Her curious gaze flickered between Lucian and the book in his hand. "You know," she said, her tone light but her expression knowing, "that book doesn’t have a happy ending."
Lucian closed the book with a soft thud. "You don’t say," he replied, trying not to sound too awkward. "That’s... good to know."
Belle chuckled, a faint, amused smile playing upon her lips. "The story revolves around the princess depicted on the cover. Her na is Elizabeth, a blonde princess cursed to be trapped within a tower. By day, she walks as a human, but every night, she transforms into a dragon. Because every knight who ever ca to rescue her arrived only after sunset, they only ever saw the beast. No one ever saw her human form, and so, no one ever broke the spell. She remained in her dragon state permanently, forever waiting for ’true love’s kiss’ that never ca. At the end, she becos the eternal guardian of that castle, protecting it because another princess was imprisoned there, a girl bearing a similar curse, dood to turn into a monster when night struck."
"That really is quite tragic... but still a good story," Lucian remarked thoughtfully.
"It’s not often you see soone interested in The Cursed Princess," she continued. "Most people prefer sothing a bit less... heartbreaking."
Ruby, who had been quietly sipping her tea, suddenly piped up. "Mister Lucian likes to read all kinds of books! Right?"
Lucian glanced down at her, a genuine amusent tugging at his lips. "That’s one way to put it, yes."
Belle’s curiosity didn’t waver. "Do you read novels often?"
"Oh, yeah," Lucian said, thinking to himself, ’Those light novels from back then definitely count, right?’
"But right now, I’m more interested in history. Specifically, what has happened in this kingdom and the surrounding lands over the past few years."
Belle’s thoughtful expression deepened. "If that’s the case, there are better books for that. Mr. Robert keeps a great selection on the kingdom’s history. Would you like to show you?"
"That’d be helpful, actually," Lucian admitted. "I’ve been... out of touch for a while."
"What’s your na?" she asked as she began leading him through the aisles.
"Lucian."
She offered him a kind, warm smile. "I am Belle. Nice to et you."
Lucian couldn’t help but smirk. "The feeling’s mutual."
She chuckled softly and led him through the winding aisles of the library, her fingers brushing against the spines of books as she searched. She stopped and pointed out a few thick volus bound in dark leather.
"This one covers events across the entire Aurellion continent from about five years ago," she explained, handing over a heavy book that felt solid with age and knowledge.
"And this one," she added, picking up another large text, "details the conflicts and wars between the nobles and kingdoms over the last few decades."
Ruby peeked over Lucian’s arm, her eyes widening at the sheer size of the books. "Wow, Mister! You’re going to read all that?"
"We’ll see," Lucian said, unable to hide his amusent at her awe.
Belle handed him one final book, smaller and thinner than the others. "This is a good overview of legends, myths, and ancient lore. It is a lighter read, but it gives you the big picture of how things ca to be."
"Thank you, Belle," Lucian said sincerely.
After checking out the books with Mr. Robert, the four of them stepped outside into the warm afternoon sun. Ruby skipped ahead, spinning in the street like a carefree child.
"Mister, isn’t this village amazing? Look at all the people!"
"It’s sothing, alright," Lucian said, smirking at her endless energy.
Belle walked beside him, her tone light but carrying a hint of exasperation as she looked around at the passing villagers. "The village has its charm, yes, but the people here can be... rather small-minded."
Lucian glanced at her, catching the flicker of frustration. "Small-minded, huh? Let guess, you’re not a fan of provincial life."
Belle laughed, her voice lodic. "How did you know?"
"Lucky guess," Lucian replied with a grin.
Ruby suddenly spun back toward them, practically buzzing with excitent. "Where do you want to go next, Mister?"
Lucian thought for a mont, but his answer was decided the instant he heard a low, rumbling growl echo from Mord’u’s direction.
He smiled. "Is there a tavern nearby? We really need to find sothing to eat; we didn’t get a chance to have breakfast this morning."
Ruby tapped her chin with her finger, her brow furrowed in deep thought before lighting up. "Oh! There’s one not far from here! They have the yummiest, softest bread you will ever taste!"
Belle smiled at Ruby’s enthusiasm and nodded in agreent. "She is not wrong. It is quite cozy, and the food is hearty and good... though it can get rather lively and loud, even this early in the day."
"Well, lead the way," Lucian said.
"Okie dokie!" she cheered, grabbing his hand and tugging him forward. "Co on! I’ll show you the best place to eat in the whole village!"
Belle followed behind them, laughing softly. "She seems very fond of you already."
"She has enough energy to keep up with all three of us, I think," Lucian replied, shaking his head with a smile.
____
The four arrived at the tavern shortly after, guided by the mouth-watering scent of fresh bread and roasted at drifting on the breeze. The wooden sign above the door creaked slightly in the wind, reading Le Pub.
Stepping inside, they were greeted by a warm, rustic atmosphere buzzing with life. Thick wooden beams lined the ceiling, a crackling fire burned cheerfully in the large hearth, and custors chatted loudly over mugs of frothy ale, filling the room with a comforting noise.
As they found a table and settled in, a waitress approached them. She had golden hair tied neatly into a ponytail and wore a dress cut to emphasize her figure. Her gaze flickered briefly over the group before landing sharply on Belle, and her expression instantly turned sour. She muttered sothing under her breath, her tone dripping with dislike. "Why is she here again?"
Lucian raised an eyebrow. Thanks to his enhanced senses, every single word reached his ears clearly, despite the noise of the tavern. He decided not to comnt on it, choosing instead to order a al suitable for four people while Ruby chattered endlessly about how delicious the bread here was. The waitress gave Lucian a forced, tight smile and sauntered off to the kitchen.
Leaning back in his chair, Lucian glanced casually at Belle. "An acquaintance of yours?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Belle sighed, looking weary. "That is Claudette. She is one of the three sisters everyone calls the Bimbettes. She and her siblings are... well, let’s just say they do not like very much."
Ruby chid in eagerly, "They’re jealous because Gaston likes Sister Belle more than them, even though she doesn’t like him back!"
(A/N: If I were Gaston, I’d definitely choose the Bimbettes. I an... three for one deal, right? Mwuhehehe)
"Oh, you little—stop it!" Belle scolded playfully, though her cheeks flushed pink as she reached over to ruffle Ruby’s hair affectionately.
Lucian chuckled to himself, glancing at Mor’du who was quietly drinking water. ’Gaston, huh? Now I want to see him and Mor’du get into a fight.’
As if summoned, the tavern doors burst open, and in strode a man who could only be Gaston. His muscular build, square jaw, and perfect hair made him look like he’d walked off the cover of so romance novel. He carried himself like he owned the place.
Spotting their table imdiately, Gaston’s eyes lit up. He swaggered over, looming large beside them.
"Well, well... Belle," Gaston said, his voice deep and dripping with confidence. "I honestly thought you wouldn’t dare co here. Have you finally co to your senses and decided to accept my invitation?"
Belle sighed, clearly unimpressed. "I’m here to accompany Ruby and her friends, not you, Gaston."
Gaston’s attention shifted instantly to Lucian, his expression darkening as he sized the newcor up from head to toe. His lip curled in disdain. "And who is this? So scrawny bookworm who thinks he can read his way into winning your favor?"
Lucian leaned further back in his chair, eting the hunter’s intense gaze with a lazy, uninterested smile. "Nice to et you too... Mr. Narcissist."
The room went silent for a beat. Gaston’s confident smirk faltered as the insult sank in.
Ruby gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, while Belle stifled a laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusent.
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