Even in such a surprising situation, I thought that the book shouldn’t be taken away, so I didn’t let go and only turned my head to look at the other person.
And I faced someone I never imagined I would meet here.
“Daisy?”
“Adelio?”
Adelio was also looking at me with a startled look.
He didn’t take his hand off the book in the midst of this, maybe he felt the same way as me.
‘When they said there were two guests, could they be referring to me and Adelio?”
Net to me, Sir Dominic quickly tried to step forward, but I raised my other hand to stop him.
“It’s all right. I know him.”
Adelio slowly lowered his hand as he flinched at our awkwardly touching hands.
I thought it would be funny if I took the book in this situation, so I lowered my hand and a moment of silence passed between us.
“What brought you here?”
The words I brought out to break this awkwardness were such a stupid question that I wondered if I really had just said them.
‘You’re here to buy a book!’
I hate my mouth that uttered words without thinking, but I didn’t lose the smile on my lips.
“I have been looking for a book for a long time and one of the believers introduced me to a place that handles old books.”
Adelio’s eyes turned to the bookshelf.
“I was trying my luck in looking for the book I wanted. What about Daisy?”
“I came across this place while looking for a book I wanted to give to my sister as a gift. That book from before.”
Unlike usual, Adelio looked at the book and at me alternately with a slightly puzzled expression.
He seemed to be thinking about what to do.
‘It seems he’s been looking for the out-of-print book for a long time… Of course, he won’t give up.’
But I couldn’t give up easily either.
‘I’d like to give it to you, but…’
I hesitated because I was looking for the book for Liliana’s sake, not for me.
‘…This is difficult.’
I felt a little resentful about the decision I had to make and why he showed up in this situation.
I unwittingly sighed quietly, then I heard a small laugh in front of me.
“Why are you laughing?”
Unlike me, who was serious, Adelio’s expression showed no signs of distress.
“I think you’re thinking too hard.”
“This is a concerning matter. Are you not concerned, Adelio?”
Just as I was about to be devastated, wondering if our friendship only mattered this much, he smiled shyly, his eyes upturned.
“It’s because I’m glad that I get the same treatment as Daisy’s precious sister.”
“Yes?”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been so seriously troubled.”
With those words, Adelio took the book out of the bookshelf.
As I watched Adelio’s action with a surprised expression, he casually held out the book to me.
“I don’t have to buy it because I just need to find and read the parts I’m curious about.”
“Really?”
“Yes. If Daisy doesn’t mind, I’d like to check out that part for a moment, so could you give me a moment?”
At Adelio’s suggestion, I smiled and tried to nod.
Then Sir Dominic, who was next to me, sneaked in.
“But, miss, a lot of time has passed. If you come home late, everyone will be worried.”
“I’ll be brief. It won’t be long.”
“Everyone will understand if I tell them that the carriage is broken. Adelio will give me the book, so I’ll make time for it.”
At my words, Sir Dominic backed down as if it couldn’t be helped.
It seemed that the situation had been sorted out, so I quickly purchased the book and came out, but the carriage hadn’t seemed to be fixed yet.
“I wish I can see you off in the carriage.”
At my regretful voice, Adelio shook his head.
“It’s fine. In case there is a strange rumor about Daisy because of me, I’ll just take your gratitude.”
“A strange rumor?”
When I blinked not knowing the reason, he laughed quietly and didn’t speak.
Adelio stood under the dim lamplight on the street and began to look through the book he had received from me.
I stood next to him and watched his still figure.
Adelio was reading the book carefully with a serious look.
The lights on this street were weaker than those on the main street, so a long shadow was cast on his face, giving off a different atmosphere than usual.
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen this expression. It looks very cold.’
It was not a smile full of kindness, but a stiff mouth that was very unfamiliar to me.
‘But you’re still handsome.’
It was a beauty that would have become a hot topic in society.
‘Certainly, it’s strange that rumors about this kind of appearance aren’t spreading.’
Holy knight was a position that could only be climbed with faith and skill regardless of status.
Since they were knights who fought using the holy power that blossomed under the care of the gods, just being selected as a holy knight was an honor.
‘It’s the same with priests, but they’re a little different.’
As a result, the Imperial family and the temple maintained independent powers, and because of that, Grandmother hated the temple.
‘I heard that aristocrats are very interested in marrying them because holy knights are allowed to date and marry.’
I heard that collaborating with the temple was a good choice even in aristocratic society, so it happened often.
‘On top of that, Adelio is handsome and has a good personality, so he is bound to be popular.’
It was not for no reason that he was popular not only among nobles but also among commoners.
‘Oh. I wondered why I was so upset, but I guess it’s because I felt like we were drifting apart.’
It seemed I didn’t like the idea of Adelio being closer to someone else.
‘But why?’
Adelio was a good person, but I couldn’t figure out why I felt that way.
‘Is this what normal friends are like?’
While I was deep in thought alone, Adelio closed the book.
“Daisy. I have some sad news.”
“Yes? What do you mean sad news?”
Adelio ran his hand over the cover of the book and said forlornly.
“I don’t think this book is the complete version.”
“Yes? What do you…”
“In fact, I’ve found this book somewhere else before.”
Adelio handed me the book and said with a very regretful face.
“The content I was looking for was in the back of the book, but that part was missing. I think the same goes for this book.”
Surprised, I hurriedly took the book from him and opened it.
Adelio was right.
There was no content corresponding to one-third of the table of contents written at the front of the book.
The book I was so happy to have finally found wasn’t the complete edition.
Adelio also spoke in a subdued voice as my expression became tearful.
“This book has been revised once. I heard that the revised version completely cleared up the contents that could be problematic in the complete version.”
“Then this is…”
“It misses a lot of parts, so it’s like an unfinished book.”
I finally found it, and I found a reasonable compromise with Adelio, so I was relieved and delighted, but that feeling calmed down in an instant.
“…Thank you, Adelio. If it wasn’t for Adelio, I would have given my sister an unsuitable gift.”
I almost gave Liliana a useless gift.
Despite my gloomy heart, I conveyed my gratitude with a shy smile.
“No, after all, you couldn’t find the book you wanted either.”
“But in the first place, you gave this book to me. That alone is enough to make me happy and grateful.”
“Then, if Daisy doesn’t mind, can we meet each other next time?”
“Yes?”
I blinked because I couldn’t understand his sudden words, but he smiled with his eyes and mouth upturned.
“Apart from meeting at the temple, let’s have a meal together.”
“Me and Adelio?”
“Yes. Just me and Daisy.”
I was taken aback by Adelio’s words, so he continued talking with his cheeks blushing slightly.
“Because there are more eyes on the temple. I can keep waiting, but I don’t want to burden Daisy.”
It wasn’t difficult to recall what Adelio had said last time.
“Did you really wait for me? Not someone else?”
“Of course.”
I was suddenly embarrassed by the answer that readily returned as if I had asked something obvious.
‘Really, my emotions are so jagged these days.’
Whether it was happiness or sadness, I wished my heart only focus on one thing.
The twitching of my lips trying to hold back my laughter looked like an ugly expression.
I didn’t want to show that, so I held up the book and blocked my face, and a small laugh burst out in front of me.
“Then, I will be sure to join you next time.”
“When?”
“Anytime Daisy wants to.”
I thought I would leave quickly after this, so I hurriedly lowered my book and at the same time met his eyes.
Adelio gently grabbed my hair, which was fluttering in the wind, and kissed it lightly.
The kind eyes that looked up at me when my hair was kissed made my heart skip a beat.
“Have a good night, Daisy.”
Without saying anything, he just nodded and left the street after saying goodbye.
After a while, Sir Dominic, who had gone to see if the carriage was fixed, returned and he asked me.
“Miss. Are you sick?”
“Huh? I am not.”
“Your face is very red.”
I scrambled into the carriage, unable to lift my head out of embarrassment.
My heart was still beating violently.
✲ ✲ ✲
After washing up, my heart, which had been beating loudly, calmed down.
I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my face, then I recalled what had happened a while ago and immediately blushed.
‘This is what I showed to him.’
Feeling ashamed, I hit my head against the mirror and sighed.
‘Whatever.’
I didn’t know why I was being like this, so even if blamed my heart, I didn’t get an answer.
I put Adelio out of my mind for a moment and then looked at my desk.
‘I wanted to help Sister.’
Somehow, as I sighed thinking that it wasn’t as easy as I thought, something caught my eye.
