Chapter 8
Kidnapped by My Fan (8)
Contrary to what I had expected, it wasn’t a storage room. The books inside were neatly organized as well. Unlike the books outside, these seemed to be preserved in perfect condition.
However, there were three things that made this room different.
The first was that every bookshelf in this room had glass doors.
The books were stored as if they were precious treasures. Anyone who saw them might think priceless heirlooms were inside. But judging from the books themselves, that didn’t seem to be the case.
The second difference was that every book in this room had three copies.
There was one bookshelf on each of the three walls, excluding the wall with the door, and every shelf contained the exact same books arranged in the exact same order. It almost looked as if someone had simply copied one bookshelf three times.
And the third…
‘These… they’re all my books?’
Every single book in this room was one of my works.
I stared blankly at the books behind the glass when the duke’s smiling voice reached my ears.
“Well? Do you like it?”
“It’s not a matter of liking it. What in the world is all this…?”
Just as I was about to ask him to explain this room, one particular book caught my eye.
My eyes widened, and I pointed at it with a trembling hand.
“T-That’s the limited edition. How did you…?”
That book had been released three years ago to celebrate selling one million copies. Only 500 copies had been printed.
Its cover was much more luxurious than the regular edition, and it even included a special bonus story. It had sold out almost instantly.
Even I, the author, didn’t own a copy.
Actually, there had been 501 copies in existence.
The publisher had prepared one extra copy as a commemorative gift for me.
But while the editor briefly left it on a table to take care of something, it disappeared before he came back.
Someone had simply stolen it.
I still remembered how endlessly apologetic my editor had been back then.
Yet that very book was sitting here.
As I stared at it in disbelief, something suddenly occurred to me.
I quickly looked toward the other bookshelves.
No… surely not? There’s no way there would be three copies of such a rare book…
But as people say, reality often exceeds expectations.
I was wrong.
Even the limited edition appeared once on each of the three bookshelves.
“What on earth…”
At this point, chills ran down my spine.
Without realizing it, I looked straight at the duke.
He smiled brightly and said,
“There isn’t anything in this world that I can’t obtain.”
I had countless things I wanted to say, yet all I could do was silently open and close my mouth.
After calming my racing heart, I looked at him seriously and asked,
“But why do you have three copies of the same book?”
“They all look the same to you?”
Instead of answering, he looked at me as if I were the strange one.
His question sounded completely sincere.
I glanced at the books and muttered,
“T-They’re exactly the same…”
“Hmm… no, they’re different.”
Pointing at each bookshelf one by one, he explained,
“Those are for reading, those are for preservation, and those are for display. See? They’re all different.”
He smiled so brightly that, for a moment, I almost accepted his logic.
But I barely managed to come to my senses and raised my voice.
“They’re still the same books!”
“You really don’t understand a collector’s heart, do you, Author?”
The duke looked at me with pity.
At this point, I almost started wondering if I was the strange one.
Come to think of it…
Unlike the preserved and display copies, the reading copies did seem a little worn from use.
I stared at the reading copies for a while before shaking my head.
Pulling myself together, I asked another question.
“Then why does this room only have my books?”
“You want to know?”
The duke smiled playfully and leaned closer.
His face suddenly being so near made me stop breathing for a moment.
Still, trying to act calm, I nodded.
He smiled softly and quietly said,
“Because I like you quite a lot, Author.”
“…What?”
The word escaped my lips in surprise.
Only after hearing myself did I realize my voice had cracked, and my face instantly turned red.
Still, my eyes remained fixed on him.
He chuckled at my reaction before continuing.
“I like you, Author. I’m your fan.”
For a moment, my brain completely stopped working.
It took me a while to understand what he had just said.
Only after his words finally sank in did I stammer,
“So… you’re… I mean… Your Grace… is my fan?”
“Mm.”
The duke nodded cheerfully.
Meanwhile, I could only stare at him blankly.
Because I had always stayed home writing, I’d never had the chance to meet my readers.
I had imagined it countless times.
What would it be like to meet one of my fans?
Would we run into each other at a bookstore?
Would I feel overwhelmed with joy after seeing someone reading my novel?
Would we have a wonderful conversation about my stories?
One thing was certain.
The meeting I’d imagined had never looked anything like this.
Never had I imagined being kidnapped by a fan who wanted to see my work.
So this is how my dream gets destroyed…
I felt tears threatening to form.
Being kidnapped by one of my own fans was just too miserable.
“Author, are you crying? Are you that touched that I’m your fan?”
And even now, this crazy duke was saying complete nonsense.
I desperately wanted to curse at him.
Instead, I forced the corners of my mouth upward.
“Yes… Thank you very much.”
In the end, I couldn’t say a single rude word.
All I could do was mechanically agree with him.
How did my life end up like this…?
Holding back a sigh, I looked at the perfectly preserved display copies of my books.
If nothing else, maybe looking at my novels would at least comfort me.
“Pfft…”
The duke suddenly burst into laughter.
I immediately turned toward him.
He was looking down at me with obvious amusement.
“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”
Whenever he smiled…
Or stared at me like that…
I somehow became nervous.
At this rate, I felt like I was going to develop trauma.
Fortunately, unlike my fears, his answer was surprisingly ordinary.
“It’s just been a while since I’ve had this much fun.”
I had no idea what exactly he found enjoyable.
Still, I felt relieved that he seemed to be in a good mood.
If he became angry…
Who knew?
He might immediately lock me up and force me to write.
The image of myself trapped inside a prison-like room, secretly eating food a maid slipped through the door while being forced to write…
Just imagining it made my whole body shiver.
That absolutely could not happen.
No matter what, I have to keep him in a good mood.
Quietly, I made up my mind.
“Now then, shall we head outside?”
At his words, I forced another smile and followed him.
He led me out of the mansion.
The moment we stepped through the front door, a scene I hadn’t seen when entering the estate unfolded before me.
A beautifully maintained garden.
Flowers of every color.
And at the center stood a magnificent fountain.
The mansion was so beautiful that admiration naturally escaped my lips.
No one would ever guess its owner was completely insane.
I looked around with sparkling eyes when, all of a sudden, the duke’s face entered my view.
He was quietly watching me with a gentle smile.
For some reason, my face became warm.
Partly because I wondered if I’d looked too childish…
And partly because his already beautiful face looked even more dazzling with that smile.
At this rate… I might actually fall for him.
Startled by the thought, I quickly turned my head away.
The duke asked curiously,
“Author, why did you suddenly look away?”
Does this man have absolutely no sense?
I groaned inwardly before calmly replying,
“I wasn’t avoiding you. I just turned my head because I wanted to look at the garden.”
“Hmm… You like the garden more than me?”
Is that even a real question?
Keeping my eyes on the beautiful garden, I nodded firmly.
“Of course.”
“I see…”
There was something strangely unsettling about the way he muttered those words.
When I turned back toward him, I saw a smile that somehow contained a trace of irritation.
“I should fire the gardener.”
His sudden declaration made my eyes widen.
What was he talking about?
“W-What do you mean all of a sudden…?”
“How dare he make a garden more beautiful than its master? That’s unforgivable.”
I was left completely speechless.
Wait… don’t tell me…
Is it because I said I liked the garden more than him?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I knew I had to stop him.
Someone innocent couldn’t lose their job because of me.
“Please don’t!”
“Why?”
“Why…? Well…”
Because I feel sorry for the gardener!
But I knew that argument wouldn’t work on the duke.
After thinking for a moment, I squeezed my eyes shut and blurted out,
“B-Because Your Grace is far more beautiful!”
His eyes widened slightly.
Only then did I realize what I’d just said, and my face burned with embarrassment.
Hang in there, Philia.
This is all to save the gardener’s job.
My clenched fists trembled, but I forced myself to continue.
“The garden is beautiful, but… Your Grace is even more beautiful. Compared to your beauty, the garden feels ordinary. That’s why I like it—it feels familiar. So… please don’t fire the gardener.”
Even as I spoke, I had no idea what kind of nonsense I was saying.
The duke didn’t react immediately, making it even more embarrassing.
For a moment, I seriously considered running back to my bedroom and hiding under the blankets forever.
Finally, he spoke.
“If that’s what you say, Author.”
I looked up.
The irritation from earlier had completely disappeared from his face.
Instead, he looked genuinely pleased.
Mr. Gardener, whoever you are…
I saved your job.
A strange sense of accomplishment filled me, and I almost cried.
How had my life turned into this?
“Oh, and Author.”
Just then, the duke looked at me as if he had remembered something.
Now what…?
Feeling nervous again, I listened carefully.
A faint smile appeared on his lips before he said,
“From now on, call me Cloud.”
“…What?”
I stared blankly at him, convinced I had misheard.
Amused by my reaction, he grinned and repeated himself.
“From now on, stop calling me ‘Your Grace.’ Call me Cloud instead. Surely you know my middle name?”
“I-I do, but…”
I wanted to ask, “Why?”
But I didn’t have the courage.
As if he had read my mind, the duke smiled with his eyes.
“I just felt like it.”
