Chapter 35: Unwelcomed Visitors (1)
Surrounded by towering shelves of books, wrapped in the quiet scent of paper and worn leather, and bathed in the soft, steady light of the lamps hanging along the walls, the library felt still and warm with thought.
In that hush, the sound of a page turning... light and dry, like a leaf brushing gently across stone, could be heard every now and then.
In this relaxing space, on the ground beside a small pile of books, Ellis sat quietly, reading.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t concentrate on the book in his hands like usual.
Silas had gone out since morning... and still hadn’t returned.
Her grumbling, yet strangely calming presence... especially when she nagged and tried to persuade him to sit on a chair and read at the table, was, of course, one of the reasons his focus wandered.
But that wasn’t all.
This wasn’t the first time she had needed to leave him alone, after all.
Every so often, when they needed something for this abandoned palace, she would go out on her own.
But she always told him how long she’d be gone. And she always kept her word.
That consistency, that strictness in such things, had marked all of his nearly five years in this world. And it was precisely why... he couldn’t stop worrying now.
Because this was the first time, she’d been this late.