Chapter 270: The Forgotten Corner
Chapter 269: The Forgotten Corner
Lyria’s POV
After dressing, I made my way toward the library, my maids following close behind. Phineas walked at the rear, his presence quiet but steady, his eye scanning the corridors as though he expected danger to emerge at any moment.
I noticed my wing was filled with numerous servants. I did not notice it the previous night, but I did now. The Queen really had put in effort to keep up appearances.
Pippa made a small sound of wonder as we entered the library. Her eyes widened, and she turned in a slow circle, taking in the towering shelves and the endless rows of books.
"I have never been in the royal library before," she said, her voice hushed with awe. "It is quite... impressive."
Margery chuckled.
"You do not even mean that," she said. "You are just saying that because you think it is what you ought to say."
Pippa turned to her, scandalised.
"I do not do such things," she insisted. "Besides, the walls have ears. One must always speak carefully in a place like this."
I smiled at their exchange but did not stop walking.
I did not head straight for the shelves. Instead, I took a different corner, weaving through the aisles with quiet purpose. The path was familiar to me, though I had not walked it in some time. It was the same path I had taken as a child, when I had needed to hide from the world and the cruelty it contained.
Elara’s voice came softly from behind me.
"Your Highness, where are we going?"
I glanced back.
"Y-you will s-see."
I led them through shelves that grew dustier and more neglected with each turn. The books here were older, their spines faded, their titles unreadable. The air grew cooler, and the light dimmed. It was obvious this place had been neglected for quite some time.
"Did this place always exist in the library?" Debbie asked with a frown.
I chuckled.
"It d-did. It has j-just been f-forgotten."
I led them to the narrow, forgotten section I had discovered years ago. The shelves leaned slightly, as though even they had grown tired over time. Dust lay thick upon every surface, disturbed only by the faint footprints I had left on my previous visits. A tall window stood at the far end, partially shadowed by the angle of the wall.
The last time I had been here with Duke Thorncrest and Baron Redwick, I had failed to close the window. Now the space was wet, filled with dust and sand that had sneaked in from outside.
I peered through the window.
Below, in the training grounds, guards were sparring. Their movements were sharp and precise, their bodies glistening with sweat in the morning light.
And among them... my cheeks reddened.
Earl Hawthorne stood below, stripped to the waist, his body glistening with sweat as he trained with the guards. His muscles moved beneath his skin with each strike and parry, powerful and controlled.
I immediately looked away.
What was he doing? He was an Earl. Why was he training with the guards?
Oh Goddess!
I had seen his body before, but not when he was in...
I shook my head, refusing to focus on it, and immediately turned to find a broom.
But Margery and Pippa had already beaten me to it. They had found a broom and a cloth and were already beginning to clean the space, working with quick, efficient movements. Debbie was suddenly missing, and Phineas simply shook his head, a faint smile on his face.
Pippa and Margery cleaned the window and the sill under Elara’s instructions, their movements swift and sure, so I gave them space to work. They worked in comfortable silence.
When they were done, I moved to sit, but Elara shook her head.
"Wait a moment, Your Highness," she told me. "It is still not appropriate for you to sit."
I paused.
Minutes passed. The silence stretched, and I wondered what Elara was waiting for.
Then Debbie returned with Bridget behind her. Bridget carried a basket, and Debbie carried a stack of blankets.
I wondered if this was a picnic of sorts.
Elara took the blankets and turned to Phineas.
"Find a suitable chair and a small table," she said.
Phineas nodded and left, his footsteps silent against the dusty floor.
I watched in silence as Elara transformed the forgotten spot with the help of the maids. The chair Phineas brought was more like a bench, and the blankets were arranged upon it to make it padded and comfortable. The basket was placed upon the small table, which Elara adjusted to suit my height.
It was a simple arrangement, but it felt like a sanctuary—a small pocket of comfort in a palace that had never offered me any.
When they were done, Elara stepped back.
"Make yourself comfortable, Your Highness," she said.
I sat.
The bench was soft beneath me, the blanket warm against my skin. I felt something loosen in my chest, something I had not realised had been tight.
And just then—
Baron Redwick appeared around the corner.
He carried a book beneath his arm, his spectacles catching the light. His valet and guard stood behind him. They bowed to me, but Baron Redwick paused when he saw me, his eyes widening slightly.
"I should have known you would be here," he said.
Then he did a double take.
His eyes swept over the transformed space—the clean window, the padded bench, the small table with the basket. He blinked, clearly taken aback.
"The place has been adjusted," he said.
I smiled.
"M-my maids d-did it," I said.
"Your Highness," Phineas said with a cough.
I smiled at him.
"P-phineas helped t-too," I said to the Baron.
Baron Redwick stared at me for a moment.
Then he cleared his throat.
Elara moved immediately, pushing the maids and even the guard and valet toward the corner.
"Give Her Highness and the Baron some space," she said.
They obeyed, retreating to a respectful distance.
The silence stretched after they left, and then finally, Baron Redwick spoke.
"Your Highness," he said, "have you forgiven me?"
I looked at him.
"To b-be honest," I said, "I was n-not mad at you."
