El waved goodbye to her new friend as she closed the entrance door with wonderful wooden carvings behind herself. She stood still looking at the girl’s image even after she was long gone. Her motionless face revealed none of her emotions besides the subtle joy from before as she took the book the girl has read and grasped it firmly in her hands.

What took the girl minutes, for her took only three steps to reach the bookshelf and return the item to the place it belonged to. With a tiny speck of tear hidden under her eyelashes, she returned to the room behind the counter.

An unknown amount of time crawled past the shelves until a cheerful shout broke the eerie silence. A man wearing a red cape and polished plate armor walked resolutely the corridors, ignoring the main appeals of the place heading to a precise location. His physical appearance was on the better side, including his face. This person carried no weapon but a bouquet of exotic flowers of bright colors.

The moment he reached the counter he stopped to inspect his own demeanor and finding no fault he used the bell.

Slowly the door opened and the cat-eared girl walked out with her usual gentle smile. She greeted him politely to start the conversation.

“Welcome! I didn’t expect anyone this quick after another.”

The girl closed the book she was reading and still holding in her hands and put it under the counter in one swift motion so the man was unable to see the title. His smile faded a little seeing her and was rather surprised but he dared not to be rude.

“Excuse me. My name is Arnold Mon. Is El here?”

The girl tilted her head at the strange question before answering.

“Yes, I’m El. is there something you would like from me specifically?”

The man visibly flinched at the response, his eyes darting between her and the door at her back. His hands shook a little and a drop of nervous sweat trickled down from his handsome temple.

“Right. The person I’m searching for is an elven-like maiden, a little taller than me. Long ears and an easily recognizable mystic beauty. I met her here before. Can I talk to her?”

“There is no such person here. It is only I, alone. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Arnold Mon did not respond for a while and stood like a stone statue. Then, his face warped into a forced smile like a sudden realization hit him and as if the previous conversation never happened, he continued.

“I have this gift with me and it would be a shame if it was thrown away. May I gift it to you? The flower in the middle is Libus Ent from the Great Emerald Forest of the Ashin continent. It is said that their dark sky blue color represents eternal beauty. The ones on the outside are blue roses from my own flower garden, they represent-” he stopped a moment there ”...my feelings towards the mystical and wish to learn. I hope you accept and care for them.”

The young girl gracefully accepted the flowers he presented and placed them in a vase on top of the counter for all visitors to marvel at. The gaze she glazed at the flowers revealed her innocent glee receiving them even if she knew they were originally intended for someone else.

“Thank you!” Those words come from deep within her heart without any hidden intentions.

“My pleasure. Would it be fine by you if I talk about a story?”

As the young man raised a question the girl leaned forward from behind the desk and grasped his hands between hers with a speed he could not perceive. Her face exposed an emotion of delight much greater than the one before as her eyes bore deep into his. Arnold felt for a second that he has been grasped between the claws of an undefeatable predator, yet when he took notice of her hands touching his he slightly blushed.

“Please!” The girl pleaded smilingly with infinite curiosity.

“Alright, but would it be fine if walked for a while before?”

El felt a bit ashamed at her overly excited reaction and let go of his hand. She made a fake cough and raised her arm towards the table with chairs on the right. He glanced at her, then at the table, then back at her again. He shook his head from left to right and walked to the end of the counter.

The girl did not understand his intention at first but soon noticed him offering his left hand in a noble manner. His stance looked pretty dashing from her perspective. Recognizing the custom from a book she read, she placed her wrist on top of his forearm without any of her fingers touching each other to accept the invitation.

The man led her forward through the infinite long and tall aisle of bookshelves as if he knew the place. She did not comment on him nor talk, they merely walked forward for minutes. He stopped. The girl looked at him, eager to learn more about the interesting person before her and watched him steal a glance at a book on his right. He then turned to face her.

“I’m lost. Can you lead us back?” Whilst his tone was a bit embarrassed, he didn’t mind as El chuckled at his expense.

“In this library, you always reach wherever you have to be regardless where you go. Perhaps we are in the right place?”

He continued to look her in the eye with a slight smile.

“No. The past is past, the future is future, but we live in in the present. Please take me back and let me talk about myself a little.”

“So ambiguous- I will let you off this one time.”

The girl laughed out loud as she let go of him and started walking in the opposite direction with the man following behind her in smaller but more resolute steps. By the time they arrived the tea sufficiently cooled down on the table and she poured a cup for him to enjoy. They both took a seat and placed themselves in a comfortable position readying themselves for the tale promised.

“Please, begin.”