The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 53.1

It was approaching noon. Judith got out of the carriage and looked up: the sun was blinding, not yet hidden behind the domed roof. Looking at the building, she quietly stepped onto the ground. The knights moved heavily behind her. Although the number of visitors to the Palace every day was quite large, now there were practically no people in the corridor leading to the western hall.

From time to time the knights accompanying Judith jingled their ammunition. The library of the Imperial Palace was carefully guarded, since it contained not only ordinary books that could be bought cheaply, but also rare copies that could not be obtained anywhere.

So, upon entering the hall, you had to go through two doors to get into the library itself, which consisted of five floors. The guards behind each door looked at her with an appraising gaze, however, after checking the name on the card, they immediately became polite. After passing through two massive doors, Judith finally reached the library. She was about to enter when she heard the sound of a spear and a voice:

“Only those who are identified can go inside.”

Turning around, Judith saw the guards holding the knights accompanying her. The men raised their eyebrows, as if this was some kind of nonsense, because escorts with noble ladies followed everywhere except the mansions. And there were no exceptions. However, since Judith visited the Imperial Palace alone today for the first time, they did not realize that this was the law. And the Duchess could not afford such rudeness in this place.

It seemed that one knight was about to break through the guard. The men looked at each other with serious glances. Even if there was some commotion here, their attempt would fail anyway, so Judith raised her hand:

– Everything is fine. Could you wait here?

– Lady! But if something dangerous happens…

“There are only identified people inside, you have nothing to worry about.”

Agreeing to the persuasion, the knight reluctantly nodded, and Judith went inside, leaving the men behind. The knight fiddled with the hilt of his sword out of anxiety. The librarian, who was sitting by the door, looked up from his work to look at the new visitor.

— Hello, what book do you want?

After thinking briefly, Judith came a little closer, realizing that if she said the word “Devil”, he would obviously suspect something. After all, this is not something too ordinary and familiar. After thinking about how to ask the question, the Duchess spoke:

—Are there religious books?

The librarian’s gaze slid along Judith’s entire body. She did not look like a gentle or religious lady, so he doubted why she needed such literature. But still the man smiled and left the table:

– I’ll show you around. Follow me.

As a rule, this is only a gesture of politeness, so Judith followed him without any discomfort. The librarian, having gone up to the second floor, drew her more and more inside.

“Here,” he pointed to the bookshelf.

Having asked to be called if something suddenly happened, the man retreated back to his place. It was only when he disappeared behind the shelves that Judith began to examine the books. What she was looking for was not something ordinary, so, of course, her gaze fell on secluded corners where almost no light reached. Judith had seen books about the Tyrorian Empire and studies on the existence of Divine Power. Her finger senselessly examined the spines of the books. Soon the gaze suddenly stopped:

– Origin of the Devil?

The words she had been looking for for so long finally appeared before her eyes. Judith extended her hand without hesitation. But the book stood so high that she simply could not reach it. And if you call a librarian, he will definitely quickly solve the problem. However, Judith thought it worthwhile to figure it out herself. Rising on her toes and still trying to reach the book, the Duchess was already close when a shadow slid behind her and took the book faster.