I was seated at one of the many open tables of the library. In front of me sat the Silver Princess herself, Her Highness Munith. Surrounding us both were a group of Royal Knights scattered around the first floor, patrolling every corridor and window; Leila, who was pouring me tea; and a handsome woman—or a beautiful man—who was pouring the princess her tea.

I didn’t even know they had a kitchen here in the library.

“So, what brings you here?” asked Princess Munith.

“I was planning to read some books.”

That is before you showed up.

I took a sip of the tea, hoping my expression was dead enough to mask my annoyance.

“Really? Me too~! What a coincidence!”

What else can you do in a library, really?

I set down the cup of tea without a single clink.

“We haven’t met in a while, huh?” she said, tilting her head slightly. Then, her eyes widened as if realizing something. “Oh, right, I… would like to apologize.”

I wondered what she had to apologize for.

Before I could figure that out, however, she clasped her hands together and bowed in apology.

“I’m sorry for not visiting you sooner!” she said, her voice clear and apologetic. She straightened herself shortly after, and her voice turned meek. “I know I promised your mother about visiting your estate sometime, and I’ve been meaning to do so, but things have been hectic at the palace since that incident.”

She placed her palms on the side of her head, shaking it slightly as her silver hair waved about.

“It’s quite alright, Your Highness,” I said. I picked up the teacup and swirled it a little. “Besides, our house was also a little hectic after our own incident. I doubt such a condition would be appropriate for a visit.”

“I guess we both have our own problems.” She chuckled. Then, she leaned forward, palms on her cheeks as she asked in a bubbly tone, “Tell me, tell me… How’s your day been lately?”

I took a sip before placing the cup down again. “It’s alright.”

That short answer bred silence between us. Princess Munith just blinked for a moment.

Look, I know I sounded dismissive and cruel. I also knew currying her favor here was fundamental. It wasn’t that I hated her or something. But my free time was limited.

The one-hour timer started the moment lunch ended, and counting in my dressing up and the walk from home to the library, I was looking at only a forty-minute break to spend.

I am NOT spending those forty minutes on girl talk.

Outside of that, I had this nagging feeling when I was face-to-face with her. The smile that reached only the surface of her eyes, the little movements she made that all seemed practiced, so on and so forth.

They were subtle, tiny things that I could just attribute to me seeing things… But it still doesn’t keep me from being cautious around her.

I finished my tea without slurping too loudly and placed it silently upon its plate. Then, I gave a polite nod to the princess.

“If Your Highness may excuse me, I’d like to make the most of my remaining free time and look for a few books I’ve been meaning to read.”

“Oh. Oh, yes, of course!” she said quickly. “Sorry for bothering you. I was just too excited to meet a familiar face~.”

I stood and offered a small bow. “It was no bother at all. It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

I turned away from the table and began making my way around the circle of red-caped knights.

Leila bowed slightly to the princess before tidying up the tea set and heading for the kitchen.

I reached the main staircase. It was made of polished marble and supported by columns of the same material. The red carpet bore golden patterns repeating from the base of the stairs to the top.

I ascended without looking back, heading to the quiet upper levels of the Royal Library.

—

“So that’s Carine Sareid…” Munith mumbled to herself.

She took a sip of her untouched tea, her eyes never taking off from the young lady’s back. Her maid, the one called Leila, emerged from the kitchen and hurried after her lady with elegant yet quiet steps.

So this is who Julient is interested in?

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Rene, her trusty bodyguard, leaned forward with their eyes closed.

“More tea, Your Highness?”

Munith nodded cheerfully. “Sure!”

Another cup was filled with the warm tea Rene had brewed. They also made sure to put in a few sugar and stir it before nudging the cup towards the princess.

“Thank you as always, Rene!”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Munith stared back at the main staircase. Carine Sareid and her maid had vanished from sight, likely wandering among the upper shelves by now. She briefly considered following—if only to satisfy her curiosity—but thought better of it. A princess tailing someone in a library would do no favors for her image.

Instead, she turned back towards the table and opened the book she had previously closed. It was a generic romance story churned out by a young writer from a noble family. She flipped through the pages, humming all the while, but her mind wasn’t in the story.

Ever since she learned of a new invitee to the First Prince’s exclusive birthday party, she had taken it upon herself to research Carine Sareid.

The sole heir of House Sareid. A duchy, yes, but one rarely invited to royal functions. Whispers still lingered about their troubled history: a near civil war sparked by bloodshed between kin, the infamous vow to never bear more than one child again, and a reputation for ruthless ambition passed down through generations.

And yet, in recent years, House Sareid had carved out an entirely different kind of influence.

Their signature sword style was starting to spread across the kingdom, with many noble houses sending their heirs to study at the Sareid estate.

Their economic reach was just as widespread; from Vollum’s renowned wine exports to their hometown of Arlen, which dictated most of the capital’s trends in perfume and fashion.

For a house nearly disgraced, they had maintained quite a subtle grip on the kingdom’s foundations.

It was… an interesting family for sure. But what intrigued Munith more wasn't the legacy, it was the girl who would one day inherit it all.

Carine Sareid.

From what Munith had seen—first at the palace, and now again in the Royal Library—she’d begun piecing together a sense of who this young lady truly was.

She was cold. Very much so.

There was a sense of coldness to her, as if she were carved from ice. Her expression rarely shifted away from that unreadable stare. The way she spoke also wasted not a single word.

It was the kind of demeanor that might come off as arrogance to some. To Munith, it felt deliberate…

Carine’s mannerisms weren’t theatrical like so many of the court's daughters. She didn’t flatter, didn’t fawn, didn’t even smile in the face of others. Everything about her seemed intentionally… practical.

And beneath that icy exterior, Munith suspected she had a razor-sharp mind. Pragmatic to a fault, even. She doubted Carine dreamed of romance or riches. No, this was someone who likely weighed everything by their use, and value, even people… especially people.

The more Munith learned of her, the more intriguing she became.

Munith found it particularly curious that Carine had gone upstairs. The upper floors of the Royal Library weren’t exactly for light reading. They housed research tomes, magical theory, studies on Talents, and experimental records from various researchers not meant for casual reading.

What exactly was Carine looking for up there?

Was that why Julient was so interested in her? Is she seeing what he’s seeing in Carine?

Even if there was more to Carine, what Munith saw was more than enough to convince her. This Carine Sareid wasn’t just another noble. Depending on how things go, she could become a threat… or an asset.

Munith took another sip of her tea as she flipped to another page of the book.

I would like to talk with her more, but…

Munith glanced once more to the upper floors, still Carine was still out of sight.

Best not to bother her.

image [https://i.imgur.com/ftefrrv.png]