The Duke’s Study

  There wasn’t a law forcing anyone to reveal their skills, at the least not one that applied to those out of military service and the rare people like Madame Luise who had skills that could reveal it couldn’t even use it without facing serious penalties as they were all called into service of the Lorens, who held a monopoly in that regard.

  Officially such monopoly was to ensure that those with combat suited skills ended up in their Knights ranks, unofficially it was to make sure more subtle skills couldn’t be used against them.

  Those kind of skills that couldn’t be learned and were unique to the individual, one of such skills was in the possession of the Duke and its name was Amplify.

  It was an active skill that allowed Duke Alfred to enhance one of his senses, at a first glance it might be harmless, but for someone in the Duke’s position it was a tremendous advantage.

  For example knowing Kepler and Doctor Franklin were coming and due to their punctuality they would have no doubt crossed paths, he had preventively activated his skill to listen in their conversation and he wasn’t at all pleased with what he had heard.

  No matter how much he trusted Miss Hawkings, he was still giving what he considered two of his most trusted members of his staff the benefit of the doubt.

  It seemed his trust was ill placed and his ire at knowing such thing was so great he couldn’t keep a neutral face when the ones responsible had entered his office.

  It must have been such a sight because the two man before him were so shocked by it they remained out of words.

  “Mr Kepler, Dr Franklin I am displeased with the both of you” the Duke had started disappoint clear in his voice “and I think both of you know why” it was their clue to confess, to say to his face what they had voiced behind his back.

  “…Is this really about Lady Veronique?” Kepler gave a tentative guess but it was clear he was surprised by it

  “I thought I gave crystal clear instructions to treat Veronique like my own blood daughter” the Duke had slowly said “yet I hear about you actively banning my daughter from browsing the Library and refuse to assist her” at such affirmation the Head Librarian’s face went red from rage

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “My Duke you don’t understand I couldn’t bear let such bastard touch my books! They are priceless, she would have ruined them and it already breaks my heart to know she stole away a whole collection” he had basically exploded, his feelings on the matter where too big for him to contain to the point he had to express himself with exaggerated hand gestures “That’s why I made sure she couldn’t set foot in my library! I did what I had to do to protect its integrity just like you tasked me to do!”

  Tension was palpable in the room, the Duke’s gaze darkened as he prepared a response while Doctor Franklin was looking at Kepler was if he had gone completely insane, and given the maniac expression the man was wearing that might as well be the case.

  The Duke was completely unimpressed by this performance, it looked as if he had the received the worst of the insults and if he looked angry before, it was nothing compared to murderous look currently on his face

  “Your books? Your library? It seems there is more that you misunderstood” his voice was low and dangerous yet the Duke wasn’t yelling “those books aren’t yours, neither is the Library, they are propriety of the Aurelia family, collected after centuries of sacrifices from my blood and it seems you have deluded yourself in thinking you have any ownership over them” his face had stayed a mask of rage but the voice coming out of it wasn’t reflecting it “Such thing can’t be tolerated” the disconnect was terrifying and off putting.

  “I-I am sorry my Duke, please forgive an stupid old man for misspeaking” Kepler bowed all the way down, getting to his knees and touching the floor with his forehand

  “Very well, then I will still allow you to have a place in my staff” the Duke seemingly conceded “but not as the Head Librarian”

  The effect those words had on Hrodwulf Kepler was sadly predictable, the man got back to his feet horror and outrage etched in his face as the sentence fully registered in his mind and was instantly rejected in block

  “But there is no one more qualified of me! I rather be fired then accept such an insult!” such concept of anyone else taking care of the Library he had spent decades maintaining and keeping in order was alien to him.

  It simply couldn’t exist because there was no replacing him, he was the only one who could take on such task.

  No one else could be in his spot.

  It was his home.

  His everything.

  “Then be gone from my sight” the Duke didn’t care one bit, his word was absolute, final and destroyed everything Kepler had been in the mere seconds they were uttered.

  In those mere seconds his whole world went on mute, Kepler felt empty as if he was merely a spectator watching his body raise up and leave the study, then walk those corridors that had been his home ever since he was a little boy.

  Now they weren’t home anymore, yet he had never gone out once in his entire life.

  Kepler watched himself as he stared at his few possessions, they were either gifts or things he had since he was a child and never threw out.

  He had never brought stuff for himself, never asked for a raise, never tried to fall in love and raise a family.

  All that he had ever cared about was the Library and now it was gone.

  Someone else was going to snoop in and take over his life’s work, as if his whole existence had been meaningless.

  He had nothing.

  His feet brought him back his beloved Library, none of the staff was there yet because he wanted to be there alone first thing in the morning, so there was no one to witness him as he disappeared between the rows of ornate bookshelves.