Ethan's eyelids were heavy. In fact, so was the entirety of his body. He could barely move a muscle, almost as if they had atrophied from the time he had remained unconscious. His nerves felt like thousands of ants crawling around, yet it felt more strange than painful. No matter how hard he tried to rise, his body refused to obey him.

  As the first rays of light struck his retina, his vision was hazy. It took him a while to adjust, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. At least he knew he wasn't sprawled on the forest floor anymore. Still, such realization gave him no comfort.

  He turned his head to the side, only to notice a pair of white birds standing side by side, perched on a coat hanger, staring straight at him. A sweet scent of flowers spread from the two, yet barely masked the astringent smell of cleaning agents lingering within the room.

  “Doves...” Ethan muttered, his voice breaking as it exited his mouth.

  He could barely form the words. To any outside listeners, he may as well have let out a groan, yet his eyes were fixed on the pair of birds. They were slightly ethereal, prompting Ethan to doubt their existence entirely. It wasn't until he noticed the slight white aura infusing their feathers and the shine of the mana dancing around them that he finally uncovered their true nature. Spirits. He felt a warmth spread throughout his body, slowly healing his fatigue, no doubt the birds' handiwork.

  “Finally awake, it seems.”

  The voice came as a shock, prompting him to freeze, his eyes snapping open, and his vision finally clearing. He slowly turned to the other side. Merely turning his neck took much more effort than he expected, only to see a woman quietly seated in the corner, book in hand. She barely raised her gaze from the tome before acknowledging Ethan's state.

  “Hoffman...” Ethan muttered, this time more legibly.

  She snapped her book closed before softly letting it rest on her thighs. Her gaze was calm and peaceful, a far cry from the last time Ethan had encountered her, for she was the woman whose spirit attacked him unprovoked, only to be taken away by the Head Librarian. As proof, her hair wasn’t made of countless vines intertwined into a mass, but the same dark auburn he remembered.

  She didn't say a word more, merely staring back at Ethan, yet he could see the uneasiness beneath her mask of indifference. He could see her slender fingers tighten around her book's hardcover, almost digging into it. As for whether this was out of frustration or something else, Ethan wasn't inclined to know. Still, he couldn't let this stalemate continue.

  “Where am I? How did I get here?”

  He slowly regained access to his body, allowing him to speak coherently. However, it still seemed too soon for him to rise. He had tried to use his elbow to prop himself up, yet he fell back down to the soft cushioning of the bed below him with a thud. He couldn’t help but frown slightly, looking at the woman before him with suspicion. If she were to wish him harm, he had no way to stop her, much less retaliate.

  "Calm yourself," she said, remaining seated, seemingly having no intent on ever getting up nor helping him. She felt like a mere observer, sent to keep watch on him. "This is the Academy's infirmary. I wasn't told the details, but your sister, Major Lancaster, brought you here."

  Even at the mention of his sister, Ethan didn't relax. If anything, he only became more suspicious. If she could find him, she may very well be aware of what had transpired. Did they find the young boy's body already? Still, Ethan couldn't ask.

  “What happened? Why are you here?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know...” the woman sighed, tilting her head backwards as she massaged the inside of her eyes. “The Head Librarian said he would lift my punishment if I were to look after you until you wake up. Although slightly boring, it allowed me to catch up on my reading."

  Ethan frowned as he noticed the book pile neatly arranged on a nearby table. There were more than a few, all nearly an inch thick. Even for him, reading through those would take much more than a day or two.

  “How long—”

  "—were you unconscious?" Hoffman interrupted. "I wasn't told the entire timeline, but I'd say more than a week. You'd have to ask your sister, or maybe Lady Reinhardt, for details. They are probably the only ones that can truly answer your questions."

  "Beth was here?" Ethan frowned.

  Although he said this more to himself than to her, the auburn-haired lady answered regardless.

  "I was told she was the one to find you. I must say, I didn't think warmth existed beneath her glacial exterior. Was she always that cold? I guess you should know as her former fiancee, or is that also taboo?"

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  Ethan was stunned, mainly to know that Elizabeth had searched for him, but also by how brazen the woman before him was. They weren't close enough to ask such personal questions. If anything, they could be considered enemies at worst, considering how she usually treated him. She usually just ignored him unless she had something to berate him about. He couldn't help but be suspicious of her sudden interest toward him, and it seemed it showed on his face.

  “You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she shrugged. "I just felt it was a shame to leave things as they were. We've been working together for over two years and barely know a thing about each other."

  Although she seemed to have said those words almost dismissively, Ethan could clearly feel the uncertainty and doubt in her tone and a deep-rooted nervousness in her eyes, something he had never seen before.

  “Why the sudden change? I was under the impression you didn’t like me much,” he asked, yet his tone was soft and calm, prompting the woman to relax somewhat.

  “I still don't. Who would like someone who gained his position through nepotism? Do you know how hard I had to work to get to where I am?" she said firmly, yet her expression grew slightly softer. "Still, I realized it was unbecoming of me to act like I did... you know... with my spirit and all..."

  The scene of her Vine Spirit attacking him some time prior replayed in his mind. He had always wondered what all this was about. At the time, her expression and words made it seem like she couldn't control her spirit, yet the vines still attacked regardless.

  He had attributed this to a way to deny responsibility in case it was to succeed, but maybe there was something more to it. After all, it wasn’t the only time spirits had acted strangely in his presence. The Rock Spirit and the Shadow Spirit also came to mind. One had seemed fearful of him, while the other attacked indiscriminately.

  “I’d forgotten,” Ethan said casually. “Don’t worry about it, Lady Hoffman.”

  “Call me Liliane, would you?” she said nervously. “I don’t really like being called by my family’s name. Besides, we’re... colleagues, after all.”

  "As you wish, Lady Liliane," Ethan said, yet he couldn't help but have doubts.

  What the hell happened between Gilbert and her for it to make such a drastic difference? Don’t tell me he brainwashed her? Does the Imperium even possess such technology? Scary...

  Still, none of it showed on his face. He remained as cordial as possible, yet his doubts seemed to have been conveyed somehow, for Liliane couldn't help but show a helpless smile.

  Why can't he be happy I even deigned to allow him to call me by my name? She thought, frustration rising in her heart, yet she hid it behind a slight smile. As if I would have an interest in such a bum! You may be from a prestigious family, but you can't even take your work seriously. I just need you to petition the Head Librarian to release my spirit; then, I'll have nothing more to do with you!

  Somehow, Ethan could read her like a book. While he didn't know the details, he could see that her spirit was asleep within her contract stone. He could see a bright green tone swirling into the stone, contrasting with the usual, more earthy green tone of the Vine Spirit, a clear sign of a seal by a higher rank one.

  “So...um... Your sister entrusted me with asking you what happened. Could you tell me?” she asked.

  Ethan frowned. This was hardly like his sister to entrust family matters to someone else. While he could easily envision her placing the task of looking after him onto her, she would hardly miss the opportunity to grill him on this. Something important must have happened for her not to take on the role.

  Still, this played to his advantage. If he had been faced with his sister as soon as he woke up, he would probably have been pressed straightaway, leaving no room to think of an excuse. But now, he could spin the vaguest of tales, which would offer him the most leeway. He knew the more he tried to lie, the flimsier the story would become. He might even let it slip that he now possessed mana. As such, he just happened to have such a tale in mind.

  "I don't remember much," he said convincingly. "After Beth left, I felt someone follow me. To get away from them, I went deeper into the forest, but after a while, everything went black. That's when my memory ended, and I woke up just now. There may be more, but it's all just a haze."

  If asked for more, Ethan could merely feign memory loss, even hoping it might come back someday. He knew that many wouldn't believe him, but without solid proof, would they even dare incriminate one of the Lancaster? No matter how estranged he might be from his father, Ethan simply wasn't worth enough to take the risk.

  Obviously, Liliane’s expression showed her doubts, yet she accepted his answer. After all, this whole ordeal was none of her business. Even if a student had died, nothing pointed to the culprit as the man before her, much less related to a librarian like her. Even if the Academy were to crumble, the Endless Library would remain, and this was all that mattered to her.

  “So be it," she said as she rose. "I'll report to the Head Librarian that you are now awake. He should have some more questions for you, as will your sister, I assume. She will probably bring you up to speed on what occurred when you were unconscious."

  “Speaking of her, do you know where she might be?” he asked, perplexed.

  “I was told she was summoned by the Academy's Dean. As for the subject of their discussion, how would I know?" she shrugged, picking up the pile of books piled on the nearby table into her arms. "I would surmise it concerns the body they found."

  “Body!?” Ethan exclaimed, slightly louder than he would have liked. She turned to face him, looking straight into his eyes as if trying to peer into his soul, but he merely coughed and calmed himself before adding, “A body? Did someone die?”

  “Yes. Some new student, apparently. I don't know the details, but rumours are spreading within the Academy."

  “Any idea how he died. Do they suspect murder?" Ethan asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible, yet inside, he began to panic slightly.

  “Did I mention the body was male?" she frowned, replaying her own words, but soon lost interest. Ethan visibly stiffened, yet Liliane seemed to have missed the signs. Either that, or she chose to ignore them. "I didn't hear much, but the body seemed to have been mauled by the forest's wildlife. You should ask your sister when she returns; she should know more than I do."

  She then turned and walked to the door. As she opened it, Ethan saw someone standing on the other side, hidden by the wall. Despite the person's size, their shoulder protruded slightly, showing the edge of a black and white uniform.

  A guard... Am I under suspicion?

  While Ethan's instinct was to run, he knew he could not escape. His best bet was to stay still and wait it out. Sooner or later, his chance would come. Until then, he only needed to lay low.

  “Liliane!” he said, prompting the woman to turn and face him, one eyebrow slightly raised as she waited for the rest. “Thank you for looking after me. I appreciate it.”

  She was stunned and slightly flustered, but more than that, a smugness was hidden beneath, almost as if she had won. She showed Ethan a beautiful smile resembling a blooming flower, but all Ethan could see was the venom hidden beneath, yet he showed none of it.

  “You’re welcome,” she replied. “Take care of yourself. I hope to see you up and about soon. The library still needs you.”

  She then turned and walked away, leaving Ethan alone with his thoughts as the door closed behind her. He barely repressed a chuckle thinking of her parting words. Never had he expected such words to come out of her mouth.

  There must be something she desperately wants from me. What did Gilbert put in her mind? He shook his head as the smile faded from his lips. I better get ready for my sister's return. Fortunately, it seems they didn't realize I was the one to kill him, but some will probably connect the dots. Beth's new fiancee, for one...