CHAPTER 25
Eatrice pushed open the door to the first floor of the deserted annex and stepped onto the stairs leading to the second floor.
The maids and attendants who had visited before had always entered the building reluctantly, then fled in horror.
But Eatrice was heading deeper into the annex—without the slightest hesitation.
Adrian followed the sound of her quick footsteps. Her relentless intrusions into his personal space no longer surprised him.
“Have I gotten used to it or something?”
Adrian let out a dry, incredulous laugh.
One day, a girl had suddenly barged into his quiet world and turned it upside down.
“Where are the beddings and clothes stored?”
Her determined voice rang out. If he didn’t tell her, she looked ready to turn the whole second floor upside down.
“This way to the bedroom.”
Adrian stepped aside and opened the door for her.
Eatrice first inspected the bedding. She dropped forensic reagent onto the feather pillows and brushed the blankets repeatedly with a silver rod.
But there was nothing. The sheets remained pristine white even where the reagent touched.
After waiting a while with no results, Eatrice muttered to herself:
“Maybe the reagent is faulty. Or perhaps it’s not poison but a disease that causes blindness…”
It had to be something like that.
Because if it wasn’t a disease or poison, there would be no way to explain the blindness.
“And without knowing the cause, there’s no way to restore his vision.”
Even before Eatrice could declare her resolve to find the cause and cure it, Adrian spoke first.
“It might not have been a disease or poison from the start. Maybe it’s just a curse laid on me.”
His voice was light and detached.
Eatrice’s hands clenched at his overly calm response.
“Don’t say things like that! It’s not a curse!”
Her voice rose involuntarily.
Madness. A curse. The things the noble faction whispered about the First Prince in mockery.
She couldn’t let those words become Adrian’s reality.
Eatrice bit her lower lip hard.
“It can be cured. It will be cured.”
Her voice was no longer just confident—it was nearly a chant.
Even Adrian, who could not see, could imagine her expression. That’s how fierce she sounded.
“That’s enough.”
But before she could say more, Adrian ended it.
“We haven’t checked the clothing yet.”
“No need. I already know.”
Adrian shook his head. If they came up empty a third time, she’d be three times more disappointed.
He didn’t want to see Eatrice disheartened. Though he wasn’t sure why.
“We still need to check.”
Just as she tried to pass him and head for the wardrobe—
Thud. Adrian’s hand reached past her and grabbed the wardrobe handle first.
Thinking he was stopping her, Eatrice quickly turned around to protest.
“Just this one—”
She meant to say just this one thing, then I’ll go.
“Shh.”
Adrian furrowed his brow and flung the wardrobe door open.
That’s when Eatrice finally heard it too—hurried footsteps echoing in the hallway beyond the open door.
“Your Highness! I’m so sorry. I forgot to deliver a few of the clothes!”
A terrified attendant burst into the room—and at the same moment, Eatrice ducked into the wardrobe.
The attendant, arms full of freshly laundered clothes, was on the verge of tears.
“I’m really, truly sorry! I didn’t realize until I was already outside, and I came right back! Please forgive me.”
It was obvious—he had left the annex happily and only returned in a panic when he remembered. Afraid of what punishment the “mad prince” might mete out, he trembled as he apologized.
Thankfully, he seemed too flustered to notice Eatrice hiding.
“I’ll hang the clothes in the wardrobe and organize them before I leave!”
Adrian quickly pressed his back against the door, which hadn’t fully closed and was starting to swing open.
“Just leave them and go.”
His voice was as cold and curt as always.
“Th-thank you!”
Relieved, the attendant bowed deeply and withdrew, clearly ready to clean the whole room if he’d been told to.
Adrian waited until he heard the footsteps go down the stairs and out of the annex. Then, finally, he turned back toward the room.
But there was no sign of anyone inside.
Just as she had arrived, the girl who had stormed in had disappeared without a trace.
Adrian reached into the open wardrobe to hang up the clothes the attendant had brought.
But… the clothes that should have been hanging there were gone.
He was certain there had been at least one outfit in there when he hid her earlier.
After a moment of stunned silence, Adrian let out a hollow laugh.
“So she took them after all.”
Since he had insisted on stopping her, she had used the moment he let his guard down to snatch them up.
She had been ridiculously determined to test the clothes, no matter what.
“I need to figure something out.”
Eatrice muttered in frustration.
A while ago, she had tested Adrian’s meals for poison—no results. She had examined the clothes in the wardrobe—nothing there either.
The prince’s food and clothes were clean.
At this rate, there was no answer.
“If I don’t find the cause of his blindness, I won’t know how to fix it.”
She refused to give up.
Desperate for any clue, she had been poring over books in the library for days.
“I’ll find a way. Somehow.”
Adrian had managed to hide his blindness from everyone until now.
It meant he had worked tirelessly, hiding the truth even from those who wanted to destroy him. That the nobles still hadn’t found out was almost a miracle.
She didn’t want all that effort to be in vain.
So she kept searching for a solution.
Eatrice sat in a sunlit corner of the library, surrounded by books. Most of them were about diseases and poisons. She skimmed for anything related to vision loss.
Time passed.
“How many letters do I have to send before you stop pretending not to see them?”
She looked up to find Louis standing before her, feigning hurt.
“The maid said you’ve been holed up here for weeks. What, did you hide some treasure in the library?”
Feeling caught, Eatrice turned to the window.
“I just like libraries.”
“Hmmm.”
Louis raised a brow and took the seat across from her.
“I heard the Bellanelle Ducal Library is excellent too. Are you sure that’s your only reason for coming here? Honestly, saying you have business at the palace would be more believable.”
“Think whatever you want. I’m reading.”
“All right, if you’re hiding something, I’ll play along.”
He shrugged lightly.
“But… are you planning to poison someone?”
He peeked at the titles of the books before her and joked.
“I’m just reading whatever caught my eye. The library’s bigger than I thought.”
She deflected casually. Louis chuckled.
“This is the second largest library in the Empire. Almost every book published here can be found.”
“Second largest?”
When Eatrice repeated him, Louis saw his chance.
“Yep. The biggest belongs to the Eurean Magic Tower. Interested?”
“No.”
Her blunt rejection genuinely disappointed him. Ignoring him, Eatrice got up to pick out a new book.
“Need a guide? Swordsmanship manuals are on the third floor.”
Trying to recommend something she might like, Louis walked beside her.
Eatrice considered rejecting him, but changed her mind.
“I need to prepare for the Deltore entrance exam anyway.”
Swordsmanship was important. No harm in taking a look.
She had just finished the poison-related books anyway.
She followed Louis to the third floor—where she found countless manuals, rare texts, and old editions that would be impossible to find elsewhere.
She picked out several books and sat down.
“On the Incompatibility of Magic and Holy Power, by Boron,”
Louis read aloud one of the titles she’d chosen, intrigued.
Then he noticed another and blinked in surprise.
“Gutensekiel Political Theory II, new edition?”
“The old edition had translation issues.”
As she flipped the pages, he widened his eyes.
“Wait… that means you already read the old edition?”
“…Yes.”
She answered slowly, caught off guard by his reaction.
“Better not mention I’ve read the new one multiple times too.”
In her past life, she’d studied these books repeatedly to help Headon and Muriel. Philosophy, politics, history, magic—everything, just to be useful.
“Impressive! The old edition is dense—I couldn’t even get through it. Only recently started.”
His lemon-colored eyes lit up with admiration.
After all, this was the same girl who had drawn her sword against her cousin on their first meeting and defeated assassins at a royal banquet.
Now, his gaze was not just admiring—it held keen insight and growing curiosity.
“I’m really starting to wonder. Are you only interested in swordsmanship because you want to be a knight?”
“Wait. Why would you assume I want to be a knight?”
She’d never told him that. And Mercedes wouldn’t have spread it either.
Eatrice pulled back her chair slightly, and Louis tilted his head.
“Just a guess. So it’s true then?”
“Liar.”
Someone from the Eurean magic family wouldn’t make random guesses.
He had clearly pieced it together from multiple sources.
“That’s how mages are. Especially from the Eurean March.”
She felt a little tired.
Louis would find out her goal anyway once she entered Deltore. But still—how had he figured it out so quickly?
“There’s no point pretending it’s just an interest now, is there?”
She gave up the lie and answered with a weary tone.
Louis closed his eyes and smiled silently.
His slightly curled lips seemed to say, “Of course not.” Eatrice sighed.
Then those lips parted again.
“Why do you want to become a knight?”
Eatrice paused, unsure of how to answer.
A breeze blew in through the window. The rustling of pages filled the silence between them.
“You know it’s not easy for a woman to become a knight in the Empire. Especially a noblewoman. If it were just to leave the duchy or gain power, magic or the priesthood would be better options.”
“…”
Louis rested his chin on his hand and leaned in slightly.
“Honestly, I’m not even sure your real goal is to become a knight. Eatrice, I can’t figure you out.”
His voice was calm but heavy. The shadow cast by the window fell across his face.
And in that dim light, his sharp eyes gazed quietly at her.
