Suddenly, Mira wagged her index finger. "No, I didn't saw your past? And why are you so focus only on your past? Anyways I can't read minds to their fullest extent," she explained. "But I can tell what someone is thinking in the moment. It has its limits, and it's my primary ability."

  Leo finally relaxed. Now as he knew she couldn't have seen into his past, as he hadn't been thinking about it. "So," he asked, "what are those limits?"

  Noah held up three fingers. "She can only use it three times a day," he replied. "And she has already wasted two of those uses just now."

  Leo placed a finger on his chin, nodding.

  "Oh, I see. Everything makes sense now—that’s how you realized what I was thinking. But....... that still doesn't solve my problem. I still need an Advisor. If you've read my mind, you both already know that Aurelius—your King—told me to find one to help me prepare for the throne."

  Mira nodded, her expression becoming more serious. "Yes, we know. And that’s exactly why we came back to sit with you. To tell you that......... I can be your Advisor."

  Leo’s eyes narrowed. "I’m pretty sure a librarian like you wouldn't be able to handle being an Advisor," he said skeptically.

  Mira’s face broke into a grin. "Are you sure about that? I’ve already studied more than enough. In fact, I was planning to take the Rustalia Advisor exam next year... but now before that happens you showed up."

  She paused for a second, looking down at her hands with a faded smile. "Besides," she added softly, "it has always been my dream."

  Leo placed a finger on his chin, considering her. "So, you’re telling me you’ve studied enough to actually sit for the official exam?"

  She nodded, but Leo stood up abruptly. "You might be right about the studying," he said, "but that doesn’t mean you have experience, does it?"

  The joy vanished from Mira’s face, replaced by a sudden, crushing disappointment. It was a look Leo hadn't seen since they met; her excitement had evaporated in an instant. She slumped forward, resting her head on the table.

  Leo turned to leave. As he walked past the shelves, Noah reached out and grabbed his wrist.

  "Leo, wait..."

  Leo stopped and turned, his eyes cold. He stepped toward Noah, his presence so overbearing that Noah instinctively retreated until his back hit the wooden shelves. He was trapped. Leo closed the distance, looming over him while Mira remained motionless at the table.

  Leo stared into Noah's hidden eyes. "Who are you, anyway?" he asked sharply. Noah’s eyebrows shot up, his eyes widening behind his glasses.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Let's assume I select her as my Advisor," Leo continued. "What would that make you? You’ll be nothing more than a common librarian. You’ll gain nothing but loneliness. You are nothing to me, so you had better stop meddling."

  Leo turned on his heel and began walking toward the library doors. But just as he reached the exit, Noah’s voice rang out, loud and firm.

  "Leo!"

  Saying him this loud Mira stands up and says "Hey Noah slow down." Her voice was voice was same as whisper. But Noah wasn't in the mood of listening.

  This time, Noah didn’t care about the library rules or the silence; he just shouted. The sound made Leo stop in his tracks. He didn’t turn around, but he listened closely to what Noah had to say.

  "Let’s not talk about me," Noah began, his voice steady. "But about Mira... yeah, you’re right. She doesn’t have any experience. But you know what? I think... you’re on the same path."

  The words were bitter, but they were true. Leo stood in a heavy silence, offering no rebuttal. Instead, he pushed open the library doors and stepped outside into the night.

  Noah sighed, looking down at the floor in disappointment. He turned toward the table. "Sorry, Mira. I wasn't—"

  Before he could finish his sentence, the library door swung open again. Leo leaned half his body back inside and barked, "Hey! Both of you!"

  Mira and Noah stared at him, frozen.

  "Come to the empire’s main entrance tomorrow morning," Leo said. "I’ll be waiting for you both."

  With that, he vanished and pulled the door shut. For a moment, the library was silent. Then, Mira and Noah looked at each other, their faces lighting up with massive grins. They shared a triumphant high-five, their hands slapping together.

  "Let’s go!" they cheered in unison.

  In their excitement, Mira and Noah completely forgot they were still in the library; their happiness was so overwhelming that breaking the rules was the last thing on their minds.

  Outside, the night had fully set in. The moonlight spilled down over the streets, illuminating the path ahead. On Leo's left, a row of hotels lined the road, while on his right, quiet houses stood in the shadows. Leo walked with a stony, serious expression, his eyes narrowed as he stared straight ahead.

  Then, slowly, a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. The grin widened into a full smile, and suddenly, he burst out laughing. He stood there for a moment, letting the laughter out before finally regaining his control. A few passersby paused to stare at him as if he were a madman, but Leo didn't care.

  He continued on his way, a lingering smile on his face as he thought to himself.

  'I can’t believe they actually thought I was going to reject her. I guess my prank went a little too far.'

  He chuckled again, picturing the looks of pure despair on their faces when he had turned to leave. It had been the perfect act.

  'I mean, how could I have even rejected them?' Leo thought, a smug satisfaction settling in his chest. 'The moment I realized she was studying for the Advisor’s exam, my mind was made up. It wasn't just about her knowledge, either—that ability of hers is far too useful to pass up.'

  He giggled internally, quite proud of his own self-control. 'I made sure not to let that thought surface in my mind, though. I really wanted to see the look on their faces.'

  As he walked, he took a left turn and continued down a livelier street. To his right, groups of people were huddled together, chatting outside a row of warm, noisy taverns. On his left, quiet houses were tucked away, separated by dark, narrow alleys.

  Leo came to a halt and looked up at the vast, starlit sky. A softer thought crossed his mind.

  'I really don't want to separate those two,' he realized. He began walking again, his pace steady and purposeful.

  'Anyway, it looks like I’ll just have to select both of them tomorrow.'