Chapter 14
For the Hungry Lady
Somehow, they had ended up in an awkward little reading session.
Seated across from each other with a table between them, Leonardo and Ariel each read books they had chosen for themselves.
Turning another yellowed page, Ariel stole a glance at the man opposite her.
Locked inside a library alone with this man.
Whether or not the situation itself was believable was one thing, but the silence was unbearable.
Clearing her throat for no reason, she finally spoke with forced composure.
“It seems the librarian stepped out for a meal.”
“So it would seem.”
Replying indifferently, Leonardo lowered his gaze back to his book.
It had been a long time since he had read something that was neither a newspaper nor a business report. Sitting leisurely with a work of literature in hand felt oddly pleasant, almost as though he had momentarily escaped the burdens of the world.
The image of the woman from earlier—shaking the locked door in blatant denial of reality—rose in his mind, drawing a faint smile to his lips.
The moment he had remarked, At this rate, someone might see us together, she had immediately stopped her utterly pointless struggle.
“I checked before coming. The library stays open until ten every night.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. I suppose there aren’t many visitors, so the librarian thought stepping away briefly would be fine.”
“Hm.”
Leonardo merely let out a quiet hum without adding anything further.
Should he preserve the pride of this overly confident young lady? Or should he finally tell her the truth?
Pretens University’s library was indeed open until ten o’clock every night.
The problem was that it was currently vacation season.
During breaks, the library maintained normal weekday hours—but on weekends, it closed at two in the afternoon.
The graduate of Pretens University had remembered that fact only after finding the doors locked.
A silent laugh escaped him.
This is troublesome.
He had a meeting scheduled with the board members of his trading company, and now he was about to leave every one of them waiting in vain. He could already picture Daniel sweating profusely while trying to clean up the disaster afterward.
Finding Ariel on his way back from meeting the university chancellor had been pure coincidence.
What is that woman doing here?
His curiosity had led him to follow her for a few steps.
Those few steps had somehow turned into this.
Matching the quiet atmosphere of the library, Leonardo had unconsciously softened his footsteps.
He had not intended to spy on her.
And yet somehow, that was exactly what he had done.
What could possibly make her so happy?
The sight of her flipping through an utterly ordinary-looking book, only to smile softly at its table of contents, etched itself deeply into his memory.
Overlapping that image was the memory of a young girl secretly listening to piano music.
A warm smile unconsciously touched Leonardo’s lips.
She’d been holding a book back then, too.
So she still loves reading.
Lost in old memories, he quietly followed after her.
For some reason, watching her carefully choose books with shining eyes fascinated him.
She would touch the edge of a spine with one finger, hesitate as though debating whether to pull it out, then eventually leave it behind.
Another book she would agonize over endlessly.
And then suddenly, she would grab the one beside it without a moment’s hesitation.
What kind of standards is she using?
Swallowing a laugh, Leonardo stopped where she had lingered earlier.
Was this the one she’d been considering?
It was a romantic novel utterly useless for earning money or acquiring practical knowledge.
A taste completely unbelievable for someone related by blood to Heinz Rosenberg.
Following after her as she disappeared from his sight, Leonardo moved from one bookshelf to the next, always waiting a beat before continuing.
He had not expected things to end with them spending such harmonious time together.
How many hours had passed already?
Pulling out his pocket watch, Leonardo recalled the board meeting he had long since missed.
Had Daniel managed to handle things properly?
Pushing aside the brief concern, he instead looked toward the woman still completely absorbed in her book.
She had innocently claimed that time would pass quickly if they simply read while waiting for the librarian to return from work.
He found himself curious what expression she would make once she realized they were trapped until morning.
For now, however, she still looked remarkably relaxed.
But as the long summer sunlight slowly faded, unmistakable anxiety began creeping into her green eyes.
Pretending not to notice her constant glances toward the windows, Leonardo calmly turned another page.
“It seems the librarian stayed for dinner as well.”
“…Perhaps they’re an exceptionally irresponsible employee.”
“In another hour, it’ll be dark.”
“They’ll come back before then.”
At this point, it was less optimism and more self-hypnosis.
Anyone could see the librarian had already gone home.
Unable to ignore the suspicion any longer, Ariel suddenly became terrified at the thought of spending the entire night trapped here.
Still, Mary is supposed to come by ten.
It’ll be fine.
Yes. I won’t truly be trapped.
The anxiety she had desperately suppressed spiraled out of control the moment the clock struck nine.
Dong— Dong—
A strangely chilling feeling swept over her, and Ariel wrapped both arms around herself.
“M-Mary is coming by ten. She’ll call for help, so there’s no need to worry.”
“I don’t think that’s possible. The entire building has already been locked. Your maid likely won’t even be able to reach the library.”
“That can’t be—wait. How do you know that?”
Having just finished the final page of his book, Leonardo closed it with a sharp snap.
“I only just remembered. During vacation season, the library closes early on weekends. It’s been a long time since I graduated.”
“You…”
Unable to find an insult strong enough, Ariel could only gape soundlessly before abruptly leaping to her feet.
“Do you find ruining my reputation amusing? If people learn I spent the entire night trapped in a library with the Duke of Devonshire, my social standing will plummet!”
“Are you worried you’ll no longer be able to marry?”
“Wow. You really say the cruelest things.”
“You should listen to the end before becoming offended. I was trying to reassure you. Surely there’s at least one prince on a white horse beside the flower of society.”
“Valentin is—!”
The name escaped before she could stop herself.
Ariel hurriedly clamped her mouth shut.
Leonardo’s eyes narrowed.
“Have you already received a proposal?”
“That is none of Your Grace’s concern.”
At her sharp reply, Leonardo leaned back deeply into his chair, expression hardening.
Perhaps because darkness had fallen outside, the lamplight sitting alone atop the table shifted across his face, emphasizing the sharp planes of his already striking features and casting him in cold shadows.
The atmosphere darkened instantly.
Ariel felt anger surge upward.
“What is it? Is preventing my marriage your goal or something?”
“I’m not sure how such a misunderstanding took root.”
Glaring at his shameless face with resentful eyes, Ariel finally gave up on arguing.
Now was hardly the time for pointless bickering.
“Instead of sitting there, shouldn’t you be figuring out how to get us out of here?”
“How exactly? The doors are locked.”
“Are you talking as though this is only my problem? You’re trapped too!”
Though she practically shouted in frustration, Leonardo appeared utterly uninterested in moving a single finger.
He merely stared at her for a moment before tilting his head back and loosening his tie.
Ariel’s mouth fell open.
“I was thinking perhaps we should simply sleep for a few hours and walk out comfortably tomorrow morning, my lady.”
“…You’re insane.”
“Do you have another solution?”
Faced with his shameless question, Ariel could say nothing.
Tears nearly welled in her eyes instead.
She hated this man.
Truly hated him.
If word spread that she had spent the night alone with a man inside an isolated library, her reputation would be utterly destroyed.
Her entire body trembled as she bit down hard on her lower lip.
And then—
Growl.
A loud sound echoed from her stomach.
“…!”
Ariel’s face burned scarlet.
Leonardo’s slightly widened blue eyes dropped toward her stomach before rising again.
Then he covered his mouth with one hand and began quietly laughing.
Ah… if only I could crawl into a mouse hole and disappear…
Forget her social reputation.
At that moment, she simply wanted to turn into dust and vanish from existence.
As though her soul itself were crumbling apart, Ariel closed her eyes tightly.
“For the sake of the hungry lady, I suppose I should attempt an escape.”
The man who had looked perfectly prepared to remain motionless until morning suddenly stood.
Watching him stride away without hesitation, Ariel stared blankly for a moment before hurriedly following after him.
And then she saw the emergency exit.
Indignation flared immediately—
Only for it to disappear the moment she saw the staircase beyond the opened door.
At that point, she could only conclude Leonardo had been playing with her the entire time.
“The first floor will still be locked.”
“Then how are we supposed to get out?”
Instead of answering, he merely smiled and continued down the stairs ahead of her.
Then, upon reaching the window positioned between the first and second floors—
He opened it and jumped out without hesitation.
Startled, Ariel leaned dangerously far out the window to look down.
Leonardo landed flawlessly below before straightening and extending both arms toward her.
As though telling her to jump.
“Are you insane? What if someone sees us—”
“This area is rarely used. Trust a graduate.”
“How can you ask a lady to do something like this?”
“Hurry.”
Ignoring her weak protests entirely, he curled his lips into a grin.
And somehow, that grin looked irritatingly dependable.
That only made him more infuriating.
After glancing around nervously several times, Ariel finally gathered her skirts tightly in both hands as though steeling her resolve.
The moment she climbed onto the windowsill, her legs began trembling.
It’s fine.
I can do this.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she jumped.
A short scream escaped her lips.
Yet instead of pain, the arms that caught her did not betray her trust.
“Congratulations on your escape, my lady.”
Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself staring at the man born with a divine talent for provoking others.
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Then he carefully set her back on her feet before shamelessly proposing a late-night meal.
“I know a place that stays open late.”
Is he joking right now?
Fresh irritation surged through Ariel as she glared sharply at him.
“Then Your Grace may eat as much as you like!”
