Then she raised her head slightly and looked into the distance, where Aozaki Touko was propping herself up against the table with her left hand, resting her cheek on her pale fingers. With a mischievous smile, she looked at her, not the slightest hint of hostility in her eyes.
"...Uh."
Following Sola's gaze, the black-haired girl's eyes widened, a trace of panic appearing in them. She had never expected Aozaki Touko to be able to hear their conversation from so far away. She had deliberately kept her voice very low, too.
What should I do? What if Aozaki Touko is angry and wants to punish me? I don't think I can escape at all. If I run over and apologize now, will she forgive me? I heard that Japan has a very popular way of apologizing called dogeza. Would apologizing that way work?
In that short span of time, she thought of countless things. Just as she was preparing to go over and apologize—
"...Shh."
In the distance, Aozaki Touko raised a finger to her lips, then revealed a gentle smile. Immediately afterward, she lowered her head and continued reading, as though nothing had happened.
"..."
The black-haired girl turned to look at her two close friends beside her, her gaze filled with joy and relief. As if seeking confirmation, she asked them:
"Am I... saved?"
"Idiot. Lady Touko wouldn't care about something so trivial."
Sola sighed softly, then flicked her friend on the forehead with a finger. With an exasperated look, she said, "The effort it would take to deal with you probably isn't worth it to her."
"Is that so?"
The black-haired girl rubbed her forehead and gave an awkward laugh.
"What else could it be?"
Sola rolled her eyes. If that had not been the case, she would have covered her friend's mouth long ago, never giving her a chance to say anything.
"How should I put it? Miss Touko is really charming."
The black-haired girl scratched her cheek, her eyes drifting toward Aozaki Touko in the distance.
She saw Touko writing something with her head lowered in thought. Her cloudlike orange hair fell loosely around her, revealing her snow-white neck. She wore rimless glasses, a brand-new white shirt, and a pair of black trousers.
Just looking at her made an indescribable feeling slowly rise in her heart.
"...?"
Aozaki Touko, who had been studying the runes, suddenly sensed a searing gaze. Following its direction, she happened to see the girl who had just praised her.
At this, she smiled faintly and continued lowering her head to read.
"...Lady Touko's senses are way too sharp~"
The black-haired girl's face flushed as her eyes darted everywhere. Her heart was in turmoil. She only felt delighted, with a faint bitterness mixed in, and found herself acting inexplicably strange.
"..."
Beside her, Sola felt somewhat speechless. She marveled at how quickly her friend had defected, but she did not feel any displeasure. After all, she admired Aozaki Touko, a person who lived according to her own will.
To stand at the peak of the magecraft world without relying on a Magic Crest was something Sola wanted to accomplish but could not. Her only fate was to find a suitable marriage partner for her family.
"You two go back first. I want to get to know Miss Touko."
Sola said this to the other two, then walked toward Aozaki Touko with firm steps. She ignored the soft cries of her two friends behind her and paid no attention to the teasing gazes from those around her. She simply wanted to get to know Aozaki Touko as a person.
The Sixty-Second Chapter: The Reason I Hate You
Inside the library.
"..."
Sola sat down opposite Aozaki Touko, only to discover that Touko seemed to have lost her keen awareness.
She merely focused on turning the pages, completely ignoring everything happening around her.
Sola was not angry. After glancing at the book Touko was reading, she stood up and left.
She knew why this was happening. Aozaki Touko had ranked reading her book above Sola and had no intention of interrupting her reading for her sake.
Sola had done the same thing before, and she knew that forcibly interrupting someone would only invite displeasure.
But that did not mean there was no way forward.
"..."
Seeing this, the observing magi felt somewhat disappointed. They had been looking forward to an entertaining spectacle, but it seemed they would not get to see one after all.
Although Sola would certainly be no match for Aozaki Touko—that was beyond any doubt—the matter of her father being a Lord was another story.
If the two of them truly started fighting, the matter would soon escalate throughout the entire Clock Tower and might even cause friction between the Lords.
That would have been a rare show indeed.
—Soon, she turned the final page of the book.
Aozaki Touko let out a soft breath and closed the book in her hands. She then prepared to stand up, return it, and choose another book to continue reading.
Just then, Sola, who seemed to have been waiting for this moment, walked over. Her gaze swept over the book in Touko's hands, and she put on a polite smile.
"Miss Touko, are you researching the legends of Norse Mythology?"
"Mm."
Aozaki Touko nodded slightly. "I just want to gain a general understanding of Norse Mythology as a whole."
That was right. Although she only wanted to revive the runes, that did not mean she had no need to understand Norse Mythology.
She needed to gain a general understanding of things such as its folk culture, underlying ideas, and historical development.
All of this would aid her research into the runes.
"If that's the case, would you mind if I helped you a little?"
Sola smiled elegantly. "I'd say I know quite a bit about the books on Norse Mythology in this library. If you need it, I can save you some time searching for books."
Indeed, she had previously gone to investigate where the library's books on Norse subjects were kept and had roughly sorted them by category.
If Aozaki Touko did not dislike her, she should not refuse her help.
And this way, she could naturally establish a friendly exchange with Aozaki Touko.
"...Then I'll have to trouble you."
Aozaki Touko seemed a little surprised, but she still agreed with a smile.
At this, Sola's smile grew even brighter.
"Then, Miss Touko, what aspect would you like to learn about?"
"...Folklore, perhaps."
"I happen to know where the books on that subject are kept. They should be in the western section."
Sola raised her hand toward the west and smiled. "I'll take you there. That should save us a little time."
"Sorry for the trouble."
Aozaki Touko nodded slightly and followed Sola toward the western section of the library.
The observing magi were somewhat surprised by this scene, but they also found it perfectly reasonable.
A woman raised for the purpose of marriage, even if she was not a social butterfly, should not be so reckless as to provoke enemies everywhere.
"I didn't expect you to come looking for me~"
As they walked, Aozaki Touko turned her head toward Sola and asked curiously, "I thought you would at least harbor some dislike toward me."
"Most people would think that."
Sola slowed her steps and said softly, "But in fact, when I learned that Kayneth intended to give up on the marriage alliance, I felt delighted."
"You hate Kayneth?"
Aozaki Touko raised her eyebrows. If Sola had hated Kayneth from the beginning, then her strange attitude during the Fourth Holy Grail War in the original story would make sense.
"No. Actually, I don't hate Kayneth."
Unexpectedly, Sola shook her head.
At this, Aozaki Touko's brows furrowed in confusion. She found it somewhat difficult to understand.
"I don't hate Kayneth, but I hate the symbol represented by Kayneth."
Sola smiled faintly and continued, "That unquestioned symbol he carries is the thing I've hated most all my life—a formless cage called fate."
That was right. She was not very familiar with Kayneth yet, but she had heard of his reputation as a genius.
Moreover, he was a disciple trained by her father.
That meant that she, who had been raised for the purpose of marriage, would be married off to Kayneth as a marriage partner.
The reason was simple. Kayneth represented great value, making him worth winning over for their family.
And she, a marriage tool raised for that purpose—
Was a tool for deepening the relationship between them.
That was right. She was not necessarily required to marry Kayneth, but she was required to marry a genius, someone capable of bringing benefits to her family.
Anyone who met those standards could become her marriage partner.
And those standards represented the fate of her entire life.
It was a fate she had hated since childhood, yet had never dared to resist.
Kayneth happened to meet those standards perfectly.
So she did not hate Kayneth as a person.
She only hated the social role he represented.
The Sixty-Third Chapter: A Conversation in the Library
"So that's how it is. Because Kayneth meets the requirements for a marriage candidate, you don't like him?"
Aozaki Touko smiled knowingly.
"Mm... That's the selfish reason~"
Sola gave a bitter laugh. "So when I heard that he was willing to give up on the marriage alliance, I was still happy. It meant I wouldn't have to marry someone I didn't like."
"But... he really is an excellent choice."
Aozaki Touko chuckled. "When choosing between two evils, take the lesser one. You could try setting aside some of your prejudice and seriously observe what kind of person he is. Perhaps you might gain something else from it..."
As for what the Kayneth from the original story was actually like, she did not want to comment too much. But in terms of his attitude toward love, he was absolutely devoted.
Mm... He probably acted to the extent that ordinary people would call him a pathetic simp.
So if Sola could adjust her mindset, she should have a bright future.
As long as she did not participate in the Holy Grail War.
"Is that your evaluation of Kayneth, Miss Touko?"
Sola paused slightly, asking in surprise.
"I'm quite confident in my ability to judge people. Although I've only met Kayneth once, I can still make some basic observations. That man is the type who easily sanctifies love."
Aozaki Touko answered with a faint laugh.
In truth, she had no interest in understanding Kayneth. Her evaluation just now had basically been something she had seen on Zhihu in her previous life, which she had simply paraphrased.
"It seems you have a rather favorable impression of Lord Kayneth."
Hearing this, Sola sighed somewhat dejectedly.
"It was only an objective evaluation."
Aozaki Touko shook her head slightly, then said mysteriously, "You've heard the news about my marriage, right? My wife is actually a beautiful woman."
"Eh~"
Sola froze for a moment, then glanced around before lowering her voice. "Could it be that Miss Aozaki Touko brought her in from Einzbern as a shield?"
She naturally knew about this rumor, but most people agreed that the shield Aozaki Touko had brought from Einzbern was merely a somewhat advanced doll.
"That's not it. She really is my wife."
Before you continue