<b>Chapter 8 – I Hate Him (1)</b>
“I see. I’m fine with that.”
Jean looked at me with slight disbelief written on his face at how immediate my response was.
“Are you sure you’re not curious about why the fifth floor is forbidden?”
I smiled to assure him that I was fine with the circumstances because, although he couldn’t tell me why the fifth floor was off-limits, I actually already knew the reason why it was restricted. Jean carried on with his exnation anyway, and his expression indicated that he still terribly regretted being unable to tell me anything about the fifth floor.
“I’m sorry that I cannot tell you the details, but you can only look up at the fifth floor from here,” Jean’s tone was full of desperation, “It’s truly a matter of life and death, so you really must never go to that floor.”
Unfortunately, I could not do as he asked of me. Someday, I would have to go up to the fifth floor, because the key to lifting Kyle’s cursey beyond those doors.
“Don’t worry,” I reassured the butler with a soft smile. A slight bit of guilt nipped at my conscience for lying to him, but at the very least, I would not visit the fifth floor for now.
“Your Highness, how about we check the garden?” Jean tried to lift the rather sour mood by diverting my attention to another ce. “It should be full of roses by now.”
“Yes, let’s visit the garden,” I dly epted his offer and followed him down the stairs to the first floor where the garden was located.
“Ah!”
As we were about to reach the second floor, both Jean and I eximed in surprise at the same time. We had suddenlye face to face with Kyle, who was just leaving his office. Jean bowed slightly at the sight of the Archduke.
“Did you have a peaceful sleepst night, master?”
“Yes,” Kyle answered him. He nced briefly at me before brusquely turning on his heel and ignoring me.
I couldn’t help but feel a bit upset and left out, so I secretly snuck up beside Jean and smiled at Kyle.
“Good morning, Archduke. I hope you slept wellst night?”
“Jean, did you tell her what I said yesterday?”
Oh my God! I was being ignored again, not only once but twice in one day.
“Yes, I’ve told her about that… Ah!” the butler looked as if an idea had juste to him, “Master, why don’t you take a stroll around the gardens with Her Highness?”
Jean had his attention on me when he suggested that, but Kyle’s expression turned unpleasant.
“Why should I walk around the gardens with this woman? Do I look like a person who has nothing to do?”
“Then, instead of that, how about you join us in touring the library?”
At Jean’s persistent suggestions, Kyle looked at me disapprovingly.
“I also refuse to do that,” he said gruffly.
“…”
“If you’re bored because you have nothing to do, you can spend your day drinking tea.”
Wah, I hate him. This guy really had a talent for worsening my mood. Honestly, I should apud him for his skill in that regard.
“Jean, I’m fine with finishing my tour alone, so…”
The butler suddenly started coughing.
<i>Huh?</i> I was startled and began to help him right away.
“Jean! Are you alright? Should we call the doctor?”
“I’m fine, Your Highness,” he sputtered in between coughs. “These days, I have a lot of work, so I’m a bit tired<i>. </i>You don’t have to worry about me, even if i’m going to die, I’ll still apany you to the library-”
He wasn’t able to finish his sentence as he was abruptly attacked by another fit. Jean’s face turned red while his chest heaved frantically. His coughs sounded quite severe.
<i>So is this Jean’s secret weapon against Kyle?</i>
At the mention of his butler’s ailing health, Kyle was obliged to reluctantly ept his request, only because it really felt like Jean was going to die if he kept exerting himself.
<i>What a scary butler.</i>
Anyway, his trick seemed to have worked again this time. Kyle looked at Jean with a face full of annoyance. As if it were already a habit for him, Kyle clicked his tongue and stared at me.
“Follow me. I’ll escort you to the library.”
There was no reason for me to refuse his invitation. Rather, I should think of it as an opportunity to strengthen our rtionship, so this arrangement worked out perfectly. But I was still worried about Jean.
<i>Shouldn’t we call a doctor for him if he has an illness that severe?</i>
I looked at Jean, but when our eyes met, he winked and raised two thumbs up.
<i>I was tricked. It was just an act after all. His actingpletely fooled me.</i>
I awkwardlyughed and went after Kyle, who had already walked far ahead.
***
The library in this mansion was as famous as the Imperial Library. There were hundreds upon hundreds of books neatly arranged in gold-colored bookshelves
<i>These shelves look like they hold more than ten thousand books.</i>
Unlike the Imperial Library, the mansion did not employ a librarian to care for the books each day. Instead, the librarian visited only infrequently to arrange the tomes when the Archduke wasn’t around.
Kyle leaned against a bookshelf near the entrance and crossed his arms. Despite his acerbic traits, he truly befitted his title as the most handsome man in this novel.
The sharpness of his profile was reminiscent of the contours of a marble sculpture. So attractive were his looks that I questioned how the previous Riddel could have chosen her ex-fiancé over him.
<span> Only
“Choose any books you want to read.”
His voice was low and husky to my ears.
“How about you, Archduke?” I piped up with curiosity. “You don’t want to pick out any books, yourself?”
He frowned as if my question was annoying to him. His re bored straight through me, determined to intimidate me into not talking to him.
“When you’re done choosing your books, we’ll go to another ce.”
Fortunately, Kyle answered kindly this time. I wondered what other ce he had in mind for us to visit next.
“Where are we going?”
“We’re going to my room.”