After the joint class with Class E ended, the atmosphere in Class C had sunk like a stone.
Most of them—save for a few exceptions—had been thoroughly outclassed by the very commoners they used to look down on.
Their pride, built on years of noble upbringing and arrogance, had been shattered in an instant.
It was quiet now. Too quiet.
You could feel the tension in the air, that mix of disbelief and humiliation that no one dared to speak about.
Still, I knew this would be a turning point for some of them.
The ones who could swallow their pride and face reality might actually grow stronger from this experience.
The others... well, they’d probably just keep clinging to their wounded egos until the end.
But honestly, none of that mattered to me right now.
Because I had far bigger problems on my hands.
Characters who were never supposed to exist—people like Tatsuya and those so-called "rebels"—had suddenly started appearing out of nowhere.
And Elena...
The female lead who should’ve been showing signs of interest in Ed—the story’s protagonist—was acting completely different.
No curiosity. No spark. Nothing.
That wasn’t just a small change in the timeline.
This was something deeper.
Something was off about this world itself.
I leaned back in my chair, staring blankly at the classroom ceiling as a thought crept into my mind—one I didn’t want to entertain.
Could it be that my assumption was wrong from the very beginning?
That this so-called romance fantasy world... wasn’t as peaceful as I thought?
If that was true—if this world was already starting to twist in ways the comic never showed—then I needed to know.
No, I had to know.
"I need to confirm it," I muttered under my breath, my grip tightening around the edge of my desk.
Whatever was happening here—it wasn’t just a story anymore.
Something in this world had begun to move on its own.
And I wasn’t sure I liked where it was headed.
---
After all the classes had ended, I headed straight for the library at the center of the academy.
With so many strange things happening lately, I needed something—anything—to ground myself. And if my memory of the comic was right, this place held exactly what I was looking for.
The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the faint scent of old parchment and polished wood.
Shelves stretched endlessly in every direction, towering like walls of ancient knowledge. Despite the late hour, the library was still alive with quiet energy—students flipping through tomes, whispering softly, their faces lit by the warm glow of magic lamps.
But I wasn’t here to study.
I was here for one very specific thing.
The Sage’s Bookmark.
An item that had appeared only once in the comic—a small, almost forgettable moment. But it was no ordinary trinket.
It possessed the power to answer any question asked by its user.
In the story, it had been found by a male student secretly in love with Elena. The fool used it to ask if she had someone she loved... and that was it. One scene. One question. Gone, never to appear again.
But later, when the true identity of the Sage—the mysterious creator behind the "Sage’s Relics"—was revealed, readers lost their minds. The Bookmark’s value skyrocketed overnight.
If that item really exists here, it might be the key to understanding why the story keeps changing.
I walked over to the large directory board mounted on the wall, running my finger down the list of sections.
"History Wing... Ancient Magic Theory... Spellcraft Archives..."
No mention of a rare book archive.
I frowned.
That was where it was supposed to be hidden. In the comic, the male student found it by accident while cleaning the restricted archive. But here—there was no sign of such a place.
"Maybe it’s not open to regular students," I muttered under my breath.
It made sense. Rare books weren’t exactly casual reading material. Most of them were probably sealed, reserved for professors or scholars.
Still, I wasn’t about to give up that easily.
I approached the front desk, where a librarian was sorting a stack of books with her back turned. Her long hair shimmered faintly under the light, and she moved with quiet grace.
"Excuse me," I said carefully. "Could you tell me where the rare book archive is located?"
The librarian turned around.
And my breath caught.
"...Viola?"
My fiancée.
Of all people.
For a second, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. But no—the soft lavender eyes, the neatly tied silver hair, the faint scent of lilies—it was unmistakably her.
Viola, the daughter of Count Everen.
"What... are you doing here?" I blurted before I could stop myself.
She blinked, seemingly unfazed by my surprise. "Ah, Louis. It’s been a while."
Her tone was calm, polite—exactly as I remembered it.
Still, that didn’t answer anything.
Why was she, of all people, working as a librarian at the academy? A noble lady with her background didn’t need a single coin.
"Viola, why are you working as a librarian...?"
"I like books."
Ah. I see.
Simple and straightforward—but it didn’t exactly answer everything.
If she just liked books, couldn’t she borrow them and read in peace somewhere comfortable? Why work here, of all places?
As if reading my thoughts, she added calmly, "There are quite a few books that only librarians can access. That’s why I started."
I blinked, a little surprised.
So she really does love books. Enough to take on an actual job just to get her hands on the restricted ones. That level of dedication... or obsession... was honestly kind of impressive.
Before I could say anything else, she looked up at me with her usual calm expression. "But what brings Lord Louis here?"
"Ah—right!" I straightened slightly, remembering why I came. "Do you happen to know where the rare book archive is?"
"The rare book archive?"
Viola tilted her head slightly, her violet hair swaying with the motion. Her eyes, always serene, studied me for a brief moment before she replied, "I think it’s on basement level one... but Lord Louis, have you been interested in such things?"
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "Ah, haha. Yeah, well... I’ve recently developed an interest in old books."
She didn’t say anything.
Just... stared.
Her calm eyes were unreadable, yet I could feel her silently questioning me.
"...Hmm."
That one sound from her lips somehow made me more nervous than an interrogation.
"W-well then, I’ll be going now!" I stammered, breaking eye contact almost immediately.
I gave her a quick, polite bow before turning on my heel and hurrying toward the stairs.
Even as I walked away, I could swear I felt her gaze lingering on my back, cool and unwavering.
...Probably just my imagination.
At least, I hoped it was.