If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 52
RP: Haebaragi_syk
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Chapter 27.1
It was a scene that felt somewhat unrealistic. Ariel quickly raised the book she had been leafing through and covered her face.
As if she had been caught off guard, she hid under the book and cautiously peeked towards the door.
Racine entered the reading room with a book in hand. Unlike last time, his long hair wasn’t braided but roughly tied into one piece. He wore a blouse without a coat, with a couple of buttons undone. It was a comfortable, somewhat informal attire.
‘I wonder why he’s here?’
She observed Racine with curious eyes. He seemed to be looking for a place to sit. The number of books held by the servant seemed to be quite a few.
‘Is he here to study? Or…’
As Ariel speculated, he suddenly turned his face.
His golden eyes swept the room before stopping right where she was seated. The next moment, his perfectly arched golden eyebrows furrowed slightly as his eyes were fixed on her face. It was an expression that seemed to ask, “What are you doing?” or “Did you think that was a disguise?”
It didn’t look welcoming at all.
She had no contact with Racine to the extent that even the glare could be considered welcoming.
However, even that glance didn’t last long. As if he didn’t care about her, he turned his eyes away to find a place to sit. It was a kind of disregard. Eventually, he found a suitable spot and moved. He settled in a seat by the window where the sunlight gently filtered through the shadows. The servant set down the books and handed them to him, one by one.
Ariel quietly observed Racine, who was seated not far away.
As he tilted his head slightly as he wrote something down, his golden hair cascaded down his broad shoulders and flowed smoothly.
It was a scene where his guard seemed to loosen up.
It was a good opportunity for her. There were rarely any chances to meet him, and it seemed unlikely that there wouldn’t be many opportunities in the future to approach him.
‘Let’s talk to him. Somehow, start a conversation…’
Though she was determined, she hesitated.
She needed to approach and strike up a conversation, somehow raising his favorability… but she couldn’t think of a suitable excuse.
‘Should I ask about magic? It’s a library, and he’s a great noble so he might know something about magic.’
That was the only excuse she could come up with for conversation, albeit a weak one. Still, she had to try.
Ariel put down the book she had been reading and got up from her seat.
Racine continued to change books and scribbled something down. Despite the fact that he must have noticed her movements, he didn’t spare her a glance. Even when she took a seat on the opposite side, he paid her no mind. Although he wasn’t very busy, he filled out the pages of his notebook at a pace that shouldn’t be disturbed.
She was curious about what he was writing, but she didn’t peek. She didn’t strike up a conversation either. She waited quietly until he seemed to have some definite free time.
Scratch, scratch.
The sound of his scribbling rang languidly.
̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊
The hastily scrawled handwriting from Racine’s fingertips was far from neat. To be honest, it was close to illegible, almost resembling scribbles. It was simply the result of his hand moving quickly and comfortably. Occasionally, the passing glances of others brushed against him, but he paid them no mind. He was solely focused on his task.
It was nothing out of the ordinary. He had come to the library to gather some cases about the ongoing war in the South. He encountered an unexpected person, but he wasn’t particularly surprised. It was just a bit annoying that her attempts at hiding were so clumsy.
The fleeting thought briefly wandered towards the princess in the front seat, but it was soon dismissed.
His golden eyes remained fixed on the book.
By the time the sunlight on the desk had darkened, Racine finished his writing. It was about an hour later, and a dozen history books lay open haphazardly around him. When he set down his fountain pen, the servant took the books away. Beyond the now tidy desk, he could see a woman dozing off.
‘She’s still here.’
He inadvertently glanced over. Her black hair, draped across her white cheeks, was shiny. It looked soft, like high-quality silk. It seemed as though it would glide smoothly between his fingers if he were to touch it.
A strange sensation tickled his hand. His fingertips beneath the desk twitched.
The woman’s pale face as she nodded off. Her delicate eyelashes.
Racine suddenly found himself stealing glances at someone he had ignored until now. It wasn’t that he deliberately avoided looking at her. He simply wasn’t interested, and he was like that with most people.
Just a brief glance, nothing more, and his gaze quickly shifted away.
But strangely, he found his eyes lingering on her. He didn’t necessarily think of her when she wasn’t around, though when she was nearby, his gaze was often drawn to her. It is still the case now.
After holding his gaze for a bit longer, the woman flinched and stood up.
Perhaps she sensed his gaze as her expression stiffened slightly. She quickly blinked away her drowsiness and lifted her head. Her face, exuding a characteristic serenity, looked back at him.
“…Young Lord.”
She called out to him. Racine didn’t respond. He had no business with her, nor was he curious about anything regarding her.
Yet he waited silently. It was a mere whim.
Ariel studied his expression and cautiously opened her mouth.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?”
Her lips moved softly, asking for permission. He almost nodded in response for a moment. The fact itself was unpleasant for no reason.
Displeasure surged up through his lips.
“No.”
As he rejected her outright, the woman’s expressionless face twitched slightly. A strange satisfaction welled up within him when he saw that. At the same time, he felt that this strange sense of fulfillment was dangerous.
As he tossed the notebook he had finished writing to the servant and got up from his seat, Ariel’s eyes followed his movements as if they were chasing him.
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