Becoming Aozaki Touko's Life

Then she slightly tilted her head up and looked into the distance. She saw Aozaki Touko resting her left hand on the table, propping her chin with her fair fingers, and looking at her with a playful smile, her eyes devoid of any hostility.

"…Uh."

Following Sola's gaze, the black-haired girl's eyes widened in a hint of fear. She hadn't expected Aozaki Touko to be able to hear their conversation from such a distance, especially since she had deliberately kept her voice very low.

What should she do? What if Aozaki Touko got angry and wanted to punish her? She felt like she wouldn't be able to escape at all. If she went over to apologize now, would she be forgiven? She heard that a way of apologizing called dogeza was very popular in Japan. Would this method be effective?

In a short period, she thought a lot, and just as she was about to go and apologize.

"...Shh."

From afar, Aozaki Touko made a shushing gesture, then showed a gentle smile, and immediately lowered her head to look at her book as if nothing had happened.

"..."

The black-haired girl turned to look at her two best friends beside her, her gaze filled with joy and relief. As if to confirm, she asked her two friends:

"I... I'm saved?"

"Idiot, Lord Aozaki wouldn't care about such a small thing."

Sola sighed softly, then flicked her friend's forehead with her finger, saying with annoyance, "The effort required to deal with you is considered somewhat uneconomical by others."

"Is that so?"

Rubbing her forehead, the black-haired girl chuckled sheepishly.

"What else?"

Sola rolled her eyes. If it weren't for that, she would have already covered her friend's mouth and wouldn't have given her any chance to speak.

"How should I put it, I feel like Miss Aozaki Touko is very charming."

The black-haired girl scratched her cheek, her gaze drifting towards Aozaki Touko in the distance.

She was seen with her head bowed in thought, writing something. Her cloud-like orange hair cascaded down, revealing her snow-white neck. She wore rimless glasses and a brand-new white shirt with black trousers.

Just looking at her made an indescribable feeling well up in her heart.

"…?"

Aozaki Touko, who was studying Rune, suddenly felt a burning gaze. Following the direction, she happened to see the girl who had just spoken well of her.

Seeing this, she smiled slightly and continued to lower her head to read.

"...Lord Touko is too perceptive~"

The black-haired girl blushed, her gaze darting around. Her heart was in turmoil, feeling both joy and a subtle pang of bitterness, feeling utterly inexplicable.

"..."

Beside her, Sola felt somewhat speechless, lamenting how quickly her friend had switched allegiances. However, she didn't feel any resentment because she held a sense of admiration for Aozaki Touko, who lived life according to her own will.

To stand at the pinnacle of the magical world without the aid of a Magic Crest was something she wished to achieve but couldn't. Her only destiny was to find a suitable marriage prospect for her family.

"You two go back first. I want to get to know Miss Aozaki."

Sola said to the two of them, then walked resolutely towards Aozaki Touko. She ignored the surprised cries of her two friends behind her and the amused glances from those around her, simply wanting to get to know Aozaki Touko.

Chapter Sixty-Two: The Reason I Hate You

Inside the library.

"..."

Sola sat down opposite Aozaki Touko, but she found that Aozaki Touko seemed to have lost her sharp senses.

She was engrossed in flipping through books, oblivious to everything around her.

Sola wasn't angry. After glancing at the book Aozaki Touko was reading, she got up and left.

She knew why. Aozaki Touko had prioritized reading the book over her and had no intention of interrupting her reading for her.

She had done this before and knew that forcibly interrupting the other person would only lead to displeasure.

However, this didn't mean there was no way.

"..."

Seeing this, the observing Magicians felt somewhat disappointed. They had been expecting an exciting show, but it seemed they wouldn't get to see one.

Although Sola was definitely no match for Aozaki Touko, that was an indisputable fact. However, her father, who was a Lord, was another matter entirely.

As long as they dared to fight, the situation would quickly escalate to the entire Clock Tower, and it might even cause friction between the Lords.

This was definitely a rare spectacle.

—Soon, after turning the last page.

Aozaki Touko let out a soft sigh, closed the book in her hand, and prepared to get up to return it and choose another book to continue reading.

It was at this moment that Sola, as if she had been waiting, walked over. Her gaze swept over the book in Touko's hand, and a polite smile appeared on her face:

"Miss Touko, are you researching legends about Norse Mythology?"

"Mm."

Aozaki Touko nodded slightly, "I just want to get a general understanding of the entirety of Norse Mythology."

Yes, although she only wants to revive the Rune script, that doesn't mean she doesn't need to understand Norse Mythology.

She needs to have a general understanding of things like folklore, core ideology, and historical evolution.

All of these will help her research the Rune script.

"If that's the case, would you mind if I lend you a hand?"

Sola said with an elegant smile, "I consider myself quite knowledgeable about Norse Mythology in the library. If Miss Aozaki needs it, I can help you save some time finding books."

That's right, she had actually just gone to investigate the locations of Norse books within the library and roughly sorted them out.

If Aozaki Touko didn't dislike her, she probably wouldn't refuse her help.

And this way, she could smoothly establish a friendly exchange with Aozaki Touko.

"...Then I'll trouble you."

Hearing this, Aozaki Touko was slightly surprised but still agreed with a smile.

Seeing this, Sola's smile became even brighter.

"Then, Miss Aozaki, what aspect would you like to understand?"

"...Folklore, perhaps."

"I happen to know the location of the books on that subject, they're roughly on the west side."

Sola raised her hand and pointed to the west, smiling, "Let me take you there, it'll save some time."

"Thank you."

Aozaki Touko nodded slightly and followed Sola towards the west side of the library.

The Magicians who were watching this scene were all quite surprised, yet it also felt natural.

Women trained for the purpose of arranged marriages, even if they weren't social butterflies, shouldn't be so reckless as to provoke enemies everywhere.

"I never thought you'd come looking for me~"

As they walked, Aozaki Touko turned her head to look at Sola and asked with a curious tone, "I thought you'd at least feel some aversion towards me."

"Most people would think that, wouldn't they?"

Sola slowed her steps and said softly, "But actually, when I learned that Kayneth intended to abandon the arranged marriage, I felt joy."

"You dislike Kayneth?"

Aozaki Touko raised an eyebrow. If Sola disliked Kayneth from the start, then her strange attitude in the original Fourth Holy Grail War would make sense.

"No, I don't actually dislike Kayneth."

Unexpectedly, Sola shook her head.

Seeing this, Aozaki Touko's brow furrowed in confusion, feeling a bit unable to understand.

"I don't dislike Kayneth, but I dislike the symbol he represents."

Sola then smiled slightly, "The symbol he naturally embodies is what I've hated most since childhood, an invisible cage called destiny."

That's right, she wasn't very familiar with Kayneth yet, but she had heard of his genius.

And he was a disciple trained by her father.

This meant that she, who was trained for an arranged marriage, would be married to Kayneth as his arranged bride.

The reason was simple: Kayneth represented high value and was someone worth courting for their family.

And she, the tool trained for arranged marriage, was a tool to deepen their relationship.

That's right, she didn't necessarily have to marry Kayneth, but she had to marry a genius, someone who could bring benefits to the family.

Anyone who met these standards could be her arranged marriage partner.

And these standards for arranged marriage represented her lifelong destiny.

It was a destiny she had hated since childhood but dared not resist.

Kayneth happened to meet these standards perfectly.

Therefore, she didn't dislike Kayneth's existence as a person.

She only disliked his societal role.

Chapter 63: A Conversation in the Library

"I see, because Kayneth met the criteria for an arranged marriage, you didn't like him?"

Aozaki Touko smiled wryly.

"Well... it's that kind of selfish reason~"

Sola gave a wry smile, "So when I heard he was willing to give up the arranged marriage, I felt happy because I wouldn't have to marry someone I didn't like."

"But... he is indeed an excellent choice."

Aozaki Touko chuckled lightly. "When faced with two evils, choose the lesser. You could try to set aside some of your preconceptions and really look at the kind of person he is. You might gain something unexpected..."

She didn't want to offer too much commentary on what the original Kayneth was truly like, but if there was one thing to be said about his emotional expression, it was that he was utterly devoted.

Hmm... he probably acted like what people call a pathetic, simping dog.

So, if Sola could just let go of her reservations, she might have a bright future.

That is, if she didn't participate in the Holy Grail War.

"Is that your evaluation of Kayneth, Miss Aozaki?"

Sola paused slightly, asking with a hint of surprise.

"I'm quite confident in my ability to read people. Although I've only met Kayneth once, I can still make some basic assessments. That guy is someone who easily deifies love," Aozaki Touko replied with a light chuckle.

In truth, she had no real interest in understanding Kayneth. Her assessment of him was largely based on what she'd seen on "Zhihu" in her past life, and she was simply repeating it in a simplified manner.

"It seems you have quite a good impression of Director Kayneth."

Hearing this, Sola sighed with a touch of disappointment.

"It's just an objective evaluation."

Aozaki Touko shook her head slightly, then added mysteriously, "You must have heard the news about my marriage, right? My wife is actually a beautiful woman."

"Eh~"

Sola blinked in surprise, then glanced around before lowering her voice. "Isn't that just a shield you found, Miss Aozaki?"

She was certainly aware of the news, but the general consensus was that this "shield" Aozaki Touko brought from the Einzbern was merely a rather sophisticated doll.

"Not at all, she's truly my wife."