"My lady, where should I put these books?"
"My lady, are you not hungry yet?"
"My lady, do you want me to help you?"
"Let's have lunch together!"
"The weather is nice, huh? Want to take a walk outside before we go home?"
These are some of the interactions I've had with Lord Val for the past 3 days. He was so eager to get my attention and strike up a conversation even when I just blatantly ignored him occasionally. Though, I feel bad sometimes too.
That's why I decided to forgive him already. He's proven his sincerity to me.
"My lady, why don't we go to the plaza before we go home later?" he asked while putting some books on the shelves.
I was standing just next to him holding the list for the new arrival books and double-checking if we got them all.
"Hmm..." I absentmindedly answered.
"Great. There's no turning back, alright? We've already made a deal!"
I got back on my senses and stared at him confusedly.
"Huh?"
"You agreed to go in the plaza later with me!" he said, smiling.
"Oh, okay. Sure! Not a problem."
I turned to walk back to the front desk. He was tailing me behind and was shocked that I agreed easily.
"Is that okay with you? I mean, it's great, but..."
I stopped and turned to him.
"I already said yes, right? I'm not the type to go back on my words. And besides, I already agreed that we start all over again and become friends. So, going out is not a problem. It might help us get to know each other better."
[3rd PERSON'S POV]
After Seraphina said that, she continued walking over to the front desk and busied herself with checking the list of the visitors that go in and out of the library.
She didn't get to see the kind of smile Val gave her. It was a mischievous yet cold smile. A smile that has an intention.
The day went on, and it's now time for them to go home. Val was already done with his work and was just waiting for Seraphina, who was busy packing her things. When she's done, she walks towards the door where Val is leaning on it, arms crossed and waiting for her.
"Let's go."
Val nodded at her, and they started to walk. They don't need a carriage to go to the plaza since the library is just close by.
The weather today was nice. The air was warm, and the sun is already setting. It was indeed a nice time to have a walk. There were few carriages passing by and a lot of people going in and out of the shops. It was such a perfect atmosphere...
"Except, it's a bit romantic for me."
"Huh?"
Seraphina looked at Val, who was also looking at her confusedly.
'Oops! Looks like I've said it out loud.'
"Nothing! I was just thinking about something," she said, dismissing the topic.
Val suddenly stopped, so Seraphina stopped to look at him as well. He then suddenly used his acting card on Seraphina. He put his right hand on his heart and clenched it, while the left one was trying to wipe his fake tears. Seraphina was just watching him dumbfoundedly.
"I'm the one who's here with you, yet your mind is elsewhere. I'm deeply hurt," he said dramatically.
'What the hell was he talking about? Crazy! 'She asked herself, bewildered.
"Stop being dramatic. I'm just appreciating how beautiful the sunset is today."
"Really?" He looked at her with puppy eyes.
"Really? Let's go! I still need to go home early later."
"Okay."
Seraphina walked first, and Val followed her. After a minute of walking, they arrived in the plaza. There were a lot of people in there. Children, adults, women, and men just doing their own businesses. There were also vendors on the side that were selling a variety of foods. There were benches you could sit on if you felt tired, and in the center of the plaza, there was a huge fountain.
The plaza was probably one of the liveliest parts of this town. When Seraphina first came to this world, fear crept into her whole being. This world was unfamiliar to her; it's very different from the world she got used to. Add to the fact that she doesn't know any of the people here. She doesn't feel a sense of belongingness.
But after what happened to her and coming to this country, she learned to appreciate this world. It's not so bad. Except... With the war still ongoing, she's still afraid of what might happen to her. More importantly, she was bothered by the knowledge she had regarding this body that she had possessed.
'The villainess was bound to be doomed. Luckily, I got reincarnated prior to when she returned back to the Dravenhart, looking completely different. Right now, I only have 2 years and 4 months before my return. Yet, nothing still happened.'
"Sit here, my lady, and wait for me. I'll grab something for us to eat."
Val guided her to an empty bench and motioned for her to sit, which Seraphina willingly did. Her feet are a little sore from all the standing she did in the library. He then left and went to the vendors to buy some food, leaving her still thinking about her current situation.
'And there were no signs of the Dark Magicians roaming around either. I wonder how she got connected to them in the novel? I really hate the author for not giving us some background on why she became a villain. But now that I am experiencing this firsthand, I'm not interested anymore.'
"Please just let me go home, author... God! Or whoever is out there responsible for this mess." I let out a sigh and looked at the skies above.
'I still haven't gotten any clue who the members of the dark magicians were yet. There was no helpful information in the library. They were only branded as the evil and monstrous being that existed a hundred years ago. Although we have mages in this era, they are different from the dark magicians who practice forbidden magic.'
'Based on what I've read in some textbook, the whole world was originally divided by 3 continents only. The human continent, the magicians, and the demon continent. It is believed that the extinction of the demon clan happened thousands of years ago. After a while the magician's empire was subdivided into 2, which are the light mages (referring to mages who use regular and legal magic) and the dark mages (mages who practice forbidden magic). But after the great battle that happened a hundred years ago, the dark magicians were wiped out as well.'
'The only ones left are the light mages, who comprised the citizens of Vaelthorne. And the humans started to claim land by land and started their own different civilization, hence the different kingdoms we have right now.'
"Although that is entirely based on one book I happened to find in the library's hidden section."
'I tried finding another book that supports this claim, but there were none. So I'm actually having doubts if I should believe that book or not. Besides, I don't think it's helpful to me at all. I don't know why I even read that.'
"I still have to find a way to go back home and leave this world where I don't belong. I still have 2 years left. You can do this, Sophia! Fight!" she cheered on herself.
Because she's so focused on her thoughts, she didn't notice Val approaching and heard what she said.
"Sophia?"
******