Chapter 140

Khalid’s expression hardened for a moment, but he soon resumed his usual gentle smile. Then, as if suppressing his emotions, he slowly spoke after clenching his fist tightly.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

His blue eyes, sinking as though into an abyss, seemed to grow ever more clouded.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ཐི༏ཋྀ ໒꒱ ˚₊ ୧‿︵

To keep intruders at bay, the dukedom’s most secret chamber lay buried deep within the estate. At the end of a long corridor stretching through the main wing stood a heavy, iron-bound wooden door.

When Khalid drew a key from his breast pocket and turned the lock, the barrier yielded, unveiling an entirely new space.

“This is the ducal archive.”

The vaulted ceiling arched in graceful curves, while faint light filtered through narrow window slits, bathing the interior in a subdued glow. On the lower level, countless relics lay preserved, while the upper tiers held shelves lined with ancient tomes. The space, steeped in centuries of history, exuded both awe and grandeur.

‘Am I really allowed to be here?’

Evelyn’s lips parted slightly as her gaze swept across the overwhelming chamber. Catching her wonder, Khalid offered her a faint smile, his voice warm.

“If there is a book you wish to see, feel free to choose without hesitation.”

“Yes! Thank you for your kindness, Your Grace.”

When she answered with a bright smile, Khalid’s gaze shifted toward another man.

“Are you not leaving?”

At those words, Axion arched one brow and fixed the Duke of Rikeran with a steady gaze. Then, in a tone as smooth as if he were pointing out the obvious, he countered.

“My lover is here. Where else would I go?”

His brazen reply left Khalid momentarily at a loss, his expression tightening slightly. Watching the two men cautiously, Evelyn lightly tapped her fiancé’s arm and spoke gently.

“Axion, why don’t you step outside with His Grace for a moment?:

“Why would I?”

The man’s sullen expression, as though he really couldn’t comprehend her reasoning, made her press her fingers to her throbbing temple.

Please, just read the room. We’re guests here!

Letting out a shallow sigh, she forced a tone of casualness as she added.

“Besides, it’s not as though you have any books to borrow here.”

“….”

Since Axion had only accompanied her to the Duke of Rikeran’s estate, he likely had nothing else to do. So, rather than wasting time here, she thought it would be better for him to pass the time in the drawing room with a newspaper. Besides, with too many eyes on her, it would only make examining the ancient texts more difficult.

Leaning closer, she whispered a remark that might appeal to him.

“That way, we can return all the sooner, don’t you think?”

At last, as though he had finally understood her meaning, Axion’s dark brows twitched and he gave a single nod.

“Very well, then.”

When the two men withdrew from the archive, Evelyn wore a faintly uneasy smile.

‘They won’t quarrel, will they?’

Though her heart felt far from at ease, she could only hope nothing would happen and quickly made her way upstairs. Unlike the lower level, where heirlooms were guarded by a barrier, the upper floor was lined with shelves crammed full of ancient books. The sheer scale was incomparable to an ordinary noble’s library, nearly comparable to the Imperial Library itself.

“Just as Khalid said, there really are so many ancient texts here.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Evelyn’s eyes gleamed with determination as she began to search among the books. However, within the archive, the volumes of the old duchy were intermingled, making the search for a forbidden text no easy task.

Straightening from her bent posture, she moved toward another set of shelves. As she examined the ancient texts in front of the meticulously categorized shelves, her gaze eventually settled on one book in particular. Bound in dark crimson leather, its hue faded with the passage of time, the tome bore the weight of countless years. 

She drew it carefully from the shelf and gently brushed off the dust. Then, as she slowly opened the book, a familiar sigil emerged upon the yellowed, time-worn pages.

“This is…!”

Her hands trembled as she clutched the memorandum, as though she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

The sigil of a black rose entwined with a Möbius strip. It was unmistakably the same mark as the trace of sorcery that had appeared upon the lizardman during the last hunting festival.