If Wishes Can Hurt
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The Great Library was a huge, sprawling building that stretched out over the entire city. It had been built in stages by countless generations of scholars and students who were dedicated to preserving knowledge for future use—and it seemed as though they’d succeeded admirably: there wasn’t an inch of space left unused within its walls.
The library occupied almost all of the old city’s central district; only a few streets separated it from the Academy grounds on one side and the College Park across town on another. Despite being so close to the center of power, however, the library never felt crowded or busy—the structure itself was simply too vast for anything like that.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many books in my life… There are more shelves than windows! And every single shelf is crammed with them! What kind of people do these librarians have to be? They must read everything here themselves before anyone else can touch it. That would take years at least, wouldn’t it…?
In truth, Daniel hadn’t really expected much when he entered the library. After all, this was a place where you could find just about any book imaginable under normal circumstances. However, once inside, his expectations were completely shattered.
He couldn’t believe how amazing the library actually looked. This was nothing compared to what he’d imagined. In fact, it might even qualify as an understatement.
“Wow…”
Daniel murmured something vague and then took out his smartphone again. “Well, let’s see if we can get some books on history.”
He found the section he wanted online using his phone’s search function and headed straight toward it. As soon as he walked into the aisle, he saw someone standing right next to him. A girl wearing glasses stood there looking up at the shelf above her head.
She wore a green dress and had long blonde hair tied back behind her neck. Her expression was full of determination while she stared directly at the topmost row of bookshelves. For a moment, Daniel thought maybe she’d spotted something interesting but quickly realized otherwise.
The young man knew very well why the girl was staring intently at those shelves. It was because the rows of books were arranged alphabetically according to their titles. If you didn’t know which letters went together, finding your way around the library was going to be pretty difficult.
That’s why it made sense that the library staff would arrange things that way. But still… Why does everyone seem so intent on doing everything exactly the same way? Is this really necessary? Maybe someone should try changing things up a bit. Wouldn’t that make life easier for all of us?
As Daniel wondered aloud, the girl turned around. When she did, he got his first good look at her face. She was a little older than Daniel himself, perhaps seventeen or eighteen. Just seeing her reminded him of someone. At last, he remembered: she was the daughter of one of his classmates.
“Um, excuse me?” asked Daniel. “Is there something wrong?”
He figured asking nicely would probably work best. His classmate’s daughter smiled wryly and shook her head. Then, without waiting for Daniel to ask anything further, she started talking.
“…Sorry,” said the young woman. “But I need help finding a book called ‘History of the Empire.’ Do you think you could tell me where it is?”
Daniel nodded immediately. “Of course!” he replied.
After that, he explained to the girl exactly where she needed to go and offered her his hand as a guide. With both hands-free now, he also decided to walk ahead of the pair. He still had no idea whether or not helping this girl would earn him points with his father, but he was determined to give it a shot anyway.
Besides, Daniel was pretty confident that he’d be able to handle whatever came along.
At the end of the aisle, he showed the girl the exact spot where the book was located. She thanked him warmly and left the aisle to retrieve it. Once she returned, however, she merely handed the book off to Daniel instead of taking it herself.
“Here you are,” she told him. “Thank you so much for your help.”
She gave him a small bow of thanks, and then she turned away. Without saying another word, she quietly began walking down the aisle.
It’s strange… I don’t recall ever meeting her before. Did I meet her somewhere else before today? Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense. We’re in the same class after all… Wait, why am I thinking about stuff like that?
Daniel followed the girl until she reached the front door of the library. Before leaving, she paused for a second to turn around and say goodbye. By that point, however, Daniel already had his mind set on heading home. He wasn’t planning on staying too long; he just happened to come across this girl by chance.
Plus, since she seemed to be busy with something important—and judging from how carefully she’d been studying the bookshelf earlier, it certainly sounded like that was the case—it was clear she didn’t want any other students interrupting her. So, rather than getting in her way, Daniel decided to simply leave.
With that, the two parted ways. Daniel watched silently as the girl exited through the doors, and then he finally felt ready to head home. And yet, for some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d seen her somewhere before…
***
The following day, Daniel arrived at school early. All throughout homeroom, he kept glancing over at the girl who sat near the window. He tried asking a couple of people sitting nearby, but they weren’t sure either. They suggested he check the attendance list posted outside the classroom or talk to anyone whose name matched hers. That’s when Daniel realized he’d never met this girl before.
Still, he was curious enough to keep trying to find out more information. During the lunch break, he spoke to several different girls. Some claimed to have known her, but none of them knew her personally. After that, he approached an upperclassman whom he trusted. This boy was well-known among the student body, so even if he hadn’t actually met the girl, he might know someone who has.
When Daniel brought up the subject of the girl, though, his friend grew quiet for a few seconds. Eventually, though, he responded: “…I’ve heard the name, but I’m afraid I can’t remember the details.”
His answer only served to pique Daniel’s interest even further. The fact that he couldn’t recall what the girl looked like meant she must not have been very memorable. In which case, maybe I’ll recognize her again tomorrow!
By the time afternoon classes were over, Daniel had learned almost nothing new. Still, he continued to follow the girl wherever she went. As soon as the bell rang signaling the start of their next period, he headed straight for the library.
This time, he walked right past the entrance and made his way toward the back corner of the building. There, he spotted the girl doing research once more. Her eyes darted between multiple pages, and she occasionally stopped to read something aloud. It was obvious she was reading something extremely difficult.
Once she noticed Daniel staring at her, she quickly lowered the book and stood up. But rather than turning around and making a hasty exit like yesterday, she instead walked over to greet him.
“Oh, hello there, Mr. Fisalis.”
“Hello, Miss…”
“Ria. Riasruo,” she finished.
He remembered hearing that name before. Back during his first year of middle school, one of the teachers mentioned having taught her younger sister. Apparently, the teacher thought highly of her.
However, the last time Daniel had spoken to the older sibling, she had insisted that her little sister was fine without being enrolled in any extra lessons. And while Daniel did see her every day at school, he hadn’t really talked to her much since then.
As far as he could tell, however, it appeared that her current situation was quite similar to the one she described back then. If anything, she seemed to be even busier now than she used to be. Based on the amount of effort she was putting into researching these books, it was safe to assume that she was working hard to make up for a lost time.
So why is she here…? What exactly does she need help with? Is it related to her studies? Or perhaps something else entirely…
However, rather than ask those questions outright, Daniel chose to remain silent. Instead, he simply smiled politely and greeted her. Even though he knew full well that this would probably annoy her, he still wanted to try talking to her anyway.
And sure enough, she glared daggers at him for a moment before responding curtly. “Good evening, sir.”
That’s definitely annoying… But if she wants me to stop calling her ‘miss,’ then I suppose I should go along with it. At least until she tells me otherwise.
Daniel decided to let things play out naturally from there. For now, all he needed to do was watch how she reacted. And just like yesterday, she turned away and began walking off. Before long, she disappeared down another set of stairs.
Just as he started to think about leaving, though, he saw her turn around. She was looking directly at him, which meant she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
“…What?”
She gave no indication that she planned to say anything else. So, rather than wait for her to open her mouth, Daniel asked the question himself.
“Do you want to continue our conversation from earlier today? Perhaps we could meet after class.”
Her response came immediately. “No thank you. I don’t care for students.” With that said, she resumed walking.
Wait, come back! You haven’t answered my question yet!
But instead of chasing after her, Daniel remained where he was. Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, he called out to her again.
“Miss Riasruo!”
There was no reply. He waited for several minutes until finally giving up on waiting. Judging by her reaction, he didn’t seem to hold much hope of ever learning more about her. He sighed quietly and returned home.
***
The following morning, Daniel woke up early. By the time he got dressed, showered, ate breakfast, and left the house, he arrived at school just as the second bell rang.
After taking care of some business, he joined the line leading inside and took a seat near the front row. A few moments later, his classmates trickled in one after another. Within five or ten minutes, they’d all taken seats. Then the classroom door opened once more and the teacher entered.
It was none other than Miss Riasruo herself.
I wonder what she needs help with this time…
Unlike yesterday, when he’d questioned her about her daily routine, he decided to keep quiet today. After all, asking her direct questions might get him nowhere.
Instead, he spent the entire lesson observing her behavior. During breaks, he also tried speaking to her casually. That proved to be an equally fruitless endeavor.
While she spoke to him normally, she never responded to any of his attempts at conversation. In fact, she acted almost painfully awkward whenever he approached her. Eventually, he realized that he couldn’t learn anything useful unless he managed to catch her alone.
Fortunately, he happened to have a free period after lunch. As luck would have it, that was the same time she always went to the library. After confirming with the teacher beforehand, he made plans to go there right after classes were over.
When the final bell rang, he hurriedly changed clothes and headed straight to the cafeteria. It was only a short walk, so he arrived shortly thereafter. The sight of the large building filled with tables and chairs brought back memories of the previous night.
This place reminds me of the café I visited with His Highness…
His thoughts drifted back to their visit to the restaurant. Ever since that fateful dinner, he’d been wondering whether there was a connection between the two places—the one in town and this one.
He recalled the details of the meal itself: the food had tasted wonderful; the service was impeccable. Additionally, the atmosphere felt very different from the ones he was accustomed to. Everything about the experience was top-notch.
If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time I’ve eaten somewhere fancy without His Majesty being present.
Then again, I guess I can’t really compare the quality of the meals served at restaurants like this with what’s usually available in the capital. Still, even if the ingredients are superior, doesn’t that mean these dishes will taste better overall?
As his mind wandered, he found himself lost in thought. Just as he was starting to worry, however, someone called out to him.
“You’re late, Sir!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Daniel looked up and spotted Miss Riasruo standing next to him. He hadn’t noticed her approach. She must have followed him out of curiosity.
Oh, I see… She’s curious about why I’m here.
So far, she seemed to be avoiding any sort of direct contact with him. However, she apparently wanted to know exactly who he was. On a whim, he decided to tell her the truth.
“Yes, sorry. My parents’ work keeps them busy during the day, so sometimes they need me to take care of things while they’re gone,” he explained.
“Huh? What does that have to do with you coming here?”
“Well…”
Daniel hesitated before continuing. When he did speak, his answer was vague. “…it has something to do with the reason I’m here.”
“Ahh, you mean because you saw me last night. Right, then let’s talk after your break.”
With that said, she turned around and walked away.
I feel like I should apologize for lying to her… But honestly, how am I supposed to explain myself now…?
Now that he knew what she was looking for, he had little choice but to follow her lead. If he told her the whole story, she probably wouldn’t believe him anyway. And besides, she already knows enough about the situation thanks to my father. Even if I try to hide everything, she’ll eventually figure it out.
Besides, she seems pretty interested in me, so maybe telling her the truth won’t hurt.
That being said, there was still a chance she could use the information against him somehow. So long as he kept his guard up, though, he shouldn’t run into too many problems.
The rest of the school day passed quickly, and soon it was time for class to end. Once they returned to the classroom, Daniel waited until everyone else left. Then, he quietly slipped out of the room.
Once outside, he glanced toward Miss Riasruo’s desk. She sat on the opposite side of the aisle, facing him directly. Her eyes were fixed firmly ahead as she stared off into space.
In that moment, he finally understood what she was trying to say yesterday.
She wants to ask me about my relationship with my mother…
It wasn’t just that she didn’t want to hear his explanation. She actually wanted to meet his mom.
Couldn’t she have asked for something more reasonable? Like, maybe, “Why don’t we go to the park instead?” or some such nonsense…
After hesitating briefly, he began walking down the hallway. This way, she wouldn’t notice him leaving early. Unfortunately, that meant that he ran the risk of running into her at other times throughout the day.
Just as he reached the door leading out of the building, he heard footsteps approaching behind him.
Miss Riasruo stopped in front of him and spoke softly.
“Sir…”
“What is it?”
“Would you please come to sit with us today?”
He froze momentarily. Did she just invite me to join her table?
Thoughts raced through his head as he stood there, frozen in place. Finally, deciding that this might be an opportunity to learn more about the girl he was becoming acquainted with, Daniel nodded.
“Okay, sure. It sounds fun. Let’s go.”
With that, he opened the door and stepped out onto the grounds. The sun shone brightly overhead, warming his skin. As he gazed up at its light, he suddenly realized that the sky was blue.
Is this normal, or is it only happening right now because of the weather?
Before he could ponder further, Miss Riasruo approached him once again.
“Come along, Sir. We can all walk together.”
Following her gaze, he spotted five girls seated across from one another. They wore identical dresses, each decorated with a different pattern. Their hair was styled similarly, making their outfits look almost uniform.
Each of them appeared to be in middle age, yet they radiated youthfulness. Unlike most adults, none of them carried themselves with any sense of superiority. Instead, they exuded warmth and friendliness. The air surrounding them felt welcoming, inviting anyone nearby to approach without fear.
For whatever reason, Daniel couldn’t help feeling drawn toward them. He found himself subconsciously following behind Miss Riasruo, taking note of every detail.
As they drew closer, Daniel noticed that each of the women possessed striking features. Each had smooth, porcelain-like skin, large blue eyes, and red lips. In addition, their ears were slightly pointed, giving them a unique appearance.
They also weren’t wearing glasses like most people would expect. Rather, they sported stylish sunglasses with silver frames.
Furthermore, each woman had a pair of wings sprouting from her back. These looked similar to those of angels, except they were much larger than usual. From the looks of things, these creatures must possess great strength, since even Miss Riasruo seemed dwarfed by theirs.
Their garments were simple, consisting mostly of white skirts and blouses. However, unlike regular humans, they lacked sleeves, exposing their arms entirely.
When they caught sight of him, the group broke into smiles. One woman extended her hand and gently beckoned him over.
“…Oh! Hello!”
Daniel slowly walked forward, unsure whether he should shake hands or bow. Eventually, he settled on doing both. When he did, the woman’s smile grew wider, revealing dazzling teeth.
“Welcome, Sir. My name is Lefiya. Please call me ‘Lefi’.”
Her voice was soft and melodious, reminiscent of the wind rustling through the trees. Yet despite how pleasant it sounded, Daniel sensed no hint of malice in her words.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but may I speak with your mother?”
This caused Daniel to raise an eyebrow. Now that he took a second glance, he realized that the girl standing next to Lefiya was her younger sister.
She smiled sweetly as she watched him approach. Her long blonde hair fell past her shoulders, framing her delicate face. With her slender frame and fair complexion, she resembled nothing so much as a young nymph.
“Um, hello. My name is Daniel…ummm, Arc?”
Upon hearing his response, the two sisters exchanged glances.
“Ahaha! You’re the son of Master Archduke Levis, are you not?!”
The older sister laughed heartily, causing Daniel to flinch reflexively.
“That’s right! And you’ve taken quite the shine to our little sister here, haven’t you?”
“Ummm…well, yeah…”
“Aww, why thank ya, Daniel! That means sooo much to me!”
“But if you wanna talk with Mommy, then let’s get going already,” said the younger sister, who bore a striking resemblance to her elder sibling. She flashed a mischievous grin before turning around to lead him away.
“Let’s see what we can do for yer, Daniel. What’ll it be?”
“Huh? Um, uh, uhhh…”
Unsure of how to respond, Daniel followed after the two girls. Though they didn’t seem hostile, he remained cautious nonetheless.
After walking several steps, he finally regained his composure enough to ask a question.
“Uh, excuse me? Why am I meeting with your mom?”
“Well, seeing as how Daddy isn’t here today, we thought it’d be nice to have someone else join us. So, um, there’s something important I need to discuss with my mommy too.”
At this point, the three of them stopped moving altogether.
“So, erm, what exactly is it that you want to talk about?” asked Daniel hesitantly. His tone suggested that he wasn’t particularly interested in speaking with the two women.
However, the younger sister glanced at him and replied, “Why, just anything really! We don’t mind talking about all sorts of stuff!”
“Then we can talk about the weather, or maybe politics. Or perhaps we could discuss world events. Maybe even music?”
It was clear that neither of them intended to stop chatting until they ran out of topics. While Daniel was grateful that they were willing to spend time with him, he still wanted to know what it was they planned to say. After all, he doubted they were simply being friendly when they invited him along.
The End