When Arden entered the main library, Runa was already there. She sat at one of the long tables by the floor-to-ceiling window. The girl is reading a book. Her expression was serious and strands of her hair fell beside her face like sheer brown curtains bathed in sunlight.
Arden paused for a moment beside the entrance, observing a human figure who had just escaped death last night.
One second Arden was late, Runa wouldn't be here now.
The lowly demon tricked him. It distracts Arden by duplicating itself while its true form chases Runa and the others last night.
Arden didn't know what the demon's motive was for chasing them. They are clearly not talking or doing anything that could bring on a negative aura or sin. And Arden will never know the reason, because he had abolished the demon.
Arden tilted his head and shoved his hands into the pockets of his ripped jeans. For a human who had just faced a terrible thing, Runa looked fine.
In fact… she's too fine. That just looks so wrong.
It was as if she had gotten used to seeing demons and other extremely terrifying things.
Plus the fact that not only Runa could see them, but she also could see Arden in his form as a Fallen Angel.
Arden walked to the table and pulled the chair opposite where Runa was sitting.
Runa looked up and noticed him. No smile on her lips. "You come," she said.
"I am the man of my word."
Runa pouted. "Good then. That means I can trust you."
Arden glanced at the open book in front of Runa and she realized where Arden's gaze was directed. Runa closed the book and pushed it aside.
"Interested in exorcism?" asked Arden. It is a book that discusses the demons and the various signs of their appearance on earth.
"No," said Runa. The answer was too quick to make Arden arch an eyebrow.
"To think you'd be interested in such nonsensical things."
Arden provoked her on purpose, but he knew she must not be that easy to tell anyone about what happened last night.
Runa tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and tapped the table with the fingers of her left hand. "I think there is nothing unreasonable in this world," she said. "People think something is unreasonable just because they don't understand it yet."
Before Arden could respond to Runa's statement, Runa immediately said, "I know what you did earlier."
Arden leaned over the table and supported his chin with one hand. His eyes stared at Runa. "Did what?"
"You threw the ball at Owen on purpose," said Runa, getting to the point. "You don't have to do that. I can handle it myself."
"I am not doing anything." Arden blinked and returned his gaze to Runa.
Slowly, the girl's face turned red. And if it's a sign of embarrassment, Runa is pretty good at hiding it. She straightened her back and looked at Arden.
"I hope so. Because I'm not used to getting help to solve my problems."
"Will accepting help to solve your problem hurt your pride?" Arden withdrew and now leaned back in the chair.
The library this afternoon was almost deserted. There were only the two of them here, out of the many tables and chairs that lined the window.
This silence felt so sacred, as if Arden was in a place far from the mortal world, with a human whose thoughts he could not predict.
At one time, Runa seemed so fragile and frivolous, but at other times she showed a side of herself that earned her the title of Miss Perfect.
Her duality, and any other secrets she might have, slowly but surely stunned Arden.
"Relying on other people is wrong," replied Runa. Her eyes wandered as she said that. "You never know when they will leave you… or betray you."
Those are bitter words, Arden thought. Only a person who had been hurt so deeply by another could utter such words.
Arden could have asked Runa, mocking her about terrible experiences and past traumas. But when he saw the seriousness on her face, he knew that doing so would only make Runa shut herself away from him even more.
And Arden didn't want that to happen. Because he needed Runa to open up to him so he could find out why she could see his angelic figure.
"That sounds like a piece of good advice," Arden said moments later.
"Of course. I've survived this far, holding onto that belief." Runa looked proud when she said it.
"And where did you learn it? Your father?"
"No," said Runa. "Life experience."
Their conversation was going deeper, as Arden had hoped. By asking Runa the right questions, Arden could get a piece of information from her. Whatever it was, would be precious.
But unfortunately, their conversation had to stop when they heard heels hitting the floor. Arden turned around and saw Mrs. Fonard walking toward them.
"Good afternoon," said Mrs. Fonard. She stared at Arden for a long time, as if she couldn't believe Arden's appearance here, then Mrs. Fonard turned to Runa and said, "Good job, Ms. Crown. I told you, you have terrific social skills."
"Thank you," Runa replied, nodding and smiling. She then glanced at Arden, like confirming something, before looking back at Mrs. Fonard.
Arden almost snuffled in laughter when he heard the compliment. If only Mrs. Fonard knew that the method Runa used to persuade him was not with her terrific social skills, but with threats.
Mrs. Fonard pulled out a chair next to Runa and sat there. After that, she started giving directions about the competition and what things Arden and Runa had to prepare.
They were discussing for about an hour and without realizing it, Arden was involved in this activity. Arden had expected that he would die of boredom and would just be silent throughout the meeting, but Runa could get him involved in the discussion.
Maybe what Mrs. Fonard said earlier was true about Runa's ability to persuade someone.
"It would be nice if the two of you had regular meetings to do the preparation. As I said before, I look forward to weekly progress reports," said Mrs. Fonard after they finished discussing the initial draft of the scientific paper.
"Then we should meet at least once a day?" Arden asked a question, which was met with a frown on Runa's forehead.
"Yes. That's better," answered Mrs. Fonard while pulling her lips into a serious, thin line. "The more often you meet and do this assignment, the faster your scientific paper will be completed. You will have plenty of time to prepare for the presentation."
"But… I don't think I can do that," said Runa. "As you know, I don't have much free time because I'm active in several organizations—"
"You're not the only administrator there, are you, Ms. Crown? If necessary, I will give you a dispensation so that for the time being, you don't need to be involved in any activities and can focus on working on this project. This competition is very important because it puts the reputation of our university at stake. Sunbrillo has always won in this competition before."
Arden found Runa clenching her jaw for a moment and a restrained expression on her face before she replied, "There's no need to do that, Mrs. Fonard. I will talk with the others and reschedule my activities."
"Good." Mrs. Fonard nodded, then rose from her chair and cleared the books and journals she had brought from the table. "Please arrange your meeting time. We will meet again one week from now."
---
There was a glint of satisfaction in Arden's eyes when Mrs. Fonard ordered Runa to meet him every day.
What Mrs. Fonard asked is actually a reasonable move. Runa did have to meet with Arden every day to do this scientific paper. And it is not impossible that they have to go to several places to do research.
But there was something about Arden that was calling out a distress signal, which made Runa unsure if she would be safe with him.
Perhaps due to the fact that Arden was not the type of man to be welcomed in the Crown family residence. Runa was almost certain that spending time with Arden would only bring her trouble, and that was something that Runa desperately wanted to avoid right now.
She didn't want to add to the long list of excuses her father could use to destroy her little cottage.
"So, when will we meet again?" Arden's question distracts Runa's mind.
Runa blinked and realized that Mrs. Fonard was out of the library.
"Why are you so excited about this competition now?" Runa asked back. "If I remember, I had to threaten you just to drag you here."
"Ooh… so you're admitting now that the method you were to use was a threat?"
Runa only gave Arden a wry, cynical smile while tidying up the scattered books in front of her.
When Runa finished tidying up the books and piled them into a tall pile that covered her face, suddenly Arden leaned across the table and shifted the pile of books to the side.
"You haven't answered my question," Arden said.
"Which one?"
Runa tried to control herself, unaffected by the presence of Arden, who was now so close to her. Their faces were only a book's width apart, and for a split second, Runa felt familiar with that face. As if she had seen him somewhere.
"When will we meet again?"
Runa reached out to grab back the pile of books that Arden was sliding, but Arden held the top of the pile with one hand.
Runa glanced and sighed, then looked away. "Shouldn't we meet tomorrow? We will always meet in class for the next few months."
Arden dragged the pile of books away from Runa, then scooped and lifted them up in one jolt. "Looks like you need some time to think about it," said Arden, tilting his head. "See you tomorrow, then."
And as he always did every time he ended a meeting with Runa, he just left.
---
On the other side of the library, behind a shelf not far from where Runa and Arden were sitting, someone was watching them with a malevolent gaze.
"Runa Crown," the person hissed. "Does she want to own everything in this world??"