My New Love That Isn’t Fated - Episode 1

Love at First Sight. Fate. Abduction. A Burning Passion, a Forbidden Love.
For the two of them, their intense feelings are a source of joy, but for someone else, they are a cause of pain.
Behind the scenes of their passionate love, there is a woman like me who will never step onto the stage.

While thinking these thoughts, Lilia walked leisurely, holding a book in each hand, bathed in the light pouring from the stained-glass windows, which depicted goddesses and angels. The stained-glass windows were high up on the wall, almost out of sight.

Lilia’s straight brown hair, trimmed just above her shoulders, caught the light, creating a halo around her head. Her emerald eyes moved quickly from the book titles to the shelves where the books were being returned, as she hurried back and forth.

Her long navy dress fluttered gracefully with each step, and the soft soles of her shoes made no noise as they gently touched the marble floor. She tried to walk quietly, as she felt that the sound of footsteps was out of place in this peaceful, silent space.

Below the stained glass, there were rows of oak bookshelves, their tops so high that ladders were needed to reach the upper shelves. The shelves were packed with books, and they stretched upward like a towering forest.

The books were organized according to the Rafal alphabet—the order used in the Rafal Kingdom since the Early modern era. The first library hall, known as the “First Book Hall,” contained books printed by the recently popularized movable type printing press.

This was the Tenegro Royal Library, located in the heart of the capital, which earned the nickname “The Expanding Library” because it contained every book from the kingdom’s ancient history to the present. The collection was so vast that even the staff could not keep track of it all. It was so large that no one could check every book in a single day.

The books in the First Book Hall were generally available for lending. People from all walks of life—children and adults alike—came to borrow books. Managing loans, returns, and keeping track of books—that was Lilia’s job.

After returning the books from today’s returns to their shelves, Lilia looked up at the grand clock in the center of the library. It was almost 4:00 PM. Time to close the library.

Books were made of paper, and paper could easily catch fire. For that reason, fire was strictly forbidden inside the library. If an oil lamp were to fall and set the books ablaze, it would be a disaster. The library opened only while it was still light out, and by evening, it had to be closed.

The staff worked from 9 AM to 4 PM, Tuesday through Saturday, with Sundays and Mondays off.

Lilia’s monthly salary was 250,000 Fabrice, which was quite generous, considering the average salary for people in the capital was 150,000 Fabrice.

This was partly because becoming a librarian required graduation from the Royal University of Tenegro. The university provided tuition-free education for the talented, but entrance and graduation were extremely competitive. It was a prestigious and demanding institution.

Lilia was the firstborn daughter of the Tillys family, a noble house. She was the child of Earl Tillys and his first wife, who left when Lilia was three. Lilia hardly remembered her mother.

Her father often spoke bitterly of her mother, who had run off, leaving Lilia behind. Her mother’s family, a once-great dukedom now in decline, had married her off to Earl Tillys to help save their house.

After her mother left, her father took a mistress, who eventually became his second wife. This woman was intelligent and beautiful, a successful businesswoman who traveled with her husband when he went abroad.

Lilia had a half-brother and a half-sister from her father’s second marriage. Her brother was set to inherit the title of Earl, while her sister attended the Royal Academy.

Despite the complicated family dynamics, Lilia was not mistreated. In fact, her stepmother took pity on her, and both her half-siblings looked up to Lilia as their older sister.

However, Lilia always felt out of place. She could not help but feel guilty about living with her father and stepmother, especially since her mother had left them for another man. She believed that she had to be excellent to atone for her mother’s actions, so she focused on her studies.

She graduated from the Royal Academy with top marks, then attended the prestigious Royal University of Tenegro, where she earned her degree. Her father was pleased with her academic success.

Though there was no love between them, her father was happy whenever she performed well. After her graduation, he arranged a marriage for her with a suitable suitor.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lilia. Can you please lock up for us?”
“Of course, Judith-senpai. Have a safe trip home.”

Her senior librarians said their goodbyes and left for the day. There were only ten staff members at the Tenegro Library, and Lilia was the youngest and newest. Because of this, she took it upon herself to close the library, ensuring the doors were locked after everyone else had left.

As the newest member of the staff, she felt she should at least do what she could to help. But she also didn’t want to return home just yet.

Her home was in the capital, where she had married Elad Griez, the eldest son of the Griez family, immediately after graduating from the Royal University. He was two years older than Lilia, and her father had arranged the marriage. The Griez family was well-connected in the business world, and their connection to Lilia’s father’s trade was likely a factor in the arrangement.

At twenty, Lilia moved into a townhouse in the capital with Elad. Nobles like them often chose to live in the capital rather than their estates in the countryside, as the city was more convenient for socializing and raising children.

Despite the rise of wealthy merchants with the opening of the national railway, nobles still held significant power, and it was considered prestigious to live in the capital.

As Lilia settled into her marriage, Elad made it clear that he expected her to focus on maintaining their home. “I believe a woman’s place is at home,” he told her.

But Lilia had no intention of becoming a mere housewife. She had worked hard to graduate from the university and wanted to contribute to society. However, Elad was firm in his view.

“I hope you’ll be as virtuous as my mother,” he said. “She was a good wife and mother.”

During their wedding night, Elad commented on Lilia’s mother, who had left the family. This made Lilia feel uncomfortable and self-conscious. Their first night together was cold and painful, and Lilia, newly married and still getting to know her husband, believed that in time, their relationship would improve.

But that hope lasted only for six months…