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“Damian, what’s going on?”
“Stay here for a moment, I’ll be back soon.”
“Huh? Where are you-?”
“I’d like to have a talk with Lady Bennet.”
“Why?”
Empress Dowager looked puzzled, but Damian quickly moved on.
He had to somehow relieve himself of this dubious feeling.
But.
“
.oh, my.”
In the meantime, Lady Bennet seemed to have left the library and was nowhere to be seen.
Damian narrowed his brow and looked in the direction Lady Bennet had come dashing from.
‘Probably should go there.’
As he made his way there, more people vanished until there was finally no one left.
The sound of fire crackled throughout.
Damian, instinctively jerked his head in the sound’s direction, widening his eyes.
‘Fire?!’
The fire had moved from the outskirts of the library and was gaining momentum at a terrifying speed.
Dry, chilly winter weather, and plenty of foliage on the ground.
What better environment for a fire to flourish?
Damian staggered back.
“Fire, everyone needs to evacuate now!” Damian reflexively shouted at the top of his lungs.
As he was running, he felt his heart sink briefly.
Charlize.
Charlize was still in the library.
Just in time, a knight hurriedly approached Damian.
“Your Highness! You said there was a fire?”
“The outer wall of the library building is in flames. Call the fire brigade immediately!”
“Damian!”
As he was giving orders, he heard a desperate cry.
The Empress Dowager approached him with a puzzled expression.
Damian, who took it as a good sign, gave an order to the knight.
“Please take Her Majesty, the Empress Dowager to a safer place.”
“Wait, what are you going to do!”
“I’m going to get Charlize out.”
“What?!”
The Empress Dowager quickly tried to get a hold of Damian.
“What are you thinking?! There’s a fire! Wouldn’t it be better to wait until the fire brigade arrives?”
“I can’t afford to wait for them, I don’t even know what’s happening to Charlize now!”
“No, Damian!”
Empress Dowager tried everything she could to dissuade her grandson.
However, Damian shook off the empress’s hand with a gentle but determined movement.
“I’m sorry, Grandma.”
“Damian? Damian!!”
Turning his back on Empress Dowager’s mournful cries, Damian ran straight to the library.
Scarlet eyes shook violently.
Charlize, please be all right.
It felt like someone had his heart in a tight grip.
A dreadful feeling of uneasiness swept through his body.
Damian gritted his teeth and gave more strength to his legs.
He had to find Charlize somehow as soon as possible.
***
Shortly before the fire was noticed.
The Emperor was observing the well-organized library with a relaxed face.
The library was perfect.
Compared to the Imperial library, its appearance wasn’t lacking in any area.
Even if the Imperial family had poured all its efforts into the same endeavor, the result wouldn’t be this outstanding.
But even so, the Emperor’s expression remained relaxed.
Even though the library itself was the physical embodiment of the Rochester family’s will in walking a different path to the Imperial family.
For they already had preparations in order

“Your Majesty.”
The one who called the Emperor was the chamberlain, who accompanied the Emperor like a shadow.
The Emperor glanced back.
“What’s going on?”
The chamberlain took a quick look around before speaking in a hushed voice.
“
We dealt with it as you asked.”
The Emperor nodded slowly.
“Yes, good job.”
A look of satisfaction spread over the emperor’s face.
“Now, leave me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The chamberlain bowed his head.
With a sinister gaze, the Emperor watched the Empress and the Duke of Rochester conversing in the distance.
Not long after.
A familiar voice spoke to the two siblings.
“You two did a great job this time.”
At the unannounced arrival, the Empress and the Duke’s postures became wary.
Ever since the decision to construct the library, the Duke had kept an eye on the Emperor.
It was not unwarranted from the Emperor’s perspective, the library would be taken as an affront.
However, the Emperor had attended the opening ceremony day and even sent his congratulations which caught everyone off guard.
They would have been more comfortable if he was piqued.
Concealing his inner thoughts, the Duke politely greeted His Majesty.
“I see you, Your Majesty, the Emperor.”
Following her brother’s greeting, the Empress asked a question.
“What is the Emperor doing here?”
“First of all, I want to thank both of you,” stated the Emperor.
Did the Emperor hit his head the day before?
The Empress spent a lot of time struggling to assuage their suspicious gazes.
“Isn’t a library for children a wonderful idea?”
“You flatter us.”
“You thought of this, but didn’t give it much thought.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I think that two people who have such hearts for my people are a boon to have.”
The Emperor who gave such adulation, glanced at the Empress and the Duke alternately.
“It’s disappointing that the Rochester family didn’t consult the Imperial family before arbitrarily carrying out this project.”
For a moment, the Duke’s brow furrowed.
“Is obtaining the Imperial family’s permission necessary before establishing a library?”
It couldn’t be denied that the Emperor’s words were authority themselves.
But despite his ascension to the throne, their families remained separate, not to mention they had put the Emperor on the throne.
Though it may have been personally distasteful, it wasn’t something that needed to be made into a big deal.
The Emperor spoke softly.
“I understand, but the Empress and I are married, so-”
“Fire!!”
The piercing roar reverberated.
The Empress and the Duke were alarmed, raising their heads.
“Fire?!”
“What is this sudden interruption?”
It wasn’t just the two of them, people in the library were visibly taken aback.
While shock spread to everyone, the Emperor’s smile grew ever wider.
He had intended for people to descend into confusion.
Did they think he would willingly let Rochester’s actions here bolster their public approval?
“Oh, fire, and on such a fine day.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue briefly and opened his mouth.
“It shouldn’t be too big of a fire.”
“What?”
“Isn’t everyone supposed to be evacuating?”
For a brief moment, the Empress and the Duke inadvertently glared at the Emperor.
A foreboding feeling ran down both their spines.
‘Why is the Emperor so laid back?’
As soon as word of the fire broke out, people couldn’t hide their bewildered faces.
Not the Empress, the Duke, let alone the messengers.
Yet the Emperor alone was uncannily at ease.
It’s as if he was expecting this news

‘All right, let’s keep this going.’
On the other hand, the disarray of the current situation made the Emperor jubilant.
The fire being moderately large, suited the Emperor’s intention to ruin the opening ceremony.
‘I should have called the fire brigade by now.’
The fire will be extinguished before it gets out of hand.
And then, all he would need to do is watch the Rochester siblings’ reputation crumble and burn.
‘How things have taken a turn for the worse for you, Empress and Duke of Rochester.’
The Emperor thought leisurely in his mind.
“Oh, we’re in trouble!”
That was until a knight rushed onto the scene with an urgent expression.
“You need to get out of the library right now!”
As soon as that voice reached him, the Emperor knew something was amiss.
“The fire’s continuing to grow! It’s too much for us to extinguish on our own!”
“What happened to the fire brigade!”
“I heard they were coming, but the flames have since penetrated the library!”
The Emperor raised his voice.
“How on earth did this happen?! How did the flames reach even the library!”
The knight, who swallowed his saliva, quickly explained what had happened.
“The very dry weather coupled with the strong winds blew the embers to other places!”
Ahh, he hadn’t thought about that part.
The Emperor chewed the soft flesh in his mouth.
It was early winter, and the season’s dry weather was the perfect circumstance for fire to grow.
In addition to that, he had oil added.
The knight, who couldn’t overcome his apprehension, once again urged the three.
“This situation could have both His and Her Majesties and the Duke caught in a fire if you’re not wary.”
At those words, the Emperor’s face turned pale.
All he wanted was to ruin the opening ceremony.
If the fire terrified Charlize, he could sweep in and rescue her as a bonus.
He had ordered that he didn’t want the fire set to be so large that human life could be lost.
If it is discovered that the emperor was behind the order, there will be a severe backlash.
The knight implored the Emperor, who was gritting his teeth.
“Shall we order the others to evacuate as well?”
“No, if everyone were to evacuate now, would that not cause pandemonium?”
The Emperor shook his head impatiently.
“After evacuating every one of importance, you may issue an evacuation order.”
What?
Confusion swept across the knight’s face.
If he’s correct, the Emperor just said everyone should wait until people of high status, such as the imperial family and high-ranking nobles, evacuate.
Would it not be more efficient for everyone to evacuate altogether?
However, the knight was given no chance to deliberate by the Emperor.
The Emperor then threw a statement at the Empress and the Duke.
“I believe that the Empress and the Duke of Rochester will be able to escape by themselves.”
What the hell is he talking about?
The Empress and the Duke could not hide their bewildered expressions.
However, the Emperor wasn’t finished yet.
He glanced back at the knight, issuing an outrageous order.
“The first person to be rescued is Lady Charlize.”
“What?”
No, shouldn’t you take care of your wife first?
He tells me that his wife can make it on her own, but I should go rescue the Crown Prince’s fiancee?
Confusion flickered in the knight’s eyes.