While Irnerio is honest about his unusual motivations for looking at books, the narrator’s audience seems to be genuinely conflicted about why he reads. Although he claims to be interested in Cimmeria, it’s clear that Ludmilla plays a big role in motivating his ongoing reading quest. Still, there really does seem to be a part of the narrator’s audience that is naturally fascinated by seeing the end of stories, which harmonizes with his desire for Ludmilla.