Don’t Concern Yourself With That Book

“You are my younger sister. I am curious as to who raised you with so much love. It’s a little disappointing to see.”

“So, you’re saying that the kindness you’re currently showing me is a result of my powers as the Heir to the Lord?”

He burst out laughing as if he found what I said funny.

“Oh, you’re a fast learner.”

The sound of his dignified yet refreshing laughter rang in my ears. I looked at him once more to get more out of him. But with a creak from its hinges, the door opened.

“Sir, Scholar Kizash is looking for you.”

I turned my head to find a little boy. He was a boy of a relatively small stature who looked to be only slightly taller than me. Seeing the boy’s wavy navy hair, I suddenly recalled the strange situation I was in. Anyone would incorrectly assume, upon first glance, that a lecturer was hugging his student. But before I could struggle in bewilderment, the boy spoke first. He was calm.

“Oh, dear. You’re at it again. Sir.” He then flashed a refreshing smile before throwing a fastball, “Sir, if you do that, you’re going to be taken in. I’ve told you before not to pull cute students into an embrace at first sight.”

Abel furrowed his eyebrows in apparent displeasure.

“Please hurry and let her down. She’s flustered.”

Though his looks were already decent enough, his looks turned to that of an impressionist portrait. The boy shifted his gaze before smiling calmly as he stared at me.

“Hello.”

As soon as Abel placed me on the ground, I quickly distanced myself from him before dusting my skirt off. I was feeling strangely embarrassed and awkward. Other than Lord Ray and Soricks, no one else had ever held me like that. Furthermore, the last time this happened was years ago.

“You’re in the same class with me, aren’t you? A princess from the Empire?”

The boy approached me in strides to greet me.

“Huh? Ah, hello. Correct, I’m Ashley Rosé.”

“Ashley.”

He mumbled. Come to think of it, I recalled seeing his face back when I first entered the lecture room with Prince Cjezarn. I had forgotten about him because I hadn’t returned to class since that day. I remember thinking he looked quite normal but the impression I got of him up close was completely different.

“My name is Pontus.”

A face as white as snow with the colour of his eyes only being subtly different. Some parts of his eyes were blue while other parts were a very light blue. It was as if his eyes had contained separate parts of the same sea.

“I hail from Kaltanias.”

The moment we held hands, I felt a chill that pierced through my palm. I could sense a cold draft lingering on the palm of my hands, as if I was holding ice. When I looked back at him, he smiled as if he had noticed what I was thinking.

A strange purple appeared in the boy’s multi-coloured eyes. Ah. How did I not notice? I’ve seen this countless times before.

The power of a templar.

Goosebumps dotted my skin. A templar that appeared alongside the 3rd Prince who was giving off a cool air and a chill. I hurriedly retreated before turning around and grabbing the doorknob.

“Well, come again whenever you need anything.”

Abel said after I turned around. When I glanced back, I spotted Abel leaning against his desk and Pontus standing silently next to him.

“See you again, princess.”

The curtains flapped in the wind. I wondered why. The two were supposed to have a teacher-student relationship but why did it seem like Abel was being wary of him? Thinking I might be mistaken, I turned back around. He refused to make eye contact with me until the very end. But right at the last moment, he mouthed to me.

‘I’ll come find you.’

But my instincts were telling me.

The frost that had yet to melt on my palm fell. Soon, the ice melted into a puddle soaking the carpet.

It seemed like I had found the Head Templar of Snow and the Sea.

No, I did find him.

A strange conviction came over me. It was like back when I was drinking the poisoned cup of tea in front of Amor. I had a gut feeling before I died that I would survive this. That confidence which I could not explain clearly existed and that was exactly what I was feeling now. The boy I had met earlier was the Head Templar of Snow and the Sea.

But how? From what I knew, he should be an adult way past his thirties. Obviously, I only knew this because I had heard from Soricks before I left.

“Ashley, they must already be watching you.”

When I told Dane about this, he had, surprisingly enough, revealed that he already knew. Not only that, he knew their names. Dane had already discovered traces of the Templars of Chaos.

“Does that mean the 3rd Prince and the Templars of Snow and the Sea have joined hands? Why?”

“I don’t know.”

Dane seemed to be feeling mixed emotions but his face quickly turned expressionless.

“No, I think I do.”

Now, the person Dane and I were looking for was the Head Templar–The reason why ‘Pontus’ looked like a boy similar to me in age and evidence to prove they were plotting a coup.

“Ashley, I’ll go find physical evidence. So, I want you to stay safe.”

“Dane.”

Dane remained adamant.

“I have the means to protect myself, but you don’t. You’ll be safe in the lecture room even if Lord Ray cannot get in.”

That was something I had no choice but to admit. I nodded with much difficulty.

“I got it.”

A coup. Actually, I did not want to help the emperor with anything but I had no choice but to find evidence if I wanted to return quickly.

“Evidence, huh…”

What constituted evidence? Dane said that he was sure there was something between the two parties. He just had to find it. And he also seemed to have something in mind.

“Evidence?”

When I opened my eyes again, Dane’s silhouette disappeared. And Rusbella’s brilliant face took its place. I smiled as I placed the bread I was still eating back in my mouth.

“I’ve been playing a game with my brother but I can’t seem to find any of the items he hid.”

“Aha. So, you’re playing something like hide-and-seek, right?”

“Correct. There are some things I need to search for too.”

Rusbella placed the bread she had been holding down before drifting off in her thoughts. Above her head, the autumn sun was setting. And the light that illuminated the said hair was dazzling. I could only stare at the hair that looked like a long piece of gold silk in awe.

“Hm, Ashley, why don’t you search in the place closest to him?”

“A close place?”

“Yes. People tend to keep important things close to themselves.”

“Ah…”

A gust of autumn wind brushed against my cheeks, leaving a cool refreshing feeling. Rusbella tucked her fluttering hair behind her ears.

“One would probably hide their treasures in a place they are most familiar with.”

Really? Would that be Abel’s lecture room? Or perhaps it would be in the dormitories? The scholars that study here typically stay here as well–either in a private residence they own or a private room in the dormitories. And if it wasn’t in Abel’s room, it might be in that boy, Pontus’ room. As I dove into my thoughts, Rusbella called for me.

“Ashley, would you be free in two days’ time?”

“Two days from now?”

Two days from now will be my final day here. I would have to leave the next day. When I looked back at her, she placed her pointer finger on her lips before whispering.

“Two days from now, I’ll be getting the herbs.”

“Ah, of course.”

“Yes. I’ll hand you the completed ‘nectar’ two nights from now.”

Rusbella then added lightly.

“Once all the ingredients have been prepared, two hours would be enough to create it.”

I glanced around our surroundings and nodded quickly. Now, the medicine was completed. All that was left for me to do was to find evidence of the coup.

But weren’t things going too smoothly? In fact, things I thought were too much for me to get done within a week were completing themselves steadily. Was it because I was so used to misfortune that I was feeling uneasy about all this?

“Rusbella, if you don’t mind, could you address me comfortably?”

Rusbella was older than me. No, she was much older than me. Actually, I was not sure. Was I only thinking she was older because she was my senior? Come to think of it, how old was she exactly…

I observed her face carefully. She was definitely giving off a mature aura. But when I looked at her more carefully, she was frozen still.

“You mean my words?”

“Yes.”

After I spoke, she seemed to avert her gaze for a moment before smiling brightly. Her eyes that glittered like honey curled before nodding.

“Alright. I mean, sure.”

As I was returning from my promised meeting with Rusbella, I suddenly realised that I had left a book behind. I should go back. Rusbella wouldn’t still be there. Oh? She hadn’t left yet?

Upon closer look, the male lead was sitting next to her. She was staring at the campus building. Her elegant and relaxed face turned wistful for a moment. That was when Slorenian placed his hand on Rusbella’s shoulders.

Tap.

Rusbella shrugged his hand off.

“… Don’t… that.”

She then muttered something with a face filled with sorrow. With another gust of wind, the expression on Rusbella’s face disappeared. When the wind swept my long hair to cover my sight, I spotted Slorenian hugging Rusbella. I waited for them to disappear off into the distance before collecting my book.

The road back was quiet. The spot I was having lunch with Rusbella with was quiet and open. Apparently, she didn’t enjoy the gazes on her. I understood how the stares on her would tire her out even if she were to stay still. Of course, I wasn’t just speculating but how could someone who was never popular understand the life of the most beautiful woman in the world?

Just as I was trodding along. The moment I took the next step, a chill travelled down my spine. I raised my head. From some point on, I noticed that I couldn’t hear a single other footstep in my surroundings.

“Who’s there?”

Turning my head around, the road was as quiet as ever. Seriously, this place was unnecessarily spacious. I waited for someone to appear with a frown. Surely enough, some people appeared from the shadows from the forest lining the sides of the road. Three appeared on each side– six in total.

Someone took off their grey hood. It was an ordinary middle-aged woman. Her face was average, one that could be seen anywhere. But I immediately recognised the crown of thorns she was wearing on her head. And the pendant that was swinging from her chest.

“Would you like to join us?”

One of the group of six spoke.

“… [Crown of Thorns].”

“Yes.”

The middle-aged woman did not try to hide her identifiers as a Templar of Chaos.

“You know who we are so you must know that we’ve been looking for you.”

“You’ve been looking for me?”

“Oh dear.”

As if she had found herself in a predicament, the woman gave a slight grin.

“I see you do not know.”

“You… what are you planning?”