Jubilation
The moment I caught sight of her, I was confused, but that confusion soon turned into shock… W-why is Elizalina-sama here!?
I ended up screaming that in my head.
…This is the largest library in the entire country.
So if you say it wouldn’t be strange for Elizalina-sama to be here, that’s true… but still.
When Elizalina-sama happened to be right where I was heading, I just couldn’t help being surprised.
“…”
Frozen in place by my shock, I stood there blankly, staring at Elizalina-sama without being able to move.
“…Hm?”
Elizalina-sama, who had been facing the bookshelves, must’ve noticed my gaze, because she suddenly turned this way.
And then…
“Huh?”
Just like me moments earlier, she let out a confused sound.
Then, looking extremely surprised, she raised her voice and said,
“Lu, Lu, Lux!? Huh? Why!? Is this a hallucination!?”
“N-no, it’s not a hallucination…”
“Lux~!!”
After shouting my name, Elizalina-sama left the bookshelves and came straight over to me, then hugged me just like that.
“E-Elizalina-sama!?”
“It’s been so long~! I’m so happy to see you~! I’ve wanted to see you this whole time~! Did you come to the library to study today?”
“Y-yes, that’s right…”
I know I should respond properly, since Elizalina-sama was kind enough to talk to me.
But since Elizalina-sama was wearing an outfit with an open neckline, being hugged straight on meant various things were pressing against me, or rather…
And if I looked down even a little, I’d see Elizalina-sama’s…!
A-anyway, I felt bad for her, but I had to ask her to stop hugging me!
Thinking it was necessary if we were going to have a proper conversation, I opened my mouth, tense in this situation, and said,
“Um, Elizalina-sama, the hugging…”
“You’re as hardworking as ever, Lux~!”
“Th-that’s not… more importantly…”
“I’m always cheering for you, Lux!”
“…Th-thank you very much.”
Running into the second princess, Elizalina-sama, so suddenly…
And on top of that, being hugged by her like this had left me flustered. Still, since she’d said she was supporting me, I thought it’d be rude not to express my gratitude, so I somehow managed to say thank you properly.
Then Elizalina-sama stopped hugging me and stepped back. She looked at her own body and said,
“Ahh, if I’d known I’d get to see you, Lux, I wouldn’t have worn such a stiff outfit. I would’ve worn something cuter~”
“Cuter clothes… I think what you’re wearing now suits you too. Actually, no matter what you wear, Elizalina-sama, I think you’re beautiful.”
“…!”
When I told her what I honestly felt, Elizalina-sama’s cheeks flushed red.
Then, in a happy tone of voice, she said,
“You’re really so honest, Lux… but.”
She continued, whispering right next to my right ear,
“I really love that honest side of you.”
“…!”
There was no doubt she was saying something that made me happy, but having it whispered into my ear made me feel embarrassed somehow, and I instinctively covered my right ear.
Seeing that, Elizalina-sama broke into a bright smile.
Then, after a brief pause, she asked in a cheerful voice,
“You said earlier you came to the library to study, but what kind of studying are you here for?”
With the pause helping me calm down a little, I took my hand away from my right ear and answered,
“Soon there’ll be something called a commerce practicum at the noble academy, but I don’t have any knowledge about commerce. So I thought I should study commerce itself, and things like how to negotiate.”
“I see~! If that’s the case…”
Putting both hands behind her back, Elizalina-sama leaned forward and said,
“How about I teach you about that stuff from now on? Of course, just the two of us… okay?”