The Iudex's day off

Chapter 15 - Missing something

 Wriothesely's POV

 Sigewinne woke up as suddenly as she fell asleep.

 She tossed around a bit before slightly opening her eyes and catching sight of me.

 This caused her to instantly sit up in shock.

 "Your Grace? What-"

 Her words were interrupted when I pointed towards the tail still stuck around my waist.

 She blinked in confusion as if her brain wasn't able to process what was happening.

 "Could you get me a book or something? I have been lying here staring at the ceiling for the past three hours."

 She mumbled something about something being insanely inappropriate, but she still got up and returned with a stack of books.

 She took them right off of Neuvillette's bookshelf so I expected to find only books about law but-

 "These are romance novels."

 "They aren't his."

 Thank god!

 If after everything I also found out that the Chief Justice read romance novels in his free time, I might have died from shock right there.

 "So you got me these because...?"

 "All of Monsieur Neuvillette's books have been moved to his study on the first floor."

 "And?"

 "I can't be bothered." She spat out before grabbing a book to read.

 Having nothing better to do, I grabbed a book as well.

 It turned out to be much better than I imagined and I soon found myself getting immersed in it.

 The clock continued to click and another hour soon passed.

 It was around eleven o'clock that Neuvillette moved slightly.

 "Hmm... Sigewinne..." He mumbled.

 "Mosieru Neuvillette?" She asked back softly, unsure of whether he was really awake.

 "Have you been spending more time with Duke Wriothesely?"

 I couldn't help but flinch at the sudden mention of my name.

 "Not more than you know about, Monsieur Neuvillette. Why?"

 "The smell of tea and his cologne seem to have rubbed off on you more than usual." He mumbled, eyes still closed.

 Huh?

 I didn't drink any tea or use cologne today though.

 And I even showered twice since I last did.

 "You can still smell that?"

 I couldn't help but sniff at my own clothes only to find no smell whatsoever.

 Have I become immune to it?

 And then-

 I froze.

 I said that out loud didn't I?

 I turned my head slightly to find Neuvillette looking at me, his eyes full of shock.

 "Morning?"

 "What are you doing here, Your Gr- Wriothesely?" He asked more calmly than I was expecting.

 "Well, you see... After helping me get the girls ready for work, Sigewinne fell asleep and when I tried getting her back to bed, I kind of got stuck here."