Chapter 44

“Listen, Page. Forgive me, but I have walked through the castle all day and am too exhausted. Would it be all right if I came back tomorrow to finish helping? I promise I will keep my word.”

For a moment, the simple and adorable spirit’s face showed a hint of distrust toward Fiona, but her promise to return seemed to please him considerably.

“You must find your way here using the map Page drew. Understood?”

The chattering spirit was so endearing that Fiona wished to take him with her. Would Rose not be utterly delighted to see him? Impulsively, Fiona suggested that Page accompany her to her room.

At her words, however, Page shook his head regretfully.

“Page is a book spirit and cannot leave the library. If you wish to see Page, come to the library anytime.”

“What? You mean you cannot move a single step from here?”

Before she could even voice her concern that this seemed terribly confining and cruel, Page shook his head.

“Page has another ability!”

Clearing his throat importantly, the spirit preened for a moment before bouncing in place to demonstrate his power.

“Page can summon any place called a library. Shall I show you?”

Before Fiona could even answer, Page snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the background where they stood transformed completely.

In an instant, the two stood not in the old castle but in the midst of unfamiliar bookshelves somewhere unknown. Fiona’s mouth fell open. Unless she was mistaken, this was… the library at the Count’s estate.

“Wait, you can teleport? That means… you could go outside and meet whomever you wished?”

Fiona, excited at the thought of rushing out to see Rose, asked urgently. But the spirit, looking somewhat flustered, shook his head sadly.

“That is impossible. Page has not warped—he has merely temporarily manifested this space. Page cannot step outside the library or bring anyone from within it…”

“Ah…”

Her momentary hope quickly dissolved into disappointment. Page, watching her reaction, also wore a downcast expression. Fiona belatedly felt remorse.

“I only asked out of curiosity. It is a truly remarkable ability, is it not?”

Even if he could show her every library in existence, it would be of no use to Fiona. Today, more than ever, she resented her long-standing weakness.

Hiding her unwarranted sense of inferiority, she praised him with forced brightness, and thankfully Page’s face soon lit up again. He was indeed a spirit whose moods were easy to read.

“Page has never spoken with a human before. The humans who made a mess of the library were all frightening. Fiona is kind.”

Faced with such simple and sincere affection, Fiona could not help but smile genuinely. This unexpected encounter with the tiny spirit held considerable meaning for her as well.

As a spirit of books, he could not offer much practical help, but knowing that such a small, adorable being awaited her whenever she came here made the prospect of future life here not entirely unpleasant.

If this is his first time speaking with a human, that must mean Jayden does not know of Page’s existence, does it?

‘If so, there was no need to inform him.’

Deciding to keep Page’s existence secret for now, Fiona bid him farewell with a promise to return and left the library.

The map Page had drawn proved remarkably accurate despite his vague appearance, and before long Fiona had safely returned to her chamber.

In many ways, exploring the castle today had been worthwhile. Though she had not found the entrance to the cellar where Caligo was kept, there had been other small gains.

‘To find the entrance, I must ask him to draw me a complete map next time.’

In far better spirits than at this time yesterday, Fiona opened her door.

But her good mood did not last long.

It was long after sunset.

In Fiona’s room, a pale-faced Marie had been waiting, as darkness fell, for the room’s mistress who had not returned.

“Master Jayden has been looking for you for quite some time.”

It was because of Jayden’s summons.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Snowball

Latest posts by Snowball (see all)