(Chapter 1) Library

Prologue

“Are you all right, Grand Duke?”

I slowly approached the man who collapsed. In the midst of silence, the sound of footsteps rang exceptionally loud.

He was breathing pitifully in the middle of the burning Royal Library. The uniform, which was usually plain white, had long been stained with the blood of the beast.

“Erika, why…?”

His cobalt, blue-colored eyes trembled lightly. Shock, disappointment, doubt, betrayal…a look of all kinds of emotions stabbed me.

“Why did you…betray me.”

It was a bloody cry at the betrayal of the woman he loved and trusted at the same time, so his eyes were covered with black despair.

I wish I was an extra with no name.

If I hadn’t met you in the first place…

His cry became a sword that poked my heart.

I smiled bitterly and carefully caressed his black hair.

“My faithful knight, Carlix.”

I slowly swept down his sweaty jawline while whispering sweetly.

When I raised one hand, there was a familiar black energy. Soon after, the called creatures appeared one by one over the broken wall.

Among the scorching smoke, flames, and broken walls, the creatures knelt down to me all at once.

I smiled brightly with my back against the red flames that danced and flickered.

“Where is the last spellbook?”

Unfortunately, I am the last villain in this story.

Chapter 1. Running away from kidnapping and marriage

“There she is! Get that girl right now!”

An angry shout echoed through the alley. I grabbed the hem of the cumbersome dress and ran with all my might.

We were currently in the capital. Fortunately or unfortunately, the back alley is wide.

I pretended to be fitting a dress at the dressmaker and then sneaked away through the back door, but they were quick to notice.

Do you think I’ll get caught?

Passing through the maze-like alleys, I quickly ran towards the shortcut. The road was clear enough to go even with my eyes closed, having learned it through the map dozens of times.

If there’s a problem, it’s Erika’s poor stamina. I was already breathless and my legs started to stagger.

I’ve never really wanted to be possessed like this!

Not long ago, I was just an ordinary librarian.  A newcomer to society in Korea who was more accustomed to the fatigue of working overtime rather than the freshness of youth.

That was until I read that book, .

A romance fantasy novel in which the Northern Grand Duke Carlix, called the Sword of the Kingdom of Ruberia, and a beautiful girl overcome adversity and achieve love.

The moment I closed the book thinking it was okay to relieve my boredom during a forced overtime, a dazzling glow burst out.

That was my last memory of my real life…

When I opened my eyes again, I had already become the supporting actor, Erika Diel.

It’s not just any supporting actor, but an extra who participates in a big affair with the head of the rebellion forces and disappears due to a prison sentence.

Wasn’t it common sense in the industry that if you become possessed, you’d at least be a rival villain?

There was no time to vent resentment towards the sky, I was now busy trying to avoid Erika’s fate.

Her only family, her father, has long passed away from a chronic disease.

There was only a nanny, an old butler, and a young maid who had raised her since childhood.

To make matters worse, there was no eldest son in the Diel family.

Her cousin, Verdi, who used Erika’s misfortune as an opportunity, took possession of Diel’s property and territories, and even took away her Viscountess title.

When he first came to her family, he pretended to be nice to her, saying he would take care of her like a sister, but he soon changed his attitude.

He tried to marry her to an old baron, saying he found a good marriage for her!

He said that Erika, who was weak, needed a guardian besides him to rely on. I heard that he even received a large dowry behind her back.

What the hell! If the marriage is so good, he should have gotten married himself.

I was thinking about whether I should get poison in the glass, but then my nanny secretly suggested something else.

“Lady, don’t you remember? You told me to ask William of the Royal Library for help if anything happened.”

Erica had a connection with William, the second male lead of the original work and the ruler of the kingdom. She didn’t appear in the main text, so she didn’t even know there was such a relationship.

“And, there is also something like this…”

What the nanny held out to me was a sheet of paper.

A treasure trove of human wisdom, a center of learning and knowledge.

The Royal Library is recruiting young children to study liberal arts and knowledge.

Target: Young children of the nobles of the Kingdom of Ruberia over the age of 17

※ Work earnings every month will be sent to the official residence and accommodation is also provided on a monthly basis.

It was a perfect condition for escaping.

Above all, immunity is granted to everyone belonging to the Royal Library.

A tremendous right to avoid punishment for treason, that is, execution.

Because the Royal Library is a sacred place of knowledge, records and investigations are always threatened by powerful people.

It’s not absolute though. In order to actually use it, several conditions must be met, but this is somewhere I could actually go to.

So to ask William for help, I lied to Verdi that I would marry the old baron.

However, since it was my only wedding, I wanted to wear a pretty dress and asked him to send me to a dressmaker in the capital city, pretending to be pitiful.

Verdi readily agreed and gave me the carriage, but two of his men followed to watch over me.

After arriving at the dressmaker in the capital, I took the measurements of my dress and slipped out of the back door pretending to be resting.

“What are you doing if you can’t even watch over a woman!”

“Looks like she went that way!”

The sound of footsteps chasing me got closer and closer as if they were about to reach my hair.

With my shoes in hand, I ran barefoot. On the rough stone road, the soles of my feet were sore, but there was no time to worry.

After running until I was about to vomit, I finally saw the Royal Library.

Built with pure white stone, the Royal Library with a grand and elegant atmosphere shone like an oasis found in the desert.

I hurriedly opened the huge door and entered. In an instant, the bright light blinded my eyes.

I blinked slowly and my vision returned.

The first thing I saw was a lot of books. Huge bookshelves lined within the walls of the library. A cloud of dust swam in the warm light which poured through the glass ceiling.

The tension was finally relieved. I flopped down on the floor.

I felt more at ease when I came to the library.

After taking a few deep breaths, I got up and put on my shoes.

Now was not the time. I never knew when Verdi’s men would come. It’s a bit strange that there are no staff, let alone visitors, but once I find the office…

“Is she really here?”

Then, the library door swung open. I quickly hid behind the bookshelf.

Verdi’s men were coming in with a frown on their faces.

“Yes, she definitely went here.”

“What are you doing, stupid? Find her now!”

Those tenacious guys.

I lowered myself and climbed the spiral staircase to the second floor. When I passed the second floor and looked at the third floor, there were quite a few doors. From the 3rd floor onwards, it didn’t seem like a normal reading room.

“Lady, why don’t you come out while we’re still asking nicely?”

A shrill voice echoed up to the high ceilings. As I glanced down to the first floor through the railing, a man who seemed to be a library employee hurriedly approached Verdi’s men.

“Gentlemen, please be quiet in the Royal Library. You must not run.”

“What? We’re here to find our precious lady.”

“Why do you care? If we can’t find her, will you take responsibility? Huh?”

The men became more and more noisy with fiery anger, and the staff was embarrassed by their actions and words.

Taking advantage of that time, I recklessly went up to the 4th floor.

The fourth floor was filled with silence that had accumulated over the years. Even the air felt heavy and solemn, as if it would not allow anyone to approach.

At the end of the long, wide hallway was a door adorned with antique carvings and gold.

However, the most striking thing was the suspicious pattern engraved on the door.

In the form of a blooming flower, it flickered faintly like a firefly.

I walked towards it as if possessed. If you look closely, you can see that there are text-like things written along the border of the pattern.

Even though it was the first language I had ever seen, it was not unfamiliar. It was a feeling that my body remembered and understood.

As if attracted to a magnet, I stuttered and read along the language engraved on the door.

“Books are doors to a new world.”

At that moment, I wondered if the words would glisten in golden light, but then they quickly faded away.

That was the exact description of my current situation. Being possessed by a book and falling into another world.

Maybe, beyond this door, I can find a way back?

As if possessed by something, I grabbed the doorknob.

Click.

The lock turned and the door opened as if waiting.

Beyond the door was a library full of luxurious furniture, ceramics, and ornaments.

The only bookcase had dozens of thick leather bindings. The windows had thick velvet curtains to prevent the books from changing in the sun’s light.

I hurriedly closed the door in fear that Verdi’s men would follow me. I pulled back the curtain since I couldn’t see ahead. The dazzling sun shone all over the room.

I glanced around the room and stopped while looking at a small table in the middle.

On top of the soft cushion, a small gold compass shined.

“Why is this here?”

Unconsciously carved on the rim of the compass, the two snakes smoothed each other’s tails. The needle in the middle was studded with green jewelry.

“Pretty…”

When I muttered, a light burst out of the jewel.

“Wait, what?”

Now even the needle that had stopped was spinning like crazy.

I was scared that I might have broken the compass for no reason. I was going to put it back, but then I heard the door open behind my back.

Don’t tell me, did those persistent men chase me all the way here?

“Magical libraries must be off limits to outsiders.”

But what I heard was the voice of a low, deep-pitched, cynical man.

I turned my head slowly, frozen.

“A thief stepped in.”

A man in a purple coat was staring at me while leaning against the door.

I intuitively realized who he was.

Dark hair and sharp eyes in cobalt blue. Clear features and an aristocratic atmosphere.

Above all, a heavy presence and arrogant pressure like he was the center of the world.

I could tell at first glance.

Grand Duke Carlix Reinhardt.

He was the male lead of .

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