Blending into the Darkness
As the time to return to the dormitory approached, I was at the library.
The surroundings had already darkened, and the librarians had finished their work and were beginning to pack up.
By the way, my current location… while I was indeed at the library, I was standing on the roof.
Good thing it wasn’t a gabled roof.
Thanks to that, it made infiltration easier.
"Alright… I’ll start moving in a little while."
After confirming that everyone had left the library, I carefully made my way toward the forbidden archives, ensuring I made no noise.
This library was shaped like a doughnut.
When I had visited the forbidden archives before, I had seen a courtyard-like area.
Since it could only be accessed from the forbidden archives, it was safe to assume that the place belonged exclusively to Claire.
In other words, if I followed the roof and descended into the courtyard, I could enter the forbidden archives without anyone noticing.
Additionally, I had obtained some favorable information from President Tricia.
That was—Claire did not live in the dormitory but instead resided within the forbidden archives.
I had suspected as much when I visited before.
What made me suspicious was the number of rooms.
For an archive, there were several rooms unrelated to books, and I had noticed the presence of living essentials.
If I were to compare it to my past life, it felt like an apartment unit.
My guess was correct—President Tricia confirmed that Claire was living there.
Still, she’s being ridiculously privileged.
That just shows how strong the influence of the Mertzalo family is within the academy.
As I approached the courtyard, I spotted a large tree.
If I used it, I could safely descend.
I had already checked everything beforehand.
Thus, I successfully arrived in the courtyard of the forbidden archives… but an unexpected situation arose.
In one corner of the courtyard, there was a small field for cultivating magic plants.
Near it stood Claire.
Her face, illuminated by the faint light of a lamp embedded with luminous stones, carried a lonely expression.
Or rather, had she not even noticed me standing so close by?
She seemed so lost in thought—it looked that way to me.
"Are you okay, Claire?"
Unable to hold back, I called out to her.
She slowly turned toward me, and when her eyes focused on me, they widened in shock.
"L-Lake!? Why are you here!?"
"I was worried about you, so I came to check on you."
"B-But my Brother had the door to the archives heavily locked…"
Her brother, huh?
So she really was forcibly confined in the archives by Walton.
"I came through the roof. I saw this courtyard when I visited before and remembered it."
If Walton was still the same unimpressive man as before, then even if he reinforced the door, he wouldn’t have thought about someone descending from above. My guess had been spot on.
This confirms it.
That guy hasn’t changed at all.
He’s just riding on Claire’s power to climb the ranks.
"What happened, Claire?"
"T-That’s…"
"Tell me. I want to help you. I want us to go back to the way we used to be—running around and playing together."
"Lake…"
She was hesitating.
Claire’s heart was wavering.
… Just a little more.
"I can’t just leave you when you’re troubled. Please, tell me."
I gently placed my hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.
Immediately, her jade-colored eyes trembled.
"… Thank you, Lake."
After whispering those words, Claire began to reveal her true feelings.
What do you think about this chapter?
