Chapter 10. Midnight Meeting

Returning to my room, I immersed myself in the warm bathtub prepared by the maid.

The throbbing pain all over my body has gradually improved.

After washing up, I changed into a white night dress and checked the wound with a mirror.

Thanks to magic therapy, it healed quite a lot. If I cover it with my bangs, you won’t be able to see it, but I didn’t think I’d get a scar anyway.

I lied in bed and tried to sleep, but my mind suddenly became clear. The fear of the carriage accident, which had been forgotten for a while, belatedly climbed up my spine.

I almost died.

Without a magic fountain pen, the little prince and I would have been broken like the carriage wheels and wouldn’t still be in this world.

I couldn’t sleep due to the mixed thoughts of anxiety and fear.

I tossed and turned on the bed over and over again. Eventually, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I sat in bed and looked back calmly on what happened during the accident.

I definitely heard it then. The conversation of the unidentified men trying to take over the Bookfinder.

They caused an accident to take away the compass from the beginning.

They boldly committed the crime even though they knew that the blood relative of Prince Carlix was on the wagon, and I don’t know when they would appear again.

The moment my thoughts went that far, I got goosebumps on the back of my neck and arms.

I realized that a realistic threat was lurking behind my back.

What do they want even when taking away the Bookfinder?

Finding books that have not been paid for loans is now a dangerous mission that could cost me my life… What the hell is going on?

Director William urged me to rest well tonight, but it was too much in the first place.

Let’s stop being a poor lady who is scared of getting hurt.

I wore indoor shoes and a robe gown. After lighting the lamp, I went down the stairs.

Light leaked from the door of the drawing room at the end of the long hallway on the first floor. In front of the door, the butler was guarding it with a firm face.

The butler who saw me greeted me, hiding a look of embarrassment.

“Erika, it’s late at night. Do you need anything?”

I took the lamp, looked straight at the butler and notified him.

“Please tell the director. I’ll attend the meeting, too.”

The butler bowed his head, deeply in trouble.

“The owner ordered no one to enter the room. I’m sorry.”

“I’m qualified to attend the meeting as a party involved. I’ll talk to the director myself.”

Then, the door of the drawing room opened and William came out.

Dressed in a comfortable shirt, he looked at me with calm eyes.

“Miss Erika is right. Come in.”

Following William into the drawing room, lamps were lit everywhere, creating a cozy atmosphere.

The fire in the fireplace blazed, and only the occasional splash of embers brought the still silence to life.

Pls read only at pink muffin tl.

In the middle of it, Carlix was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed and drinking wine.

There was also a bottle of wine and a glass with some leftovers on the tea table. It must be William’s cup.

He changed into a new shirt with his coat left on the sofa and looked a little tired.

A deep shadow was cast under the long eyelashes.

The shirt collar, which was loose to the chest, contrasted with his copper-colored skin, and was dazzlingly white.

He looked at me with interest while his alluring lips were on the clear glass.

“What’s going on? In the middle of the night like this, is there anything urgent?”

“I thought there was an emergency meeting, but the two of you seem to be relaxed. Did I interrupt?”

Hmmm, they fight like a child during the day, but it seems that Carlix is friendly with Director William.

I suppressed the smile that was about to burst out of my heart, and looked at Carlix with an expressionless expression.

“Carlix, don’t be rude to Miss Erika.”

“I want you to remember that I haven’t done anything yet.”

Perhaps because it wasn’t an official position, William treated Carlix without fault. Carlix was also in the mood to not care much.

William explained again as he guided me to the armchair.

“We were discussing the carriage accident. I have to formally report this to the palace tomorrow.”

Carlix said sarcastically.

“It has been concluded that you are responsible for writing the report. You have a knack for perfecting court reports with useless rhetoric and pretentious etiquette.”

“Do you want to write a report? It was you who was there. It is the principle that you, the person in charge and present, should be writing.”

Carlix glared at William with a deep smile.

“Do you remember which family makes the most donations to the Royal Library, Director?”

William raised his hands as if he understood.

I couldn’t believe it, so I looked at the two of them in turn.

“Wait a minute, have you been discussing who is going to write the report?”

“Isn’t it natural?”

Carlix answered naturally.

Oh, he’s acting like a kid who doesn’t like to do homework.

It was absurd, but I’ll have to take the reward for coming down.

I looked at the wine bottle on the table.

“I think I need to drink alcohol to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Wouldn’t alcohol be harmful to your wounds, Miss Erika?”

It was so like William to worry like a moral book. I shook my head for a moment, giving him a frightened and weary expression.

“Actually, I couldn’t sleep because of the shock of the carriage accident. Wouldn’t a little wine help me relax?”

My feelings for alcohol were sincere.

I haven’t had a drink since I was possessed, so I can’t even remember what alcohol tastes like.

To be honest, as soon as I was possessed by a villain supporting role, I was so anxious that I wanted to drink a whole bottle.

The innocent William was so sad that I felt a little sorry for him.

“I hadn’t even thought of that. It must have been a difficult day for Miss Erika. Please wait a moment.”

William immediately called the butler to bring a glass.

The butler watched the wine pouring into my glass and secretly enjoyed the scene.

“You have bled, so you must drink. You are acting like a knight.”

Carlix’s blue eyes shone more intensely in the light.

Before, he had been expressing his displeasure with my visit to the drawing room.

“Right. For today alone look at me as a comrade who overcame the same crisis, Grand Duke.”

His blue eyes stared intently at me. You want to fight, now?

I also stared back at him without giving up.

William, who was sitting in the middle, was about to intervene with a troubled expression, but Carlix jumped up.

He picked up the long frock coat that he had hung on the back of his chair, and came to me. He then wrapped his coat around me indifferently.

I was startled by the sudden approach of his face, but his gaze was turned to the side as if he didn’t want to look at me.

I can’t stand holding questions, so I asked right away.

“Why are you giving me your coat all of a sudden?”

“You’re going to freeze if you wear something like that.”

What?

I looked down at my clothes for a moment. It’s a solid outfit with a robe on top of a night dress.

I looked at him in a panic, and our eyes met again.

He was looking at me with a serious expression. What’s even more absurd is that the worry seemed sincere on his face.

Even William got up with a ‘I see’ expression and put more firewood in the fireplace.

Why are these people acting like this today?

When I tried to return the uniform to Carlix, he firmly refused.

“It’s because I’m uncomfortable, so I hope you wear it as it is.”

“Okay.”

I was forced to use his uniform like a blanket.

Thanks to Carlix’s physique and the warmth left, I felt like I was in his arms like when I rode on a horse.

I haven’t even drunk yet, but I feel like my face is already heating up.

“Let’s toast to celebrate the safe return of the two.”

William lifted the glass first with a friendly smile.

Three glasses collided in the air and rang clearly.

After drinking a little wine, my dizzy mind eased from the fear and anger.

As I raise my head, the two men are looking at me with glasses of wine and worried eyes.

“The unidentified man in a carriage accident… I think he was aiming at me. He was going to take away the Bookfinder.”

When I carefully spoke out, Carlix replied in a low voice.

“My Order already reported this. They caused a carriage accident and attacked the magic shield to take away the Bookfinder.”

William received his words with a serious look.

“Miss Erika, I heard that the Bookfinder did not work at Hamilton’s house. It’s a phenomenon that happens when someone destroys a wizard’s location tracking device, and it’s only possible for a high-ranking wizard with considerable ability.”

“A high-ranking wizard?”

“Yes. They seem to have prepared carefully. Knowing in advance that the book leader with a Bookfinder was coming to Hamilton’s house to find a book, he deliberately caused a carriage accident and tried to take it away.”

“Why did he do that?”

I couldn’t hide my trembling voice.

Carlix looked at me with a serious look. His eyes were filled with worries about me.

“The important thing is, how did they know you were a book leader with a Bookfinder?”

William agreed with Carlix with a serious look.

“You’re right. Carlix. Miss Erika being the book leader was a top secret that only a few library officials knew. I haven’t even reported it to the palace yet.”

“This proves that the security of the Royal Library is a mess.”

Carlix laughed coldly, but William sighed deeply and did not respond.

“What happened to their pursuit, Carlix?”

“My Knights are chasing them now.”

“Don’t kill everyone like last time. One person must be saved to dig up the background.”

“You have so many useless worries. This time, I’ll interrogate them myself. This crime is too heavy to easily kill those who dare attack my carriage.”

Carlix did not hide his anger and smiled dangerously. At that moment, his drink started to look like red blood.

I got chills without realizing it. It’s an evil smile enough for the devil to call their brothers for help.

William’s expression also became darker.

He put his hands together as if praying to God and was lost in thought. He then looked at me gently.

“What’s certain is that the gunmen know Miss Erika’s identity and may attack again to rob the Bookfinder.”

“That means I can be attacked again since I’m the book leader.”

At the same time, Carlix and William stared at me.

It’s awkward to suddenly get all this attention.

“I don’t understand. Book leaders are all about their ability to find magic books through Bookfinders. Why do they need that?”

It was a pure question, but William’s expression hardened even more seriously.

“Without a Bookfinder, no matter who steals the magic book, you can’t find it. No one.”

His gaze stopped at Carlix.

When Carlix nodded briefly, William opened his mouth again.

“This is a state secret. However, since Miss Erika is a book leader, it is something you must know. It should never be revealed outside. Can you promise me to keep it a secret?”