Eudora's POV
Lilith carefully stacks the plates we had used, her movements precise and almost graceful as the soft clink of porcelain fills the quiet room. A faint smile curls at the corner of her lips before she turns to face me.
"Well," she says, tilting her head slightly, "Since we've got nothing else to do, how about we head to the library?"
I looked up at her, eyes widened slightly at the idea of visiting a library, a thrill ran through me. A library... "You mean books right? To read real books?" The words spilled out, tinged with eager curiosity.
She chuckled softly, I watched the way the light framed her face. She always seems so calm... Like nothing ever really rattles her. "Yes, to read books" she repeated, her voice steady. A soft smile tugged at my lips, accompanied by a small, approving nod. "I would love to go…"
We rose from our seats, and Lilith gently guided me down the quiet corridor. Heels clicked a steady rhythm against the polished floors. My heart pounded in anticipation, the thought of having the chance to read filled me with excitement that I couldn't control, I wonder what kind of books are in the library... The soft echo of our footsteps followed us until the hallway opened into the library.
"Oh wow… there's so many books," I murmur.
Lilith laughs softly. "Well, of course~ The master has lived for centuries. Collecting books is just one of his hobbies."
I wander among the shelves, trailing my fingers along the spines. Growing up in a farmer's house, having one book was already a luxury… And since I fled from home, I had lost the one my father had given me.
Dad…
My hand curled into fists before slamming it against the nearest stack. My eyes widen, and a harsh, almost unrecognizable laugh slips from my lips. My chest tightens painfully. I shouldn't think about him. Not here. Not ever again.
Lilith flinched, turning to face me. "A-Are you alright?"
I took a deep breath, forcing my expression to calm as I looked at her. "Sorry..."
Her eyes were full of concern. "If you're not feeling well, just tell me. If you need to talk-"
I cut her off, shaking my head. "I'm fine..." I reached up to rub the back of my neck. "I just… I don't feel like sharing anything. Some things are better left buried."
I turned away from her, walking to a different corner of the room, leaving Lilith on her own.
She watched me go, her lips barely moving as she muttered to herself, "She seems so quiet… so harmless. But right now… She looks like she could tear someone apart."
I ran a hand along the spines of the books, though I wasn't sure what I was looking for, something to steady the storm in my chest, something to distract the chaos brewing inside. Most of the books were dark, dull, their colors swallowed by shadow, blending into one another.
Out of all the somber spines, this one stood out. Bright blue, almost glowing in contrast to the others, it demanded my attention, as if it were calling to me, daring me to reach for it. My heart thudded in my chest as my fingers reached out to grab the book.
I slid the book off the shelf, cradling it in my hands as if it weighed more than it looked. My fingers traced the cover before I read the title aloud under my breath. "The Monster and the Saint, huh…" The words lingered, strange and intriguing.
I scanned the room for a quiet spot, somewhere I could sit without interruption. Once I found it, I settled down, the book resting on my lap. Slowly, deliberately, I opened it, the crisp pages whispering as they turned, and began reading.
When I started reading the first lines, I immediately got hooked. Each word seemed to pull me further into a world I had never known. I swam through the pages, my heart pounding with anticipation, each turn revealing more of the human and the beast, their world so fragile and dangerous, yet bound together by something neither could fully name. I continued to read through the first book, then the second, and last.
A strange ache filled me. Love was not just warmth or comfort, I realized. It could be sharp, it could burn, it could demand everything you had and still leave you yearning for more. The kind of love I read about was eternal, unyielding, fierce in its devotion, something that did not care for the world's rules, for danger, for fear.
By the time I closed the book, I realized my understanding had deepened. Love could exist even in the dark. Even between beings so different, so dangerous, that the world might never forgive it.
I was lost in thought, staring at the cover of the book, when I felt a sudden warmth behind me. Lilith had wrapped her arms around me.
"Hey~ Is everything alright now?" she asked, her voice gentle. She noticed the faint flush on my cheeks. "Hmm? Something's changed."
Her gaze drifted to the book in my hands, and a soft chuckle escaped her. "I see… that must be your first romance book, huh?"
I nodded softly, my fingers tracing the edges of the cover. "Yeah… I wonder… Is love like the one shown in this book, even possible?"
Lilith blinked, tilting her head slightly. "Oh, you're opening up a bit now… Well, of course love is possible. It doesn't always look like the stories in books, but it exists. Real love is messy, scary, sometimes painful… but it can also be the most powerful thing you'll ever feel. You just have to be willing to take the chance."
While I was still in a daze, Lilith gently grabbed my hand, pulling me up to my feet. "Well, come on, let's go to the garden next."
While we were headed to the garden, I found myself daydreaming as I walked through the empty halls, imagining what it would be like to have someone hold you through every storm, to be needed so completely that the world could not touch you. It was not a gentle thought, it throbbed with longing, with hunger. I wanted that kind of love, even if it ached, even if it was dangerous, even if it demanded everything.
The sun cast its golden light on us as we stepped outside. "Looks like the sun's about to set," Lilith said, taking a deep breath. The breeze carried the faint scent of flowers. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, and the soft rustle of leaves filled the space between our footsteps.
We wandered along the cobblestone path, the garden alive with color and life. Lilith pointed out a cluster of lavender, then a small patch of wildflowers. "See? Some things are simple but still beautiful," she said, her eyes lighting up.
I hesitated for a moment, holding the book against my chest. "…Can I keep this book?" I asked softly.
She glanced at me, then smiled warmly. "Of course. If they make you happy, or curious, then they're yours. I'm sure the master wouldn't mind at all."
I took my time, letting my eyes wander across the beauty of the garden. And as I walked beside Lilith, something pale near the path caught my eye.
A small bird lay there, its wings half-open, feathers ruffled as if it had fought desperately to reach the sky one last time. Its tiny chest was motionless, and its dark eyes stared into nothing. A shiver ran down my spine, the garden seemed unnaturally silent, the breeze almost hesitant, as if afraid to disturb the stillness.
I crouched beside the fragile creature, the garden around me suddenly heavy. "You could fly freely…" I whispered, my voice barely breaking the stillness, "So how did you end up dead on the ground?"
Lilith glanced back at me, tilting her head, her expression soft but strangely distant, almost thoughtful. "Poor thing," she murmured. "Maybe the wind betrayed it… or it flew too far, too high, and couldn't find its way back."
"Perhaps some things are never meant to fly…" I murmured, almost to myself. My gaze lingered on the bird a moment longer, the weight of its stillness pressing against my chest, and I felt an unsettling certainty settle deep inside me, freedom, like life, could be fragile, fleeting, and sometimes cruelly out of reach.