Chapter 51
“What if… really, what if this person feels the same way I do?”
Even as he wove between the bookshelves with Noxia, searching for the excuse books, most of his mind was elsewhere. His outwardly composed act was purely a matter of habit.
“Even if the two of us were to start dating, it wouldn’t be smooth at all.”
If it were just him suffering alone, he might have endured it somehow. But no matter how he thought about it, the consequences for Noxia would be far greater, and Eleonon hesitated as much as he cared for her.
While Eleonon wrestled with his inner turmoil, Noxia efficiently found the books he had requested and handed them to the boy. Once they had finally found the last book, Noxia smirked slightly and teased Eleonon.
“Didn’t you say you attended the Academy from the basic courses? You’re already a sophomore, and yet you have no idea where any book is?”
“That’s true. I guess my mathematics is still lacking.”
Eleonon chuckled and agreed obediently. If he had come alone, he would have found the books much faster, but he didn’t want to point that out.
In truth, Noxia was the same. If she had come alone, she would have achieved her goal long ago.
But she was also like Eleonon. Neither of them wanted this moment to end too quickly.
Rather than focusing on work, they wandered as if they were just out for a casual stroll, exploring books with a friend, drawing out the time for no other reason than they simply wanted to.
However, it was gradually time to return to their seats. Even though there had been a request from a user to help find books, both had dawdled so much that more time had passed than expected.
“Now that you’ve found all the books, you should head back. You do know how to check them out, right?”
“Ah, no, not that bad. My mathematics isn’t that lacking.”
Noxia whispered this jokingly, swallowing her regret, and Eleonon let out a soft laugh. Holding the unnecessarily heavy books against his chest, he looked at Noxia with tender eyes.
“Thank you for helping me find the books, Noxia. I’m glad to have seen your face.”
“I’m glad to have met you too, Your Highness.”
As he courageously confessed his feelings, she responded quietly, a little shy.
“Glad to see you” and “nice to meet you” were simple, casual greetings that even close friends could exchange at any time.
Yet, knowing this, their hearts still fluttered uncontrollably. They were deeply captivated by each other—an innocent, pink-hued first love blooming like a bud at the end of adolescence, tender and reminiscent of spring.
“Shall we go down to the second floor together? I have to return there anyway.”
“Sure.”
When Noxia suggested it, Eleonon agreed. It was a perfectly reasonable excuse.
Since they both had to go downstairs anyway, they slowly descended the stairs together, prolonging the time they could be near each other.
They arrived at the second floor. Noxia felt a twinge of tension, wondering if there might be a student lingering near the catalog search, in need of help, but fortunately, there wasn’t.
The number of people in the library had increased somewhat since before. A student sat on a sofa near the reading area beside the catalog, leafing through a thick book.
Noxia and Eleonon both froze upon seeing the student. They had just come down the stairs and rounded a corner, while the student was still absorbed in their book, unaware of their presence.
Reflexively, Eleonon turned his back to the student and hid behind a bookshelf on the opposite side of the corner. Noxia followed instinctively.
“Do you know them?”
“No, it’s just… reflexively…”
When Noxia whispered, Eleonon mumbled. It really was a spontaneous action, and he looked flustered.
Eleonon looked at Noxia with a troubled expression. His subconscious fear of being seen with her by someone else was stronger than he expected.
“Am I overreacting?”
Just because a boy and girl are together doesn’t mean anything romantic will automatically happen. Besides, at that moment, their relationship was purely that of a librarian and a student.
He should have confidently walked past the student without worry. A casual greeting to Noxia and then turning away would have sufficed.
Yet, after realizing his feelings for Noxia, he felt embarrassed, worried that just being seen with her might spark some strange rumors. His body reacted before his mind.
“Idiot. If I’m going to be this restless, I shouldn’t have come at all…”
Eleonon was filled with self-reproach. He had rushed over to see Noxia, but then hid behind a bookshelf like a coward, unable to handle the consequences.
His inner turmoil reflected on his face. Seeing his eyebrows furrow slightly, Noxia frowned in response.
“Why are you suffering so much?”
She had a rough idea but couldn’t be certain unless he spoke directly. Instead of guessing, Noxia decided to give him practical help.
“Your Highness, please go first. I’ll come out a little later.”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you worried someone might see us together? If we leave separately, there won’t be any problem. The books are heavy, so please go ahead first.”
As Noxia whispered, Eleonon’s face flushed. He felt ashamed that his flustered, awkward feelings were fully exposed.
What good was being the most noble heir in the kingdom when he acted so shy and timid in front of the girl he liked?
In front of others, he could play the part of the noble prince, perfect student, or kind classmate.
But in front of just one person, he kept showing a fragile, embarrassing side, making constant mistakes.
That only meant she was special to him. He wanted to show only the wonderful, reliable side, but it simply wouldn’t go as he wished, which frustrated him.
“Alright, Noxia. Then I’ll go first.”
Eleonon muttered with a red face. Twisting his body to slip between the shelves, he paused, then looked back at Noxia and timidly asked:
“Noxia, um… there’s a festival in the outskirts this weekend… would you like to go with me?”
Even amidst his hesitation, his lingering feelings and hope for a next opportunity collided, producing the question. Noxia blinked.
“This weekend? When exactly?”
Was she trying to subtly refuse? Eleonon’s heart sank at the thought that her lack of an immediate ‘yes’ might be a polite rejection.
“It’s Saturday and Sunday, two consecutive days. I don’t remember the exact times, but I think it’s from morning until evening.”
He answered as precisely as possible, hiding his disappointment. Contrary to his expectations, Noxia smiled at him.
“I have plans on Saturday, but I’m free on Sunday. Are you okay with that day, Your Highness?”
Okay? That was far too weak a word. He felt so overjoyed that he could have shouted, danced, and leaped into the sky in the middle of the street.
“Yes, Sunday is perfect.”
Eleonon replied promptly, and his face brightened as if his gloom had vanished.
“I’ll find out the exact time and place and let you know. May I come back tomorrow afternoon? I should have time then.”
“Of course, Your Highness. This is your school library, after all. You can come whenever you like.”
Noxia reminded him. Eleonon realized she was right—the library was always open to him as a student, yet it somehow felt like he needed her permission to visit.
He felt slightly embarrassed at his clumsy words, but the joy of having a reason to see her again this weekend left no room for shame. He found himself smiling broadly.
“Then I’ll come again tomorrow. See you soon, Noxia.”
“Yes, Your Highness. See you tomorrow.”
Eleonon stepped half a step toward Noxia unconsciously, then suddenly snapped back, shrugging his shoulders. Noxia’s heart leapt and fell in rhythm with his movements.
They had found all the books, set their next meeting, and exchanged greetings—there was no reason to linger. Yet even in fleeting moments, his lingering feelings were intense. The feelings for someone you liked were truly a strange thing.
Finally, Eleonon reluctantly turned away. After he disappeared around the corner, Noxia counted to ten before moving.
Once he had gone, the previously bearable Monday suddenly felt unbearably dull. She wished the day would pass quickly and that tomorrow would come. Tomorrow held its own promise.
“See you soon, Noxia.”
Those few words were as sweet as honey, an addictive sweetness.
Prince Eleonon kept his promise. He found out the exact time and place of the weekend festival and returned to the library the next day to tell Noxia. They planned to meet on Sunday.
He came to the library again the next day, and the day after that, and every day from Monday to Friday without fail, using the excuse of borrowing or returning books.
By this point, “excuse” was far too weak a word for such blatant courtship. Other librarians noticed and whispered among themselves.
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to realize whom the prince was interested in. They were merely curious why the second prince kept appearing at the library that week.
Listening to the puzzled whispers of the other librarians, Noxia would bury her face in paperwork, pretending to concentrate, her cheeks turning red.
If it had been someone else, if her feelings had been different, she might have found the prince’s persistent attention burdensome, even frightening.
She would have worried that his relentless interest in her would draw unwanted attention and disrupt her peaceful routine.
But Noxia’s feelings for Eleonon were the same, so she simply couldn’t dislike him. She couldn’t ask him to stop.
