There was one thing they didn’t know.
I wanted to return to my original world.
I didn’t want to live as some noble lady and grow old inside books forever.
Maybe because of the tension, my throat felt dry. I finished the remaining wine in one go.
I lightly licked the wine from my lips, then smiled.
The eyes of the two men wavered.
William’s ears turned red as he hurriedly looked away. But Calix’s indifferent gaze rippled faintly, obsessively following me.
My tongue, my wine-moistened lips, the curve of my smile.
“I would like to continue working as a Royal Library librarian.”
“Aren’t you afraid? You might lose your life.”
Calix’s gaze sharpened like a predator locking onto prey.
“The attackers have already seen my face. It’s too late to run. No matter where I hide, they will find me. And above all—”
I paused briefly, then smiled calmly at the two men staring at me.
“I like working at the library. I read that facing danger instead of avoiding it is the best form of defense—and offense.”
The moment I finished speaking, Calix burst into hearty laughter.
It was the first time I had ever seen him laugh so openly, and I was startled.
With a satisfied expression, he gave me a graceful bow.
“That is the best answer, Lady Diel. I sincerely respect your courage and spirit.”
William sighed in relief mixed with worry.
“As expected… I thought you would say that.”
I crossed my arms and glared sharply at the two men who had just tested me.
“So you really were testing me just now, weren’t you? That’s a bit disappointing. Did you not trust me?”
“Ah, that was the Director’s idea.”
Calix shamelessly shifted the blame onto William. William panicked and waved his hands.
“N-no, that wasn’t my intention! I only hoped Lady Erika wouldn’t feel burdened… I’m sorry if I offended you.”
William, now completely red in the face, kept bowing repeatedly.
The pure, righteous monk-turned-mage looked as if merely testing someone made him feel like trash.
It was both pitiful and kind of cute, which made me smile.
“I understand, Director. It’s not easy to speak of national secrets lightly. I know you were worried about me.”
“Thank you very much for understanding, Lady Erika.”
William looked at me with tearful gratitude.
Now it was time to turn the arrow toward Calix.
The great nobleman who casually drank wine while letting his innocent friend take all the blame.
“Grand Duke, do you have anything to say to me?”
Calix placed his glass on the table and leaned forward.
His sculpted face suddenly came dangerously close. I almost leaned back, but stubbornness kept me still as I met his gaze.
“Since you have declared yourself the Book Reader and chosen to face danger, I, as the Supreme Commander of the Kingdom of Ruberia, swear to protect your safety until the end.”
His voice was deep and resonant, as if carving itself into my heart.
My entire body trembled under the weight of that vow. My heartbeat quickened.
His cobalt-blue eyes burned intensely, as if trying to illuminate the darkness itself.
If I let myself be drawn into that light for even a moment, I would be like a moth flying into fire.
“Thank you. I will do my best as a Royal Library librarian.”
I answered mechanically, hiding my shaken emotions.
A suffocating silence filled the reception room. Only the faint crackling of firewood in the fireplace broke the stillness.
It was William who finally spoke.
“Lady Erika, have you ever heard of the dimensional barrier located in the Kral Mountain Range?”
A memory from the original story surfaced.
A massive dimensional barrier in the Kral Mountain Range that stretched across the continent. It was said to maintain the balance of the world.
I nodded slightly.
“Yes, I’ve heard of it.”
“The dimensional barrier holds a vast power that maintains the balance of the world. Guardian mages protect it. I myself served as a monk there, tasked with guarding the barrier.”
William continued with a gentle expression.
“This is common knowledge among Ruberia citizens. However, there is a hidden secret. The immense power of the dimensional barrier is sealed within five magical tomes. These are the Five Great Grimoires: Phoenix (Fire), Undine (Water), Terra (Earth), Anima (Air), and Ignis (Light). These books are designated as national treasures of the Kingdom of Ruberia and are each stored in secret locations. One of them is kept in the Royal Library.”
William paused and glanced at Calix.
“Grand Duke Calix is the chief guardian responsible for protecting the Five Great Grimoires.”
Calix replied with an annoyed expression.
“It was forced on me by His Majesty the King.”
William looked at his friend with deep trust.
“The Reinhardt Ducal House has served the kingdom faithfully for centuries since its founding. His Majesty entrusted them in secret with the critical mission of protecting the five grimoires.”
“Um… what exactly power do these grimoires have?”
William’s expression turned serious.
“According to ancient records, if a magic circle is formed using the five grimoires, it can unleash immense magical power. Enough to destroy a nation.”
“…Excuse me?”
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
Destroy a country with books? Is that even possible?
“But there is a fatal issue with their power.”
“What is it?”
“If the five grimoires are used together, the balance of the dimensional barrier collapses, and monsters appear. These monsters are cruel beasts that exist only to kill, and they have slaughtered countless people.”
At the word monsters, a flicker of rage and hatred briefly ignited in Calix’s eyes before disappearing.
William continued.
“The reason other nations requested peace treaties with Ruberia—and why wars between countries ended—was because of these five grimoires. If one wished, they could destroy a nation within a single day using them.”
“Then… the reason they tried to seize the Book Finder…?”
I couldn’t finish the thought as realization struck like lightning.
Calix answered as if reading my mind.
“Either a rebel faction or an enemy nation trying to seize Ruberia using the power of the grimoires.”
Rebel faction… why are you here?
I was trying so hard to avoid a beheading route, and now I might get dragged into something even worse.
Maybe I should just return the Book Finder and hide deep in the mountains somewhere.
While I was drowning in internal conflict, William gently reassured me with a warm smile.
“That was a lot of heavy information, wasn’t it? Only a few in the kingdom know this—it’s highly confidential. Lady Erika, as the Book Reader and librarian, you only need to focus on your duties.”
“Yes. Understood. I just need to continue working?”
“The Royal Library will be closed for one week. We will be busy reporting to the palace and handling the theft of the grimoire. You may rest during that time.”
A week off on my first day of work?
I tried to keep a calm expression… but—
Calm down, mouth. Don’t smile.
William added brightly,
“Please don’t worry about your safety. Guards will be increased at the residence and the library, and the Reinhardt knights will protect you. Grand Duke Calix himself has pledged to ensure your safety.”
“Ah, I’m honored. Thank you.”
Being protected by the male lead Calix felt like walking around with explosives strapped to my feet.
Something about this felt ominous. Being protected by the very man who once sent Erika to the guillotine…
Calix frowned in dissatisfaction.
“And I receive no thanks?”
“Grand Duke, what do you mean?”
“You thanked William, yet you say nothing to the one actually protecting you?”
I rolled my eyes upward for a moment. The ceiling pattern was quite beautiful.
“Lady Diel.”
When he called me like that, it always felt like polite intimidation.
I gave him a formal smile.
“I’ll give my thanks depending on future circumstances.”
“What does that mean?”
Calix frowned sharply, but I stood up as if I hadn’t heard him.
“It’s late. I’ll take my leave. Please enjoy your evening.”
I quickly headed for the door.
His piercing gaze pricked at my back, but I had already consumed wine, heard classified secrets, and reached mental overload capacity.
Both physically and mentally exhausted, I felt like collapsing.
William quickly stood and escorted me to the door.
“Lady Erika, you’ve worked hard today. Have a restful night.”
The air outside was cold, so I tightened my coat and hurried down the corridor. The butler who had been at the door was nowhere to be seen.
Only when I reached the door of my second-floor room did I realize—
The robe I was wearing wasn’t mine.
It was Calix’s uniform.
If I return it tomorrow morning, it might be too late. He might leave at dawn.
Besides… a male lead’s uniform.
To a heroine, it might be a symbol of fate or romance. But to a supporting character like me, it’s just an ominous item.
Annoyed but resigned, I turned back toward the reception room.
The door was slightly open. Warm light from the fireplace spilled through, along with faint voices of the two men.
I was about to hang the uniform on the doorknob and leave—
But the conversation I overheard made my steps stop.
