The circular carpet at the center of the ground floor formed the heart of the hall's floor, its rich, harmonious colors weaving together the emblem of the sun, gleaming brilliantly beneath the natural light.
"Lanqi, you truly are such a gentle, good-natured person."
Karen dabbed away the tears at the corners of her eyes and couldn't help breaking into a faint smile, speaking with profound emotion.
Then she turned toward Ainuoer, placing a hand against her chest as she curtsied to him.
"Your Highness Ainuoer, I respect every choice you make, and I cherish you as a dear friend. I only hope you can forget what I said just now—I don't want you to remember me looking so disgraceful."
"Not at all, not at all, Karen! I am truly, deeply sorry," Ainuoer quickly responded.
"In that case, Your Highness, you did stand me up this once, you know," Karen said, her eyes still faintly rimmed with red as a radiant smile bloomed across her face.
"Of course."
Ainuoer understood that he would have to make it up to her next time.
From the side, Lanqi watched with gratification as the atmosphere between them returned to harmonious warmth.
Although Karen was laying yet another piece of groundwork for Ainuoer, Lanqi took no action this time.
Consider it Sophia's homework assignment; if she wanted her man, she had to conquer him herself.
Lanqi was an instructor, not an account booster.
"...Dean Loren should be arriving soon."
Ainuoer glanced at the grand clock in the library.
"Then I should take my leave for today, or it'll be quite awkward when Dean Loren arrives."
Ainuoer smiled bashfully.
If he waited until Dean Loren arrived before leaving, he would have to explain the dispute that had just occurred face-to-face.
Besides, he wanted to go find Sophia right now and apologize to her.
"Leave it to me," Lanqi replied, looking at Ainuoer.
Dean Loren? Lanqi knew him well; everything from here on could be safely left in his hands.
Ainuoer couldn't resist giving Lanqi a hug.
His dear friend was simply far too reliable.
"See you next time, Lanqi, and you too, Karen."
And with that, Ainuoer happily bade them farewell.
In the central hall of the Ancient Tower Library, time seemed gently slowed. In the expansive space, every footstep and faint cough found its own echo beneath the soaring dome before gradually fading, swallowed by endless books and history.
The tall windows lining the walls let the sunlight pour in unreservedly, gracing the hall with an ethereal serenity.
Karen and Lanqi were not that well-acquainted, and the air between them fell quiet for a long while after Ainuoer left.
Today was the first time they had met and spoken. Once their only mutual acquaintance departed, they ran out of topics.
Karen pondered. She found this black-haired, green-eyed boy quite interesting as well.
At the very least, he was formidable—a presence on par with the Holy Son and Saintess of the Resurrection Church, and Loren's most outstanding student.
Since he was a combat practitioner in the School of Sages who understood magic engineering, she was certain they would share plenty of common ground.
Perhaps he might even have numerous requests to ask of her; after all, powerful combat practitioners and powerful card makers complemented each other.
And so,
just as Lanqi was leisurely admiring the murals of the Ancient Tower Library,
"I really can't underestimate you, Lanqi. So you wanted to be alone with me that badly?"
Karen leaned in a bit closer to Lanqi, whispering softly.
Lanqi glanced at her in slight astonishment. Karen, seemingly very pleased by his innocent reaction, added another sly whisper:
"My answer, though, is—why not?"
...
Up on the library's sixth floor, Sophia, who had already been cheering with joy when she saw Ainuoer leave, froze again upon hearing Karen's words to Lanqi.
That green tea was at it again!
Hadn't Lanqi just trapped himself now?
Because given Lanqi's persona, there was virtually no good way to answer that question; he couldn't possibly say anything impolite.
If it were a guy like Frey, he could naturally bark right back: "Woman, get lost."
But Lanqi was always courteous, sincere, and gentle.
Karen had banked on Lanqi's temperament, which was why she chose such ambiguous, cunning probing.
The more Lanqi denied it, the more it would seem like he fancied her!
And if he straight up admitted it, he'd be even more doomed!
"Hypie..."
Sophia looked worriedly at Hyperion. Karen had already set her sights on your Lanqi.
Hypie, why don't you go down there and take her on!
However,
"She's practically throwing meat into a wolf's mouth."
Hyperion merely shook her head, as if mocking Karen's sheer foolishness.
Sophia: "???"
Downstairs.
After listening to Karen's words,
Lanqi recovered from his astonishment.
"That is truly wonderful. I have long heard that you became a Gold-rank card maker in your second year, Karen, something I could never hope to match. If I might be fortunate enough to receive a bit of guidance from you, it would be the honor of a lifetime."
Lanqi smiled gently.
"Heh-heh, then just stick with me during the viewing later. I can teach you a thing or two."
Karen mused that this fellow was indeed an innocent youth; once you grasped his personality, he was putty in your hands.
Except this time,
even Sophia, peeking down at the situation from the sixth-floor balustrade, finally understood what this guy Lanqi was planning!
There was indeed a fifty percent chance he was just being humble.
And a fifty percent chance he was plotting something wicked.
Yet whichever possibility it was, Karen was in for a brutal awakening!
...
Meanwhile, over at the entrance to the School of Sages' Ancient Tower Library,
a young man with faintly exhausted eyes and a prominent holy cross insignia at the collar of his formal attire walked through the library doors.
Passing through the corridor, he walked alongside the counter. Beside it sat a row of carved high-backed chairs complementing the bronze side tables next to them. Crystal lamps sat atop the tables, and beneath some of them lay half-open books, marked by a few orange-yellow ginkgo leaf bookmarks.
"Fortunately, Lanqi didn't favor my suggestion of viewing it together with Karen. Even if I have to carve out separate time for Lanqi to inspect it later, that's still better than letting him come into contact with students from the Aloran Kingdom."
Loren took in the scenery of the library, thinking to himself that three students were already unable to return.
One was in the hospital, one was in prison, and one had transferred schools.
Moreover, that transferred student seemed to have some issues as well. Ever since her brother Phoenix entrusted her to him, she seemed to be growing far too dependent on him...
Loren only felt that so many things had happened recently that his head was buzzing.
Forget it, no use dwelling on it.
Loren shook his head.
For now, he had managed to steady Juliana, convincing her through sheer persuasion not to set off for Ikerite in person.
He absolutely could not lose another student.
Beside him, rows of ancient oak bookshelves rose straight to the ceiling, neatly holding countless gilt-edged volumes whose spines had long blurred with the passage of time, their antique scent growing ever richer.
Loren's silhouette flickered in and out among the bookshelves.
As the light ahead grew increasingly bright, the central hall lay just beyond this collection area.
The very next second,
as Loren stepped into the hall and caught sight of the figure standing beside Karen in the distance, his heart stopped.
Chapter 213