Chapter 13
“Right. Cabbage. Haven’t we nearly finished it by now?”
“Ah! The marquis’s young lady’s cabbage? Oh, that cabbage, you mean.”
Conrad’s face suddenly brightened, and, unlike before, he broke into a wide grin.
Kalen stared at him sharply.
Conrad quickly realised he’d stumbled into the wrong topic.
“Exactly. That won’t do. Why would Your Grace order it? Of course, I should handle that. I’ll place an order with the marquis’s lady today and have it delivered by tomorrow. I’ll also suggest postponing the letter reading until then.”
“Get a grip.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though Kalen’s sharp retort cut through Conrad’s babbling, he kept smiling as he tore a piece of bread and popped it into his mouth.
But the messenger sent to order the cabbage ran into trouble.
Elle looked at the messenger with an awkward expression.
“Tomorrow won’t be possible. Cabbage doesn’t just grow overnight.”
When the messenger hesitated, Elle glanced over the cabbage patch.
Most of the heads planted in spring had been harvested already—very few remained.
“I can give you about five in two days, then bring more after that.”
“I’ll report back for now.”
As the messenger rode off, Elle let out a long breath.
“It’s good to have a steady buyer, but the supply is tight. Maybe it’s time to expand the garden a bit?”
It was a tempting thought.
Although working alone meant she couldn’t handle a massive plot of land, doubling its current size still seemed manageable.
The only problem was money.
After thinking it over, she decided to visit town first.
She had just finished reading all the books she borrowed last time.
Timing it with John’s trip to town, she carefully tucked the books under her arm and sat beside him.
John, sporting a bushy beard, smiled warmly.
“Miss, you seem to have had some good news lately.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“You’re always smiling these days.”
“Well, I usually do.”
“You do, but your smile has been brighter these past few days.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Yes.”
“I wonder why.”
Elle rubbed her face, unsure why she was happier.
Nothing particularly joyous had happened.
Then, Kalen’s face popped into her mind—stern but radiant.
It pleased her eyes, and she felt good knowing she could sell all the cabbage she grew in one go.
Not having to take the cabbage to market herself, plus the extra income from reading letters, naturally lifted her spirits.
“Anyway, I’m grateful.”
“Either way, I guess I should be thankful.”
She would be heading to the duke’s estate again in a few days. She planned to be fully prepared by then—and today’s trip into town was part of that plan.
Clip-clop.
The rhythmic sound of hooves matched the gentle melody of a waltz, and the breeze brushing her face was refreshingly cool.
“This feels wonderful.”
Elle’s words brought a bright smile to John’s face.
She was lovable in every way—grateful for everything and always smiling.
After arranging to meet John in the afternoon, Elle headed to the Rodiel Library.
She returned the books and took her time wandering through the quiet stacks.
The library, reserved solely for the nobility, was scarcely crowded.
Most affluent families already had a ton of books in their collections, so it made sense.
Kalen’s study was so full of bookshelves that it looked like a miniature library.
Elle couldn’t help but envy it.
Since a few nobles came early in the morning to borrow books, this quiet moment felt almost like reading leisurely in her private study.
“Hm, here it is.”
Elle found the book she wanted and flipped through the pages as she slowly walked along the aisle.
Lost in the world of the book, she suddenly bumped shoulders with someone stepping between the shelves.
The collision made her drop the book.
“Ah!”
Her shoulder hurt, but more than that, she worried over the book lying open on the floor, its pages bent.
Quickly, she bent down to pick it up.
“Oh no. It’s all crumpled.”
“I’m sorry. Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. But the book took the damage.”
She frowned and carefully smoothed out the creased pages again and again.
“Luckily, it didn’t tear.”
As she looked up with a small smile, Elle squinted for a moment, as if dazzled by a sudden flash of light.
A man stood before her, smiling gently—a striking figure with dazzling platinum hair and deep green eyes.
He looked like he had stepped straight out of a novel, impossibly handsome.
Elle parted her lips slightly in surprise, and the man chuckled sheepishly before glancing at the book in her hands.
“‘Pilate the Wizard’—the new release. It just came out today, and you managed to get a copy.”
“Yes! I heard it was coming today.”
“That must be the last copy left.”
“Seems so. It was the only one left on the shelf.”
“That’s unfortunate. I was looking for it too…”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
The man’s eyes, wide and eager like a puppy’s, fixated on the book.
Elle quickly hid it behind her back.
No matter how handsome, she couldn’t let this book go.
She had to know exactly to whom Pilate was confessing his love.
“I read pretty fast. I’ll finish it soon and return it, so…”
Worried he might ask for the book, Elle hurriedly made her way to the checkout desk.
Glancing back nervously, she quickly borrowed the book and dashed out of the library.
The man couldn’t help but chuckle softly at her retreating figure.
“Looks like she’s trying to steal it or something.”
As he chuckled, a younger-looking woman approached him with a frustrated scowl.
“Didn’t find it?”
“I did, but I couldn’t get it.”
“What do you mean? So… did you get the book or not?”
“There was one, but someone else borrowed it.”
“What? You should’ve grabbed it first! Or snatched it! Which family got it?”
“Don’t know. Didn’t ask.”
“You idiot brother. All that genius talk is a lie. We need to know the contents before Wendy’s does. Go get it right now. Hurry!”
The woman’s voice rose sharply, but the man smiled and soothed her.
“Selia, keep your voice down. This is a library.”
“So what? Half the books here are sponsored by Dad anyway. Ugh, it’s annoying! Why do I have to borrow books after everyone else in Dad’s library?”
Selia glared at him.
“This is all your fault. If you’d just reserved it at the bookshop, none of this would have happened!”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Hmph, sure. You probably had to work hard to win Princess Ruena’s heart.”
Selia spun around, and the man gently caressed her cheek.
“My dear little sister, do you want to read that book?”
“We have to know the contents before Wendy’s does.”
“Well then, I’ll just go to the publisher and get a copy printed.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“You should’ve done that earlier instead of making me come to the library.
Go get it now. Hurry up!”
Despite Selia pushing him from behind, the man only smiled fondly at his little sister.
As they were leaving the stacks, a librarian carrying a pile of books accidentally bumped into the man.
Books tumbled down in a cascade, and the young librarian fell to the floor.
Seeing the man’s face, she paled and scrambled to her feet.
“I’m so sorry! Baron Leo Healy! I’m sorry!”
The warm smile Leo had been wearing vanished instantly as he glanced at Selia.
Without a word, he slapped the librarian’s cheek with a gloved hand.
“Your management is disgraceful.”
Under Leo’s icy gaze, the librarian bowed deeply, cheeks burning red with shame.
***
Elle arrived at “The Young Lady’s Little Drawer” and opened the door with a cheerful greeting.
“Hello, Catherine?”
“Welcome, Miss Moora.”
Catherine’s voice was calm and measured as she returned the greeting.
She was just tidying up inside the shop.
Elle stepped closer to where Catherine was carefully arranging the fans so the young ladies could admire them easily.
The fans, crafted from the finest silk, seemed to glow with their light.
Elegant embroidery and densely set precious gems caught the shop’s light just right, making them shimmer and sparkle beautifully from every angle.
Elle gazed at the fans with rapturous eyes.
“They’re so beautiful.”
Catherine, having finished the display, looked up and asked her gently.
“Busy today as well?”
“No, thanks to someone, I have a bit of free time.”
“Oh? Who might that be?”
“It’s a long story.”
Originally, Elle had planned to spend the day reading at the library, but because of that man who wanted Pilate the Wizard, she’d come to the shop much earlier than expected—and now found herself with extra time.
At her answer, Catherine said nothing but walked toward a small room in the back of the shop.
After a moment, she returned carrying a steaming cup of fragrant herbal tea, placing it carefully on the table.
“Please have some tea.”
“Thank you.”
Even though Elle had been going to the store for years, she had never sat down to have tea there before.
She had always been too busy, and the shop, quite well-known, was almost always bustling with customers.
There had never been a chance to simply sit and enjoy a moment like this.
“Oh, here’s a handkerchief.”
Elle pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief, and Catherine sat opposite her, inspecting it carefully.
“Is there a particular reason you embroidered daffodils on it?”
“Do you know the novel Pilate the Wizard that’s popular among young ladies these days?”
“Yes.”
“In the story, Pilate gifts daffodils to the women he cares for. I bet daffodils will soon become the latest trend.”
“That’s useful to know.”
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Catherine’s lips as she headed to the register and took out some money.
“Here, and two more handkerchiefs as well.”
“Thank you.”
As Elle gathered the money and handkerchiefs, the door opened and a group of finely dressed young ladies stepped inside.
Not wanting to disturb the customers, Elle quietly rose from her seat and moved away.
