Encounter in the library.

Adeline spent the entire afternoon with her ladies in waiting, but the awkwardness soon dissipated and they chatted freely.

She got to learn that Nora and Jasmine were friends, but it was pretty obvious from the way they would lean into each other to whisper something, or pinch each other when they heard something funny. Adeline's keen eyes caught all their exchanges and somewhere felt jealous. They seemed close, and to enjoy each others company even in a room full of other women, and she wished she could have that.

Her only friend had been Rosa, all these years. But their interactions were limited because Rosa was a servant. She couldn't lean into her and whisper something in the middle of a gathering, or slap her playfully while laughing. She could only talk to her freely when they were in the confines of her room, or anywhere away from prying eyes.

With the two women engaging her, Solanine talked less, while Laura and Alexis chimed in from time to time. Their reactions were half engaging, and half disinterested, as if they wanted to be involved in the discussions, but not wanting to be there at the same time.

Elaine was the least talkative of all of them, but still kept that graceful demeanour around her, not giving away her true thoughts on anything.

When it was time to leave, Adeline walked the ladies out of the palace where their carriages waited, and she watched as alk of them rode away, leaving her with Solanine.

She kept staring at the carriages longingly, no longer finding the idea of having ladies in waiting annoying. At least she could get to talk to someone.

Turning around, she found Solanine still standing there with an unreadable expression. She passed her and walked into the palace, meeting Katherine on her way to the dining room to have lunch.

"How was it?" She asked as they walked in together, taking their respective seats.

"It was fine. I had already met Jasmine and Nora at the party so it was easier to talk with them."

Soon the King and Sylvan joined them and lunch was served. Adeline kept glancing towards the door but she soon realised that Solanine won't be joining them, and she was somehow delighted because she was already getting tired of seeing the woman's face.

After lunch, she decided to go to the library and explore some stories. The part of the palace where the library was located was quiet, amplifying even the slightest sound of Adeline's footsteps.

She opened the door and was greeted by the great smell of old books, which always made her feel ecstatic for some reason. It reminded her of the old bookstore she used to visit when she was young, illuminated by the direct sunlight passing through huge windows on the upper floor.

There was a fireplace on one side and a couch facing it, along with two armchairs and a round table.

Adeline walked in leisurely between the bookshelves, tracing the books with her fingers. She would stop when something piqued her interest and peruse the book, then put it back. This went on for a few minutes, until she decided to go to the upper floor and climbed up the small set of stairs.

She wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for, but at the back of her mind she knew she was looking for an intriguing story that would keep her occupied for the rest of the day, or even the next few days because she didn't have anything important to do.

The upper floor seemed to have more varieties to choose from, raging from romance novels to history books and stories about mythical beings. Every book she would pick made her stop for a few seconds, read the first chapter and she would either place it back on the shelf or carry it with her.

Adeline then turned to the last shelf which was closest to the window and her head was buried in one book titled 'Belonging with the Devil' which was a fictional story about a romance between a tyrannical dragon king and his human mate. She was so occupied with the story that she failed to notice another person on the other side of the shelf.

When she turned the corner, she didn't even look back and continued walking mindlessly, until her foot got stuck on a solid object and she stumbled forward.

A gasp escaped her lips as she tried to hold onto something to avoid falling face first on the floor, but she felt a hand wrap around her stomach and she breathed out a sigh of relief, trying to regain her footing as she used the person's hand to support herself.

"Tch! Can't even watch where you're going?" She heard Sylvan's annoyed voice and her head snapped to him, her eyes widening as she quickly took a step back.

Sylvan let go of her stomach and leaned back on the wall, but Adeline could still feel the coldness of his hand against her stomach.

He had a relaxed expression on his face, his hair slightly tousled and his attire casual like in the morning.

Adeline's eyes subconsciously searched his chest for the wound inflicted on him by Jacob, but she couldn't find any sign of blood or bandage on his chest, making her eyebrows furrow. Where did the wound go?

"You can just tell me to take off my shirt to have a better look," Sylvan teased, a playful smirk on his lips as his lazy eyes observed Adeline's face.

Adeline's eyes widened again and she shook her head. "S–sorry, sorry. I–I didn't see you there," she stuttered in response, inwardly cursing herself for not noticing him first.

Her eyes never met his and travelled to the books on the floor which had slipped from her hands when she stumbled.

She stepped over Sylvan's foot and started picking up her books.

"Good choice," Sylvan said, and her head whipped to the side when he pointed towards the book with the intricate black cover with his chin.

'Oh', Adeline made a sound, not knowing how else to respond.

She lowered her head, and walked around the other corner, to hide away from Sylvan's intense gaze, even though she could still feel his eyes on her back.

Once hidden by the bookshelf, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, clutching the books in her hands tightly.

Ugh! Why was she so nervous?

She drew in another long breath, then looked at the book Sylvan had indirectly recommended and then decided to leave and go back to her room where she would have privacy to read. Now aware of Sylvan in the same room, she wasn't sure if she could concentrate on anything else.

Sylvan leaned against the balustrade as he watched her walking out, his eyes holding a cold glint as he remembered the conversation he had earlier with his father.

"What happened to you?" Roderick asked Sylvan, his eyebrows pinched inwards as he stared at the bloodstained shirt.

"It's nothing. Just training with Jacob," Sylvan simply answered, taking off the shirt and placing it on an armchair nearby.

They were in the King's chambers, and Roderick was looking for something in a book in his hands.

"Don't be so careless. Women are very keen to detail," he warned, to which Sylvan twitched his mouth.

Unlike what he appeared to be when he was interacting with others, at the moment Roderick had a very serious expression on his face, his eyes deep like Sylvan's as his gaze moved across the pages with interest.

"What are you looking for?" Sylvan asked curiously, but Roderick cleverly evaded the question by asking another question.

"Did you do what I asked you?" He questioned, placing the book among the others on a bookshelf.

Sylvan's lips twitched, regretting starting a conversation, knowing fully well this had to come up.

"No," he said, turning to look for a clean shirt in his father's wardrobe. "I need some more time, father."

"Well time is what we don't have. You need to consumate the wedding. Soon… soon," he insisted, his gaze stern. "I don't care what you have to do, compel her and sleep with her. It shouldn't be that hard—you're married for fucks sake."

Sylvan turned around, where they now stood face to face. They stood at the same height, but maybe due to his power or age, Roderick held more authority and even his aura was a little dominant compared to Sylvan.

"You and I know it is that hard. And besides, we're married, so we have all the time to do all that nonsense. I don't even understand why this is your priority," he complained, his shoulders slouching helplessly.

Roderick pursed his lips, a deep frown marring his forehead as he thought of what to say next.

"It might be hard, but it's not impossible. Just do as I say, okay?" He implored, squeezing Sylvan's shoulder.