“Wow… This is amazing.” After parting ways with Elena, Beret visited the library alone and was stunned by the scene before him. There was a spacious ceiling that seemed to be three stories high, daylight-colored lighting as far as the eye could see, and glossy floors that accentuated their beauty. On the first and second floors were bookshelves packed with books. There were wide spaces for reading, and soothing music was playing in the background.
“So this is the school library…” In an instant, Beret understood that this was a place meticulously crafted for those who loved books and possibly held prestigious positions. It was clean, stylish, and spacious- a place with no room for complaints.
Truly befitting a school with many nobles enrolled.
To think I can read books in a place like this… It’s so exciting. Looking around, Beret noticed that there wasn’t a single student in the library, likely because it was lunchtime.
“Well, since there’s no one here, they could have turned off the lights and music…” Beret felt that it was a bit wasteful, but he continued exploring the shelves on the first floor in a tourist-like mood. He noticed books of difficult genres everywhere, like philosophy, sociology, autobiographies, businesses, industrial studies, etc.
“I wonder if students actually read these… They’re so thick they’re like blunt instruments… I guess the literature books are on the second floor.” It was inevitable that Beret didn’t know where the genres were. After all, he had never used this library before, so he couldn’t rely on his memory. However, he didn’t find it inconvenient as it allowed him to explore the library with fresh eyes and didn’t feel bored at all.
Now, second floor, second floor. Beret went up the stairs, in search of entertainment books that would be easy to read. Literature… Literature… Where could literature be…
He looked around hard to ensure that he didn’t miss anything.
However, Beret had made a mistake. He had assumed that there was no one else in the library and that he was the only one using it, so he focused on the bookshelves and didn’t bother to watch where he was going. However, there was a girl who had been using the library this whole time.
Just as Beret finished looking at a row of bookshelves and turned the corner… he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye.
Thin, light-blue hair tied in a side ponytail and striking golden eyes that looked very sleepy, was a girl in the school uniform, wearing a skirt, and holding several books in both hands.
“Huh?”
She suddenly appeared noiselessly like a ghost, and let out a hollow. Beret tried to avoid her, but it was already too late.
“Ugh!”
“Ah!”
Beret felt a shock through his body.
Perhaps because the girl was focused on the books she was holding, she bumped into Beret without noticing.
There was a small scream, and then the books fell to the floor with a flutter.
Neither of them had much momentum, but whether one realizes they’re going to collide or not could affect how they respond.
Caught off guard, the slender girl was hit like a balloon and fell flat on her butt.
“I- I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
“… Y- Yes. I’m fine. I apologize for my carelessness.” She spoke in a fragmented voice, flustered by the incident. She seemed to be enduring pain, closing one eye while bowing her head.
It seemed that the girl thought it was entirely her fault, but Beret also hadn’t been paying attention.
“No, I was careless too. I’m really sor-” Beret tried to apologize as well, but he couldn’t finish the apology. He involuntarily held his breath at the shocking sight before him.
“…”
Her skirt had flipped up when she fell, and Beret inadvertently saw her underwear through her black stockings.
Crap… Regaining his senses, Beret quickly averted his eyes…
“Um, please don’t stare at strange places like that. Even though it was an accident, I can sue you, you know. Beret Saintford.”
“I- I’m really sorry.”
“Yes. Please be more careful next time.”
Her tone was flat and devoid of emotion, and it seemed that she wasn’t embarrassed about having her underwear seen… She calmly adjusted her skirt back into place and began picking up the fallen books.
“Oh, I’ll help you pick those up… eh, you know me?” Beret asked as he picked up 2 of the 4 romance novels that had fallen onto the floor that the girl hadn’t picked up yet and handed them to her.
“Thank you very much. You’re famous, aren’t you?”
“Heh, well… That might be true.” Beret felt a pressure in her words coming from her sleepy eyes. As expected, being a current student, the rumors had reached her ears.
“… Um, are you really okay? Are you hurt?”
“Yes. The pain has subsided.” Seeing her stand up, as if to prove her words, Beret also stood up.
“More importantly, I have something I’d like to ask you, Beret Saintford.”
“W- What?” The girl always spoke with a steady tone and a serious face, so Beret couldn’t tell what she was thinking at all.
“It should be lunchtime right now. At this time, what are you doing here? As far as I know, this is your first time using the library.”
“…Well, I came to read books.”
“During lunchtime?”
“Yeah.” As soon as Beret answered, she narrowed her golden eyes skeptically. For the first time, he could sense an emotion from her.
“I’m sorry, but I find that hard to believe. It might make sense if you were someone who often uses the library, but this is your first time. Furthermore, there are rumors about you.”
“Well, yeah…”
“Despite that, you’re here at a time when no one is around. You’re probably trying to vent your frustrations by messing with the books.”
It’s rude… but she’s got a point. Beret had no intention of mentioning my title of the son of a viscount, but it was impressive how the girl could speak so confidently despite her keeping her distance from him. She seemed quite brave.
To be honest, I’m happy I found another person that would treat me as an equal.
“From what I’ve seen, I don’t think you’re the kind of person who would spread rumors, but if you were thinking of mistreating books, I won’t forgive you. Books are treasures filled with wisdom, histories, thoughts, and ideas from our predecessors. They should be treated with care.” She rattled off fluently while holding 4 romance novels with pretty covers. The contrast between her serious words and the cute covers was quite funny.
“I’m not planning anything bad. Seriously. I just wanted to read a book for fun”
“That’s easy to say.” The girl continued. “Therefore, until you leave the library, I will sit next to you and read. I don’t have the authority to do that, but… is that okay? Beretto Saintford?”
“Yeah, if that means I can use the library. Thank you.”
It seemed the girl truly loved books. Anyone would be uncomfortable if a man with a bad reputation came into a room filled with their favorite things.
“It’s not something to thank me for. I’m being rude to you.”
“But that’s because there are bad rumors about me, right? So you’re not at fault, and I think it’s only natural.”
“…”
“Hm?” Beret tilted his head at her silence, waiting for her response.
“Beret Saintford… Are you really a bad person?”
“Huh? Haha, to say that in front of the person in question… I’d like to think that I’m a good person.”
“Is that so? Well, in this situation, no one would say ‘bad person’.” As usual, her voice was expressionless.
“In that case, shall we look for books for you to read together? I can confidently recommend philosophy and romance novels,” the girl said as if she wanted Beret to read the books she recommended. Philosophy might be one thing, but romance was something Beret could enjoy.
“Then could you guide me to where the romance novels are?”
“Are you really sure? Given your experiences, you might not find it interesting.”
“It’s okay.”
“Understood. Please follow me.”
“Thank you.”
And so, led by the girl, whose name was still unknown to Beret… they spent the afternoon together.
The girl was the only student permitted to attend school in the library. She was a beautiful and intelligent young lady who spent all her time in the library and read books whenever she had time- the “Talented Bookworm” from a baron’s family.
That was their first meeting, happening during lunchtime.