Chapter 54 – What the Principles Hide
“Remove Sharon Abner from her position as head of the family?”
I muttered as I ran down the long hallway.
“No way. That’s never happening.”
I was running as fast as my little legs could go — having just finished eavesdropping on the elders’ secret meeting.
The council building was growing smaller behind me as I sprinted toward safety.
‘They’re blaming her for spending too much money on my treatment, for appointing me as her ward without permission…’
Their list of “offenses” went on forever.
‘And now they’re even bringing up the old Coel trial?’
That trial was how she exposed corruption in the mines and made a huge profit for the family!
I shook my head, sighing inwardly.
The life of Sharon Abner really isn’t easy.
I slowed my steps only when I reached the front of the library.
It was quiet — too quiet.
Not a single servant in sight.
‘Good thing I slipped away from Arwyn.’
If I had company, it’d be impossible to do what I was about to do.
Right now, I needed to act alone.
***
“The Abner Council has always been guided by principle. And the main reason many of us resent the current head is precisely because she ignored those principles.”
The voice of the elder chairman echoed in my mind — the same pompous words I’d just overheard through the window.
“Principles, huh? Sure. Let’s see what kind of ‘principles’ you old crooks are hiding behind.”
Crossing my arms, I took a deep breath.
Then, I threw my weight against the library door.
The heavy wood groaned as it slowly opened.
“Hff… made it…”
Panting, I squeezed through the small gap.
Behind me, the door closed with a low thud. Through the narrowing crack, I could still see the roof of the council building in the distance.
“I’ll show them what real principle looks like.”
My goal was clear — the deepest, oldest shelf in the entire library.
I’d seen it once before, tucked in the far back corner.
***
By the time the sun dipped behind the mountains—
“What do you mean, Lady Annelia disappeared?!”
Miel gasped, eyes wide with panic.
Arwyn nodded grimly. “She was gone when I came back. I only stepped out to fetch some water. I thought she was still in her room.”
Soya fidgeted nervously. “What should we do? The mansion’s full of people right now…”
Indeed, every elder and half a dozen branch relatives were staying at the Abner estate.
They had all come to “protest” the Duchess’s recent decisions and ended up refusing to leave.
They always did this — one person would find something to complain about, and the rest would pile in to demand attention.
Some of them even dared to raise their voices at the Duchess herself.
Sometimes, they crossed the line completely — yet Sharon Abner never changed her approach.
She simply let them rant until they wore themselves out.
And eventually, they always did.
It was an effective, if frustrating, way to keep the peace.
But now, there was a new problem.
If Annelia accidentally ran into those people…
“She mustn’t meet any of them,” Soya whispered anxiously. “You know how awful they are — what if they say something cruel to her…?”
“Let’s go find her right now!” Miel rolled up her sleeves, ready to dash out—
“There’s no need,” said a calm voice from the doorway.
Everyone turned.
“Miss Anne?”
It was Anne Clarke, the director of the Evehill Orphanage.
“I just came from there. I remembered she mentioned going to the library, so I checked — and sure enough, she’s there, completely absorbed in her books.”
Miel blinked in relief. “S-still, isn’t it dangerous to leave her alone?”
“She’s not alone. I ran into Sir Wendell on the way out — he offered to stand guard by the door.”
“Oh, that’s reassuring,” Miel said. “Sir Wendell won’t let anyone near the library if he’s watching.”
Even so, Soya looked uneasy.
“What if she gets thirsty? Or hungry? Or trips? Or cuts her finger on paper—”
“Soya,” Anne said gently, “take a breath.”
“Annelia gets so focused when she’s reading that she can sit still for three hours straight. Don’t worry — I already brought her snacks and a drink.”
At that, Soya finally began to calm down.
Miel smiled. “That’s a relief. If it’s you, Miss Anne, we can relax. You know her better than anyone.”
Anne just smiled, saying nothing.
Because truthfully, she wasn’t acting on instinct or familiarity—
‘Miss Anne! Could you make sure no one comes near the library for a while?’
She was only following Annelia’s instructions.
‘Miel and Soya will probably come looking for me. When they do…’
Annelia had even predicted that part.
So Anne had prepared the perfect explanation in advance.
Of course, Sir Wendell guarding the library hadn’t been Annelia’s idea — that part was pure coincidence.
Anne had simply taken advantage of the moment and asked him politely to keep watch.
She felt a little guilty for involving him without permission, but she’d had no choice.
We can’t have another accident like last time.
She still remembered the day Annelia had fallen down the stairs.
Anne shook the thought away.
“Miel, Soya,” she said brightly, “why don’t we head to the kitchen? When she’s done, she’ll definitely want a snack.”
“That’s a great idea! Food always tastes better after studying!”
“Th-then I’ll go prepare something sweet!”
Anne smiled and turned to Arwyn.
“You too, young master? It might take her a while to finish.”
After a brief hesitation, Arwyn smiled back politely. “Yes, ma’am. I’d like that.”
Anne nodded and led the group toward the kitchen.
And as she walked, she couldn’t help but think:
What could she be researching so seriously? Those books looked ancient…
She pictured the tiny girl buried in a pile of heavy tomes, brows furrowed in focus.
It had been so adorable that Anne had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
Then another thought crossed her mind, soft and bittersweet.
When should I tell her?
She still hadn’t told Annelia that she was planning to leave the orphanage — to become her full-time caretaker.
I hope she’ll be happy…
And she still hadn’t mentioned the other news either—
That almost all the children at Evehill were about to be adopted.
***
“Just as I thought!”
My eyes sparkled as I flipped through another heavy book.
Finally, after digging through several thick volumes, I found it — exactly what I was looking for.
The massive book in my hands was a sort of encyclopedia — a complete record of the Abner family’s history and accomplishments.
‘I guessed there’d be one here, just like at Longtern’s estate.’
And once again, I’d been right.
Even the ancient legends and records written in old language matched.
‘Only a tiny number of people in the Empire can read the ancient script nowadays.’
Which meant hardly anyone could truly understand this book.
That was probably why it had been sitting here untouched for decades.
My heart was pounding as I turned to the next discovery of the day.
Because I hadn’t just found old records—
I had also stumbled upon something even better.
A bundle of parchment.
I had found it tucked way inside the bottom shelf, hidden behind a row of dusty volumes —
the perfect hiding spot, if you weren’t short like me.
The handwriting on the first page instantly caught my eye.
Sharon, I…
The graceful, flowing Imperial script pulled me in immediately.
By the time I finished reading, I’d silently cheered “Yes!” ten times in a row.
And when I saw the signature at the bottom, a triumphant grin spread across my face.
“This will make things so much easier.”
Still, one thought lingered in the back of my mind.
‘That man… Kainton, was it?’
I wanted to dig deeper into him.
‘Because his face back there… looked terrifying.’
Like someone already plotting something truly nasty behind the scenes.
