Chapter 03

My hand, which had been holding a book, stopped in midair.

What?

‘He said he thinks he would get angry?’

Was it dangerous?

Did he mean the library was dangerous? Or this country? If not, then the whole world?

No. That’s not it.

‘Lord Costance said he would be angry if I got hurt.’

Even his low voice had sounded unusual, and now he was saying something I couldn’t understand.

For a moment, I doubted my own ears, but when I looked into those deep eyes that refused to let go of my gaze, I didn’t think I had heard him wrong.

My lips wouldn’t move. We were too close for me to casually turn my head away.

Lord Costance and I exchanged nothing but glances for a while.

Seeing a man from this close erased every thought that had filled my head until then. My suspicions about Lord Costance, my anxiety—all of them disappeared.

It wasn’t as though this was the first time I’d seen him, but his appearance still left me dazed. When his deep eyes seemed to pierce into my face, my heart nearly sank.

It might have been a completely insane thought, but—

Did Lord Costance like me?

‘No way. Why would Lord Costance……?’

It made no sense.

And yet, this conclusion made Lord Costance’s suspicious behavior much easier to understand.

But it really was impossible.

Aside from this library, he and I had never met.

There had been no situation in which he could have fallen in love with me. There wasn’t even enough reason for him to become interested in me.

There had been a few men and nobles who occasionally flirted with me because of my appearance, but…… the man standing in front of me couldn’t possibly like me.

Then why did this noble-born man keep getting in my way?

“Vivy.”

My breath caught.

That was when—

“Ban NOK development! Ban it!”

“There will be no Second War! No second Nergal!”

The voices of the protesters outside the library cut between Lord Costance and me.

“Th-these days, the library has been quite noisy, hasn’t it?”

I was the first to come to my senses. I quickly picked up the books and placed them in Lord Costance’s arms.

“I-I just remembered something important. Something I need to do.”

Of course, that was a lie.

“I’m sorry, but could you put these books somewhere in the storage room for me? P-please.”

It was probably a shameless thing to ask, but I was in quite a hurry.

“Thank you in advance. Then……!”

And with that, I escaped as if I were running away.

I couldn’t concentrate on my work at all.

One reason was Lord Costance, who had kindly fulfilled my request and returned to his seat.

And the other was……

“Vivy, go and make those people stop.”

“Pardon?”

I followed the director’s gaze and looked out the window.

Outside, the protesters were all holding signs with excited expressions as they shouted.

Recently, anti-NOK protests had been taking place in various places, but the protest in front of the library had gone too far.

“Tell them to move somewhere else, or hold a silent protest. Just ask them to stop, please.”

“M-me?”

“You, Vivy.”

The director pointed directly at me.

Why me……?

I’d already carried that heavy box earlier.

Well, Lord Costance had done most of the actual work.

I swallowed those words.

“Then I’ll go with the guards……”

“They’re all busy with major repairs because of the basement leak. It’s a complete mess down there.”

“……What about the security guards?”

“Didn’t I tell you? The mayor abolished the library’s security guards while emphasizing that Kenery was a ‘safe city’? Still, don’t worry, Vivy. Kenery is a safe town with a major naval commander stationed here. Just tell them once, and if you decide it’s impossible to deal with them, call the police yourself.”

When I hesitated, the director added:

“Director, wouldn’t it be better to call the police from the beginning……”

“Vivy.”

The director called my name again.

“In this damned country, if you call the police without trying anything first, no one will listen to you. Talk things out with them first. If that doesn’t solve the problem, then report them.”

In other words, You do your best.

I couldn’t think of anything to say in response.

He wanted me to go talk to people who clearly looked like they wouldn’t listen to a word I said?

And he wanted the youngest employee at the library to do it?

What kind of tyranny was this?

The person I should report to the police wasn’t the protest group.

It was this heartless director who could order the youngest employee around however he pleased.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting up?”

“I was just about to.”

I stood up before I could even think about it and hesitated.

When I stepped outside the reading room, the protesters’ voices became deafening.

They weren’t just shouting. They were beating drums and blowing trumpets as well.

They were standing behind signs claiming to be victims while causing trouble for everyone else.

What a complete mess.

“…….”

I looked at the protesters in front of me.

All seven of them were large men.

NOK Is the Road to the Destruction of the World!

Absolutely No Second Nergal!

“Ban NOK development!”

“Ban it! Ban it!”

“No Second Nergal!”

“No! No!”

The people who had been shouting at the top of their lungs glanced at me as I approached.

I forced a smile.

“Excuse me……”

They glared at me suspiciously.

They had already figured out why I was approaching them.

“What is it?”

“Your protest is too loud. It’s disturbing the citizens who are reading, so could you please move somewhere else?”

The moment I said that, their expressions hardened.

They pretended not to hear me and protested even louder.

My ears began to ring.

“E-excuse me!”

The protesters completely ignored me.

“Excuse me! If you continue like this, I’ll have no choice but to call the police……!”

“Miss.”

The moment I mentioned the police, they reacted.

Their voices as they addressed me were hostile.

“Are you saying reading is more important than peace right now?”

I shook my head.

“But you’re disturbing the library.”

“Miss. Are you a spy? Do you support the development of NOK? Are you saying you want this world to be destroyed by another war?”

Their attitude became extremely aggressive.

“Then, at least if you could lower your voices a little……”

“If we lower our voices, is that a protest? It has to be loud enough for the city hall up ahead to hear us.”

But why were they taking their anger out on me?

“Then why don’t you protest in front of city hall……”

“If we could protest there, would we be doing this here? There are police officers all over the place in front of city hall. This square is the closest place we can use.”

There was no way these protesters were going to listen to me.

“This won’t do. Miss, listen to what I have to say.”

That wasn’t all.

They began listing all the problems with the country and tried to lecture me.

Only then did I realize that I had gotten myself into trouble.

After struggling through such a long protest, someone like me—a woman who looked completely ignorant of the ways of the world—was the perfect person to target.

Could there be anyone better for them to force their ideology onto?

I turned my head, wondering if the director was watching this.

But instead of the director, the very person I least wanted to see was coming out of the library.

Lord Costance.

‘But why is he looking at me……?’

I realized it.

Lord Costance was walking toward me.

“Then I’ll be going now……”

“Where do you think you’re going? An adult is talking to you. Don’t be rude.”

One of the protesters suddenly grabbed my arm.

Startled by the sudden movement, I forcefully shook his hand off.

“Ah!”

I lost my balance.

“Vivy!”

I thought I heard Lord Costance’s voice.

Before I had a chance to regain my balance, I fell straight to the ground.

I frowned at my scraped arm.

It stung and hurt.

“Wh-what……”

The confused voices of the protesters came from above me.

Perhaps they hadn’t expected me to fall. They quickly hid the hand that had grabbed my arm.

“Why are you making such a fuss after falling on your own?”

Just like that, I became the person who had fallen by herself.

“Vivy, are you all right?”

Lord Costance reached me in an instant and held out his hand.

When I hesitated, he carefully placed an arm around my waist and helped me to my feet.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re injured.”

After helping me up, Lord Costance examined my wound.

The moment he saw my elbow, his expression became frighteningly grim.

“It’s all right. Really.”

I didn’t want to make the situation any bigger than it already was, so I looked at Lord Costance.

He silently stared at my arm before turning his head toward the protesters.

“I-I didn’t do anything. The young lady just fell on her own.”

“Vivy’s wound is deep.”

“The young lady fell by herself! You saw it too!”

They were afraid of Lord Costance, who was larger than them and held a higher title.

Their attitude was completely different from when I had been there alone.

“We, we didn’t do anything wrong.”

I felt disgusted.

“First, you will stop this violent protest. Then, you will come with me……”

“Lord Costance!”

I hurriedly grabbed Lord Costance’s arm.

“Wait. Please step aside for a moment.”

“Vivy?”

I stepped in front of the protesters.

Unlike before, they flinched when they saw the sharpness in my eyes.

“War…… happens because people refuse to yield to each other, and the stronger side uses force to impose its will on the weaker side.”

“…….”

“That is also why NOK was developed. If NOK exists, other countries won’t recklessly pick up their guns and invade.”

I looked directly at them.

“Just like how you’re becoming weak in front of Lord Costance.”

The protesters frowned.

“What?”

“What I’m saying is this. If you truly want peace, then please!”

“…….”

“Please…… hold your protest quietly.”