Melton suggested meeting at the city square at one past noon, but the lady had other ideas, apparently.

  "I wanna go to the library. Let's meet there instead!"

  "You can't be that excited about it. Besides, do you even know where it is?" Melton insisted on meeting at the city square, just to be safe.

  "Who cares? I get to read all kinds of stories I never get told there! When I’m at work, I swear they are reciting a script every time with the questions my customers ask: 'Which heretical upstart dares spread their word in the presence of our Lord and Savior?', 'Who amongst the crowd an hour ago claimed that my god is a false idol?', and the like; it gets boring fast. And it's the same recycled gossip I have to recite to them since they all ask the same things. Yuck..."

  Elisabeth mocked the resentful among the pious, her expression switching back and forth between a stoic ascetic monk and a frowning nun, her hands forming the coif of the religious woman as she acted her customer's requests. Melton thought she looked cute with her expressions contrasting the black Room 1 the conversation was held in.

  "The books there can be boring too, you know."

  The glint in her eyes grew brighter than ever as she exclaimed, "But there's also all kinds of crazy fantastical stories, aren't there?"

  "Well yeah, but-"

  "It's decided then!"

  Elisabeth stood out amongst the crowd of people in the city square, making her easy to spot. Her outfit for the day was simple. Just a white sleeveless sundress with a straw hat to block out the sun, but she was already drawing unsavoury looks from all sides as she stood in front of the flag in the city square waiting for him. His stocky frame covered Elisabeth from the lecherous looks directed her way, as soon as Melton had arrived.

  "Sorry I'm late."

  "I got here early, rather. I got nervous and left the building too soon..."

  "You're wearing your veil?" The road narrowed as they left the square.

  "I must if I am to walk around in public. Like I once said, ‘I can't have everyone fainting from my looks after all.’"

  "That's a shame."

  Melton shot the remaining oglers a glare. "People were already staring even with you wearing the veil. Do you usually stand out this often in public?"

  "I rarely leave the religious district for anything, really. And when I did leave the den, I always wore a large oversized robe so I fit right in with the crowd. Unlike my outfit today."

  A head of white turned toward him, anticipation ticking away as it dragged seconds into hours.

  "...You look great. The dress looks amazing on you."

  "What a relief.” Bare shoulders slumped as her nerves left the body.

  “I was so scared to wear it at first; I thought it showed too much skin, but hearing you say that, I'm glad Marge from Room 5 insisted on this dress. By the way, are you sure the ladies never batted an eyelid at you like you claimed?" Elisabeth pulled a flap of the dress in as a stray cat ran past, careful not to get it dirty.

  "Just take my word for it."

  Melton's outfit was simple: a brown vest over a white long T-shirt with rolled-up sleeves and khaki slacks. But there was little need to stand out given his identity and name. As long as she thought he looked good, that was enough for him.

  "They sure missed out." The two turned the corner, pulling the cubical building of the Arnchester City Library into view

  "Anyways, let's quickly head inside before the sun gets any brighter. I'd rather not get sunburnt in this dress..."

  "I don't understand any of this...?"

  He swore they just went through the front entrance moments ago, but the two of them now found themselves in a desolate area of the library. Before their eyes, reference books and academic theories filled each shelf as far as the eye could see.

  "You're holding a reference book for students and scholars, not a book for reading stories and fantasies."

  "How does one read anything inside of this? What are even half of these symbols?"

  "'Fundamentals of Calculus'... I've heard horrid stories about these kinds of books." Melton peeked over Elisabeth's shoulder and internally gagged as gibberish appeared on one of the pages, indecipherable by the rest of humanity.

  "These aren't fun..."

  "They aren't meant to be fun. They're more like learning materials for academics. Some books are meant to be fun to read. Some are a culmination of human knowledge, pressed into a book. Not fun to read, but they're of utmost importance to academia."

  "...I see. Doesn't make them any less boring." Even Melton could sense her visible disgust from beneath the veil.

  "Let's visit the fiction section then. Guarantee you it would be less drab compared to this place."

  "Elisabeth, have you thought of what you want to do, should you ever leave the den for good?"

  "I don't know. I don't see myself leaving either." In the middle of the fiction area, Elisabeth set down yet another book on a desk after flitting through the pages. How much was she planning to read today?

  "Imagine that you have. What would you want to do?"

  "Hmmm, then I wanna be one of those ladies behind the desks." The book Elisabeth was holding slammed shut before she pointed to one of many helpdesks scattered throughout the library.

  "A librarian?"

  "Yeah. That way I can still read while I'm on the job. Isn't that just slacking off with extra steps?"

  "I'm sure they've got more responsibilities than just that..."

  "Then I'll just figure it out then. Would be fun either way! Anyways, let's see here..." Elisabeth continued her quest to satiate her thirst for fantastical stories, wedged between a shelf full of tall tales and retellings and another full of popular novels.

  "We've only got time for just one, Elisabeth. Pick out the best one of the lot. We can borrow the rest to read later." Melton stood, ready to move on with his plans before Elisabeth could spend any more of her time nose deep in novels.

  " 'kay... What did you say?" His words were almost entirely dismissed save for the last sentence.

  "We can borrow the rest to read later?", he repeated.

  “I can take them home?”

  "Yeah. As long as you have a library card." The image of her eyes widening was crystal clear in his mind. She was probably the only person in the city to get this excited over something as small as a library card, Melton thought to himself.

  "How can I get a library card?"

  "We'll need to head to the big helpdesk you saw at the entrance. They'll give you a card as long as you ask."

  "What do you mean by 'give'? There's no price?"

  "Nope. And when you borrow a book, you just return them when you're finished." Melton picked a novel off the shelf and flipped open the hardcover, revealing the lengthy library records underneath.

  "...This place is amazing."

  "That's why Father used to say that libraries were the greatest charities in the world."

  Cheryl's job was a dull one. Sure, she had a stable income to put a roof over her head and food on the table, but the work never felt fulfilling. She didn't even really like books that much. But the pay was good, working in a big building in the capital, so it could always be worse.

  "Cheryl~, someone wants to get a library card, could you help them out a little? I'm off to sort the children's shelves; I'll leave it to you in the meantime, yeah?"

  Margaret always found ways to keep Cheryl busy, no matter how slow the day got. Whatever, you had to earn your keep as long as you were in the working world.

  "Hi, my name is Cheryl, how can I help you...?"

  Who was this person?

  She was clearly a woman based on the sundress she wore and the figure behind the dress, but the veil she wore made it hard to discern even the slightest expression on her face.

  "I'd like a library card, please."

  Unlike certain snobbish students, researchers and mages who only ever told her off, this woman's voice was a pleasure to listen to.

  But a library card? At her age? She wasn't one to pry, but people usually had one from when they first visited the library as children.

  "What's your name, miss?"

  "Elisabeth."

  A brief wait followed before Cheryl's hand slid a plastic card across the counter. The name 'Elisabeth' had been neatly printed in block letters in the bottom left corner of the card and the date on the opposite end of the card.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "This is a library card for the Arnchester City Library. It entitles you to borrow a book at a time for up to a week for the first month of issuance, of which afterward the limit increases up to 5 books for up to 2 weeks..."

  "The library is an amazing place...!" The borrowed book tucked snugly under Elisabeth's arm as they left for the festival.

  "I'm glad it's to your fancy."

  "I'd love to have stayed there for longer though..."

  "We need to leave early or there will be swathes of people by the time we get there."

  "What difference does it make?"

  "The crowds are insane, especially in a festival of this size. I don't want you getting lost, especially since you have a tendency to wander off on your own..."

  Elisabeth couldn’t help but bite back at Melton's complaint. "I couldn't help it, okay? Some of those titles were too good to pass up on! Like you expect me to see "50 Ancient Wartime Stories", and you simply expect me to walk away?"

  "At least say something before you run off! Seriously, the one in the city isn't the only library in the world. You've got to come back in a week to return your book anyways..."

  "..."

  "Elisabeth."

  Her veiled face turned away from him in a cheeky act of defiance. He couldn't see her expression behind the veil, but he could already imagine her cheeks puffed in anger again. Melton had had the opportunity to see her expression like that several times when he'd crushed her one last time before she swore off the game of chess 'forever', as she put it. Well, it was probably a good idea not to spoil her mood for today.

  "Next time, why don't you visit House Tasselt? There's a large library of books there, some you can't find anywhere else as well." Her face slowly turned to face him.

  "...Promise?"

  "Promise."

  "...Okay." At least the missus wasn't throwing a fit anymore.

  "You weren't joking when you said there were going to be a lot of people."

  "Yeah, no kidding."

  The two of them stood before what could only be described to be a tidal wave of people, the festival area packed to the brim. Colourful stalls decorated in many splashes of red, white and blue were clearly scattered throughout the venue, but they were all hidden between festival goers, locals, foreign visitors and everyone in between. Simply wading into the crowd was clearly not an option.

  "You look a little pale, are you alright?"

  "N-no! I'm fine, really. Fit as a fiddle, see?"

  Her muscles tried to flex in Elisabeth's little attempt to reassure him, instead leaving Melton wondering if he should laugh or be concerned.

  "It's okay to take a break, we can just walk around the festival area later. Most important is that you stay safe and healthy, you hear?"

  "Yeah, and I feel fine now, so let's go already. You sure nag like you're my daddy sometimes, sheesh..."

  "If that's the case, then,"

  Melton almost jumped at how cold her hand felt on top of his, her palm now within his.

  "Make sure to hold on tight. I don't want you getting lost."

  "Such a gentleman..." Slender fingers wrapped around the back of his hand as a tinge of pink escaped to her ears. Beneath the woven veil, a smile had crept onto her face, but she couldn’t let Melton see her like that no matter what.

  The smell of roasted meat wafted over the both of them just as they walked past the massive sign for the entrance. "...That smells good, what is it?"

  "I don't know, but let's go find out together, shall we?"

  And the two disappeared into the crowd, hand in hand.

  "I don't know what they put in the food, but it's truly some of the best food I've ever eaten." The shell of sugar on the candy apple shone under the many festival lights as her eyes admired the shape and the gloss of the snack.

  "You said it yourself that you've hardly left the religious district, and I don't understand how you people eat that kind of 'food' everyday. I'd rather starve, honestly. How's your first taste of actual food?"

  "...I might never go back." Half of the candy apple disappeared in a single bite as they continued walking the area.

  "Let's see, what else haven't we done?"

  "How about another round of those darts?"

  Laughter cried out as she watched Melton throw the darts anywhere but on the board.

  Wow, you suck really bad at this, haha!

  I'll get the next one, for sure!

  "That game was rigged, I swear that the darts felt heavier in my hand. Hey, like you're one to talk! You went through so many of those flimsy nets trying to catch a fish the storekeep handed you a consolation prize!"

  One for the lass. Better luck next time.

  Given free handouts out of pity? It doesn't get funnier than this, does it?

  Wipe that grin off of your face!

  "Do you want to go back to that shaved ice store? That was a fun time."

  "Sorry, I don't wanna torture myself again."

  Melton and Elisabeth put their efforts towards shaving down a block of ice the size of his torso by the width. Their hands worked a massive ice shaver that necessitated a stool to hold the handle of the shaver.

  Put your back into it!

  I...already...am!

  Melton had hardly broken a sweat, but Elisabeth was clearly through, her trembling arms unable to summon any more strength to turn the handle any more.

  "Shame. It would've been nice to see you struggle like that again."

  "Now why would that be nice?" Elisabeth shot back before a gathering of people before an enormous stage caught her eye. "What's that all about?"

  "Looks like the main event is almost about to begin."

  "What is?"

  "In a few minutes, performers will come on stage, celebrating the longest day of sun in the year, dancing away the last moments of daylight until the sun fully sets."

  Her arms crossed as she gave the stage a judgemental look.

  "Dancing? Tacky."

  "Not big on dance, I assume?"

  "Never was a fan."

  "That's alright then. I'll take you somewhere else."

  "Where on earth are we? I can't even hear the festival anymore? Don't tell me we're lost." Surrounded by looming trees as far as the eye could see, the duo now stood in a quiet outskirt, where the festival ended and the woods began. One really had to wonder if they were actually headed somewhere or if they really were lost in the woods like a certain other fairytale. That one wasn't her favourite, to say the least.

  "I've got bad news then..."

  "Oh come on..."

  "We're here! Did you really think I was that bad with directions?"

  "You had a map of the festival and we never found the place we wanted to go in the first attempt ever! Several times at that!"

  "That place is just a gigantic, flashy and noisy maze full of people. You try holding the map and saying where to go..." Melton approached a small hedge amongst a forest of trees, his remarks falling on deaf ears with Elisabeth defiantly plugging them with her fingers.

  "But this place? I don't think I could ever forget, even though Father first showed me this spot many years ago."

  Curtains of leaves parted as they waded through, revealing an old and weathered spruce bench laying atop a hill, the festival sprawled before their eyes as the sun drowned it in the hues of the sunset.

  "...It's beautiful."

  Taking a seat on the bench, Melton prattled on. "Come to think of it, Mom said those exact same words, according to my father. I was skeptical as a child. Sure it was beautiful, but what of it? The festival booths were far more interesting to young Melton then. Now I understand. Just sitting on this bench, admiring the beauty here with someone was enough."

  Elisabeth joined Melton side by side as she chirped in. "Your father must've been quite the sweet talker."

  "He sure was. I remember when Mom mentioned that he used to be a soft-spoken man. Only after my first uncle passed and he took on the mantle of family head did Father become, well, Father."

  I remember those times before your father became the family head. He was too shy to even look me in the eyes. Now look at him. He even faces His Highness, the Emperor without even blinking.

  So do you hate him now?

  Gods no, Melton. Underneath all the bluster is a sweet, gentle man who simply can't find the words to say what he means. The more time you spend around him, the more you'll understand what I mean.

  "That aside, did you have fun?"

  Elisabeth’s legs swung under the bench, the book on her lap. "You bet. This might be the best day I've ever had."

  "Now I don't know if you're exaggerating or not, Elisabeth."

  "I'm not kidding. I spent the past 2 years cooped up in that room. I never left of my own volition. What else was there to see? I missed mamma and papa back home in the southern farmlands of Esau. I was a bird in a cage that never thought to even try and fly away."

  Elisabeth cast her gaze downward, brushing her hand over the hardcover of the borrowed novel before looking out towards the sun, just about past the horizon.

  "Then one day, after I heard the same stories. The same requests for help, The same people who simply wished for their hatred to bring down those who had wronged them, The same false ascetics that wished for others to suffer for their personal gains, in came a daft young man who didn't want anything for himself but rather an answer for people he didn't even know."

  "Daft? You thought I was stupid?"

  "Duh? Who else would simply barge into a place like the den for some lofty idealistic goal like 'closure for others'?” Elisabeth’s fingers formed air quotes as she mocked his previous ideological spiel.

  "Well, I thought you were some mysterious mastermind of a crime ring. When I asked you to take off your veil that day, I didn't expect you to oblige."

  "Well, I guess I could look that way to someone who I've met for the first time." She snickered as a thought ran through her head. “Wouldn't a mysterious veiled woman that's part of a crime ring make for a super interesting antagonist?" Melton could only nod and agree.

  "But as I talked with you, the facade slowly stripped away, and the veiled woman in my mind slowly became just…Elisabeth. You're quick to lose your temper, but you're always first to apologise. You get annoyed when you aren't winning whenever we play a board game, even though you don't yet deserve to win."

  "That's because you're that good, not that I'm bad. I demand a handicap the next time we play!"

  "You love fantastical stories and grand sagas of adventure. You're incredible at making tea, though I wish you'd stop serving it so boiling hot."

  "Grow up. It's the best way to enjoy tea."

  "I know I haven't seen all the sides that make up all of the woman named Elisabeth. Maybe if I learn some terrible secret about you, the way I see you in my mind may change forever. But it doesn't matter. That day when you held me in your embrace, I decided that I'd accept all the different sides of you. Good, bad and ugly."

  "Elisabeth."

  The veil gently lifted upward in an almost reverent manner, revealing a face that had gone completely flush, down to the tips of her ears, her expression unclear. She could only look at the only person in the world in front of her that could cause her to turn out like this with her watery eyes as his hands gripped both of her clammy palms within his.

  "I have fallen for you. I wish to know everything about you. Everything from your greatest boons to your greatest fears. Your greatest triumphs and your ugliest lies. And I will accept every single part of you that makes you you, Elisabeth. Just as you did so for me then."

  "I love you. Will you go out with me-"

  In an instant, Elisabeth's hands left his grasp, clasping the back of his neck as she seized his lips.

  And time froze for a moment, just as the sun had almost completely set, the last of the violet rays illuminating their faces.

  Elisabeth drew away, breathless. She stared at her beloved's expression. A mix of surprise, embarrassment and just a sprinkle of his love swirled in his eyes as he struggled to form a sentence. The sight of that alone caused her desire to steal his lips again to erupt from the depths of her heart.

  "Haah..haah, you speak too much." A teasing smile broke past her lips, breathing heavily as she looked him in the eyes. Confusion splashed all over his face as Melton's mind was left scrambling to find any response at all.

  "So-"

  "I love you too, you dummy."

  Elisabeth coveted yet another taste of his lips as the sun disappeared into the horizon.