Clive’s suspicions were neither unreasonable nor surprising.
Rather, he believed in her so easily that Eirene doubted what he was up to.
“Is there any reason you think that way?”
“If you have lived your whole life underground, you will lack social skills and common sense, but you are not at all. You are good at adapting to difficult situations or new environments.”
Eirene understood what Clive meant.
Thanks to the books, it was not difficult for her to adapt to the outside world. Except that she wasn’t used to the sunlight yet.
Although it was imaginary, she had various experiences. And dying once helped.
The experience of death made the fear and the fear of the unknown disappear little by little.
“It’s because I read a lot of books.”
Clive found it hard to believe.
“I know reading is good, but that’s not the case.”
“It’s true even if you think it’s not. In my entire life, I’ve only seen my family and a few maids, and everything else is in the book.”
Clive, leaning to the side, rested his elbows on the armrest as he touched his chin.
At the same time, he crossed his long legs.
He looked at her with a look he still couldn’t understand and let out a small breath.
“You are very determined. How can that be?”
Clive’s fingers touched his chin, moving in succession like waves.
“You sound like someone who’s been through everything. You have a great ability to control and hide your emotions.”
Clive has met a lot of people, so it wasn’t hard to get to know her.
Eirene was also able to guess to a certain extent from the first meeting.
The more time passed, the less he could tell what she was thinking.
Clive thought it was because Eirene didn’t show her feelings well.
She is unpredictable like a haze.
“I’ll take it as a compliment.”
“That’s a compliment. Did that sound like criticism?”
“It sounded like a suspicion.”
“I wasn’t suspicious, I was just curious. Why did you wait for me?”
“I want a tour of the main palace.”
Clive did not expect that. He felt steam leaking.
He felt ashamed. Not because of Eirene, but because of himself.
Did I really fall in love at first sight, as Yulik said?
If he fell in love at first sight, maybe it was because of her portrait.
He fell in love again when he was able to see Eirene’s face for the first time.
Be that as it may, Eirene is the woman who tormented him.
* * * * * * * * * *
The first floor of Derevell Palace was mainly for guests, and the second floor was used only by Clive.
However, in Eirene’s eyes, the numerous rooms with different uses looked like a maze.
If someone decides to play hide and seek here, it will take a long time to find them.
On the third floor, there was a large library, about half the area of the first and second floors.
It’s mainly a place where Clive reads and rests. And there are many more books than Eirene had ever seen.
That was the only reason why she asked Clive to give her a tour.
After lunch, Eirene found out about the existence of the library when she asked if Mrs. Hanon could bring her a book as soon as she was free. She just waited for Clive to come.
While she was admiring the library, she asked Clive.
“Can I use the library?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you. I’ve been reading books all my life, so even after coming here, I don’t have that habit.”
The smell of paper from books and the smell of dust from old books calmed her down.
She had bad memories of living in the basement. Eirene knew she could not erase them.
Eirene walked between the bookshelves.
She walked slowly and quickly read the titles of the books to see if there was a book that interested her.
Clive follows her quietly from behind. Little steps were heard.
The attention that was totally focused on the books turned to Clive.
She was amazed by how a big person could walk like that.
The sound of two people’s footsteps in the quiet library.
In the silence that followed, Clive was the first to speak.
“Is there a book you want to read?”
Eirene nodded.
“All of them.”
“Read as much as you like while you’re here.”
Eirene stopped walking and turned around, and Clive was leaning against the bookshelf with his arms crossed.
He looked very elegant under the moonlight coming through the window, but his gaze was fierce.
He is a man whose moods are always changing.
Will I ever be able to have this man?
“Why did you invite me to Derevell?”
“Because there is no other place like this to be able to talk secretly.”
“One day was enough.”
“You asked me to pretend to love you. You can’t invite someone you love and let them stay for just one day. Was it too much?”
“A little. It’s comfortable, but at the same time it doesn’t feel comfortable.”
Clive, who had been watching her silently from a distance, walked over to her.
As he drew closer, Eirene stepped back, but she hit the bookshelf, making her unable to move any further.
He slowly lowered himself, then smiled.
“Is it at least more comfortable than Phineos’ mansion?”
“Yes. I feel more comfortable here.”
Clive was right. There was less tension than when she was at Phineos’ mansion.
“Exactly. I knew it.”
Mumbling in a slightly hoarse voice, Clive’s arm reached out and placed it next to Eirene’s head.
He tilted his head diagonally, then he grabbed a strand of her hair and released it.
Why did you grab my hair? What was he trying to do?
He let out a sigh of relief and stood up.
“You can do whatever you want here.”
“Thank you.”
“If you do your job well, you can have more. This is nothing.”
“Is there really something more?”
“Just say it.”
“Yes. I will let you know when I think about it.”
Clive put his hands in his pockets and tried to move.
Why is that?
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Eirene, who seemed to have something to tell him, called out to him.
“Clive.”
He turned and looked at her with only one step in between.
She called out to him, but couldn’t think of anything to say.
Eirene was embarrassed.
“You smell good.”
She noticed it earlier. A different smell than the smell of cigars.
“Nothing has changed since yesterday.”
It’s obviously different. Did I get it wrong?
“I smoke a lot of cigars before I came here, and I still smell good. Yesterday and today cannot be different. Didn’t you say you weren’t feeling good yesterday?”
Clive once again confirmed that Eirene was mistaken.
Eirene thought it was impossible, but when he said no, she thought it might be.
“I guess so.”
“We should go down. If we’re late for dinner, Mrs. Hanon’s nagging gets worse.”
Clive turned quickly and left first.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Your Highness? You feel good?”
Mrs. Hanon’s eyes widened.
Clive’s face was red as he sat down to start his dinner.
When he got home, he was fine, but suddenly both of his cheeks were red.
Clive had never been sick since puberty, which made it even more surprising.
“I’m fine.”
“I have to check if you have a fever.”
When Mrs. Hanon tried to touch Clive’s forehead, he threw his head back and pushed her hands away.
“It’s nothing.”
“Your face is red.”
“It’s because it’s hot. Just give me a glass of cold water.”
Clive did not suffer from heat or cold.
His face hardly changes, even when he is angry. Mrs. Hanon thought that he must have been in pain somewhere.
But she couldn’t check him because he wouldn’t let her touch him.
She was relieved when she heard the power in his voice.
After drinking the cold water, Clive’s face returned to normal.
Dinner was suffocatingly quiet.
He would always talk to Eirene over dinner, but tonight he kept his mouth shut.
Mrs. Hanon could tell that he felt uncomfortable.
Did these two have a fight?
Eirene’s face was as calm as ever, but it only brightened up after she had eaten a bite of dessert prepared by the chef.
Clive told the chef to go all out on the desserts.
Eirene, who did not react much and was mostly expressionless, showed a change as much as she ate her dessert.
It was surprising that Clive paid close attention to even that part.
But only Mrs. Hanon and Yulik could see his interest in her.
She thought that he had no feelings for his fiancée, but it was quite the opposite.
Mrs. Hanon prayed in her heart for two things.
For Clive to marry the person he loves and live happily for the rest of his life, and to live as a respected Grand Duke without being called an imperial scoundrel anymore.
Clive was always Mrs. Hanon’s first priority.
* * * * * * * * * *
Eirene went up to the library as soon as dinner was over.
There were many books to read compared to the set time.
The room was much darker, so she stood close to the bookshelf, and began to read the titles of the books.
After going through some bookshelves, she found two books related to divine power on the innermost bookshelf and took them out.
She sat down at a desk to one side of the study and read quickly.
Eirene thought that Aishe had taken her divine power, but maybe it wasn’t, but it was only healing.
She hoped that what she had said in the past was wrong.
However, she was disappointed that the book only covered general topics and did not have the content she expected.
She closed the book and looked up to grab the next book.
“Clive.”
Clive was sitting at a desk, looking at her.
“You can see me now?”
“I didn’t know you were here. You should tell me.”
“I was looking how long you wouldn’t notice I was here. But you were so focused I didn’t want to bother you.”
“Do you have anything to say?”
“Am I someone who comes only when I have to say something?”
“If you have nothing to say, there’s no reason to see each other..”
One of Clive’s eyebrows arched.
“Do you really think so?”
“That’s right. It’s only pretending to love me.”
It must have been because he couldn’t leave his fiancée alone in the study.
“You don’t have to try too hard. Even if Aishe Phineos does it in front of people… …”
“Then we will get caught. There are always people wherever we are, pretending not to be and watching every little thing. We try to silence the servants, but there is no way to stop them from secretly leaking it.”
Eirene understood and nodded.
Clive was the Grand Duke of the Empire. It wasn’t strange at all, even though he was getting everyone’s attention.
“Then I will take the book to my room.”
She didn’t want to read it while Clive watched her.
He treated her kindly, but she wasn’t comfortable being with him.
It must be because of her habit of reading alone.
“Read it here. I also have books to read.”
Clive pulled out a chair and placed a book in front of it.
“I want to read alone.”
Clive’s eyebrow rose again.
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the backrest.
“Will it be a problem if we read it together?”
“I have a habit of reading alone.”
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“So, do you want to go to the annex palace?”
She doesn’t say anything. And after a while, he let out a long sigh.
“Alright. You can go. Go and read comfortably.”
Eirene, who received permission, quickly grabbed the book and left the library before Clive changed his mind.
She hurried down the stairs and did not hear his lamentation shouts.