My New Love That Isn’t Fated - Episode 9

Although the second floor is divided into two parts, the third library is spacious enough on its own. The old books written in ancient script are carefully maintained, more so than books printed with movable type.

In the rainy kingdom, precautions are taken to prevent the parchment from molding in the humidity. On sunny days, the room is ventilated, and on rainy days, desiccants are placed to absorb moisture. Regular maintenance of the books is also essential. However, these books are not available for loan, and few people visit. Christopher once described it as a place for antiques.

The ancient books are stored on neatly arranged shelves in a square room, leaving a little space between them. Owen returned the book to one such shelf.
Not all ancient scripts have been fully deciphered. Even with so many books, there would likely be no one in the kingdom who could read all of them.

Even university professors, as I once heard, said that they were only capable of teaching basic grammar to younger students. Simple sentences like “I like flowers” or “This is a book.” But as soon as the sentences become longer or more complex, they can no longer be read.

The ancient script is far more complicated than the Rafal script, and the professors once mentioned that this shows how advanced the ancient civilization must have been. Looking at the shelves filled with old books, Lilia recalled these words.

“Thank you for staying with me. I’m sorry for making you take on extra work.”

“No, it’s fine. Either way, I need to check if anyone’s still in the third library, then I’ll go to the second library and lock it up before heading home,” Lilia replied.

“Then, let me accompany you,” Owen said.

“Eh… oh, that’s okay. It’s my job,” Lilia replied.

“Because of me, it’s already later than usual. It would be polite to stay with you until the keys are locked up,” Owen explained.

Lilia frowned in confusion. She thought, if it were Elad, he would never say something like that. Was Owen acting normally, or was he particularly kind?

“Thank you, but…” Lilia started.

“Lilia, you need to lock up before it gets dark. Let’s go quickly,” Owen urged.
“Yes,” Lilia replied.

Chasing after Owen, she followed him out of the third library. She took a key from the keyring around her neck and locked the door. Afterward, she locked the second library as well and, together with Owen, descended the stairs. After confirming that the back door was locked, they exited Tenegro Library.

The front door and the back door used the same key. Lilia made sure the door, made of iron and wood, was securely closed and locked.

With that, her work for the day was finished. Now, all that was left was to go home. As the evening darkness approached, a shadow also fell over Lilia’s heart.

“Thank you for your company,” she said.

“Lilia, can you spare me a bit of time?” Owen asked.

“Eh…?” she replied.

“Actually, the reason I’ve been with you until now is because I have an ulterior motive,” Owen admitted.

“An ulterior motive…?” Lilia asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Around the Tenegro Library, there is a vast garden with many trees. Benches are scattered throughout, where children play, and people rest. The garden is surrounded by an iron fence. During the short spring, beautiful red roses bloom along the entire fence.

The kingdom was heading into winter, but Lilia thought that once spring came, it would bring a beautiful sight.
There is a stone-paved path leading to the gate from the front entrance. The gate is also closed, but it does not have a key, only a bolt.

Beyond the gate, the carriageway stretches out, where carriages heading home and people walking the streets can be seen.

For a moment, Lilia felt a sense of guilt. As Elad’s wife, it didn’t feel right to be alone with Owen like this.

Noticing her unease, Owen seemed to panic a little, and without her noticing, he had put on black leather gloves and waved his hands.

“No, that’s not what I meant. I shouldn’t have said it like that. What I meant was…” Owen started.

“I… I need to go home,” Lilia interrupted.

“Wait, Lilia,” Owen called after her.

Lilia realized she did want to stay and talk with him a little longer, though. It was as if she was trying to escape the reality she would soon have to face.

The guilt and unease she felt were not Owen’s fault. It was just her own heart making her feel that way.

As she took a step toward leaving, Owen grabbed her hand.

“I work at the Royal Institute, researching ancient scripts and ancient history. I’ve never met anyone who can read ancient scripts just by looking at them, except for you. I want you,” he confessed.
“…!” Lilia gasped, caught off guard.

“Ah, I said that wrong again. What I mean is, I want your help with my research…” Owen stammered.

His voice, though mature, had a somewhat flustered tone that somehow sounded endearing.