“Really?”
“I’m good.”
Unlike Taylor, who was thrilled, Sion shook his head before Laila could finish her sentence.
“I’ll stay here. You don’t need to worry. I’ll do my own thing.”
“…….”
“You go and do what you want to do.”
With that, Sion disappeared into the crowded desks before anyone could stop him.
In an instant, Taylor found himself alone, feeling abandoned. His eyes wavered anxiously.
“Ah, Miss…….”
“Why are you calling me?”
“What should I do?”
“Don’t ask me; decide for yourself.”
You’re an adult; do I have to tell you this? Laila said in a soft yet stern voice, then turned away from Taylor.
The archive room was nearby. However, the door had a warning: “No entry except for authorized personnel.”
Laila glanced at the sign before approaching a nearby librarian.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Using her status, she entered the archive room even though she wasn’t authorized to do so. That part was easy.
Unfortunately, it was only easy up to that point.
Going through hundreds of thousands of catalogs was no simple task. Laila started by standing and sifting through the catalogs, but eventually she had to sit down.
She even dozed off a few times.
‘It never ends…….’
Laila lightly slapped her cheeks and did some eye exercises.
She also stretched her neck, rotated her shoulders, and moved her wrists around.
‘There’s plenty of time. This time, I must find something about the Stone of Regression…!’
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Laila placed the last catalog back on the shelf.
‘Maybe I was thinking about this all wrong.’
From morning until evening.
In other words, from the library’s opening hours to its closing hours.
Laila buried herself in the archive room every day, scanning the catalogs. This went on for four days.
Finally, she succeeded in checking all the catalogs but couldn’t find what she was looking for.
‘Is there no book about the Stone of Regression?’
The National Library is supposed to contain all the books in the kingdom.
The chances of a book being elsewhere when it wasn’t here were slim.
‘Unless it’s forbidden, but… it doesn’t seem like a book about the Stone of Regression would be forbidden.’
Laila concluded.
It seems like it doesn’t exist.
“I wasted my time.”
She felt empty.
But in a way, she was relieved.
Perhaps it was because she had done everything she could.
‘Let’s stop here. This is the best I can do without getting caught.’
Aside from quietly searching book titles, there were other ways to investigate the Stone of Regression.
For example, she could request help from an information guild.
She could also contact the family from which the villain previously stole the Stone of Regression.
If she wanted to find it, there was a way.
The problem was that every method seemed too conspicuous to Laila.
No matter what she chose, she felt uneasy. It seemed the villain would immediately sense something suspicious about her.
Perhaps she was being overly cautious, but Laila decided it was better to be overly cautious than to be tortured.
‘And besides, I don’t necessarily need to find out anything about the Stone of Regression…….’
Laila limped out of the archive room.
In the distance, she could see the back of Sion’s head, sitting at the desk in the open reading room.
There were two things Laila wanted to find out about the Stone of Regression.
First, how many more times could she return to the past?
Second, would she return even if she died of old age?
‘Even if I don’t find out about the second one, the first one… maybe I don’t need to worry about it anymore?’
If she doesn’t regress, that’s fine.
In other words, she just needs to avoid dying.
Somehow, she felt like she could. A strange certainty settled over her.
For one thing, Sion wouldn’t kill her.
In this life, Sion wouldn’t blame Laila Hildegarde for anything.
And perhaps, maybe…
“Miss Laila.”
“……!”
Laila was startled. She didn’t scream because, even unconsciously, she was aware that this was a library.
With her heart pounding, Laila turned to the side.
“What are you doing, Sir Taylor?”
“I was just calling you, and I did it quietly…”
“…why did you call me?”
“Well, I noticed you came out even though it’s not time for a meal.”
Taylor directed his gaze toward the archive room, where Laila had been hiding.
“Are you leaving the library early today?”
“No, I’m just…”
At that moment, Sion noticed the commotion and got up from his seat, approaching them.
Laila waited until he was close enough before she spoke again.
“We’re going back.”
“What? Going back? Oh, to the lodging?”
“To the Hildegarde estate.”
She deliberately avoided using the words “home” or “family.” It was a petty act of defiance.
Taylor’s eyes widened at Laila’s words.
“To the Hildegarde estate… is it a new lodging within the capital operating under that name?”
“Do you think that’s possible? What’s wrong with you?”
“Miss, you can’t. That’s not possible.”
“Why not?”
“You came all the way to the capital, locked yourself in the library for days on end, and then went back?”
Lock herself. While not incorrect, it wasn’t a term a knight like Taylor should use in front of Laila, the lady he is serving.
Laila realized that Taylor hadn’t used the harsh term intentionally.
It was just that Taylor was so agitated that he couldn’t choose his words correctly, forgetting to consider his audience.
“……Sir Taylor, are you all right?”
“No, I’m not alright. This is ridiculous. This is…”
Muttering like someone in a trance, Taylor suddenly disappeared.
A moment later, he reappeared, holding three books.
“Sir? What’s that?”
“I’m going to check them out.”
“What?”
“I’m going to check them out and read them outside the library. It’ll take at least a week.”
Laila quickly understood what Taylor was suggesting.
“…You want to stay in the capital for another week?”
“Yes.”
It was an ingenious idea. Ingenious, but…
Three books were too many. Laila remembered stealing glances at Taylor as he sat crumpled in the corner of the reading room, reading.
‘He only managed to read three pages in 30 minutes.’
It was such a shocking scene that it stuck vividly in her memory.
But to read three thick books like that in a week?
After a moment’s thought, Laila gestured subtly to Sion, avoiding Taylor’s gaze.
She held up one finger and wiggled it slightly. Understanding her, Sion quickly grabbed two of the books from Taylor.
“My books!”
The move was so swift and precise that Taylor only realized the books were gone after feeling the lightness in his arms. The two thick books were quietly returned to the shelf.
“Just check out one book.”
“If it’s this thick, I could read it in two days…….”
Taylor muttered something absurd. Laila shook her head inwardly.
It seemed that the young genius knight, who disliked reading, didn’t know himself very well.
Certain truths are more accurately perceived through the eyes of an outsider.
Instead of sharply telling Taylor to get a grip and reflect on himself, Laila spoke to him soothingly.
She did feel a bit sorry for Taylor, who had been looking miserable and cramped in the library.
“You can read it slowly. Over the week.”
“…Is that really okay?”
“Why not? Read it at your own pace.”
The light that had faded from Taylor’s face returned quickly.
Watching this change, Laila thought,
Is he that happy about this…?
Or, on the flip side, did he hate being in the library that much?
If he hated it that much, he could have gone out on his own.
When Laila had told him not to stay in the library all the time and to go out and enjoy himself, Taylor stubbornly insisted he was fine.
He said it was against his principles.
In any case, Taylor has quite a few unexpected aspects, one of which is his extreme dislike for books.
While Laila was lost in thought, Taylor had gone to check out the book and quickly returned.
