As she tensed defensively, he held something out, and her gaze fell to the book they had both wanted. A beautiful wind spirit engraved on the old leather cover smiled up at her.

“I’ve already memorized what I need from this.”

When the meaning of his words registered, she could find no words to reply. He was genuinely saying he didn’t want it anymore.

Could that be why he took it in the first place…?

Maybe it was wishful thinking on her part. But maybe he was kinder than the rumors made him out to be, after all. She felt more confused than ever.

He said he memorized it…but it’s hundreds of pages!

“Th-thank y—”

“You know about this book?” he asked, arms crossed as he interrupted her awkward thank-you.

She nodded vaguely, absorbed by his appearance.

“Huh? Oh, I suppose—”

“That’s a surprise.”

Click.

Instantly, an awful sound echoed in her head.

He’s making fun of me.

She couldn’t keep quiet if that was the case. In the past, she’d always responded to any insult with a haughty laugh. But she didn’t want to be that person anymore. She stood quietly and pointed to the book’s cover.

“This is an original copy of The Wind Laughs, I believe.”

“It is. And?”

So what? he was saying.

She spoke a bit louder to avoid being overwhelmed. “The author of The Wind Laughs is the late Lien Baluanuki, a well-known scholar of spirits. Although Lien himself contracted with a third-class spirit, he became close with the sylphide a friend had contracted with and is rumored to have spoken frequently with her.”

“…”

“This book is said to be based on what the sylphide told him about the spirit world. It became famous overnight for its unique depiction of subjects beyond human knowledge and because it was written in spirit language. Translators vary greatly in their interpretations, but the consensus is that it is a book of many mysteries to which no conclusive answer has yet been found.

“Based on the fact that the sylphide taught Lien her language, some scholars have argued that the two were lovers, or else as close as family. Some call the book Lien’s love letter to the spirits. As a reader, however, I prefer not to cheapen their relationship with such descriptions.”

After reeling off her explanation, Brigitte noticed a hint of surprise on Yuri’s face.

“Are you really the Earl of Meidell’s daughter?”

“I am. I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Brigitte Meidell.”

Pleased at having outwitted him, she dipped her head elegantly.

Yuri rested his hand on his chin in thought. After a few moments of silence, she began to wonder what he was going to say.

“…How strange. I heard the Third Prince’s fiancée was a stupid, out-of-control terror.”

“Wh—?”

“Oh, excuse me. Now that you’re no longer engaged, I should have said a stupid, ordinary redhead.”

“Wha-wha-wha-what?”

Brigitte flushed bright red at this outrageous insult.

How dare he say that to my face!

The terrifying thing was, he was saying it so calmly that she didn’t sense any malice. She squeezed her fists under the desk. What a ludicrous person this Yuri Aurealis was!

“Um, excuse me, but would you mind keeping your voice down in the library?”

Just then, a female librarian approached them fearfully. Brigitte had heard that many of the library staff were commoners. She could imagine how frightening it must be to approach such a universally hated pair as Yuri and herself. She felt guilty, but Yuri just glanced at the librarian and said, “Sorry. I’ll make sure to remind her to keep quiet.”

Hey, don’t blame this on me!

It was Yuri’s fault that she’d raised her voice, and he was the one who had started talking to her in the first place. He was in the wrong, but he was acting as if she had annoyed him.

“Speaking in a loud voice at the library is against the rules,” he said. “Of course, it’s even worse to go around spewing insignificant facts like you were doing just now. You ought to be more thoughtful of those around you!”

Snap.

She heard a sound somewhere in her head.

She smiled brightly, although veins were bulging at her temples.

“…Mr. Aurealis, may I have a word in private?”

“You think I have time to waste on you?”

“It will only take a moment.”

“…”

Perhaps realizing that Brigitte was not going to back down, Yuri sighed with irritation.

Brigitte dragged the reluctant Yuri to a garden across the street from one side of the library. They walked down a stone path in the meticulously maintained garden to a small gazebo next to a staircase. Brigitte sat first, and Yuri sat across from her with obvious displeasure. She glared straight at his perfect face. No one could complain if she yelled at him out here.

“I want to tell you, Mr. Aurealis—,” she began.

“What?” he interrupted.

“It’s not wise to call a stupid person stupid.”

Yuri blinked at her.

She continued her unremitting sermon.

“I read once in a book that doing so only makes their foolishness worse.”

“…”

“It’s been said since ancient times that spirits dwell in words. Think of magic. Nothing happens without a spell, right?”

“I can do magic without spells.”

Oh, shut up!

Not everyone was a genius like he was. Using himself as the standard hardly made sense.

“What I mean is—I would like for you to stop calling me stupid!” she said resolutely.

He was silent for a moment. A breeze blew past them.

Without taking her eyes off Yuri, she tucked an unruly strand of hair behind her ear.

“…I never called you stupid,” he muttered.

You didn’t?

She believed he’d called her stupid quite a few times.

“I heard that you were a stupid, out-of-control girl without a shred of intelligence. But you’ve read the original edition of The Wind Laughs and lots of other things, too…so I was just thinking that you can’t trust rumors.”

He stared straight at her.

“Were you pretending to be a fool?”

He’d guessed the truth.

He must have taken her quiet panic as affirmation, because he frowned and asked, “Why?” He sounded genuinely bewildered.

“…”

Brigitte was having a hard time answering. She’d been too wrapped up in scolding him to notice before, but it was more than a little unnerving being stared at by a boy beautiful enough to be a statue in the sunlight. And on top of that, for some reason, he was asking about personal things.

I thought the Frozen Blade wasn’t interested in other people…

Maybe that explained what happened next.

“…You m-might not believe this, but I used to be a shy, timid little girl…”

Before she knew it, she found herself telling him things about her past that she hadn’t planned on ever sharing with anyone.

Falteringly, Brigitte told him the story of her life from early childhood through the present—although she left out the part about the rift with her parents. He wouldn’t enjoy hearing that.

Yuri listened quietly, hardly even offering the usual ahs or ohs. Maybe that was why she was able to speak reasonably calmly and not lose her thread. When she finally ended her story with the broken engagement, Yuri asked, “Are you stupid?”

He said it again!

She almost flopped face down on the table from shock. But Yuri kept gazing at her, arms crossed, as if she were some incomprehensible creature.

“What is the point of changing your makeup, your clothes, your speech, and even your personality just because your fiancé told you to?”

He had a point. She didn’t have a good answer, but she mumbled, “I only… That’s what happens when you like someone.”

She knew it was a pitiful answer. Her eyes burned, and her voice was shaking.

It was true that she’d liked Joseph. She wanted to be the kind of girl he liked, too. She wanted him to think she was cute. She had devoted eleven years of her life to that wish. She realized now that it had all been pointless—but she didn’t want to reject the part of herself that had worked so hard.

“If it would win his love, I was ready and willing to do idiotic things that no one else could understand… Of course, when I think about it now, I can see how silly it was.”

Clearly uninterested in love affairs, Yuri eyed her coldly.

“Huh,” he said—though strangely enough, his tone was kind.

Brigitte looked up, but he wasn’t gazing at her. His attention was on some point in the distance.

“I don’t really understand it…but Joseph was lucky to be loved by you.”

“…!”

His words cut straight to her core. She stared at him wide-eyed.

I never thought I’d hear anyone say something so kind to me.

His fairy-tale words spread through her heart. He hadn’t said them for Joseph. He had said them for her.

I feel like all my hard work has been rewarded.

“But don’t you think that’s just an excuse?”

“…What?”

She abruptly returned from deep, moist-eyed emotion to real life.

She had completely let her guard down.

After all, she was sitting across from the Frozen Blade—the duke’s son who was rumored to lack both blood and tears.

“I mean, haven’t you ever suspected that you’re blaming your own lack of intelligence on infatuation?”

“What?!”

What is “lack of intelligence” supposed to mean?!

Who the hell did he think he was?