Chapter 66
Taking only the access pass, Killian rose from his seat. Though his eyelids still felt heavy, he couldn’t afford to waste the day napping. Dragging his steps more than usual, he made his way toward the library.
***
It was the same morning greeting as always—or more accurately, a greeting that had been delayed until nearly noon due to oversleeping.
Rachel arrived in a rush, slightly out of breath. Though she’d dressed lightly in her hurry, she felt comfortable. She steadied her breathing and bowed respectfully.
“Good morning, Father.”
“You’re late.”
“Yes…”
As she straightened up, Rachel silently scolded herself. No excuse could justify losing sleep over a man who’d occupied her thoughts all night. Waking up only when the sun was high overhead—it was utterly irresponsible.
She widened her eyes brightly, hoping to appeal to him with a shallow cuteness as she gauged his reaction.
But her father didn’t seem angry at all. Instead, his gaze seemed preoccupied, as if lost in other thoughts. Rachel relaxed the tension around her eyes and blinked. As she stood there blankly, the king spoke to her in a gentle tone.
“Sit. There’s nothing to be done about the lateness now.”
“Yes, Father.”
Caught off guard by his unexpected leniency, Rachel felt a flicker of confusion. Without showing it, she quietly took her seat. An attendant approached, prepared the teacup, and poured her a serving of Semensty tea.
The teacup is filled with a soft pink liquid. As the sound of pouring faded, the king gestured to the attendants.
They promptly exited, leaving the audience chamber in silence. The king’s voice echoed in the quiet space.
“You’ve been meeting frequently with the emperor.”
“Ah… yes, I was.”
Rachel answered in the past tense and offered an awkward smile. The king’s gaze lingered on the forced curve of her lips.
“If not for his… condition, he would be quite a suitable man, wouldn’t he?”
Rachel nearly blurted out, “Actually, the emperor isn’t impotent—” but stopped herself, feeling strangely embarrassed. More than anything, the memory of being dismissed by him was still fresh and stinging. She had no desire to discuss that man in detail.
“Well… I suppose he is handsome, at least.”
Her response subtly deflected the king’s expectations. He raised an eyebrow slightly. According to intelligence reports, their relationship had progressed quite a bit—he hadn’t expected his daughter to react so indifferently.
A thought arose: If the emperor is truly a good man, it would be nice if things worked out. Just as the king was about to voice his regret, the head attendant knocked on the door.
He had given strict orders not to be disturbed during audiences with his daughter unless the matter was urgent. Puzzled, the king permitted the attendant to enter.
“Come in.”
The attendant swiftly entered and handed the king a small envelope, then leaned in to whisper briefly in his ear.
Rachel, familiar with such scenes, instinctively took a sip of her tea. Soon, the king tore open the envelope. Inside was a plain, unadorned sheet of paper—stark white and stiff, hinting at the sender’s no-nonsense character.
…What a fastidious man.
She set her teacup down absently.
“If you’re busy, shall I take my leave?”
As Rachel made to rise, the king shook his head.
“Ah… no.”
His gaze shifted from the paper to Rachel.
“Rahel.”
“Yes, Father.”
“A surgeon ranked among the continent’s best wishes to research Semensty.”
Caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, Rachel tilted her head. The king continued with a slight tone of command.
“The only books on Semensty are in the royal archives. Since this is an important figure, you will go and guide him. Make sure he does not touch any books unrelated to Semensty. Understood?”
“Me? Personally? For a doctor?”
“Yes.”
Rachel tilted her head the other way. No matter how renowned he might be, he was still just a doctor. Even for the royal-exclusive archives, assigning the head librarian would have sufficed—there seemed to be no need for her direct involvement.
Why is he insisting on this…?
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