# 72
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Ascarte's face gradually turned awkward as the number of people and gazes poured in, wondering if Lucio's words were lies.
“Ah, the library... I have to go.”
However, Askart hesitated while answering, as if he had some regret.
As soon as I called him back, I asked him as if I had been waiting.
“Isn’t the academy’s library really big?”
Although Duke Elad's library is very large, it cannot be compared in size to the academy's library.
When I was living as a ar and struggling to learn letters, I really wanted to go to the academy's library, a treasure trove of wisdom.
But I couldn't even dare to go inside the academy, let alone the library.
Of course, it might have been possible to sneak in later when I became an informant, but I never got anywhere near the academy where I had bad memories.
“Then! It’s incredibly big. Do you like books? By the way, what’s your name...”
Askart was happy with what I said and asked.
I was about to say my name, and I wiggled my fingers in embarrassment when my expression suddenly brightened.
“It's Leah.”
It wasn't me who answered.
I looked at Lucio, who intercepted my words, with a little surprise.
When I was in the palace, my name was called several times a day, so of course I should have known, but Lucio never called my name even once.
Somehow, the last memory from my previous life came to mind and it felt strange.
“Leah...says.”
At that time, I heard a sound that sounded like I was going to collapse at any moment.
When I turned my head, I saw Ascarte with a pale look on her face, “Leia.”
He called my name.
Her pink-red eyes beneath his golden eyelashes looked as if they were wet with dew.
'I feel like I've seen that somewhere before.'
When I suddenly felt like I had seen before, I remembered the time I met Bianca after she ran away from the orphanage.
Even then, Bianca asked me if my name was “Leah” and looked very sad.
I tilted my head, thinking it was strange, but Askart asked with a bitter smile that looked like he was going to faint at any moment.
“If you are interested in the library, would you like me to show you around the library?”
"Yes?"
“Originally, outsiders are not allowed in, but today is the festival period, so you can enter if you are accompanied by a current student.”
Ascart pointed to a large building directly behind him, saying that it was not far because it was centrally located so it was easy to get to and from any school.
When I asked him with sparkling eyes if that was really okay, he said, "Hmph! Why do you come to the festival and visit the library?" Allen intervened.
“Diana, don’t you want to visit the library too?”
“Ah, Noona, come back safely.”
Diana waved her maple leaf hand as if she didn't really want to see the library after hearing Allen's words.
"Diana! What's wrong with you?"
“Then ma’am, I’ll be back quickly! I’ll definitely come before the fireworks.”
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I immediately answered and looked at Askart.
Askart then asked shyly.
“Excuse me, would you like to hold my hand?”
"Yes?"
“...What if you fall? There are a lot of stairs in the library.”
"Yes."
Now that she thought about it, she remembered how she had reminded Diana several times before leaving that she should hold everyone's hands tightly since there were so many people around.
I felt strange when I saw Askart extending his hand to me.
Normally, I would have felt embarrassed and reluctant to be treated like a child. …
Surprisingly, I didn't hate him.
When she suddenly grabbed his hand, Askart opened his eyes wide and immediately smiled brightly.
"Yes !"
“Why, what's the problem?”
As I groaned and covered my eyes with my free hand, Askart asked in surprise.
I laughed and answered.
“He is so handsome that he is dazzling!”
"What? Ha ha ha."
I thought as I headed to the library with Askart who was smiling happier than before.
I think I wanted to erase the sadness from Ascarte's face.
* * *
'. …It's ridiculous.'
Lucio looked shocked as he watched Leia walk away, holding Ascarte's hand.
I was planning to submit a sentence at the academy as my father, Duke Elad, said.
His plan went awry from the beginning.
From the moment he greeted me at the front door, nothing happened as he expected.
Lucio felt embarrassed and upset when he couldn't see the face he thought would be there.
It was so ironic that I was relieved when I heard that she had gone shopping for drinks with a novice fass that she had known for a long time since the orphanage.
While I was feeling resentful and annoyed with my uncontrollable emotions, I felt extremely uncomfortable when Askart appeared and did something unexpected.
then.
“Anyway, I really told you that looks aren't everything for a man!”
Allen, who was next to me, started running and making a fuss.
“No matter how handsome he is, does it make sense to hold the hand of someone you've never seen before and follow him?”
Jack also nodded as if he strongly agreed with those words.
When Lucio turned his head as if to ask what he was saying, Allen laughed and said.
“You don't know, right? Leah, that person's face looks really good, she really likes pretty things!”
". … truly ?"
“That's right, you told me and Jack we were handsome.”
Allen continued speaking without noticing Lucio's face slowly harden.
“By the way, she did that to my brother too, she said you looked like Diana.”
But Allen said his taste seemed towards Ascart, adding that this was the first time he had seen Leia react so enthusiastically.
“Askart is handsome, but he's not going anywhere. Do you like blonde hair?”
“Besides, the boy you met earlier also had blond hair, although it was faded. I think the face is the most important, right, Jack?”
Jack, who still couldn't take his eyes off the direction where Leah had disappeared, slowly opened his mouth after hearing Allen's words.
“...I'm not sure about that, but if you're talking about the boy she met at the front gate earlier, Leah obviously didn't like him, it seemed like she was a little scared.”
"Is this correct?"
Lucio asked as he looked at Allen who was tilting his head.
“Who did she meet earlier?”
"Huh? Oh, young Count Petger! He looked good, but he looked a bit unpleasant. Diana sent him away, didn't he, Diana?"
“Hah!”
Diana, who was busy looking around the academy and looking at people regardless of whether Allen was speaking or not, nodded in agreement when she heard her name.
He didn't seem to hear or respond properly, but Allen hugged Diana and rubbed her cheeks as if he couldn't help but find that very cute.
A low voice sounded in Jack's ears, who was looking at Diana, who was trying to get rid of her in annoyance, and Allen, who was clinging to her more.
“It's Kenneth Peter.”
Jack turned his head when he heard Lucio's voice softly repeating his name, and he had a feeling that the future of the person he met earlier would not be smooth.
* * *
The walk to the library with Askart, who was meeting me for the first time, was extremely awkward.
'What was I thinking when I held his hand?'
My body twisted in discomfort.
However, I couldn't complain at all when I saw Askart walking slowly, stopping me inside so that passersby wouldn't run over me.
“Is there a specific place you want to see?”
As soon as we entered the library, Ascart whispered softly.
After deep thought, I answered.
“I want to see the mana energy.”
Askart looked surprised, perhaps because my answer was unexpected.
“Mana energy, ah...”
When she released some of the energy that had been stored up to him while he was puzzled, Askart's eyes, which sensed the sensitivity of mana even in small changes, quickly sparkled with interest.
After the commotion that happened in the duke's house a while ago, no one who uses me knows that I have mana, and I no longer feel the need to hide it.
However, the reason I didn't bother informing Askart about the presence of mana was because I didn't feel anxious even though I saw it for the first time.
Is it because it's nice and warm?
“Then I can go to my place. Now, there are a lot of stairs from here, so you have to be careful.”
Ascart, who clearly looked at me with a completely different outlook because he was the heir to the Principality of Belos that owned the Magic Tower, immediately led the way.
Seeing him look a little excited made me feel better.
So I said it as if I was bragging.
“Your Highness, I have met Bianca before.”
“Huh? With Countess Marietta?”
He asked curiously while I nodded enthusiastically.
“He is someone who rarely leaves the emirate, so what happened?”
“Mmm, somehow I found out...”
As he spoke, it seemed that Ascarte had never heard of Diana being kidnapped, either by Lucio or through the Duchy of Pylos.
I hesitated a little, delayed, and changed the subject.
“After meeting Bianca, I became interested in the Principality of Pylos and researched books, and it was a really amazing place.”
“I see, yes it is a beautiful place.”
Ascarti's faintly smiling expression faded again as he said that.
When I looked at this scene, I felt like my heart was beating.
At the same time, I became curious.
Why does he have this sad face when he thinks about his home?
When Diana heard the word “home,” she smiled brightly and loved it.
“Now, here.”
At that time, Askart, who showed me to a space filled with bookshelves, introduced me to it as a place where books related to magic were collected.
Maybe because it was festival season, there was no one there. When I looked deeper, I saw a very large desk in front of the window with the curtains drawn.
There was a pile of books scattered on the large desk, probably because Askart was the only one using them.
"Oh! It's so dirty, well, it's not usually like that."
Askart blushed up to his ears with an embarrassed face and hurriedly cleaned the office and made an excuse.