Chapter Fourteen: Margins of Truth
Edward continued flipping through books and rummaging through shelves for hours, but he found nothing suspicious; just volumes of history, economics, and trade sciences. As he was about to pull down a massive book, the library door opened quietly, and Tula appeared.
"What are you doing here so late, Master?" Tula asked in a calm tone that pierced the silence of the room. Edward felt a momentary tension, trying to hide his fluster as he replied, "I wanted... I just wanted to read some books before bed."
Tula fixed his gaze on Edward and said solemnly, "Master, are you here to fulfill your father's testament?" Edward froze in his tracks. The phrase shocked him; did Tula know about the secret will? Had he been watching everything from the start? But Tula continued calmly, "If you wish to fulfill your father's wish to 'learn everything,' then I shall teach you. However, there is no harm in reading books; they grant you a different perspective on the world. And if you want your servant's advice, start with that first book over there."
Tula pointed to a simple book with a faded leather cover, then bowed, saying, "I will leave you now so as not to disturb you." Edward took a deep breath after Tula left. He realized that the demon knew about his father's public will, but knew nothing of his grandfather's secret will or the "library's secret" he was searching for.
He said to himself, "Let's listen to Tula; perhaps this book will lead us to something." Edward picked up the first book; its title was unremarkable, appearing to be old memoirs on philosophy. He began flipping through the pages quickly, and suddenly, his eyes locked onto the bottom margin of one page.
There, in thin, faded handwriting, he saw symbols and script that looked exactly like the handwriting he found in his grandfather's secret testament. They weren't just notes; they looked like a code or a puzzle waiting to be solved amidst this majestic silence