Aidan responded in a tone that suggested she was asking the obvious.

However, it was not obvious. No matter how one thought of it, it was strange. While the sponsorship of authors was something that happened often, Vivian was an author of erotica. In the end, erotic novels were novels mostly filled with the physical conversation between a man and a woman. And he was saying he’d offer up his body to that service.

Was he truly sane?

“If it was anyone else, I wouldn’t have made any such offer in the first place,” that was why it appeared as though she wasn’t allowed to reject the offer.

“It’s not because I desire for Vivian. I merely wish for you to publish a novel of high quality.”

It truly was a nonsensical offer out of the blue, but she was very confident to become tempted by the nonsensical. Vivian gripped her heart which pounded tightly. He expected nothing more than a novel written to a high-quality level. Wasn’t that in itself the very goal Vivian desired?

I have to tell him that I don’t need anything right this second.

Aidan quietly leaned his back on the bookcase as he watched Vivian’s eyes shake and her lips tremble. It was an expression of patience to wait for a proper answer from her. As he had presented the offer half in curiosity and half in greed, he had no reason to be persistent even if she were to reject his offer. Though his Majesty, the Emperor, had ordered a royal decree for him to grab any woman and bring her to him, it was at the level of a young child’s tantrum, so he paid it little heed.

“Why does it have to be me? Out of the numerous authors?”

“Though I feel I’d already answered a similar question, isn’t Perdie the very first erotic novel author?”

“Well, that is true. But why?”

When Vivian answered as though it was nothing, Aidan threw her a look of astonishment. She, as Perdie, the first erotic novel author, didn’t understand the historical impact she’d left. Even after her novels have been sold so extensively like this.

“Have more pride. You’ve paved the way to a new genre. To put it into perspective, wouldn’t you be like the adventurer who had found a new continent?”

“Ah, well to say it with such grandiosity.”

“That’s the amount of significance it holds to me.” Regardless of whether she was embarrassed or not, he continued his words, “Even if you were the first, if I didn’t see a hint of your potential, I wouldn’t have made such an offer. I want you, who is the first pioneer of this new genre, to become the best. That is all that I wish for.”

Though his words and expressions were uninterested without a doubt, the content of his words was filled with overwhelming passion.

He’s being sincere.

After Vivian had verified that this man’s passion for books was equally overflowing like hers, she scratched her cheek. For some reason, she felt as though a blush grew on her cheeks. To ask for the first to become the best.

That was why I liked Ray in the first place.

Though she talked to a stranger, and at that, the Black Grand Duke, as a mere author, she couldn’t help but be happy to hear such words. To be honest, she was incredibly happy.

However, she responded curtly, “But you don’t like me too much.”

When she was merely the night librarian of the Royal Palace’s Library, he had drawn firm lines and didn’t even look at her twice, but now that she’d become the first erotic novel author Perdie, he aggressively offered her support, which made her rather sad.

“I neither like nor dislike you.”

“Right, you’re that disinterested!”

“Haven’t we yet to become close enough to even have an interest in each other?”

Or do you expect me to have an interest in Vivian? The unspoken words that followed Aidan’s words caused her to become speechless. Now that she searched through her memories, the person who had said they didn’t need Aidan’s heart was herself.

Vivian hesitated for a few moments and afterward lifted her head with an expression as though she’d come to a decision. This was an opportunity that would never come twice.