It was a quiet night, and Leo was struggling to climb through the window of the Great Library. His clothes were ragged and dirty from constantly being thrown out.
"Why is the ground floor window so high up?" he muttered to himself, grumbling as he pulled himself up.
Covered in dirt, Leo peeked inside the window, but to his shock, a lady was already standing there, staring directly at him.
"Oh! Sorry!" Leo gasped, quickly trying to retreat, scrambling down without a second glance.
Before he could make his escape, he felt himself lifted into the air.
"Shit, this is the 46th time," he thought, resigning himself to another rough landing outside.
The woman holding him had snow-white hair, striking against the dim light. But it was her golden eyes that set her apart—clearly, she wasn't an ordinary librarian. She stood tall, watching him like she had been expecting him all along.
Leo braced himself for the inevitable toss back onto the street.
But... nothing happened.
To his surprise, she let out a sigh and gently put him down inside the library.
"The library is already closed, so it should be fine," she said, though Leo couldn't understand her words.
She turned and glared at him with a sharp, warning look.
"Don't do anything stupid, understand?"
Leo, clueless about what she was saying, thought to himself,
I don't know what she's saying... but I think I'm in the clear for now.
Time passed, and Leo found himself thinking, What's the point of sneaking in here if I can't even understand a word they're saying?
He trailed behind the librarian silently, careful to make no noise, though his constant presence was clearly beginning to wear on her patience.
"There are only two ways to learn a new language" he mused.
"One, having someone teach me, but for that, we'd need at least one language in common. So that's out." He smirked.
"The second is self-teaching—reading people's body language, picking up hints from their expressions. That's why I keep coming back."
The librarian stopped abruptly, letting out a long, weary sigh as she turned to face him, irritation clear in her golden eyes.
She gave him a deadpan look. "You know what? I've changed my mind."
Leo blinked, confused, tilting his head.
Before he knew it, he was already airborne, hurtling out of the library doors for what felt like the hundredth time.
With a thud, he hit the ground outside, wincing as he watched the doors close firmly behind him.
He let out a frustrated sigh. "Well, guess it's back to square one... again"
Leo's eyes snapped open with the first light of dawn, and he blinked, momentarily disoriented. Around him, a few early passersby stopped just long enough to share a few hushed laughs.
"Did he sleep out here?" someone muttered.
"Why's he even here?" another sneered. "What a dumbass."
Ignoring them, Leo slowly stood up and made his way to the fountain. He splashed his face, the cold water snapping him fully awake.
The murmurs faded into the background as he grinned to himself.
"Alright," he whispered. "Time to make this library business work."
He clenched his fists, eyes gleaming with determination.
"Round two."
At the same time Inside the quiet library, the old librarian lady was dozing off at the reservation desk when a young man approached her with a teasing grin.
"Hey, Granny, you know sleeping on the job's not allowed, right?"
She cracked one eye open, giving him a drowsy look.
"Oh, it's you, brat."
Lifting her head and rubbing her temple, she mumbled, "I couldn't get a wink of sleep last night because of that Radiance kid."
The young man raised a brow, surprised.
"Ray? Causing trouble?"
She scoffed, waving her hand dismissively.
"No, not him—the other one."
He blinked, caught off guard.
"The other one?"
She sighed, exasperated.
"That kid with the black hair. He's been a nuisance."
A few seconds of silence passed as he absorbed her words. Then, realization dawned on his face.
"So that's what the crowd outside was for, huh?" he murmured, clenching his fist slightly. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
At the entrance of the library, just as Leo was about to step up the stairs, he found his path blocked. A figure stood there, almost waiting for him. Leo halted, narrowing his eyes, then took a step back, sizing up the newcomer.
The young man before him had striking golden hair that glinted in the morning light and piercing emerald-green eyes that looked Leo over with cold intensity.
Leo's mind clicked almost immediately.
"Ah... must be him," he thought to himself. "Prince Aldrich Leonheart, the Emperor's third son."
Leo kept his expression steady, watching as Aldrich simply stood there, not moving an inch. It was as if the prince was daring him to try and pass.
After a tense silence, Aldrich finally spoke, his tone sharp.
"So, you're the infamous Leo Radiance, huh?"
Leo barely glanced at him, his thoughts already wandering. Great... Another one, he thought. What does this guy want?
He sighed, clearly uninterested. Aldrich's eyes flickered with anger as he noticed Leo's indifference.
"You really live up to the rumors," Aldrich continued, his voice laced with irritation. "Quiet, arrogant... like you think your family name will protect you forever."
Leo's mind drifted again. Why do they all say the same thing?
Aldrich's words sharpened. "If it wasn't for your father, my father would've dealt with you a long time ago."
Yap, yap, yap... Leo thought, stifling a yawn.
Seeing the yawn, Aldrich's rage flared. His hands shook as whispers echoed from the growing crowd.
"Look at him... yawning in front of a prince!"
"Does he even know how to act properly?"
Aldrich had enough. In one swift motion, he ripped off his glove and hurled it at Leo.
With barely a flicker of effort, Leo caught the glove in midair. He stared at it, eyebrows raised.
"hmmm...?" Leo asked, genuinely confused.
Leo studied the glove in his hand, his thoughts racing.
So, it's the same as the old traditions in my world—a knight's challenge. Throw down the gauntlet, and picking it up means you're accepting the duel.
He looked at Aldrich, then tossed the glove to the ground.
Aldrich's face twisted with barely controlled rage.
"You… coward! Are you truly refusing my challenge?" he sneered.
Leo's patience snapped.
"Shut up!" he barked, his tone sharp.
It was the first word he'd managed in their language.
I must've heard that word a hundred times throughout the night, he thought to himself. Of course, I'd pick up a few words by now.
PeopLe around them whispere d, the ir voices
full of shock and judgment.
"Did he just ignore the prince?" one
muttered.
"He has no respect... even for royalty,"another added.
ALdrich's anger reached its Limit. He clenchedhis jaw, eyes narrowing at Leo.
"You arrogant coward!" he spat, drawing9 hisbLade in a swift motion. "Do you even knowthe price for disrespecting a member of theroyal family?"
Leo Looked at him, unfazed.
ALdrich's voice echo ed, "This offense... itwilL be your end!"
He swung his bLade, but before it couLd reachLeo, someone intervene d. A fLash of silverintercepted the strike-a smalL dagger.Standing between them was the Librarian, herstance steady and eyes fierce.
Leo stood behind her, caLm and unaffected.
With a swift, firm push, the librarian sent the prince stumbling back. He managed to catch his balance, his eyes narrowing in anger.
"What do you think you're doing, old hag?" he sneered.
She met his glare with a steely, cold stare. "What am I doing? That's exactly what I should be asking you, Prince."
He scoffed. "He disrespected the Royal Family."
She held her ground, voice steady. "You challenged him to a duel, and he declined. So you drew your sword on him? Is that what the Royal Family teaches now—forcing a fight when one isn't wanted? I wonder how Edward would feel about that."
Prince Aldrich stiffened, her words clearly hitting a nerve. "You…"
He looked away, frustration written across his face. "Fine. You win, old hag," he muttered, casting Leo one last glare before turning to leave.
Leo stood still, quietly observing, as the prince stormed off, leaving the librarian and him in silence.
Leo's gaze lingers on the librarian as thoughts swirl in his mind.
"She just called the Emperor by his name…" he muses, "No one would dare to do that. But for her, it's different."
He leans slightly against the wall, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"There are two reasons I keep coming back here," he continues silently. "The first is obvious—I need to learn this world's language as quickly as possible."
His attention shifts back to the librarian.
"The second… is safety."
His thoughts grow sharper, memories of constant threats flashing in his mind.
"Since I came to this world, it's been one enemy after another. But with her here…"
Leo's lips curl into a faint smirk as his gaze locks on her.
"She's no ordinary librarian. She's a war hero. She fought alongside my grandmother herself. And with her around, no one would dare touch me."
The faint clinking of her dagger being sheathed snaps him out of his thoughts, grounding him in the present.
The librarian shot him a sharp glance, arms crossed tightly.
"What's wrong with you? It's only been a week since your banishment was lifted, and you've already stirred up trouble with half the kingdom," she said, her tone a mix of exasperation and curiosity.
Leo stayed silent, lost in his own thoughts. She's right… only five chapters in, and it's already a circus of characters. I need to pump the brakes before readers lose interest. Focus. One thing at a time.
He barely noticed her staring at him as his mind wandered deeper.
"Hey! Kid!" Her voice cut through his thoughts like a blade, pulling him back to reality.
The librarian opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get a word out, Leo suddenly bowed deeply.
"Thank you," he said, his tone calm yet firm.
Her golden eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the gesture.
Before she could respond, Leo straightened and turned away, his steps brisk as if he had no time to linger.
In his mind, he mused, You were more helpful than you'll ever know, old lady. Thanks to you, I've grasped the basics of this language. But this is just the beginning. I need to learn more—and fast.
As she watched him disappear through the library's entrance, a faint smile crept onto her face. She leaned back in her chair, her gaze softening.
"Your grandson is nothing like you described, Elena," she murmured to herself, a hint of nostalgia lacing her voice.