It’s Not Night - Chapter 185.1

The next day, Stephanie arrived with Baron Hisen Haydon in tow. With his charming smile and friendly demeanor, Baron Haydon was the quintessential handsome man from the South. As a capable aide, he was extremely sociable and knowledgeable, often leading the conversations.

Thanks to him, the four enjoyed a delightful lunch in a lively atmosphere. The white canopy set up on the dazzling white sandy beach was filled with the enticing aroma of delicious food and the sounds of cheerful chatter.

“Really, you’ve read all of Ashrat’s papers?”

At Andra’s exclamation, Hisen, sitting across from her, nodded cheerfully while taking a spoonful of the crème brûlée that had just been served.

“I found the cultural geography course I took during my time at the military academy fascinating. The ancient period is particularly intriguing. As I delved into subjects I was interested in, it naturally led to this.”

“Still, it must have been challenging for a non-major to read all that. Honestly, I haven’t managed to read every paper by Ashrat either.”

Considering that Hisen’s occupation before inheriting the Barony was as a military doctor, it was truly impressive that he had read all of Ashrat’s papers. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had only tackled one or two, as the volume of Ashrat’s work was vast enough to leave even experts speechless.

“Once you get hooked on Ashrat, it’s hard to stop. If it weren’t for my grandmother’s name, I might have dropped out of the military academy and transferred to the academy instead.”

At that moment, Stephanie, who had quickly finished her plate, interjected as she received another crème brûlée from a servant.

“Is it really that extreme?”

Andra, who had turned to look at Stephanie, shifted her gaze back to Hisen.

“Well, the position of military doctor wasn’t exactly a choice I made freely. If my grandmother had been a bit less strict, I might have gone in that direction, just as Fanny said. Oh, if the opportunity arises, would you like to visit the Haydon estate later? I think Lady Avelin would enjoy the books in my study.”

“By the way, the Haydon estate’s library is quite famous even here in the South. The Baron’s grandfather was a renowned critic and book collector.”

“Though my grandmother wasn’t pleased that my grandfather spent so much time out collecting books. Still, she made sure to pass the library down to me, ha ha.”

Although the library of the Abelins had produced many scholars, it was equally impressive as the imperial library. However, when Stephanie joined the conversation about the Haydon estate’s library, Andra’s eyes lit up.

There was an old saying that went, “If you want to know a family, look around their library,” meaning that each family’s library was one of the places rarely opened to the public.

With a look of surprise, Andra slowly began to speak.

“By the way, I heard that part of Bruun’s Old Testament is in the South. Is that true….”

“Yes, it is at our Haydon estate.”

Andra’s eyes widened in surprise. In response, Hisen simply smiled, while Stephanie, finishing her second crème brûlée, added casually,

“It’s a well-known story around here that the Baron’s grandfather spent half of the Haydon family fortune collecting that.”

“Yes, because of that, my grandmother has always been averse to books. That’s why I ended up at the military academy. In fact, when my grandfather passed away, I thought my grandmother would sell the Old Testament. It’s true that she struggled quite a bit because of it.”

“Still, an Old Testament! Even if you offered a fortune, you wouldn’t easily find such a book. Especially now, its value has increased even more since most of the original copies have been lost.”

Half a century ago, when Bruun was the state religion of the empire, the Old Testament held considerable value. Moreover, ten years ago, when a fire swept through the Casrata library, where most of the original Old Testaments were stored, the remaining copies became even rarer and more valuable.

Andra continued, her eyes still sparkling.

“If I get the chance, I’d love to visit the Haydon library someday. I’ve never seen the Old Testament in person.”

“However, if I’m not mistaken, I’ve heard that the Airak family also has the Old Testament, and they have the complete set.”

At that moment, Stephanie wiped her mouth with a napkin and glanced at Dustin. He felt a bit taken aback when her gaze suddenly fell on him. Given the topic of conversation, he had been keeping quiet. Setting down his spoon, he cautiously replied,

“Yes, they do, but honestly, it’s not a field I’m interested in, so I can’t really provide much information.”