CHAPTER 111: CHAPTER 111: WITH ELLORY

In just a few days, Ellory kept peeking through the library door, sometimes peeking from behind the wall, sometimes from the hallway, and sometimes from the big window outside, watching Axelius study hard every day with papers, books, and drawings scattered all over the floor.

Sometimes, she would knock and come in and say, "Brother Axel, do you want to play with me?"

but every time, Axelius would shake his head and say, "I’m busy,"

and Ellory would pout and leave quietly, but she always came again the next day to ask the same question, hoping maybe that day would be different.

But the answer never changed, and Ellory’s face would always fall, until one day she came up with an idea. She worked hard in the kitchen with the maids and made a simple dessert by herself, then she carried the small tray with a proud smile and walked to the library.

Outside the door, one of the guards that Axelius had personally ordered to protect the library saw her and knocked gently, then opened the door politely.

"Brother Axel! Look what I made!" Ellory said happily as she walked in, holding the tray with both hands.

Axelius didn’t turn around. He was still standing in front of the big board, full of drawings, notes, and numbers, staring at it like it was the most serious thing in the world. Ellory walked closer and stood beside him, then carefully lifted the spoon and brought the dessert to his mouth.

Without looking, Axelius opened his mouth and ate it, still focused, his fingers touching his chin, thinking deeply. He chewed slowly, eyes never leaving the board until he finally swallowed and said, "It’s delicious," while patting her gently on the head.

Ellory chuckled and smiled, "Thank you, brother... Uhmm, brother, I have been wanting to ask. What are you doing exactly?" she said as she looked up at the big board with wide curious eyes.

Owen, who was lying lazily on a stack of books nearby and flipping through a page, answered before Axelius did, "Your brother Axel is studying how to make money."

"Really?!" Ellory’s eyes sparkled as she looked between Owen and Axelius. "That’s what you guys have been doing all this time? I want to join too!"

From that day on, Ellory’s time was also divided just like Axelius. In the morning, she still played in the garden or practiced a little swordplay like she was taught, but after lunch, she would always come to the library with her dessert tray or some juice.

and she would sit beside Axelius and help however she could—sorting books, passing papers, or asking questions like, "What’s this wheel for?"

or "How do you make this thing move?"

Even though she didn’t understand everything, her cheerful company filled the quiet study room with warmth, and Axelius, who was always too focused to notice before, slowly started smiling more often during study time.

Sometimes in the quiet morning or during peaceful afternoons, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess would pass by the long hallways or look out the tall windows of the estate, only to spot a strange sight.

Axelius and Ellory, both wearing round reading glasses that looked a little too big for their small faces, each holding a thick book while walking slowly toward the library, eating pieces of bread or small snacks as if that was the most normal thing in the world.

Other times, when the weather was nice and the sun was warm but not too hot, the two would be sitting under the shade of a tree in the garden, a blanket on the grass, a stack of books between them, and a small table with juice and cookies nearby.

Axelius would be reading something serious while holding a pencil, drawing something in his notebook, and Ellory would be beside him, sometimes reading on her own and sometimes asking questions with her head tilted like a curious little bird.

One day, while they were sitting outside near the fountain, reading under the sunlight and feeling the fresh air, Cyruz passed by holding an apple. He was planning to relax and maybe tease his little siblings when he saw them sitting there so seriously, and it made him blink.

He walked toward them, wondering if they were just pretending to be busy, but before he could say anything, he heard Ellory speaking quickly, "But Brother, if we use that kind of wheel, won’t the back part become too heavy?"

Axelius nodded and turned the page, pointing to a drawing, "That’s why we need to change the design for the weight balance. This car model uses magic to lighten the rear axle, so we can copy the idea for ours."

Cyruz stood still, blinking again, feeling lost. He looked at the book Ellory was reading. It was titled Magic-Infused Carriage Frameworks and had strange words and weird drawings that made his head hurt.

"What... what are you two even talking about?" Cyruz finally said, taking a bite of his apple.

Ellory smiled brightly without even looking up, "We’re talking about different types of cars, big brother."

Axelius added without looking away from his notes, "And when I’m done building it, I’ll race it around the estate. You’ll be the first passenger, Ellory."

"Yay!" Ellory clapped once and giggled.

Cyruz blinked again, looked at his apple, then looked at them. "You two are seriously weird. What’s wrong with just using beasts like everyone else?"

"You’ll see," Axelius said with a small grin. "When I drive past you at full speed and leave dust in your face, don’t cry."

Cyruz pointed his apple at Axelius, "Crazy. You’re both crazy," then turned around and walked off while muttering, "Carriages that move without Beasts... they’ve finally lost their minds."

’I can’t keep up with them!’ and the thought of stealing Ellory to Axel is gone.

Ellory laughed while hugging her book and looked up at Axelius, "Brother, do you think we can really finish it?"

Axelius looked at her and nodded confidently, "Yes. We’re already halfway there."

The next day, the weather was nice again, and just like before, Axelius and Ellory sat outside under the big tree with a blanket, papers, books, and bread.

They were not just reading anymore—they were deep in discussion, and the space around them looked more like a car design workshop than a quiet reading area. Owen was nearby as always, sometimes flipping pages with magic or correcting their notes.

Axelius was sitting cross-legged, holding a stick, and pointing at one of Owen’s neat drawings that showed a sports car with lines and arrows.

"This model right here has better acceleration," he said seriously, tapping the paper. "It’s lightweight, has a strong engine setup, and comes with dual-clutch transmission. You shift fast, no delay.