Louise was grateful that her other classes were normal as expected. The professors were kind, and the other students ranged from lazy to moderately ambitious. Louise liked the ordinary. She was satisfied with living a special life in this world where she could cheer for Ian's and Stella's romance.
It had been a while since she thought of the original Louise Sweeney. She was a cunning animal, but during her time as her, she had found she changed her mind about the villain a little. Even villainous girls in novels deserved some sympathy. Maybe the original Louise was envious of the beautiful and gentle world reserved only for the main character. However, her jealousy has driven her to torture Stella in any way she could.
'She bullied her in so many different ways.''How on earth can she stand this difficult journey?'
Louise put her sympathy on hold and thought of the original Louise's misdeeds for a moment.
'She tripped and spilled hot things on Stella, lied to her about assignments, and even hurt her with sharp scissors and acted like it was a mistake.'
It was horrible to think about again. Afterwards the original Louise would run to Ian in tears, claiming it was Stella's fault, or she would use her money to bribe the students and teachers to her side.
'And in the library…'
Louise looked up at the large, classical-style building she had walked to, the heart of the Academy. Stella worked here to earn some money, but unfortunately, the original Louise continued to bully her in here too.
'Now that I don't, I'll hope that you'll have a good school life.'
—as the ordinary honor student and a lover of the crown prince. Of course, Louise hadn't seen any signs of romance developing yet, but she hoped Stella would find happiness soon.
Louise entered the library and slowly swept through the shelves. It was a soothing place.
Every library used the same classification system, so anyone could easily find the book they wanted. Of course, the quickest way was to simply ask the librarian, but Louise liked to wander the shelves and look for a fated book that would catch her eye. This was almost the last habit she had kept from her life in Korea.
Louise searched for the shelves which contained books on history. There was no one in the section and it was quiet. She picked up a few books and leafed through them, looking for something that would help her in class.
Louise glanced up as a thumping noise from one row over broke the silence. It wasn't anything noteworthy; A girl on a ladder had been reaching for a thick book and had dropped it. However, Louise couldn't take her eyes off the girl's beautiful red hair.
'Stella…'
Stella was just as startled by the book's fall. She quickly bowed her head as if apologizing to any students nearby, then turned back to organizing books again.
Louise felt a strange sensation as she looked at the scene. Come to think of it, there was a chapter where she fell off a ladder. Louise pressed her hand against forehead and and tried to remember the scene from the original novel.
The actual shelf contained books different from the list the librarian gave her.
Stella sighed a little. It seemed that even the rich students in the school couldn't do simple things like putting books back in their place. Even if she was pathetically poor daughter of Count Lapis, she would meticulously clean and organize the library to keep it neat.
Stella climbed on top of the heavy ladder. She thought it seemed a little high a first, but she quickly adjusted to it and was able to reach out to the shelf. However, she accidentally let a book slip out of her hands and it landed on the floor with a bang. Her hands must've been tired.
'So Stella rubbed her fingers for a moment.'
Louise looked across at Stella. She was still on the ladder, and Louise pressed her palm against her forehead again.
'After that, the librarian asked her if she was okay.'
The moment immediately after Louise remembered that, the librarian approached Stella.
"Stella, are you all right? If you're tired, take a rest."
"Yes, it's okay. I'm almost done, so I'll take a rest after I finish everything."
"Yes, it's okay. I'm almost done, so I'll take a rest after I finish everything."
Oh my god! It was the same! Louise covered her mouth with her hands. A silent scream seemed to come out. It was her first time in this world that she heard lines from the original novel. In fact, there was another reason why she remembered this scene clearly.
Stella looked through the book list again. Now she had to move the heavy copies. She pulled out a dark hardcover with her fingertips. The weight of the book gave made her thin wrist tremble, and the book began to slip from her hand again.
'No… !'
Stella stretched out her arms. The wooden ladder against the bookcase made a strange noise. Her body, which had reached out for the book, began to fall towards the floor.
It was then Ian who ran over and broke her fall. Of course, the scene was followed by another gorgeous, close up illustration in which the hero tightly gripped the heroine's waist. Would Louise get to see the scene play out in real life?
Louise held her hand near her heart and looked at Stella breathlessly. She was waiting for the illustration moment.
"No…!"
There was a small cry on Stella's lips. The thick book fell between her fingers, and Stella stretched out her arm in a rush.
Wait! At this moment, there was no sign of the male lead, who was supposed to appear unexpectedly. Red hair fluttered in the air.
The thump of the book falling on the floor. The creak of a ladder. The noises seemed to come to Louise in slow motion.
Oh my god, what could she do? Louise was running towards her before she even realized it. She reached her in time and caught falling Stella's body, and the two of them toppled over.
Fa-thud!
Their crash echoed through the library. After a while Louise cracked open her eyes. There was a throbbing pain in her back. She seemed to have landed on the ground when grabbing Stella.
Her senses started to come back one by one and she felt the weight of the other girl on top of her. Louise's arm was bent around her waist.
… Huh? Louise looked up.
Stella stared back down at Louise.