Chapter 14

Lu Harve gently touched his chin again. Since she was a princess of Skara, she possibly had been to Wroclaw at least once. But Lu Harve didn’t mention this to the princess first.

What would be the reason? He didn’t feel the need for personal relationships when he was the prince or after he became the king. Those things were close to luxury. If he approached someone first, that only happened when he needed that person for political reasons, or that person was helpful for his country, or that person showed great talent.

So now this situation was a little unusual for him. He was too busy to visit the library recently, so it was the first time he saw the princess here. Just because she was in this library, he picked a book that was famous for the difficulty and asked her if she knew it, and she said she had read it. He asked a few more questions and it was more than she just liked books. She thought deeply and built her own values while she was reading. Moreover, she had been to Wroclaw.

It was short but his voice had obvious interest and attention. Ashite was surprised by that, so she looked at him straightly. That man made such a face showing he was interested, a slightly raised lip. It was the first time for her to see such a face.

She had been convinced that he was not interested in anything other than his country and the throne. He was always indifferent to her, only expecting her to live quietly. He was a king who showed formal manners with a dry tone and a hard expression.

But his look, right at the moment seemed like the beast had become curious about something for the first time.

“You must have come here often, too,” he said.

“Yes, I have.”

“Hmm.”

Again. That low and heavy sound.

Lu Harve nodded lightly and put the book back on the bookshelf. He looked through the other books and pulled out another one. It was the book that dealt with the economic characteristics of the Latrice countries and was relatively easy to read so it was recommended for younger students. Ashite also read it when she was young. She became slightly nervous that he would ask something again.

But he did not say anything.

The sun constantly shined through the window, and the library was illuminated with yellow and white light. There were only two people in the library. They didn’t talk to each other; they just stayed still where they were.

The odd silence continued. The only sound came when Lu Harve turned the book’s pages. Ashite stood still and looked through the books. The time went by slowly. Under the warm and bright sunshine, the sound of leafing through the pages of the book was scattered, and the subtle scent of books was filled and again, there was silence.

She was sure if the last conversation she had was real or not. Only a short time passed since Lu Harve took out another book, but it somehow felt very long.

Ashite thought she should go out from here soon. She had a book that she was reading, so she decided to borrow other books after she finished that one first. After thinking that, Ashite had a mind to bow to the king so she looked at him.

It was a darkish cheek. The sunlight dyed his skin lightly from forehead to chin. The king’s clothes were quite shiny, and the owner looked dignified. The red cloak was refined as it resembled its owner. He stood still like a painting painted by the light. The clear bright red eyes were only looking down the book. His lips were firmly closed.

At the moment, she wondered if she was under an illusion. Lu Harve had an indifferent face as if he had never shown interest in her.

But the voice with interest and attention, the light smile, and shining eyes were all in front of at her. It could not be an illusion. Didn’t it show up clearly on that expressionless face? It was neither a fake nor a lie.

In general, a person who likes books wants to share their personal appreciation of books with others or to have academic exchanges. She thought that the king would like those things, too.

But he was indifferent and casual. Nothing had changed.

Ashite realized. It was only a brief moment of interest that faded away very quickly. At this time, he did not show any interest in her. If he were interested in Wroclaw in the first place, he would have mentioned it the day he first saw her, and he had never done it. She was once again convinced of her judgment. The things that caught his attention was limited.

It must have just been simple entertainment for a short moment. She knew the difficult book and went to Wroclaw, so he just asked a simple question. Just like a child was curious about something and then got tired of it, so did the king. Ashite was convinced so she bowed down politely and stepped back. Lu Harve took her bow in an indifferent manner like usual.

“Yes, he is that kind of the king.” Ashite considered that conversation to be nothing like faded amber in her peaceful day. It would be the same for the king.

***

“Your Highness, His Majesty has invited you to dinner.”

She thought that way until she was told by the maid on the next day.

“Yet…”

Ashite closed her lips immediately.

The maid did not dare to question her face or actions. Ashite said she knew calmly as if she had never said anything.

A few maids quickly came and arranged powder, perfumes, and clothes. Ashite sat in front of the dressing table. The maid carefully combed her sweet pinkish-purple hair which was like candy that young children would enjoy. One maid was choosing the dress while the other was choosing the jewelry. It was such a leisurely makeover time.

Ashite swallowed a sigh. At the moment, she was almost sad that the week had not passed yet. She had a dazed face but she barely hid it. She felt relieved that the maid did not rush her to speak since she was the princess.

But the king would never do this, so she was surprised.

Usually, she would eat with the king twice a month and it was usually lunchtime, so eating dinner together was very rare. She thought it would be a possibility the second time since the first day they met.

Inviting someone to dinner usually meant making a friendship deeper or talking about more deep things. Of course, there would be exceptions but usually eating dinner together was more special than lunch.

<>

Time passed quickly and the dusk began to settle. The dinner began when sunset dyed the sky and the ground red.

Every time she came, the dining room was bright with splendid red, brilliant gold, and delicate patterns. The man and woman had greeted each other and started to eat soup. The king looked like he broke his fast eating habit that he got from the battlefield and ate laid-back and slowly. Ashite who was not sure why the king would invite her also continued her meal calmly.

She was getting full but still, there was no conversation. When Ashite was about to wonder, Lu Harve laid back on his chair like a lazy lion.

“How is your life in the palace, princess?”

Ashite swallowed but didn’t do it obviously.

“I am living in such a satisfying and serene life from the great favor and kindness you have given me.”

Le Havre smiled faintly.

“If you have any special needs, tell me.”

At the moment, there was something that passed through her mind. Ashite checked his face closely. There was a smile that seemed to disappear but still sat on his face.

Ashite decided to talk. Anyway, the king quietly allowed whatever she did. Moreover, she didn’t ask about it first — the king was offering the favor, so she thought it would be okay to say what she needed.

“I would like to learn the courtesy of Monterobis properly,” she said.

Ashite was staying in this palace and quietly enjoying her own hobbies, especially in the room, practicing dancing alone and reading dance books. She stayed like that and now it was the middle of spring already. She wanted to explore dance in earnest and make her own dance. In order to do so, she needed to master the etiquette of this country. She could do it by herself, but it would not be bad to do it with the king’s favor and help. It would be actually better.

“I’ll call you the etiquette professor of Ramon Santepiol.”

The Monterobis Royal School was a historical site with a strong emphasis on language, manners, and history and he offered to call a professor from there. She thought he would just call a noble lady at best but the king, once more, gave her sufficient and satisfying treatment. Ashite gave him a heartfelt thank you.

“Thank you for your generous kindness, Your Majesty.”

“That is not a big deal. Let’s finish our meal,” the king answered calmly. The mealtime went on peacefully.

Lu Harve had asked the chief librarian some questions yesterday when he left the Royal Library. Baron Oslo calmly answered.

“Her Highness is mainly reading books about history, philosophy, and art. Especially in the art fields, she reads about Latrice dancers, famous dancers, and traditional dance books, seeming to be most interested in dance.”

“What do you think of the princess?”

“I think she is a good reader and intellectual. She usually comes here every three or four days, or if it takes long, once a week and borrows three or five books each time. The level of the book was well mixed from heavy to light and she didn’t distinguish the nationality of the authors. She borrowed and returned the books so fast, so the probationary librarian asked a few times, and it looked like she was well-acquainted with the books. She binged reading a book or two at a time. So, from all of this, I felt her passion for books.”

Lu Harve also recalled the conversation that he had with the princess. The senior librarian’s words also added strong confidence in his thoughts. She was willing to learn. She was smart, loved reading, and had been to Wroclaw. He didn’t care about her at first but on second thought, she was like a princess of Skara. Of course, not all people in Skara would be like her, but to him, the more important thing was this: she might be a talented person.

The princess came here last winter, the year had changed, and now it was already spring. But there was nothing that disappointed him. There was a lot of time ahead. Lu Havre smiled slightly.