CH 40.1

“Wow!”

“Wow!”

Cherryl and Lucy, who stood side by side, exclaimed in great admiration.

The five-story library evoked awe and excitement as soon as they first set foot on the Great Fortress.

Countless books were arranged neatly and uniformly on the bookshelves over the five-story railing, and the thick pillars and floors that supported them were made of light gray bricks.

The atmosphere was bright and elegant and she wondered whether such a place could exist inside the castle which was mostly made of black stone from the inside and out.

The library’s ceiling was decorated with see-through windows with diagonal comb-patterned bars, breaking the sunlight into small pieces.

As she stood alone underneath, she got goosebumps as if she had become a witness to the living and breathing history of the Great Fortress.

Cherryl scanned the library with shining blue eyes.

“Madam!”

An old man sweeping with a broom at a distance approached as soon as he saw Cherryl.

Servants had called her ‘Madam’ even before the wedding ceremony and it made her feel awkward.

Still, she smiled as she greeted the old man, whom she believed to be a librarian.

“Hello. Good morning.”

The old man seemed surprised by the unexpected visit, but his expression was still welcoming.

“Good morning, ma’am. What brings you to the library?”

“I’m going to live in the main castle from now on, so I’m just looking around here. As soon as I heard about a nice library at the top floor, I came up without any hesitation.”

“It’s such a honor to be visited by the future lady-of-the-household. I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier. My name is Albert. I’ve been in charge of this library since the previous Duke was alive.”

Albert seemed to be the servant who was described as an ‘old librarian’ working around here.

Also, he must have had sincerely guided Cade, who was an adopted son, every time he visited the library.

After politely introducing himself, the old man turned his chin, looked somewhere and shouted. “Sam! Come here and say hello to the ladies”

At his call, a boy, sweeping at the corner, came rushing in.

The boy, who appeared to be in his mid-to-late teens, opened his drooping eyes and bowed respectfully.

“Hello. I’m Sam.”

“Hello. Nice to meet you, Sam,” Cherryl replied with a smile, finding him adorable.

Albert patted the boy’s back proudly.

“He’s my grandson. I was worried that he would be left alone in the village after losing both of his parents a few years ago, but the kind Duke allowed him to be here so I managed the library with him.”

He described Cade as kind and merciful and Cherryl readily agreed.

“I see. The Duke is truly kind.”

Witnessing Albert’s wide grin on his wrinkled face made her realize that his loyalty to Cade was unquestionable.

“It’s such a nice library. If I had known there was a place like this, I would have visited it first when I had the chance.”

Cherryl held her hands together in pure admiration.

“It’s probably the best library in the world. I work in this place every day, but it still amazed me every time.”

Albert, who quickly agreed, stared at the bookshelves affectionately.

He seemed to have great pride working in this place.

Cherryl also glanced around the library.

“Do you take care of the library with Sam alone?”

“Yes. I am the librarian and this guy is my assistant. As you know, the Great Fortress had fewer servants compared to its size—-”

Albert glanced at Cherryl and continued.

“I manage, classify, and organize these books with my grandson, but if I move a large number of books or need to clean the whole thing, I get help from other servants so there is nothing difficult about managing it.”

“You must have taken care of the library with all of your heart and soul. It’s impressive that you were able to preserve it flawlessly.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

Albert bowed politely.

“Anyways, do you have any books you’re looking for?”

“I don’t have a book I’m looking for, but I’d like to take a look inside, is that alright?”

“Of course. Let me give you a short tour. This way, please.”

He led Cherryl and Lucy to the first-floor hallway.

Lucy was busy craning her neck while expressing her admiration.

“Books related to religion are organized on the left side of the corridor. These aren’t just about the Empire’s religion but also include doctrines of eastern paganism. It’s also ironic that science-related books are on the right side of the bookshelf. This book arrangement system has been around for hundreds of years in this library. Don’t you think it interesting?”

Lucy laughed out loud as if the librarian had cracked the code on how to entertain her.

Cherryl laughed along as she thought about telling Lecter later what Lucy’s taste was.

Liking the positive response, Albert smiled in satisfaction and guided the two women to the stairs.

“Art-related books are on the second floor. On this side, the books are mainly related to sculpture, architecture, and arts and crafts. At the space beyond that pillar, you can get a glimpse of the infinite history of performing arts.”

Albert gave a longer explanation on the second floor and it was obvious that he was more interested in it.

He looked prouder as he headed to the next floor.