Chapter 28
‘Why are you looking for a bookstore?’
In order to be a better lady for Karpel, who was doing his best to keep his distance, Inaila once declared that she would stop using most of her time reading.
Originally, Inaila liked to study.
That’s why Karpel thought that her stubborn streak about reading wouldn’t last long.
However, ever since she declared that when she was eight years old, five years had passed. She would still read poetry to fit in with the other young ladies of high society, but other than that, she hadn’t touched any history or academic books.
And there were more books at the library in the Krenberia estate than in this bookstore here.
‘Are you just looking for a bookstore, or do you want to study again?’
As Karpel looked around the stalls, he wasn’t sure if Inaila had successfully entered the bookstore alley.
He set out and looked for the bookstore himself. Even though it was in a secluded direction, he found it easily.
Quietly opening the bookstore door, the owner bowed towards Karpel in greeting.
This bookstore was also one of the strongholds of the rebellion, and in here, there was a secret entrance to the waterways. The bookstore owner was the watchman guarding this particular entrance.
Looking carefully inside while trying not to meet Inaila’s eyes directly, he paused for a moment.
Inaila wasn’t inside the bookstore.
“Didn’t a Krenberia come?”
The watchman stared blankly for a moment, the sudden question startling him, then belatedly replied.
“No, I didn’t see anyone.”
There was cold sweat running down Karpel’s back.
He was light-headed and it seemed like his vision was blurring.
‘I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off you!’
Karpel rushed out of the bookstore and returned to the square.
He was caught off guard because he focused more on her destination. He didn’t know where she disappeared all of a sudden.
There wasn’t anyone in the alley, so Inaila might have gone back because she couldn’t find the bookstore. Karpel didn’t waste any time.
‘Just where did you go? Who did you follow? Or are you watching the public performance?’
Karpel scoured the square and skimmed through all the faces of the people there. He couldn’t find Inaila anywhere.
He was getting nervous.
‘I should’ve just dragged her back right away. Did I think she’d be safe just because I’m watching her?! She disappeared just like that!’
Karpel grabbed the pendant hanging on his neck. The fingertips that held onto it were as cold as ice.
Whenever he left the mansion, he would always wear it.
And hanging on the necklace wasn’t actually a pendant, but a ring.
…The ring that Inaila gave him as a gift.
He didn’t want to get caught by Inaila, so he couldn’t wear it the right way, but he always held it dear.
He took off the blue jeweled ring from the necklace and wore it on his finger. There was definitely a tracking spell embedded in it.
One ring would be able to find the other.
She should be wearing the ring, but just in case, Karpel brought the ring close to his lips and uttered the word that would prompt the spell to start.
“Ina.”
That was the starting incantation.
Blue orbs floated from the ring.
Fortunately, Inaila was wearing it right now.
‘I hope you’re safe. Why the hell didn’t I do a better job watching you?!’
Soon, the blue lights circled around Karpel, then came to a halt.
She was inside the general store.
And at that moment, Inaila exited that store.
“…”
Karpel relaxed as soon as he saw her carefree appearance, then he stared blankly at her back as she went to the alley without even seeing him.
It was only a few minutes since she disappeared from his sight, so it was natural that she could have entered a nearby store.
But he was so flustered that he couldn’t think straight.
He really didn’t think it through because all that was on his mind was to find her right away.
He didn’t even ask any of the undercover watchmen who were watching over this side of the town.
In hindsight, he acted foolishly.
And it was ridiculous that his first impulse was to use the ring.
He sighed and followed Inaila.
Then, she stopped in place and stood still. It didn’t look like she found the bookstore located at a semi-basement yet.
‘After you find what you need, I’ll take you back right away. Come to think of it… You’re wearing the ring, too, Ina…’
At the same moment, Inaila turned around and jumped at him.
He thought she’d be on uneven footing as she turned around, so he prepared to catch her.
But even her posture was astounding.
Instinct told him to avoid her, but it was Inaila who was rushing into his arms.
Karpel ignored those instincts and opened his arms to embrace her.
However, before he could feel her warmth… he was suffocated by a stinging pain on his chest.
“Ack…!”
He let his guard down because Inaila was smaller than him, so it shouldn’t hurt even if she bumped into him.
But it was such a strong blow that if it were any other person on the receiving end other than Karpel, she would have been able to knock them out.
She hit him so squarely that he even leaned over in pain.
And he had no chance to escape when she prepared to headbutt him. All he could do was clench his teeth as he anticipated the blow to his jaw.
When she hit his jaw, it was strong enough that his ears were ringing.
‘What is this…’
It was ridiculous.
Even Inaila looked very surprised because she never expected the other person to be Karpel.
She raised her hand and instantly put her ring on him, calling the incantation on her ring for a recovery spell.
‘Ina… maybe you have a talent for hand-to-hand combat?’
It hurt quite a bit, but not to the point of him needing any healing magic. He took off the ring and returned it to her.
The magic ring shrank to fit her finger as soon as he put it on her.
“Uh, I thought some robber wanted to block my way…”
As Nadia hesitated and made excuses, Karpel briefly held her hands.
It was the same pleasant warmth. The ring on Inaila’s finger was the same color as his eyes.
“Yeah, you did a good job.”
Inaila blushed at his compliment.
Her pretty hands were still in his own hands.
‘Even if you’re talented, I can’t let your hands be stained with blood.’
When he first beat his swordsmanship teacher in a spar, he was so proud because he’d be able to protect Inaila with his strength.
But by using a sword, protecting someone would also mean killing the opponents.
No matter how much you just stayed on the defense, the guilt of hurting another living being was terrible.
He would rather not teach her if it meant she had to go through that pain.
Karpel let go of Inaila’s hand. As the warmth faded away, all that was left was a hollow feeling.
When he woke up from his reverie and came back to his senses, he realized that his solar plexus and chin hurt a lot.
‘But I wonder if I should really teach you how to fight…’
She never learned formally, but she was able to deal this much damage. It would definitely help if she learned properly.
* * *
Karpel and Inaila went back through the waterways that day, and the next day, he sent the reference materials she was looking for.
As she became interested in studying for the first time in a long while, he wanted to help her as much as he could.
Karpel had read most of the books in the library, so it wasn’t difficult to sort out the titles and have the books delivered to her room.
After receiving the books from Stein, Karpel received a note that she sent through the aide.
「 Thank you for the reference materials. I’ve been thinking about our engagement these days. Let’s talk when your probation is over, Karpel. 」
The contents of Inaila’s sleek handwriting did not change no matter how many times he read it.
He helped her earnestly, but her response was that of a farewell. He was hurt and disappointed.
He tried to convince himself that he at least had until the end of his probation period, but it was hard for him to stay calm.
So he’d been avoiding her for a week since then.
He could hardly focus on his training or his studies.
He leaned back on the couch at the library and looked down at the book in his hand. He had been rereading the same page for almost two weeks.
When he tried reading, he would immediately lament and agonize over Inaila’s recent behavior. Even if he tried to read the words with great concentration, his mind just couldn’t process them.
“Huu…”
At the same time as Karpel sighed, he heard the door to the library opening. But he was so distracted that he wasn’t alert.
He would normally hide himself or escape through a window, but today, he climbed onto a ceiling beam.
Below him in the library, he could see Inaila peeking through the door and looking inside.
“Karpel…?”
She came in and closed the door behind her, then looked around. Her eyebrows were scrunched as though she was annoyed.
When Karpel didn’t appear in front of her, she clenched her fist and trembled, shuffling over to the couch and lying flat over there.
Then, in one fluid motion, she punched the cushions of the couch.
“…”
She had a small hand, but when Karpel saw her clenching her fist and hitting the cushion squarely, he couldn’t say that it was nothing after seeing the strength behind her punch.
‘Smart and also talented in hand-to-hand combat… Is there a limit to Inaila’s competence?’