“I… it’s time for me to get off work!”

There should be no overtime work! In the end, she couldn’t tolerate it any longer and stood up abruptly from her seat. Then, she started to run away without a glance back and saying goodbye.

“…….”

Left all alone, Ray’s eyes followed her retreating back with a surprised look before he burst into laughter as if he revelled over her cuteness.

Did I go overboard?

She had bothered him so much that he did have the thought to tease her in mind, but he hadn’t predicted she’d run away in such a hurried manner. Before he could say anything, Vivian had gathered her belongings and hurried out of the library at the speed of light.

Her reactions were quite peculiar and extreme.

How unexpected. I didn’t think she’d be so embarrassed.

He flipped the book back and forth, and after he checked that the Library’s stamp wasn’t marked on it, he tilted his head in confusion.

***

I made a total mess.

“I left my notebook at the library…….”

Vivian, who looked so impoverished as though she had just climbed out from the grave, muttered despondently. The room had been turned upside down as if a storm had passed through it.

Perdi’s idea notebook. Everything that was written inside — the novel’s plot, the diverse positions, the erotic lines, the locations, situations, moods — was worth as much as her life.

Not to mention, the sexual intimacies that had occurred in the library had been written down in excessive detail. Even if she was to recall her notes and rewrite the scenes, it would be impossible for her to recreate the same situations with the same atmosphere.

But how come she couldn’t remember where she had left that notebook, which was more precious than her own life? What is wrong with me? Vivian lamented and reproached herself once more.

This is why they say authors are all birds of the same feather…….

Whenever she was focused or enticed entirely by a single objective, she habitually narrowed her field of vision and looked at nothing else except that one objective. For example, one time when she wrote her manuscript, she didn’t realize someone right next to her holding a conversation with her. She neither slept nor washed until she had written her manuscript to her own satisfaction.

It seems this time I was too focused on Ray.

It is true that recently, she had pushed back all her other responsibilities in order to solve the mystery that was Ray. But who knew she wouldn’t even have the mind to take good care of her notebook.

However, my area of activity is rather limited.

If it wasn’t at her house, then it must either be at the publishing company or the library – as long as she didn’t do something as stupid as dropping it on her way. Vivian stopped making a mess of her room and returned to the library.

***

As he took off the crown that sat slightly crookedly on top of his head, the white-silver hair sparkled radiantly underneath the light of the chandelier.

Astier Kingdom’s Emperor, Julian Bernardo Franz Astier.

He flung down the crown onto the ground and leaned his body deeper and further into the throne. At his actions, the servants hurriedly approached and placed the crown on the pedestal preciously. Julian frowned as if he had found them bothersome and had them retreat.

The core issue of the conference with the aristocratic council differed only slightly from the previous conference and otherwise remained the exact same.

Was he going to leave the seat of the Empress empty, what was he going to do to resolve the problem of an heir, and was he going to allow the Grand Duke to continue like usual….

In this game they had created and played, they mentioned their own daughters for the role of the Empress. It was similar to the actions of ambassadors of foreign nations –  the first they did was to hand him the portrait of the princesses in their home country.

It was something that couldn’t be helped, something that he understood was very natural, but Julian couldn’t wash away the feeling that he had become a great breeding stallion.