Chapter 43
Of course, that didn’t mean I wasn’t expecting anything at all. After finishing our bath, we entered a three-story shop right next door. I was brimming with excitement as I looked around the store.
“You look happy,” the head maid said, smiling as if she shared my mood. I nodded enthusiastically. The bath had been better than expected, and I felt refreshed.
There was nothing like the crisp feeling after washing off the sweat of the entire night. I didn’t have to worry about smelling bad whenever Demian approached. Both Demian and the others looked more refreshed as well.
I ignored the staff’s greeting and walked straight toward a nearby display case.
“So many interesting things,” I thought.
The shop’s items seemed haphazardly arranged at first glance, but there was an underlying order. I examined the accessories on the nearest display. They were beautiful, though, as Fabian had said, not as delicate as the items in Alain’s shop.
I glanced at the group, all absorbed in their own browsing. To find books related to magic, I needed some distance from them. Fortunately, the store was spacious, and there were plenty of people.
“Why don’t we split up and look around separately?” I suggested.
The head maid’s eyes widened. I gestured toward the upper floors.
“I think it’d be more efficient to start upstairs and work our way down. After all, this shop caters to nobles, so it should be safe… Demian, could you help me look down here instead?”
I singled out Demian deliberately, so he wouldn’t follow me upstairs. Whether he understood my intention or not, he gave a sly smile.
“If that’s what you want, I’ll do it,” he said.
“Great. Then I’ll head up.”
As I turned, the head maid hurriedly followed.
“You shouldn’t go alone. I’ll come with you.”
The others nodded in agreement. Right, moving completely alone wouldn’t be easy. I nodded.
“Okay. I’ll come back down in a little while,” I said.
Together with the head maid, I climbed to the third floor. It was messier and more chaotic than the first floor. Display cases taller than my height were packed tightly like a maze, and piles of goods stacked like attic clutter were scattered everywhere.
“Do we really have to look here?” the head maid asked, staring at a heap of items. She dusted some off, but corners and overlapping surfaces remained hazy.
I smiled to reassure her.
“Places like this are the most interesting. Who knows what treasures we might find?”
Though in truth, I was only interested in magic books. She seemed convinced and carefully reached out.
“So you’ll come down quickly once you’ve looked?” she asked.
“Of course. I don’t plan to stay long.”
She seemed reassured by my shrug. I watched as she began examining the topmost display cases and moved to start searching from the far corner. Hmm, not here… or here.
Rings that had lost their owners and were scratched were piled on trays, and hairpins and brooches missing gems were scattered about.
“I hope I can find it here,” I thought.
This was my only chance. I scanned the shelves quickly, eyes wide, feeling dizzy. But I forced myself to stay steady.
If Demian realized I had been searching so thoroughly for so long, he might become suspicious. I hadn’t been greedy in the salon, after all.
“I have to look just enough to make it seem like my interest is fading,” I thought.
But as I suddenly turned my body, dizziness hit, and I swayed. My head throbbed painfully. I reached out to grab something, anything, but touched nothing.
“I’d be in trouble if I fell,” I thought.
A brief fall—then someone caught me from behind.
“Demian?”
Had he come up from the first floor? But a different scent tickled my nose—warm, sweet, yet heavy.
“Th-thank you,” I said hurriedly, embarrassed at nearly falling. I kept my head down. Then a familiar laugh sounded near me.
“So we meet again.”
What? I lifted my head. Light green eyes sparkled like clover behind a pair of glasses, and the lashes curved delicately.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Baroness,” the man said.
“Mikhail?”
“Yes, you seem quite surprised.”
“Of course! When did you get here?”
I hadn’t imagined he would be here. Hadn’t he stayed in the capital?
“I came four days ago. The merchants who came with me to the capital returned and asked me to help with the appraisal,” he explained.
As expected, he was here on business. Mikhail helped me stand upright, and blinked.
“Did you come here looking for magic books?”
I had told him at the bookstore that I was interested in magical tools and magic. I nodded.
“Yes, but it’s not easy to find anything.”
“Ah…” Mikhail sighed briefly and softened his expression.
“They say there isn’t much coming out of the Tehit Empire these days. Even books… you shouldn’t expect too much,” he said, sounding almost apologetic. A lightning bolt flashed in my mind—his earlier words came back to me:
Of course, since they are books, many will be damaged from long neglect, but you might still hope to find some in good condition like the ones you own.
Mine hadn’t been obtained through normal means. I had expected this, but…
“It’s fine, there’s nothing for you to apologize for, Mikhail.”
Despite my calm reply, my mind was a complete mess.
“No, don’t think badly. Even if I get a magic book, there’s no guarantee I can use magic,” I thought.
Yet my heart wouldn’t settle. My head throbbed. On top of that, I still doubted whether Demian truly loved me. Had it all been a false hope?
Then why—and how—had the diary appeared in front of me? Could I really trust its contents? Were the memories of a past life just my delusion?
“Madam.”
Mikhail’s soft, sweet voice enveloped my hand. I unconsciously stopped tugging at my hair.
His palm was warm but dry. He held my hand and quickly withdrew.
“I’m sorry, I was afraid you might get hurt…”
Heat rose to my face. I nodded and lowered my hand. The spots I had tugged still tingled. I sighed.
“No, I should apologize for showing such disgraceful behavior,” I said, fixing my hair and smiling.
Mikhail looked at me with gentle eyes.
“I’m sorry, but may I ask why… you are looking for magic books so desperately?”
He leaned slightly forward to meet my gaze, loose strands of hair falling softly around his face.
But what answer could I give him? I bit my lip. Then, an idea came to me.
“Just… to find my nanny,” I said.
I wished I could add tears, but unfortunately, I couldn’t.
I quickly added:
“She suddenly left, and I missed her so much. She disappeared not long after my mother passed away. I couldn’t find her, even after searching.”
Purely a lie. If I said I was searching for magic books just to find my nanny, he might suspect me, so I embellished.
“So, perhaps foolishly…”
I took a breath and, before finishing, let my eyebrows droop slightly.
“I wondered if my nanny might have been a magician.”
A flicker of light passed through Mikhail’s green eyes. He asked:
“A magician?”
“Yes. They say she disappeared, but it’s almost impossible for a notebook to remain so intact.”
“Have you shown the notebook to anyone else?”
“No. But when I said I was looking for the book, everyone said the same thing.”
Mikhail nodded. His neat curls swayed gently.
“In fact… I have a magic book right now.”
My eyes widened. I looked up to meet his gaze. His expression was calm.
“Yes?”
“It’s a book I bought for collection purposes elsewhere. If you want it, not for free… I could sell it to you.”
He laughed awkwardly, as if to explain that it was a valuable item for him too.
