Chereads / The War Librarian / Chapter 3 - He knows!

Chapter 3 - He knows!

The parents did not accept the proposal. Oliver became furious and threatened to go to the library and hit the librarian for making such a suggestion. As a consequence, Emilia burst into tears and lost her appetite.

"It's been two days since she last touched her food..." the mother showed the untouched plate to the father, who bore the same worried expression. "Maybe we were too harsh with her..."

"Nothing will change my mind!" the father said, but that same afternoon, something happened that made him reconsider those words.

Emilia was lying down, and the father knocked on the door three times. "Can I come in?" There was no response.

When he opened the door, he saw a sewing kit thrown on the floor and a bedsheet hanging out the window. He looked down, and there was his daughter, climbing down from the bedroom using the makeshift rope.

"EMILIA!" he shouted, startling the girl, causing her to fall. They lived on the sixth floor of an apartment building in the city's suburbs. The fall would have been nasty if it hadn't been for a boy passing by.

Emilia squeezed her eyes shut, and when she opened them, she saw her savior. It was the same young man from the library, an elf with a cold expression and dark hair, as black as his eyes.

"Uh, you can let me go now!" she said, quickly freeing herself from the boy's arms. "Um, thank you very much for saving me. And I also appreciate what happened in the library."

"Tsk," was all he did, turning to walk away.

"Emilia, what were you doing? Running away to read?" shouted the father, and the young man stopped.

"Were you running away?" the elf asked, and Emilia lowered her head in shame.

"Yes, I was. Father, I know you don't understand, but I have to do this," she began. "It's really important to me, and I've asked so much for this opportunity. I can't risk..."

"I can't risk losing you again," she thought but stayed silent, holding back tears.

"Sweetheart, we can't lose you," the father said, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I'll be able to spend the entire morning with you!" she snapped back, frustrated, while her father continued to refuse.

"Sir, if I may," the elf said in a polite tone, "This young lady will be under my supervision. You have nothing to worry about. I assure you, she will be in a safe area while in the library."

The father looked the boy up and down and knelt.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty!" he said, standing up as his daughter stared, dumbfounded by the scene. "Emilia!!!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Emilia did the same, embarrassed and perplexed. That elf was actually Prince Arthur, the main person responsible for the kingdom's downfall. Emilia remembered the prince had been involved in cases of treason against the king, and at that moment, her expression hardened. She needed to stay vigilant around the traitor.

Arthur smiled kindly and continued talking with Emilia's father. In the end, it was agreed that she could go to work as a librarian, as long as she stayed home on weekends. The prince graciously approved.

When they returned home, Emilia couldn't hold back her smile and hugged everyone tightly. Oliver sulked and didn't speak to her until she left. The parents cried and gave her all their savings in case she needed it.

When her father took Emilia to the library, he said goodbye with tears in his eyes. He would see her the next morning, but he realized that his little girl was growing up. She returned his farewell and left.

Upon entering, she saw the prince organizing a pile of books, while the librarian was asleep. The place was quiet, and no one was looking for new readings. Emilia wandered down a corridor, searching for the place where she would be staying. After passing several doors, she found the dormitory area and spotted a room with a sign that said: "newbie."

She gave a slight smile. She knew it was hers. When she opened the door, she found a small but cozy room. It had a small fan, a table, and a futon. The materials of the objects were rustic and beautiful.

Without wasting time, she left her belongings on the floor and headed to the library. Some books were receiving new information, glowing a strong golden color, and the girl grabbed them before Arthur noticed.

She had a gift, which allowed her to read faster than others. She needed to use this to fight the enemy who lived beside her.

In just a few hours, she had read all the new information about the kingdom. She found nothing of interest, only basic reports. Arthur approached the table where she was sitting, curious.

"You really like reading, don't you?" he asked with a laugh. She forced a smile.

"I suppose you must like it too, for you to be here, Your Majesty," she replied, suppressing all the anger she felt toward the cause of her problems.

"No, I don't like it. But I have to be here."

"To betray the kingdom," Emilia thought, keeping her emotions in check.

"But… I find it odd that a human is so interested in reading royal reports... I wonder if you're not a spy," he said, getting closer to the girl to inspect the books on the table.

Emilia froze. He knows!