The garden was quite picturesque. The lovely flowers were blooming even though it was autumn. The leaves on the trees varied in autumn colors from green to yellow and orange, while the shrubs on the ground were green with different colored flowers. There were different colored chrysanthemums in dark yellow and white. Rich purple petunias and bright red roses were planted near the mansion, along with a few other flowers that I did not recognize.
The overall aesthetic was very lovely. It looked like a perfect fairy tale setting. Duh, this is a novel! Of course, everything is going to look like a fairy tale. I admired the garden as we walked. The crisp autumn air was starting to chill as the sun set. Zed noticed me shivering and offered me his cloak.
I took it gratefully and wore it without a second thought. The Duke noticed our "intimate" action and raised his eyebrows. I ignored the question in his eyes and tried to get ready to go. "Thank you for a lovely dinner, your grace. You have a beautiful home, and I would love to stay and admire the flowers longer, but we must be going. We have a long trip tomorrow, and I want to be well-rested when we arrive."
"Why not stay the night? I'm sure that the beds here are more comfortable than the ones at the inn." The Duke offered.
"Thank you for the offer, your grace. You are too generous, but I didn't bring anything with me to stay the night." I declined politely, but the Duke was not going to take no for an answer.
"I insist! I have everything that you need here, and I can send Reginald to fetch your belongings." He persisted strongly, leaving no room for argument.
I felt trapped by his insistence. If I kept refusing, it would be rude, and he covered every excuse. I reluctantly agreed to stay for one night. It would be nice to have a good breakfast before our journey. The food at the Dukes' mansion was better than the inn's. What's the worst that could happen? "Thank you, your grace. I would be happy to stay for the night."
Zed looked like he wanted to protest, but ultimately decided to agree to stay. "I will also stay, but in the room next to Lady Alisa." The Duke narrowed his eyes at Zed. This man kept getting in between him and the lady. Did Zed need to guard Alisa this strongly against him?
Duke Orla ordered, "Reginald, have someone clean two of our finest guest rooms and fetch their belongings from the inn." Reginald bowed and left to carry out the orders. He had the maids clean the rooms while he went to the inn with another servant to retrieve the belongings.
"In the meantime, shall we retire to the drawing room?" Duke Orla suggested and led us inside and upstairs. His mansion was huge! I could easily get lost if it weren't for him guiding us. We passed many rooms, when I noticed a library. I was excited! I love books!
Duke Orla noticed my excitement and offered, "Would you like to visit the library first?" He could hardly hide the knowing glint in his eyes and slight smirk on his face. He knew that Katie had loved libraries and walked the long way to the drawing room on purpose.
I nodded and tried to hide my excitement. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. I was still leaving in the morning! It wouldn't hurt to check out this library. It was probably the second-best library in this kingdom! I may as well go see it while I'm here. "That sounds good. Thank you, your grace."
He smiled and led us into the library. I had imagined what the library inside Beauty and the Beast would look like in real life. This was probably as close to my imagination as possible. There were walls of books with rolling ladders to reach the books on the top. It was an ornately decorated, vast room with a high ceiling and spiral staircases.
It was beautiful, and I could see myself staying here forever, but I didn't want to give up my freedom for a cage, no matter how luxurious it was! Duke Orla noticed my astonished gaze and came closer to whisper in my ear, "Do you like it?"
I nodded and shivered as his breath tickled my ear. My ears had always been sensitive. My shoulders went up on reflex and pushed him away slightly. Zed almost laughed at my reaction. He thought it was cute, but didn't see what was so special about a room full of books. As a warrior, he preferred action and the outdoors to being stuck inside.
"What type of books are you interested in, Lady Alisa?" The Duke asked me. I had to think about it for a while because in my world, my favorite genre was Romantic Fantasy, but this was a Fantasy novel. I also loved Comedy, Adventure, Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, and most genres except Horror or Thrillers. I didn't really like Non-Fiction, but in this world, even Non-Fiction would be like Fantasy.
The History of a Fantasy world would be like a Historical Fantasy novel. "I like most types of books as long as they are not too dark or gory. If I had to choose a favorite, I guess I would pick Comedy. I love to laugh!" I replied to the Duke's question, and the smile on his face disappeared.
"Why does every interesting woman only want to laugh? Life is about more than comedy." He seemed annoyed at my answer, and I knew that he was reminded of the reason why he lost Katie to Al. He couldn't make her laugh.
"Life is too serious, comedy helps to lighten the mood and heart, your grace," I responded to his question, even though it was a rhetorical question. He did not seem too pleased with my answer, but didn't press the issue.
"Regretfully, I do not have such books in my library. I have historical texts of the noble families in Annalaias as well as the history of the kingdom. I also have books on politics." The Duke responded dryly.
"Maybe I will send you a comedy book to add to your library collection after I arrive in Kanta as a thank-you gift for my visit." I offered to lighten the mood. It did not amuse him. I looked around the library, but none of the books caught my attention. I already knew about the history of Annalaias and the royal family from the novel.
We left the library and headed to the drawing room. It was lavishly decorated with plush seats. The walls had a few oil paintings of the Duke and his family. His mother was beautiful, and I told him so. "Is this your mother? She is beautiful!" I complimented the portrait. He had his mother's eyes, but her hair was lighter. He had inherited his father's hair.
"Yes, thank you. She is well known for her beauty, but she spends most of her time with other noble ladies after my father's death." He sounded bored talking about his mother. Obviously, they were not close. How sad! But that explains a lot.