Chapter 34: Three Seconds Too Long

“Are you truly going to be alright alone?”

“I’ll be fine. Honestly, it’s more comfortable this way.”

“What if you get hurt trying to pull books down by yourself?”

“I’m not a child. I’m taller than all of you, so would I really ask you girls to fetch every book for me? Besides, librarians exist for a reason.”

“You absolutely must call a librarian if you need help.”

“And please be extra careful with your words and behavior. People might misunderstand. You should also avoid unnecessary contact with the librarians.”

Who exactly was going to misunderstand anything? Fria shook his head at the pointless worries of his attendant maids.

They stood before the library entrance.

Except for Olga, who had remained at the House of Swallows, the three girls accompanying Fria, Judith, Isabel, and Livron, were fiercely debating right in front of the library doors where silence was supposed to be observed.

Each waved around the veils and cloths they had brought, refusing to yield an inch.

A cream-colored veil edged with layered floral lace. A dazzlingly white silk veil. A black mesh veil that nearly concealed the entire face. Which one should be placed upon Lord Fria?

“No matter what, white is best. It gives off a pure feeling, doesn’t it?”

Judith struck first, proudly lifting up the silk veil she had brought.

Lord Fria clearly did not understand, but this was an extremely important and difficult discussion.

It required the sense and aesthetic judgment to choose the veil that suited him best, while also serving as a shield to properly conceal his breathtaking beauty from the eyes of men. This was not merely a veil, it was a battle staked upon their taste and their peace of mind.

“And what exactly is the point of emphasizing purity?”

Isabel immediately snapped back at Judith’s suggestion.

“Shouldn’t we emphasize that he’s a flower blooming atop a cliff that ordinary people could never dare approach? We should use the thick black veil and cover his face entirely.”

Watching them, Fria let out a sigh.

‘Am I a prisoner?’

“No matter what, I’m still a man. It’s not as though every person in the imperial palace has a preference for men…”

“But what if they do?”

Livron’s face was filled with worry.

“…Even if they did, people all have their own tastes.”

“There’s no way Lord Fria wouldn’t suit someone’s taste. You’re this beautiful.”

Lord Fria’s beauty was Judith’s pride itself. Her eyes sparkled as she declared it loudly.

“The library’s filled with married men, old men, and boring scholars. What’s there to worry about?”

Fria answered while recalling the faces of the scholars and librarians who barely populated the already-empty library halls.

“My mother always said that if a man has enough strength to hold a fork, he’s capable of indecent thoughts.”

Isabel retorted immediately, thoroughly tarnishing the elegant image of her mother.

‘Countess… do you know your daughter talks like this?’

“Wouldn’t it be best if I just dressed normally? No one would ever guess I’m that male concubine.”

“How could they not? It’s not as if there are many beautiful blondes in the palace.”

“But if I walk in wrapped head-to-toe in veils, won’t people who weren’t interested become curious instead?”

“Th-that’s…!”

At Fria’s words, the three girls clasped each other’s hands tightly and shook their heads. Covered or uncovered, how were they supposed to protect such a dangerously attractive master?

“The marks are still visible, so please keep them hidden. And try not to make eye contact with the librarians for too long. Three seconds maximum!”

Judith draped a silk cloth around Fria’s neck as she spoke.

What was he, Medusa from some legend?

“I will. Shouldn’t you all get going now? You’ll be late.”

Fria reminded the girls of the true purpose of today’s outing and gently ushered them away.

“Oh my goodness, look at the time!”

Then we’ll be off, Lord Fria! Judith cried in alarm after glancing up at the clocktower, hurriedly herding the others along.

Their footsteps toward the central palace were light with excitement. Cheerful chatter burst from the girls once more.

“Is it true that all three ladies are coming today?”

“Yes. I heard it was difficult coordinating all their schedules.”

Watching their retreating backs, Fria smiled softly. Compared to the days when it had only been him and Judith, he felt a little left out now, but perhaps things had finally returned to where they belonged.

It was far better seeing Judith happily chatting with girls her own age than spending every waking moment obsessing over Fria’s relationship with the Emperor. At that age, even falling leaves could make them laugh, and their laughter rang bright and carefree.

****

No matter how many times he came here, the place always inspired awe.

The scale of the library was truly immense. Standing before shelves organized by author, year, and nationality, Fria’s heart pounded with excitement. New releases and popular works were categorized separately, making them easy to find.

The library was a treasure vault overflowing with books impossible to obtain in Alphenia and the perfect playground where boredom could never exist.

The scent of books drifting through the stacks stimulated his senses as strongly as the smell of freshly baked bread. Fria could truly understand what it meant to feel full just from looking.

Dragging over a ladder from the corner, Fria climbed its steps with eager anticipation.

As he repeatedly climbed up and down selecting books, the white cloth Judith had tied around his neck silently loosened and slipped downward.

Reaching onto his toes to grab a book from the upper shelf, Fria accidentally stepped on the trailing cloth pooled beneath the ladder.

A dizzying sensation swept beneath his feet.

He was falling.

The white cloth fluttered upward through the air.

Imagining the cold floor about to crash against his back, Fria squeezed his eyes shut.

But strangely enough, no pain came.

He had fallen, certainly, but someone had caught him before he hit the ground. Through the layers of fabric, he could feel solid muscle supporting his body.

“Gir!”

Even before opening his eyes, Fria recognized who had caught him. The name of the guardian, teacher, and physician he had left behind in his homeland. Aside from himself, only one person in the palace knew that name, the man he had met beneath the moonlight.

‘…What had his title been again? Acting Min-’

The man hurriedly continued.

“Gir? Then the one in my arms truly is Gir?”

“…Acting Minister of State?”

That slick voice. The sturdy thighs and chest that had held him once before. The swordsman skilled enough to wound even his adam’s apple. It was the Acting Minister indeed.

“So it truly is Gir after all.”

Fria had believed they would never meet again, which was why he had confidently lied using Gir’s name in the first place. He had never imagined they would run into each other here of all places.

‘This is a disaster.’

Ignoring Fria’s stiff expression that looked as though he’d bitten into dirt, Byron began spinning his usual long-winded speech in a velvety tone.

“The warmth felt at my fingertips, the sweet voice reaching my ears, and your face visible before my eyes even in broad daylight. Surely these prove that the events of that night were no dream. And yet, even if that night itself was real, perhaps your presence before me now is merely another dream. Perhaps my soul, wandering endlessly in search of you since then, has conjured this illusion. How can I possibly prove that my eyes, ears, and hands are not deceiving me?”

‘There was only one thing that could be proven here: your unbearable greasiness!’

“The sudden craving I have for refreshing fruit tells me that you truly are the Acting Minister I met that night.”

“Did I not introduce myself as Byron then? Calling me Byron would save us both far more time and energy than repeatedly saying ‘Acting Minister.’ Life is finite, and the time granted to us is limited.”

“Wouldn’t speaking more plainly save even more of your time?”

“Ah, so you care for my time and energy as well? Yet any time spent with you is precious to me, so I would gladly stretch even the shortest sentence if it meant keeping you with me longer.”

What on earth did this man eat to produce such oily lines without even blushing?

Fria rubbed at his goosebump-covered arms.

At this point, even if he denied being the person Byron thought he was, the man would never believe him. More importantly…

Could he please put him down already?

“About this-”

Before Fria could finish, Byron smoothly continued.

“After that night, I wandered the palace hoping for another chance encounter. The fact that I could not enter the House of Swallows tormented me endlessly. Had it been possible, I might have rushed there and asked its master whether you were a dream or perhaps a spirit.”

What the hell was this lunatic saying?

‘If you’d actually done that, I’d be dead!’

At this point, Judith’s fury frightened Fria far more than the Emperor’s.

Putting on a stern expression, Fria firmly warned him.

“To even think of committing such discourtesy. It seems I misjudged you. I often leave my residence for herbal research, so even my master rarely knows my whereabouts.”

“Then how am I supposed to meet you again when I wish to see you?”

“Why would you wish to see me at all? I’m curious about your reason. Are you ill somewhere? Would it not be wiser to seek a palace physician?”

“For my illness, you are the only skilled doctor.”

“You know nothing of my abilities. Isn’t your misunderstanding excessive?”

“How cold you are. Does it truly not seem to you that our meeting transcends mere coincidence and borders upon fate?”

“Not in the slightest.”

“I find even your icy logic fascinating. Let us spend time debating together.”

A considerable amount of time had passed, and yet Fria still remained in Byron’s arms. That fact worried him immensely.

“Try not to make eye contact for too long! Three seconds maximum!”

Judith’s warning echoed loudly in the back of his mind.

Three seconds? This man possessed the frightening talent of turning a single moment into an eternity.

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