Chapter 54: Why Not Browse My Pages Instead
Moonlight slanted through the high stained glass windows, casting mottled light and shadow on the dust-covered floor.
Sheen’s boot tip lightly kicked aside a cobweb at his feet, raising fine dust that danced in the light beams.
The restricted section’s bookshelves were made of black ironwood, their surfaces carved with insect and moisture-proof runes, but still couldn’t stop time’s traces—many shelves were already tilted, their spines covered in thick dust.
“Cough… How long has this place been unattended?”
Sheen lowered his voice, his finger picking up black grime when he brushed against a shelf.
“At least ten years. Look at these books.”
Heralice lifted her skirt carefully to avoid scattered parchment fragments on the floor. Her violet eyes glowed faintly in the darkness as she lightly touched a gilt-covered tome, the silver chains wrapped around its spine immediately glowing.
“Ordinary people touching them would trigger alarms.”
Sheen narrowed his eyes, surveying the area.
The collection here was bizarre—there was “Flesh Puppet Arts” with a cover made of human skin, “Abyss Chronicles” constantly seeping black liquid, and even “Undead Nurturing Guide” that emitted baby cries. Each book was bound by different magical arrays, emanating dangerous auras in the darkness.
“Follow me.”
Heralice took Sheen’s wrist, leading him through several tilted bookshelves. Her fingertips were cold as jade yet sent tiny electric currents through him on contact. They stopped before a corner bookshelf where Heralice suddenly made a sound of surprise.
“It’s gone… I clearly remember it being right here.”
She frowned at the empty space on the third shelf, her finger tracing glowing runes in the air, wondering if she’d remembered wrong.
“Look, the traces here.”
Sheen crouched down, examining the dust at the shelf’s base by moonlight. He traced his index finger in the dust, leaving a clear rectangular outline with fine drag marks at the edges.
“Someone took the original book and stuffed back one of similar thickness.”
If another year passed and dust re-accumulated, no one might notice, but these traces were still fresh, meaning it was likely taken recently.
“No more than two weeks.”
Heralice crouched beside him, her hair carrying faint violet fragrance as it brushed down. She pointed to the relatively fresh dust at the outline’s edges.
“Berkeley didn’t have clearance to borrow from the restricted section. Could it be Cynthia?”
“Impossible. If she knew about combination evolution, she would have already…”
Sheen cut him off decisively, standing and dusting his knees, his words trailing off as his ears reddened.
Given Cynthia’s personality, if she truly discovered that saintess-spiritual comforter combination could evolve to the next stage, her pursuit of power would leave no room for hesitation.
“Already what?”
Heralice looked at him with amusement.
Sheen fell into thought. Less than two weeks—perfectly coinciding with when he joined the knight order. Was there some connection?
Seeing Sheen’s silence, the saintess laughed and changed the subject.
“So what now?”
“Since we’re here, we can’t return empty-handed.”
Moonlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting mottled shadows on the dust-covered floor.
“This place is like a tomb…”
Sheen walked toward another bookshelf, fingertips skimming those bizarre spines before stopping at a seemingly ordinary brown leather book. He muttered quietly, suddenly feeling Heralice press close from behind.
“Scared?”
Her breath was sweet as orchids, violet-scented exhalation brushing Sheen’s ear as cool fingers slowly slid down his spine, finally stopping at his waist.
“Sister can protect you~”
“‘A Brief History of Hermes’? A history book counts as forbidden?”
Sheen’s cheeks flushed as he looked past Heralice toward the brown leather book.
“Official histories don’t record… Ah!”
Heralice elegantly dispelled the book’s sealing magic with her fingers, suddenly crying out as Sheen grabbed her wrist.
“Someone’s coming.”
Sheen lowered his voice, pulling her into the bookshelf’s shadow. Nearby came slow footsteps that gradually faded, followed by the creaking of an iron door closing.
Heralice’s back pressed against Sheen’s chest. He could feel her heartbeat suddenly quicken.
“Looks like they’re gone.”
After confirming the night patrol had left, Heralice turned, her lips nearly brushing Sheen’s chin.
“Then let’s go back too.”
Sheen carefully tucked away “A Brief History of Hermes.”
“Go where?”
Heralice looked confused.
“Home, of course.”
Now Sheen was puzzled.
“You forgot—after the library closes, sensing barriers activate. Anyone passing through leaves traces. Since entering creates records, leaving definitely will too~”
The saintess winked mischievously.
“Then we’ll have to find somewhere to read properly.”
Sheen held his forehead and sighed. How was he only realizing this now? So they’d be spending the night in the library.
The reading area’s long table was edged with silver moonlight.
Sheen had just opened “A Brief History of Hermes” when Heralice slapped the book shut with a “snap.”
“Such a long night spent reading books is boring. Why not ‘study’ something else first?”
Her finger slid along Sheen’s arm to his shoulder, fingertips parting his collar, nails lightly scraping his collarbone.
“Compared to moldy old books… isn’t this ‘book’ of mine better looking?”
“Heralice, don’t mess around. We haven’t finished checking the historical records…”
“Shh—”
She raised her index finger to Sheen’s lips while unbuttoning the pearl fasteners at her own collar with her other hand.
With a soft “click,” the first button fell to the floor, revealing delicate collarbones and tantalizingly visible white curves.
“Since we couldn’t find the historical records, we’ll have to use practice to prove it.”
Moonlight suddenly intensified. Heralice turned toward the window.
Her silhouette outlined heart-stopping curves in the silver radiance. The dress slid slowly down her smooth skin, the sound particularly clear in the silence.
When fabric pooled at her feet, Sheen’s breathing slightly stopped. This saintess had indeed worn nothing beneath her dress.
Moonlight bathed Heralice in radiance, shadows at her waist dimples trembling slightly with her breathing like butterfly wings.
“What’s so interesting about those yellowed old books?”
She glanced back over her shoulder, hair cascading over rounded curves, fingertips tracing from her waistline to her thighs, creating alluring gleams in the moonlight.
“Why not browse my pages instead…”
“Didn’t you say there would be magical sensing barriers after closing?”
Sheen’s palms grew sweaty. Logic told him to look away, but his body seemed frozen under a spell.
“Don’t worry about the barriers.”
Heralice swayed gently with her back to Sheen, fully displaying her graceful curves, her voice like soul-stealing enchantment, numbingly seductive.
“We can stay until dawn.”
“Mmph!”
Sheen’s exclamation was muffled by a bandage-wrapped hand. He felt his back sink into some cold, gel-like substance. Scáthach’s pale face emerged from the shadows, dark purple crystals having spread across half her cheek.
“Found you.”
Scáthach whispered in Sheen’s ear, her voice like it came through deep water, then dragged him completely into darkness.
“Sheen, what are you waiting for? Come hold me~”
After waiting without response, Heralice turned around puzzled, her chest curves swaying gently with the movement.
“Sheen?”
In the empty reading room, only “A Brief History of Hermes” lay quietly on the table.