<CHAPTER 41>

The Refreshing Musk Scent

“Actually…… I was the one who reported to the guards that day.”

Dahlia, who had attended the night banquet, said she had accidentally witnessed the situation where Young-sik was causing a disturbance.

She said she had quickly gone to call people, judging that it would be beyond her power to subdue him herself.

The woman’s face, biting her lips, was steeped in pathos.

Her appearance was as if regret and self-blame were entangled.

“I should have helped Evelyn right there……”

When Dahlia apologized instead, Evelyn firmly shook her head.

“It’s not Dahlia’s fault. Thanks to you, the guards arrived early.”

“Thank you for understanding, Evelyn.”

At the woman’s delicate smile, Evelyn felt that she had suspected the wrong person.

‘Yes, let’s not have unnecessary misunderstandings.’

When she erased her doubts about the female protagonist, one corner of her heart seemed to feel lighter.

Various conversations continued at the table where the young ladies sat around.

Gossip circulating in the capital these days, interests, and other trending styles.

Evelyn was also participating in the conversation, but her mind was elsewhere.

‘Why does it feel like the original work keeps coming to mind?’

Though she had already intervened in the original work, she had tried not to deviate from the existing framework.

Was there something she was missing?

When anxiety rose and she was about to leave nail marks on her palm.

“…Miss?”

Poke—

Evelyn, who had been distracted, opened her eyes wide.

Then she quickly composed her flustered expression and smiled faintly.

“What is it?”

“Have you decided the owner of the handkerchief at this hunting festival?”

A young lady asked with an interested gaze.

‘Come to think of it, the hunting festival will be held soon!’

In the Valtian Empire, a hunting festival was held every spring hosted by the Imperial House.

Noble adults had a duty to attend the hunting festival.

Of course, exceptions were allowed if there was a special reason.

Evelyn, who would be attending for the first time this time, answered calmly.

“I think I’ll give it to Young Count Valentino.”

She thought she could just give it to her fiancé appropriately.

Then the young ladies who let out short exclamations sent gazes full of excitement.

“Young Count will be so happy!”

“Honey was dripping from his eyes when he looked at the young lady.”

That couldn’t be.

That was definitely not the case……

The one who would be filming a thriller alone while others filmed a romance movie was none other than Aksion Valentino.

He probably.

No, his head was surely filled with thoughts of how to torment his fiancée more.

Evelyn showed a faint smile.

In that smile, discomfort and awkwardness were buried.

“You seem to be on good terms with your fiancé.”

Dahlia, who had been staring at her, said with a somewhat unexpected expression.

Something that seemed like displeasure settled and disappeared in her purple eyes.

Evelyn, who did not notice this, nodded lightly.

“Yes, we’ve been together since childhood.”

Even though she said it herself, she felt embarrassed, and scratched one cheek.

If Aksion had been present at this seat, he would have laughed at her with his characteristic impudent expression.

Even at a seat arranged for them to spend time together, they had been busy bickering constantly.

As Evelyn was smiling awkwardly, Dahlia gently held both her hands.

Perhaps because the winter’s traces still remained.

Evelyn flinched at the chill felt in her hands.

“Evelyn, could you introduce me to Young Count?”

“My fiancé?”

At the woman’s sudden request, confusion spread in Evelyn’s green pupils.

Why on earth?

She didn’t know what expression she was making right now.

She merely pressed her lips together tightly so that question wouldn’t slip out.

When Evelyn showed no reaction, Dahlia spoke with a deliberately flustered face.

“There was no other meaning. I just wanted to see the fiancé of a close friend.”

Though it would be a natural development for Aksion and the female protagonist to get to know each other……

For some reason, an answer didn’t readily come out.

Evelyn, who showed a faint smile belatedly, sipped her black tea and spoke.

“I’ll ask my fiancé next time.”

“……Will you?”

The young ladies who had been silently listening to the two’s conversation added words one by one.

“Young Count Valentino is always so busy.”

“I heard he recently discovered a new magical engineering formula.”

“And how handsome is his appearance? They say he forms two great mountain ranges with Duke Likeran of the rumors.”

The young ladies who nodded enthusiastically soon turned their gazes to Dahlia.

Among those gathered here, she was clearly the one with the most connection to Kalid.

Since Kalid rarely showed himself normally, curiosity about him was growing day by day.

“Miss Lorenheim, what is the real Duke Likeran like?”

Among the young ladies shining with curious eyes, Dahlia smiled shyly and small.

“Duke Likeran is…… truly a kind person.”

Since he was originally a kind person, how much more so for the original work’s female protagonist.

The expression that honey was dripping from his eyes might be for Kalid, not Aksion.

Seeing this, she thought the story was flowing according to the original work’s development, yet somehow her heart felt prickly.

Thus Evelyn inwardly felt relieved at the appearance of the two protagonists like fate.

Then she suddenly narrowed her brow slightly at an emotion of unknown origin.

‘Wait, why am I feeling relieved?’

***

“Hmm, as expected, I can’t find it.”

Evelyn, who let out a low sigh between her lips, put down the book she had been examining lightly.

She had come to the Imperial Library wondering if she could find anything about sorcery, but.

She could not find any content related to taboo abilities at all.

‘I still don’t know anything about the Moon Goddess either.’

Evelyn often heard about the progress of the investigation from Felix, who said the investigation bureau was also facing difficulties.

Even capable information guilds completely prohibited any mention of black magic or sorcery.

Evelyn, who held several mythology books as a regrettable alternative, raised her stiff body.

Since she had been reading only old books after coming to the library, a sense of fatigue had gathered in her eyes.

‘Hoo, I should rest a little.’

She stood leaning against the wall behind the bookshelf filled with old books and squeezed her eyes shut.

The scent of old books spread faintly with the quiet breeze seeping through the open window.

Perhaps because it was a place people didn’t visit often, it was generally quiet.

How much time had passed—at the refreshing musk scent brushing the tip of her nose, Evelyn slowly opened her eyes.

“Huh? Your Grace the Duke……?”

The man’s hand hovered in the air with a clearly flustered expression on his face.

As she stared at him with roundly widened eyes, Kalid awkwardly lowered his hand.

“There was no other intention. I just thought your eyes would be dazzled……”

As sunlight happened to touch her face through the window, Evelyn lightly shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t misunderstand. You were being considerate of me, weren’t you, Your Grace?”

Only then did relief pass across Kalid’s face.

The man’s gaze soon reached the book unfurled in her hand.

“You seem to be interested in old books.”

“Not necessarily, I just have something to look up.”

Evelyn, who had been answering calmly, blinked her clear green eyes.

“Your Grace has borrowed another book related to animals today?”

What the man held was an old book titled 《There Are No Bad Companion Dogs in the World》 written by a famous trainer.

Since it was published so long ago that it couldn’t be obtained in the market, he seemed to have taken the time to visit the library.

Kalid nodded and answered with a soft yet warm voice.

“I’ve been unable to play with him much lately, so he sulks often.”

“The puppy must like Your Grace very much.”

“He’s still young so he probably doesn’t know well. He just likes people’s hands.”

He seemed to have ten things on his mind because he couldn’t pay attention to his companion dog due to his busy schedule.

“But in my opinion, Your Grace is a sufficiently good owner? Reading books for the puppy too.”

Perhaps Evelyn’s words came as comfort, the corners of the man’s eyes curved affectionately.

“I think it was good to come here after all.”