After they ate, the warden returned Salviana' basket and she accepted it with a smal smile.
As the couple stepped out of The Regal Hearth, Salviana clutched the basket of flower seeds, the delicate hand fans, and a neatly wrapped parcel of pastries from the restaurant.
However, a contented drowsiness had settled over her after the hearty meal, and her steps were growing slower.
Alaric noticed her shift in energy and leaned in, smirking. "You look ready to sleep like you won't need food for the next week," he teased, gently tugging the basket from her fingers.
She huffed in playful defiance, pulling the basket back to her side. "It's called digesting, Alaric," she said with a mock air of instruction. "I'm not a vampire. Unlike you, I can't survive without resting a little."
"Walking after eating is good for you," he countered, raising a brow with feigned seriousness.
She laughed, shaking her head. "Says the vampire! You wouldn't know the first thing about digesting food." Alaric chuckled, conceding her point as they continued their leisurely walk, "So we'd walk to the library, can you do that with me?," Alaric asked with a raised brow making her attempt to elbow hmm but he softly held her together making her frown.
"Stop teasing me," she whined with a soft glare proving how slow the meal was making her.
"Anything," he murmured steadying her with a grip.
They resumed walking and eventually turning down an arched street that led toward the grandest building in all of Wyfellon—the Wyfscroll Library.
The library was a marvel that dominated the entire square. Ancient stone columns lined the exterior, entwined with ivy that crept along the intricate carvings of scholars and mythical beasts adorning the façade.
Large, arched windows caught the midday light, sending a radiant glow through stained-glass designs that made the building look like it held all the colors of the world within it.
As they approached, Salviana's eyes widened, a look of childlike wonder dawning on her face. Her grip on Alaric's arm tightened, and she practically bounced on her toes. "Is this… the Wyfscroll Library?"
"It is," he replied, a pleased smile tugging at his lips as he watched her excitement. She was usually so composed, but here, she looked ready to leap forward with every step.
They entered the grand hall, and Salviana's mouth fell open. The ceiling stretched up into a high dome, frescoed with celestial scenes that seemed to glow in the ambient light.
Shelves upon shelves of books lined the walls, stretching toward the heavens, each carved from dark oak, laden with volumes bound in leather, velvet, and silk.
Scholars and researchers milled around, whispering in quiet awe, their arms filled with scrolls and books.
Rows of tables stretched through the center, each one occupied by scribes, scholars, and students from all over Wyfn-garde, deeply engrossed in the texts before them.
Salviana felt a thrill run through her as the scent of parchment and ink filled her senses, mingling with the faint hint of aged wood.
She looked up at Alaric, her eyes shining with delight. "I've never seen anything like this," she breathed. "It's… it's…"
"Grand?" he finished, amused by her open astonishment.
She nodded vigorously. "Grand doesn't even begin to describe it." She took a hesitant step forward, as if to soak in every detail, her gaze darting from shelf to shelf.
Alaric could almost see the urge within her to skip across the room, rummaging through every book and discovering its secrets.
Suddenly, unable to contain herself, Salviana turned back to him with an eager grin. "I feel like I could spend an entire month here!"
Not because she was an addictive reader but because it looked so beautiful.
He chuckled, placing a hand on her back to guide her further inside. "Perhaps one day, you'll have your own collection to rival it."
With a gleam of determination, Salviana whispered, "Oh, I plan on it."
As they ventured deeper into the library, Alaric led Salviana toward the gardening section, where rows of books on botany, soil preparation, and garden design filled the shelves.
She eagerly ran her fingers over the spines, her excitement nearly tangible as she picked up a few promising titles.
Alaric observed her with a pleased smile, watching as her enthusiasm bloomed in the presence of knowledge and discovery.
After a few minutes, Salviana noticed an unoccupied reading nook nearby and stacked her chosen books there. But her curiosity, ever wandering, began to drift elsewhere.
She caught sight of a narrow corridor leading to a shadowed area at the far side of the library, her eyes glinting with intrigue as she glanced over at Alaric.
He was completely engrossed in a thick manual on native Wyfellon flora, his brow furrowed in concentration.
Taking a deep breath, Salviana ventured quietly down the corridor, drawn toward the mysteries of the darkened section.
Here, the air felt heavier, the woodwork and shelves darker. Candle sconces flickered against the dimness, illuminating old volumes and tomes marked with strange symbols.
Her gaze traveled over the spines, and her fingers lightly traced their titles until she came across a section that made her heart skip—a collection on the supernatural, and more specifically… vampires.
A chill ran down her spine, and her curiosity deepened. She was nervous yet eager to understand more about Alaric's nature, something she realized she knew little about beyond his calm exterior and gentle demeanor.
Here, perhaps, were books that held the secrets he kept, or details he might never reveal. Her hand hovered over a particularly weathered tome titled Legends and Laws of Vampiric Lineages.
She glanced back to see if Alaric was watching, but he was still deeply immersed in his own search.
Carefully, she pulled the book from the shelf, its ancient weight solid in her hands. She turned to the first page, her breath catching as she read through passages describing vampiric origins, abilities, and struggles. Some sections were chilling, others romanticized the vampire's existence.
A flicker of doubt crossed her mind. Did she truly want to delve into the darker aspects of Alaric's existence?
"Salviana?" His voice was suddenly close, low and soft in the silence.