Chapter 49: Only she would feel lost

From the library windows, one could see layers of lead-gray clouds. The setting sun filtered through the stained glass, shattering into fragments of colored light in Simon’s eyes.

So… it really was just studying.

Watching Lila go upstairs, find a seat, and lay out her textbooks without hesitation, Simon couldn’t help but think so.

He had assumed that going to the second floor was just an excuse, some way for her to find a secluded place to continue coming up with new ways to torment him.

In Simon’s memory, Lila never seemed distracted in class. She always looked serious and focused.

Of course, he usually felt uncomfortable just looking at her, so he rarely paid close attention to her behavior during lessons.

But in truth, the moment Lila looked at the densely packed text in the book, her head already started to spin.

What appeared to be focus was actually her constantly thinking about how to make Simon hate her, without letting him leave her.

Because of that, all the magical theory the professors passionately lectured about in class mostly went in one ear and out the other. Almost nothing stuck.

Now, with final exams approaching, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and actually study.

As for the strange noises Ilana had mentioned, after coming upstairs, all Lila saw were sunlit bookshelves. Everything was silent, save for the faint rustling of curtains in the breeze.

She casually shut the window, sealing off the outside noise.

Simon sat across from her, watching as she opened a heavy magic textbook, still feeling uneasy.

“Simon, start explaining from here.”

Her tone carried a hint of impatience as she tapped a section of the text. Her gold cufflinks clinked softly, engraved with a thorn-wrapped iris, reflecting the sunlight.

After saying that, she turned her head slightly, hiding the confusion in her eyes.

Simon nodded and began explaining the magical theory. His voice was low and steady, doing his best to simplify complex ideas.

At first, Lila listened absentmindedly. But as his explanation deepened, her expression gradually became more focused.

Still, Simon soon noticed that her gaze occasionally drifted toward the window, as if lost in thought.

Her fingers tapped lightly against the table, unconsciously, showing a hint of restlessness.

“Miss… is something on your mind?”

Simon asked cautiously.

Lila froze for a moment, then frowned, her tone turning cold.

“Focus on your explanation. Don’t meddle in things that don’t concern you.”

Simon lowered his head and continued, though his confusion only deepened.

Lila had always been sensitive, both in her previous life and now.

Her mind wandered easily. Memories surfaced like ghosts, appearing without warning.

This moment, for instance, made her think of the past again.

Her university years had been the happiest time of her life. There was no suffocating academic pressure like in high school, nor the exhaustion and confusion of working life later on.

She had carefree friends who would laugh, tease, and go crazy together, yet never hesitate to help when it truly mattered.

But now…

Those people, her friends, her family, those familiar faces, those expressions she cared about…

She would never see them again.

No matter how much she missed them, no matter how strongly she wished, nothing she did could bring them back.

Because of one foolish decision.

That sense of loss slowly settled over her heart like dust. Only deep inside, though, her expression remained unchanged.

If she didn’t have to bully Simon, she thought she might have liked being friends with him.

That thought flickered briefly as her gaze fell on him again, creating a faint ripple in her heart.

But the moment it appeared, she crushed it without hesitation.

Her life came first. That was something she had reaffirmed countless times.

Simon noticed her gaze and instinctively paused, but he didn’t dare look up. He simply continued speaking.

“Miss, that’s how light-attribute mana operates.”

Lila snapped back to the present and gave a quiet “Mm.”

“That’s enough. I’ll review the rest myself. You can do whatever you want, but don’t leave.”

Her tone carried a trace of arrogance.

So she just wants to waste my time?

Simon thought, a bit speechless, watching her nearly bury her face in the book.

But he had no choice.

Since he usually made sure to understand everything during class, he didn’t really need to review.

And he couldn’t just sit there doing nothing.

“I’d like to find a book to read,” Simon said, reporting it to her. He didn’t want to give her any excuse to punish him again.

Those past experiences were still fresh in his mind.

“Go ahead.”

The red-haired girl didn’t even look up, simply responding while appearing completely absorbed in her book.

‘She seemed easy to deal with… sometimes.’

Thinking this, Simon stood up and walked into the forest of bookshelves.

He scanned the rows of thick volumes, momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer number.

Maybe too many books wasn’t a good thing either.

“Maybe I should look for something about dark magic.”

Since he was the first human to possess it, perhaps there were still records of it somewhere.

Lost in thought, he walked deeper into the shelves.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck the back of his head.

He instinctively grabbed it and spun around, scanning his surroundings.

No one.

Looking down, he saw a small pebble on the otherwise clean floor.

“Who’s there?”

“Come catch me, hehe~”

A childish voice echoed.

But children weren’t even allowed in the library, were they?

Before he could think further, another pebble struck his head, this time from the opposite direction.

“Nyah~ can’t find me, can you?”

The voice came from behind again.

A surge of anger rose in Simon’s chest. Being tormented by Lila was already enough, now even some random kid was messing with him?

He couldn’t take it anymore.

Without thinking, he chased after the voice.

Turning left and right, deeper and deeper into the maze of shelves, he finally reached a dead end.

Nothing.

Just bookshelves.

He frowned. The voice had clearly come from here.

Still, he stayed alert, glancing around cautiously.

Then…

He noticed something moving in the shadows of a nearby shelf, like a small creature hiding in the dark.

Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed it.

He caught something soft… warm. At first, it felt like a mouse or some small animal.

But as he felt it more carefully, it was smooth, slender, nothing like any ordinary creature.

He brought it closer to his face.

‘A tiny human… with wings?’

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

Looking closer, it was a perfectly proportioned miniature girl, now trapped in his grasp.

Her delicate face was flushed red with anger, like a ripe apple.

Simon had never seen anything like this. His mind went completely blank.

Before he could react…

“Let go of me! You’re hurting me!”

The tiny figure shouted sharply, her voice full of anger, as if delivering the harshest possible protest.