Chapter Seven

"Who are you?"

Not too far from me, there was a boy around my age. He had black hair and big blue eyes. Looking at his clothes I could easily say that he was a noble boy.

I've never seen this boy before. 'Who is he?' I asked myself.

Slowly he walked close to me and asked again. "Who are you? And what are you doing here at the royal library? Do you even have permission to be here?" I could feel his suspicious eyes piercing me.

I looked back thinking how I should deal with him. 'Maybe I should just run and then become invisible. He will never find me this way.'

When I was about to take a step back the boy quickly grabbed my right arm, I didn't even see him getting that close to me. He was pretty fast.

"Where do you think you are going?" He asked with a grin on his face.

'Tsk. I should be able to deal with him, he is just a little boy after all.' As soon as I thought that, I stepped hard on his foot.

"Ouch!" The boy shouted in pain.

Quickly I broke free from him and ran away. I entered a random corridor of bookshelves far from where he was.

'Now I can make myself invisible.' I thought.

But I wasn't able to do that. Because suddenly I was pushed from behind, which made me fall, and then I was immobilized. The boy got on my back and hold my arms firmly, not letting me go.

'How can he be so fast?!'

"You thought you could get away from me that easily?" Through his voice, I could feel that he had a mocking smile on his face.

I tried to get free from him, but he was too strong. Even though we pretty much were the same age, I was weaker than him.

'Well, I eat only leftovers and I don't exercise at all. Of course, I am weaker than any normal boy.' I realized hopelessly.

"Now I hope you will answer me this time. Who are you and what were you doing here in the royal library?" The boy asked again, but now grabbing my arms harder, hurting me.

"I am… I am Alex. I was just reading, that was all I was doing. I'm sorry if I did something wrong!" I said that hoping he would let me go.

He got silent. He didn't do anything for some time, until he suddenly got me free, getting off of my back.

Quickly I got up off the floor. 'I should go now!'

When I was about to leave without even looking back, I felt someone holding my shirt.

Of course, it was that boy, but when I looked at him I was surprised. He was holding the book that I was reading and staring at it with a weird expression.

"...You were reading this book?" He suddenly asked, but he spoke so low that I almost couldn't hear.

"Y-Yes, I was... It is my favorite book after all."

I got shy, if it was in my past life, I would never admit that so easily.

"Do you like this book too?!" The boy asked me with sparkly eyes. It was the first time I saw him acting childishly.

"Y-Yeah… As I said, it's my favorite book."

Surprisingly, the boy got more excited, he had a genuine smile on his face. "It's my favorite book too!"

He looked at his hand holding my shirt, he quickly released me, but then he looked at me, he was serious again. "You know that you can't enter here without permission, right? If someone else saw you, they would report you and you would be executed."

"Executed?!" I was shocked.

I thought that it would be only some punishment. Killing someone for entering the royal library without permission is just too much!

He sighed and then gave me the book. "I won't tell anyone, you can rest assured."

'So he will let me go?' I asked myself surprised.

"Thank yo-" When I was about to thank him, someone entered the royal library.

"Nicholas, are you here?" Some child was looking for him.

"It seems that Prince Noah is looking for me." He said looking in the direction where the voice came from.

'My brother?! Is he here?'

"I-I should go." I said already taking a few steps back.

The boy that seems to be called Nicholas caught up to me and grabbed my arm again. "Before you go, can we meet again?"

I didn't have time to think about the answer, I could hear the prince's footsteps getting closer.

"A-Alright. But when?" I asked in a rush.

"Here. But, just after the sunset. Is that fine for you?" Nicholas asked, with a small smile on his face.

I nodded, then he set me free.

"See you later, then." He was smiling.

I didn't even think twice. I just ran away. When I knew he wouldn't be able to see me anymore I got invisible.

I was still in shock when I entered my room and I laid down on the bed. I still couldn't believe what happened in the library.

'Was I lucky or just unlucky?''

That boy let me go without telling anyone, but he wants to see me again. But why?

'Should I see him?' I asked myself, confused.

We will never see each other again, so I shouldn't risk myself because of a random boy.

But looking back now, he seemed to enjoy that book as well… He probably just wants someone to talk to about the book.

In the end, I decided to go to see him.

As I thought, we will never see each other again, so it wouldn't kill me if I talk to someone for once. I have no one here to talk to, I don't even know if I still know how to talk with a human anymore.

The time came.

Invisible, I was looking through the windows of the royal library, I couldn't see anyone. It was dark there, but I could see a small light, probably from a candle.

'It might be him.' I thought.

I entered the library through the window. Silently, I walked towards the light. When I saw that it was just Nicholas there holding a lamp, I made myself visible, but, in my disguise like before, changing my eyes and hair color.

"You came!" Nicholas said surprised when he noticed me. "I thought you wouldn't come."

I just stared at him, still unsure about his intentions.

"So… Your name is Alex, right?" He asked.

I nodded. "And you are Nicholas, aren't you?"

He smiled and then introduced himself, confident. "Yes. I am Nicholas De Clare, the youngest son of the Duke of Durhan."

'This child is the son of the Duke of Durhan?!' I asked myself surprised.

I don't know much about the current Duke, but I know how important and powerful his ancestors were. The House of 'De Clare' is one of the most powerful and influential house of this nation. The Dukes of Durhan through history have always been great allies of the Kings.

Then Nicholas suddenly asked me. "How old are you, Alex?"

"...I am ten years old."

At least that's what I think. I don't know when my birthday is, so I just assume that I am one year older every new year.

"Me too! But… Why are you so small? You are not lying are you?" While Nicholas said that, he got closer to me, showing our height difference with his hand.

"I'm not lying. You are just a bit taller than me." I answered a bit mad. I know it's my fault that I don't eat enough, that's maybe the reason why I am so small. I forgot that I am still a child in the growing phase.

"Hmmm… I see." He said showing a face that he didn't believe much in me. "So, Alex, you really read the book 'The Servant and the Prince'?" Nicholas asked.

'The Servant and the Prince' is the title of the book that I was reading before.

"Yes, I even told you that it was my favorite book."

"You did… But, commoners can even read? Aren't you just lying to me?" He narrowed his eyes looking at me, suspicious.

Well, commoners usually don't know how to read, most of them never go to school in this world. So it's understandable his suspicion towards me.

"Why would I lie to you? And why would I even come here if I didn't know how to read?" I asked him the obvious.

"Y-Yeah, that's true." His cheeks turned a bit red when he noticed his mistakes. Nicholas cleared his throat and composed himself. "So, if you really read the book, you know their names, right? Of the servant and the prince."

'He still doesn't believe me, huh.' I noticed.

"The Servant's name is Jeremy, and the Prince's name is Michael, right?" I answered, confident.

He widened his eyes surprised. "You really read the book!"

'That's what I was saying all this time…'

"So what is your favorite part of the book?" Nicholas asked all excited, he didn't even seem to be the same suspicious boy from before.

"My favorite part… If I have to choose, it would be the moment when Jeremy realized his feeling towards the Prince."

At that moment in the book, I could deeply comprehend what the main character was feeling. Since he knew his feelings were wrong and he was scared to even admit to himself, that he was in love with the Prince.

I also felt like this once, though my situation was different. I once fell in love with my best friend, but I knew he would never feel the same way towards me. And the worst was the feeling that my love for him was wrong since we were both boys, and he would hate me because of that.

"Hey, are you even listening?" Suddenly I was back to reality, where Nicholas was calling me.

"I-I am sorry… I was thinking about something else for a moment." I apologized.

Nicholas seemed to be mad for a moment. "Geez... I was saying that I also like that part of the book, but my favorite part was when Michael saved Jeremy from the monsters. It was so cool…" He said, shy. His face was a bit red, though it was hard to say if it was because of the candle or if he was really embarrassed.

"I liked that scene too!" I laughed after saying that. It was my first time talking about those things with someone. In my past life, I could only talk about these things on the internet using an anonymous account.

Nicholas stared at me for a while, making me stop laughing. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and said with bright eyes and a cute smile.

"Let's be friends!"