At last, the carriage came to a halt.
I had no idea whether I had spent a long time inside or only moments—all I wanted was to return to that same room where I had awakened, the one that must be mine, and finally rest.
As always, the door opened from the outside. The soldier who swung it wide stepped back, bowed his head in respect, and said,
"We welcome your return to the manor, my lord!"
I stepped down from the carriage and looked ahead—and my surprise deepened.
A mansion of such immense size, with a courtyard so vast… could this truly belong to a single duke?
Did I, as a duke, own a residence this grand?
Four enormous trees flanked the left and right of the entrance, their branches completely bare—likely because of winter.
But the sheer size of those trees was astonishing. Could ordinary trees even grow this massive?
I shook off these foolish thoughts and began walking toward the manor's entrance with slow, measured steps, glancing around as I went.
My advisor and the elderly servant followed close behind.
When I reached the short flight of steps leading up to the entrance, the old servant quickened his pace, climbed the two steps that separated the manor's level from the ground, and stationed himself beside the great double doors.
A sudden dread washed over me, as if something terrible was about to happen—yet I knew the feeling was utterly unfounded.
Even knowing it was irrational, fear still gripped me.
I climbed the two small steps and stopped before the doors.
I glanced at the servant. He smiled warmly and slowly pulled both doors open.
They swung inward silently, revealing a grand entrance hall with magnificent twin staircases curving upward to the floor above.
We stepped inside. Corridors branched left and right; two more passageways ran beneath the stairs. From the hall, I could see the upper landing splitting into hallways on either side.
I drew a deep breath and headed toward the stairs, intending to go up.
The elderly servant started to follow, but I raised a hand gently, signaling that I wished to go alone.
Inside my mind, chaos reigned.
Was this truly my manor?
Where were all my other servants?
In a place this size, wouldn't I get lost?
If I did get lost, wouldn't it be utterly humiliating?
Why did I seem to have only one elderly servant?
Was the entrance we had used the main gate, or merely the carriage entrance?
Questions piled upon questions until my head throbbed with pain.
Where even was my room?
How had they carried me to the carriage earlier?
Once upstairs, I looked down the corridors to the left and right.
I hesitated for a few seconds, then chose the hallway on the right.
As I walked, my thoughts multiplied, and the headache brought on a wave of dizziness.
Then I noticed an unusual door. It looked like the others along the corridor, yet it was taller—a pair of double doors.
I gently opened one side and peered in.
What I saw was completely unexpected: a vast library, rows upon rows of shelves holding hundreds—perhaps thousands—of books.
I stepped inside quietly. The door swung shut behind me on its own.
I wandered slowly between the towering shelves.
My headache persisted, and new questions flooded in.
Was a library this size normal for a duke?
Why would a duke need such an enormous collection?
Did dukes really own libraries like this?
What a stupid question—of course they did. Wasn't I myself a duke?
It might not rival the royal palace library, but for a private residence, it was astonishingly large.
I was about to explore the farther shelves when a voice spoke behind me.
"My lord, do you require anything?"
I turned calmly and saw a man standing there—head slightly bowed, hands clasped at his sides. He had rather dark hair and wore copper-rimmed spectacles.
Seeing another servant at least reassured me that I wasn't limited to just the elderly one. In a manor this vast, there must be many others I simply hadn't encountered yet.
Still, my mind refused to quiet.
New suspicions formed.
Who was he?
Merely the manor's librarian?
Did he have another role?
Why hadn't I seen him earlier?
Regardless, I had to maintain the serious demeanor expected of a duke.
So I said calmly,
"I'd like a book… on family history."
The librarian smiled politely and replied with respect,
"Of course, my lord. I'll fetch the volume you requested at once. If you wish to read here, there is a table at the far end of the hall."
I returned a faint smile and began walking toward the end of the room.
I had taken only a few steps when my eye caught a book that stood out—different cover, different title, different subject entirely.
I murmured under my breath,
"Hope of the Gods, History of the Realm… Why would a book have a title like that?"
I reached to pull it from the shelf, but the librarian's voice rang out.
"I've found it. I'll bring it to you now!"
At his words, I withdrew my hand and continued toward the far end of the hall.