Chapter 172 - Misgivings (2)

As expected, inviting Trisha had been a mistake.

Trisha's sulky expression deepened. If I provoked her any further, something unpleasant might happen.

Isn't there any unity in the Drama Club? 

Unlike the Art Club where people worked alone, weren't they supposed to become close through planning and cooperating together?

Luna raised the corners of her mouth shyly with tightly closed lips. It felt like I hadn't seen her smile in ages. Usually, this would have lifted my spirits too, but in this barren atmosphere, there was no room for that.

"Hmph, do whatever you want," Trisha spat out one dissatisfied comment and turned to look out the window.

After maintaining that disgruntled expression, she yanked off her socks and tossed them aside. Trisha had a habit of finding clothing uncomfortable and trying to wear as little as possible. I was long used to this regular behavior in the carriage.

The carriage moved on quietly. Trisha couldn't stay still, swinging her bare feet back and forth. Then she quietly rested them on top of my feet as if they were a footrest.

Though this was also her usual behavior in the carriage, I couldn't help being conscious of it with Luna present. After all, we were sharing space with a guest.

Trisha kept glancing at me before deliberately stretching one leg onto my thigh.

Luna sat primly with hands on her knees, watching Trisha's feet as if looking at insects. While this was perfectly normal behavior for Trisha, Luna probably wasn't used to such physical contact between men and women.

"What's with this foot?"

"Aren't my legs pretty!"

"Yes, fine, now put them down."

"My legs hurt from walking so much today. Let me rest them just a bit!"

Luna blinked slowly with an unreadable expression.

The triumphant way Trisha made physical contact and spoke frivolously seemed to give Luna a cultural shock.

I hoped she wouldn't learn from this.

The carriage stopped at the front gate of Silveryn's mansion. We disembarked in order and gathered our belongings.

Soon after, someone came hurrying from the inner courtyard, holding their skirts.

It was Maid Liria.

"Master Damian!"

She waved her arms widely to show her joy at seeing me. It was wonderful to see such a welcoming face after so long.

Seeing her running over, Trisha quietly snorted behind me.

"Hmph."

Come to think of it, these two didn't get along well.

Liria stood close enough to almost touch me as she looked up.

"Master Damian, I was so worried when I heard rumors about your ordeal in the Principality!"

I gestured that I was fine by casually raising and lowering my arm.

"As you can see, I'm fine."

Seeing Liria's face made me feel oddly apologetic. I was probably her only friend around her age, and I'd been away gallivanting about.

How bored must she have been in this desolate mansion? Liria wasn't the type to show her sadness to others, so one had to watch her carefully.

Then Liria noticed Luna behind me and exclaimed in surprise, "Lady Luna?!"

Luna awkwardly waved in response. It was surprising that these two not only knew each other but seemed to have remained friendly.

"You two know each other?"

"Yes! We became close when Lady Luna came to visit Lady Silveryn!"

Luna added to Liria's words, "Liria... helped me a lot."

Liria showed no particular welcome to Trisha. She just spoke in a businesslike tone, "Another of Master Damian's friends has come."

"Yes, she's my closest friend, so she'll visit often."

The two engaged in another strange battle of nerves. Though Luna, Trisha, and Liria all seemed young to me, Luna was relatively more mature, while Trisha and Liria still had stronger childish qualities.

Perhaps that was why they developed this strange sense of competition. While it was understandable for Liria, Trisha carried different burdens—I wondered when she would grow up.

I stirred the pot while Luna worked on ingredients with her back to me.

"Could you bring me the Wyvern Fruit?"

"...Yes."

I hadn't noticed her presence because she was so quiet. When I turned around, she was just standing there, holding out what I'd requested.

Didn't she want to come closer or tap my back to let me know? If I hadn't turned around, she probably would have stood there until sunrise.

"Thanks."

Our fingertips brushed slightly as I took the ingredients. Luna startled and pulled her hand back.

"...Do you need anything else?"

"No, this is enough. What are you making?"

"Bedonia traditional meat stew."

"You know how to make that too?"

"Yes..."

Luna placed the ingredients on the cutting board and began chopping. With water simmering and the rhythmic chopping sound, it felt like we were in an ordinary household.

"You haven't secretly prepared anything else?"

"No..."

"Like a murder potion or something."

"...!"

The knife sound suddenly stopped. Though I'd meant it as a joke, Luna froze in apparent shock.

"How... did you know I borrowed that...?"

"I saw you as I was leaving the library."

Glancing back, Luna was holding her hands strangely and hanging her head.

Looking closer, blood was streaming from her finger. She must have cut herself in surprise.

"Oh no, wait a moment."

I retrieved the first aid basket from the kitchen. We kept it ready for possible accidents during potion brewing or ingredient preparation.

I grabbed Luna's hand to check the wound. It was deep enough to nearly reach the bone. Though the pain must have been considerable, Luna didn't make a sound.

"Hold still. I need to stop the bleeding."

I put Luna's finger in my mouth to quickly stop the bleeding.

I felt her body suddenly stiffen. But what else could I do? Blood was flowing enough to create a pond.

A minute of silence passed. When the bleeding had almost stopped, I slowly removed her finger.

Then I met Trisha's eyes at the doorway.

"...?"

I didn't know how long she'd been standing there watching silently. 

What did she come here for?

She clenched her fists and glared at us with a face full of spite.

"...Hmph."

Then she turned sharply and left.

All that happened was Luna cutting her hand while cooking, so why did she glare at us like criminals?

I finished disinfecting Luna's hand and applied a potion. She covered her eyes with her free hand and hid the rest of her face with her hair, frozen like a statue.

The dining table atmosphere was bleak. Though well-prepared dishes steamed invitingly, no one made a move to eat. I hadn't expected this. It was silent without a single word.

Trisha still seemed displeased about something, folding her arms and puffing her cheeks, while Luna, still uncomfortable from the unfamiliar contact, kept her head down and fidgeted with her hands.

I first took Trisha's plate and served her food.

"Here. Lamb with special Yulisia Principality sauce. You like this kind of thing."

Trisha answered glumly, "I never said I liked this."

"But you said you eat lamb the best."

"..."

I turned to Luna and said, "Is your finger still hurting?"

"...No..."

I had my reasons for arranging this gathering.

Specifically, it was to uncover the purpose of the library in the Labyrinth.

When I asked Professor Ella or Silveryn, they just gave vague answers like "it's too early" as if it wasn't important.

"Luna, are you still staying at the Philaion Library?"

Eternia had two libraries. The Central Library on campus and the Philaion Library in the Labyrinth, which only permitted visitors could enter.

No matter how much I searched the Central Library, I didn't think I'd find materials about the Duchess or the elven archives. That was why I needed access to more privileged information.

Luna slightly raised her head and carefully nodded, her face still flushed.

"Then Luna, do you know what kind of books they keep there?"

Luna shook her head.

"So you haven't received much information either, like us."

"Yes, I don't have access permission... Are you curious about the library's purpose?"

"Yes."

"...I've seen something strange at the Philaion Library."

"What was it?"

"About two weeks ago, I saw librarians returning to Eternia after being dispatched to the north..."

"Really? What did they do there?"

"Twenty were sent, but only sixteen returned alive. And what those librarians sacrificed themselves for was... books."

They risked their lives just to retrieve books?

"Hmm... strange. Are they importing books from other countries?"

Luna shook her head again.

"I could tell for certain. The books the librarians brought weren't ordinary at all. They weren't in any continental language. Not in northern tribal languages either. They were... definitely something different."

"They wouldn't transport ordinary books from so far away."

"I felt mana from those books. Only ancient magic books could contain such power."

Clearly not ordinary books.

Trisha had taken a bite of lamb at some point and was perking up her ears to listen to Luna's story.

When it got quiet, she carefully spoke up, "I think I've seen something like that too!"

"You too, Trisha?"

"Yes. Long before the entrance ceremony, I visited the Labyrinth library once, and I saw people wrapped in artifacts carrying loads of books."

Given that they showed such scenes to students not deeply involved internally, it probably wasn't considered confidential. This meant we'd naturally learn about it when the time was right.

It might be deeply connected to the Masters Class too.

Could I find information about Bibi's illness there?

***

After the late dinner ended, Trisha finished her shower first.

Wearing just underwear and one of Damian's long shirts, she climbed the stairs. The spiral staircase had small windows, barely letting in moonlight. Fearing discovery, she moved without a candle, relying only on touch as she felt along the walls.

Trisha had one goal: to occupy the room before Damian finished bathing.

Standing in the hallway leading to Damian's room after climbing the stairs, she surveyed her surroundings. After confirming it was safe, she moved forward holding her breath. The hallway's large windows helped her eyes quickly adjust to the darkness.

As she advanced, she suddenly became startled upon noticing something in front of Damian's door.

The shape became clearer as she got closer. A wolf spirit sat like a doorkeeper, holding its ground.

Seeing this, Trisha's steps stopped abruptly. She sighed in frustration.