ADFPL 21

ADFPL

Chapter 21

“What is this?”

Yohan lowered his head deeply.

His heart was pounding harder than when he had revealed his identity.

His identity was a personal matter—but what he was about to say now could implicate the Solstella Temple, even the Empire itself.

And if word of this leaked, then even if he made it back to the temple safely, he would be as good as dead.

“I won’t ask twice. I still haven’t decided whether I can trust you.”

Cleoire had never doubted that Yohan truly belonged to the Helsington Count’s household.

Why would he lie about something like that?

If he wanted to survive, it would have been far smarter to claim he could cure Isabella’s illness.

But what Cleoire wanted from Yohan was not his identity.

Whether he belonged to the Count’s house or not didn’t matter to Cleoire.

Did sharing blood with Isabella earn him special treatment?

The Helsington Count’s family had abandoned Isabella.

Just knowing that the blood of those cold-hearted people flowed in her veins was enough to make Cleoire feel ill.

If possible, he wanted to drain every last drop of their blood.

That was how deeply he despised the Helsington Count’s family.

And on top of that, Isabella seemed unaware of Yohan’s true identity.

He had clearly chosen not to tell her.

Was he afraid she might cling to him?

A man who hoarded an enormous secret and monopolized the method of producing medicine all on his own—

Cleoire couldn’t be sure Yohan was a good person.

“I’ll ask again. What is this medicine? How is it made?”

Cleoire pressed him.

Yohan squeezed his eyes shut.

“It’s…”

He hesitated, then finally spoke.

“…This medicine is dragon’s blood.”

“What? A dragon?”

Cleoire let out a snort of laughter.

Dragon’s blood?

Dragons were monsters so powerful that even facing one was nearly impossible. How could a frail priest have extracted its blood?

“If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable.”

Clearly unwilling to hear more, Cleoire stood up.

“It’s true. It’s really true. There’s a dragon beneath the temple!”

Yohan shouted, as if grabbing onto Cleoire.

His voice was desperate.

“Miss Isabella will absolutely need that medicine.”

It seemed Yohan had realized that nothing moved Cleoire as effectively as Isabella’s name.

Whenever Cleoire tried to distance himself, Yohan called out her name again.

“Hah…”

Cleoire sighed.

“There’s something I should make clear.”

He sat back down in front of Yohan, offering advice rather than anger.

“There is only one dragon in the Empire. And it’s here, in the north—in the Forest of Lamentation.”

“W-W-What? There’s a dragon in the north as well?”

Yohan stammered in shock. His eyes darted rapidly from side to side, as though he were thinking something through.

But Cleoire couldn’t guess what.

More importantly—how could he speak so confidently about a dragon beneath the temple when he didn’t even know about the one in the north?

Cleoire’s eyebrows shot upward.

Clara pushed open the heavy door.

As the thick wooden doors parted, the scent of paper washed over Isabella.

The ducal library was enormous.

Spanning two stories, the shelves were packed with books all the way to the ceiling.

Long desks lined the windows, while tall bookshelves—just within reach of an outstretched arm—stood in neat rows across the center.

Ladders were placed here and there, and more lamps hung on the walls than in any other room.

If they were all lit, reading here even after nightfall would be no trouble at all.

“His Grace must really love books.”

Books were precious items.

Printing technology was advancing little by little, but craftsmen and machinery were scarce.

Supply couldn’t keep up with demand, so books naturally fetched high prices.

Among nobles, books had become a luxury item.

They used them to flaunt their wealth.

Some nobles truly loved books, but most purchased them merely for display.

It was common for a noble residence to have a study or library—but this scale was unheard of.

Isabella, who genuinely loved books, knew that much for certain.

“My father? Not at all. He falls asleep the moment he sees a book. On stressful days, he reads instead of taking sleeping pills—says he needs a deep rest.”

Clara leaned closer and whispered so Betty wouldn’t hear.

Isabella made an awkward expression.

It was funny, but was it really okay to share such personal—possibly even embarrassing—details about the Duke so casually?

“Then… is this the Duchess’s taste?”

Isabella quickly changed the subject.

“No. Mother prefers spears to books. She only uses books when she’s testing how precisely she can cut something.”

“Ah…”

Once again, Isabella let out a small, troubled sound.

Cleoire?

Did he like books?

“Not my brother either. He does like books, but since our parents hate reviewing documents, he’s already overwhelmed just reading reports. Oh—and it’s not me either.”

Then… had the ducal family simply bought books to show off?

But the size of the library—and the sheer number of books—made that unlikely.

Half of this collection, no—even a quarter—would be enough to make headlines across the Empire.

“All of the books here.”

Clara gestured around, spinning in a full circle.

“They’re all for you, Sister.”

Isabella flinched in shock.

Isabella’s outing was brief.

She loved the library, but it was so vast that the heating didn’t reach properly.

She soon began to feel cold.

When Clara noticed Isabella’s lips turning blue, she panicked.

While Betty went to fetch a blanket, Clara pushed Isabella gently from behind.

The library doors shut with a loud thud.

Isabella felt oddly regretful.

Walking quietly while holding Clara’s hand, Isabella recalled her words.

—They’re all for you, Sister.

She didn’t believe them literally.

Clara liked Isabella and was a kind child who paid close attention to others’ feelings. She must have heard somewhere that Isabella liked books and said it to please her.

Isabella decided not to dwell on why Clara would go so far as to lie to comfort her.

She was starting to feel tired.

Today, Isabella had pushed herself more than usual.

Her muscles, once tensed by the cold, refused to relax.

As they stiffened, a dull ache spread through her head—a bad sign.

“Isabella?”

She had just grabbed the railing to climb the stairs when Cleoire’s voice sounded behind her.

When she turned, he was already right in front of her.

Snow still clung to his shoulders, not yet melted.

It was clear how fast he had crossed the first floor.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fin—”

The habitual lie almost slipped out.

Cleoire’s eyes sharpened.

His gaze fixed on Isabella’s lips, which were slowly turning purple.

The duties of a Grand Duke’s consort.

Hadn’t he told her not to lie in front of him?

Still, admitting she was unwell was difficult.

It was the truth, yet it felt like complaining.

She wasn’t good at complaining.

“Clara, where did you take her?”

“Miss Clara didn’t do anything wrong.”

Cleoire’s voice was harsh enough that Isabella immediately defended her.

Having climbed one step higher, Clara hid behind Isabella’s back and stuck out her tongue playfully.

“Clara. I told you to behave and keep her company.”

“You think locking her in her room will make her like you? Idiot. If you want her heart, you should give her what she likes!”

“What?”

Cleoire’s face flushed bright red.

Caught between the siblings, Isabella listened quietly to their exchange.

Win my heart?

She tilted her head slightly.

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Ah. So it was nonsense.

It seemed Miss Clara had misunderstood something.

“And Isabella.”

Cleoire suddenly lifted her into his arms. At such close range, she could feel his breath clearly.

He smelled like the north.

A clean, invigorating scent—one Isabella herself could never have.

Could this scent be the reason her body was slowly improving?

Thinking that, Isabella took a deep breath.

“Did things go well outside? For someone who went to deal with monsters, your clothes are pretty clean. If you’d hugged her in filthy clothes, I would’ve kicked your shins.”

Clara chattered away, poking at Cleoire’s nerves.

Though clearly annoyed, he responded to each of her remarks.

Their bickering was full of affection.

So this is what a normal sibling relationship looks like.

She suddenly thought of Izar, who hesitated even to knock on her door.

If I’d been healthy, could we have been like that too?

No.

The answer came immediately.

Listening to Cleoire and Clara’s voices like a lullaby, Isabella closed her eyes.

After laying Isabella in bed, Cleoire went to find Viktor and Angela.

Apparently, they hadn’t heard his knock—because the Duke and Duchess were in the middle of a passionate embrace.

“Ahem. Ahem.”