Chapter 9: I Hate Him (2)

Huh? What did he just say?

I doubted my ears and stared at him. He must have felt my sharp gaze.

“I mean, we’re going to my office,” he clarified, “so go ahead and quickly choose any books you want.”

Oh, that’s what he meant. He should have just said that outright from the beginning instead of in such an ambiguous way. I turned to scan the library.

Where are the books about curses?

Of course, I was not trying to place another hex upon Kyle even though he was at times quite mean to me. I did, however, need to know the general extent of a curse’s magic and how far I would potentially have to go in order to break his spell. It was possible that the library might not contain any books that could explain how to break his specific curse at the moment, but having a bit of knowledge about enchantments in general was better than not knowing at all.

“I want to read books about curses. Where can I find such books in this library?”

I wasn’t afraid to bring up my search to him because I knew that Kyle had already read all the books here, so he of all people would certainly know the whereabouts of said books.

“Curse?” he returned my inquiry without bothering to hide the discomfort in his voice.

“Yes,” I answered back casually. “I’m interested in curses.”

“Why are you interested in curses?”

“Why? Can’t I be interested in that topic?”

He then raised his head slightly. A strange look was apparent on his face.

“Why of all things would you be interested in curses?” he asked.

I posed his question back to him in a different way as if I had been waiting for him to ask that.

“Why do you think?”

Kyle didn’t answer me. He stared silently at me for a while before speaking again with a disconcerted tone.

“Don’t say it’s because of me.”

“Why should I lie if it’s true that I am interested in curses because of you?”

The Archduke clicked his tongue again. He looked so annoyed. I was already accustomed to expecting that reaction from him. The silence between us stretched out for far too long.

Okay. Let’s stop this argument.

It became apparent that I would only end up bickering with him again if we continued this conversation. Hence, I turned my attention away from him.

“You can search for the books you want in the middle of the library.”

Huh? I whirled back around to look at him, but he had already started walking out of sight. I belatedly realized that he had actually answered my first question. He should have told me the answer from the very beginning if he found it too bothersome to argue with me in the first place.

“Thank…”

“If you understand where it is, don’t just stand there. Go and quickly find the book you want.”

I quickly shut down any feelings of gratefulness I had felt towards him. He really had an awful habit of cutting me off.

“You don’t have to order me around about that,” I retorted.

I hastened my steps toward the direction he told me. After a while, I returned with an armful of books about curses and moved with him to his office.

****

It’s a tidy place.

That was my first impression of his study. There was a desk piled high with various papers and documents. A large bookshelf stood behind the desk, filled to the brim with all sorts of books. I glanced at the texts I had brought with me from the library.

“Excuse me, Archduke. If you had such a large collection in your office, why didn’t you let me pick some books from your shelves from the beginning?”

“…”

I couldn’t guess what was on his mind but I would have wagered one hundred percent of my savings that this man hadn’t thought about that possibility.

“I just accepted Jean’s request to take you to the library.”

Kyle simply answered my question with an expressionless face. He had come up with a good enough excuse. Then, he sat down at his desk and began to work on the mountains of documents before him.

“Pick anywhere to sit that you’re comfortable with and go away quietly when you’re done. Don’t disturb me.”

He muttered his orders without even glancing up at me. That was fine. I didn’t expect anything more from him.

It’s still a miracle that Kyle brought me to his office.

I found a chair and laid out the books that I had brought with me from the library. After a moment, silence fell between us, but before long I saw something that piqued my interest.

It’s interesting to see how diligently Kyle works on those documents.

I didn’t remember writing this side of him.

Only

Yeah, even though I’m this novel’s original author, it doesn’t mean I know everything about this world.

I was sure that there were many other things in this world that I didn’t know, which is why I was so amazed to see an unknown side to this character I had written. Eventually, because I was so curious about this side of him, I stopped reading altogether and stared at his face.

He’s really handsome.

Kyle Romani had a fair face with long eyelashes, a slim nose, and a sharp jawline. Even those golden eyes, which were slightly lowered from being so focused on his work, suited him perfectly. Together, each of his features made for a perfect combination. He was so absorbed in his papers that he no longer seemed like a person who lacked emotions. It was strange, but at the moment, his diligence made him seem more human than usual.

“Didn’t I tell you not to disturb me?”

Oh no. I made a mistake. I had spent too long gazing at his working face, as if I was admiring a celebrity on the TV. Although I had unconsciously stared at him, I clearly understood that my behavior was unbecoming of someone in my position.

“I wasn’t aware that I was looking at you, and I know it’s very impolite of me to do so. I’m sorry.”

I softly apologized to him, but I could feel an unspoken, cold pressure chilling the air.