CH 18

With a voice that sounded stupid, I covered my mouth.

“W-What should I do…”

Adelio was supporting a fallen bookcase only with his body.

“S-Someone please help!”

I couldn’t just stay flustered, so I hurriedly shouted to the people around me, and people started to gather.

However, Adelio stepped forward first and stopped them, then he lifted the bookshelf slightly, and soon the bookshelf returned to its original place.

At the bookshelf that was handled as if it was a piece of paper, the people who came to help looked bewildered with blank expressions.

“Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

When I asked urgently in a worried voice, Adelio smiled and nodded.

It was a relaxed smile, but the weight of the bookshelf didn’t seem light, so I was worried.

“I am fine. Is Daisy okay?”

“I’m fine thanks to Adelio stepping up.”

I felt sorry and wanted to cry, but I couldn’t cry in front of the person who helped me.

“I guess you’re worried. But I’m really fine. I can  easily lift this much.”

If a normal person said something like this, anyone would think it was a lie, but since I had seen it with my own eyes a while ago, I couldn’t deny it.

“I’m glad you didn’t get hurt, but…”

Those gathered around us also nodded their heads in admiration

‘Why are you nodding your head!’

They seemed shameless, as if they didn’t know who had caused such an accident just a moment ago.

“I’m glad nobody was hurt.”

“Truly.”

As we talked back and forth, I quickly turned my head, holding back the anger that seemed to rise.

“I’m glad. This man did nothing wrong, but he almost got hurt.”

At my words, people cast their gazes at the man sitting absent-mindedly behind us.

Grasping the situation, they hurriedly began to make excuses, perhaps feeling bad for their contemplative faces.

“No, we didn’t mean to do that either.”

“That’s right. It was an accident.”

I only intended to receive an apology in moderation, but my insides couldn’t stop boiling at the cowardly excuse.

“You can’t apologize, so you’re trying to avoid it?”

It was a loud voice not suitable for a quiet library, but I was filled with the desire to have them come forward and apologize.

“I’m glad I didn’t get hurt. If anyone got hurt…”

They frowned as if they didn’t even want to imagine it, then they flinched and hurriedly apologized.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

It was an apology that sounded forced, but the person pushed by me nodded as if he was glad to just receive an apology.

Librarians came rushing in to sort things out, probably feeling that the situation had been sorted out.

I was trying to get out of this situation, too, when Adelio grabbed me by the shoulder.

“Not only you should apologize, but you should also say thank you properly. Something big might have happened if it wasn’t for Miss Daisy.”

“Oh, it’s fine….”

The moment I was about to say that it was fine, I met Adelio’s eyes.

As I stared at him, my mouth closed automatically before I realized it.

“You should. Say thank you.”

Adelio emphasized the word thank you to those who stood blankly, and they rolled their eyes as if embarrassed, then bowed their heads and said thank you to me.

“I would like to express my gratitude to both the lady and the knight.”

They spat out apologies and thanks, but their faces didn’t look good, probably because of the accident that had happened.

Feeling the attention of the people around them, they hurriedly left their seats, and those gathered around them also quickly left the library feeling that the situation had been sorted out.

‘It’s too late to follow Liliana now.’

I expressed my dislikes against them inwardly and vigorously turned my head.

I couldn’t keep my face steady for Adelio, who was staring at me with a smile.

“Thank you, Adelio. Thanks to you, no one was hurt and I was able to stay safe.”

“You’re welcome. All I did was support the bookshelf. But I think it’s better to ask someone around you for help next time.”

“You’re right. I rated myself too highly.”

It was true that I had tried to commit reckless acts in the hope that an innocent person wouldn’t be hurt even though it was dangerous.

If I had been hurt, it would have been a big commotion in another sense, so it was definitely a hasty move.

“Next time, I won’t go out of my way.”

At my words, Adelio lightly closed his eyes and smiled.

Somehow he looked like he didn’t believe it.

“It’s true…”

I timidly tried to express my opinion, but Adelio only smiled and said nothing.

“Hmmhm.”

Then I heard a strange cough next to me.

At that sound, Adelio and I turned our heads at the same time, and the person who was almost hurt under the bookshelf was staring at us.

“First of all, this is a library, so let’s go out and talk.”

At the old man’s advice, we nodded at the same time.

When we made our way out of the hallway through the chaos, the old man in a gloomy robe was also together behind us.

‘He’s older than I thought.’

Remembering how I had roughly pushed him, I asked, unable to hide my worried expression.

“Are you all right, sir? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Hmm. I fell violently to the floor because of someone, but…”

The old man put his fist to his mouth, cleared his throat a little, and then glanced at me.

“Thanks to the lady, I didn’t get seriously hurt. I express my gratitude late. Thank you.”

Hearing such gratitude for unintended goodwill somehow made me feel proud.

“May I know my benefactor’s name?”

“What do you mean a benefactor? I didn’t do much.”

“An old man like me would go to another world if he got caught up in something like that. So I’ll call you a benefactor or something like that.”

I was taken aback by the old man’s sharp words and put on an awkward expression.

“Honestly, I didn’t do anything in particular. On the contrary, Adelio….”

“If the lady didn’t throw herself, that man wouldn’t have come forward.”

“Yes? No. Adelio is a good person!”

My voice rang loudly in the quiet hallway.

“Thank you for seeing me in a good light.”

Adelio tried to break the awkward atmosphere, but his face turned red with embarrassment.

‘Saying this in front of you…’

When I covered my face with my palms and felt embarrassed, the old man burst into laughter.

“It would too rude to just say thank you. Please feel free to tell me if there is anything you want.”

“No, I didn’t help you to hope for something in return.”

“Really? Hmm. Then what should I give you? Oh, do you like studying?”

“Yes?”

How should I answer in this situation?

I was just following Liliana, but if I told the truth here, wouldn’t I be no different from those people earlier?

“Ha, ha, ha. Yes, I love reading books. There are many old books in the library….”

The excuse I squeezed out seemed to work pretty well.

Suddenly, the old man started rummaging through the bag he was wearing and took something out of it.

‘A book?’

Its old-fashioned cover looked worn out.

“I only have this to give you. I wrote it, but it’s an old book, so it’s not easy to find even if you try. You seem to like old books, so I’ll give it to you.”

The old man held out the blue-covered book in front of me.

“No, it’s really fine!”

“Oh, no. This old man wants to show his gratitude, so please accept it.”

“But isn’t it a precious book?”

Obviously, the cover of the book looked old, but the paper looked clean as if it had been well maintained.

The old man smiled at my words.

“It’s not something I can’t give to my benefactor.”

“Um, am I allowed to have this precious book?”

“Who will blame you for owning what I want to give to you? It’s going to be quite interesting to read.”

At the old man’s words, even Adelio, who was next to him, helped.

“Take it. He wants to give a gift for your good deed, Daisy, and he will be happier if you receive it with gratitude.”

“That’s right.”

The old man nodded at Adelio’s words.

I ended up receiving the book as a gift from the old man.

“Then I’m busy, so I have to go. Thank you so much.”

As soon as the old man gave me the book, he disappeared to the other side of the hallway without any regrets as if he had finished his business.

I stood still and watched the old man leave, hugging the book that came into my arms preciously.

‘I’m proud.’

As I continuously went out, I thought that I would experience various things like this, and my heart was filled with joy.

‘Oh, that’s right. I was chasing Liliana.’

I forgot that I was following my sister due to the sudden uproar and ended up missing her.

‘I should go home today.’

Apart from my pride, I didn’t earn anything, so my motivation suddenly fell to the bottom.

“Somehow I feel proud.”

However, I quickly came to my senses when I heard Adelio’s voice next to me.

Although it was late, I decided to finish expressing my gratitude.

“Anyway, all I can do is say thank you for Adelio. Thank you very much for what happened last time and what happened today.”

“I guess the things you were worried about have been resolved.”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

I nodded my head happily, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“I was worried because I haven’t seen you for a month, but I’m glad.”

Adelio smiled slightly as he spoke, but for a moment I had the illusion that the sunlight was shining only on him.

“Oh, I thought I should visit…”

For some reason, I felt my cheeks getting hot.

Unable to keep eye contact, I slipped my eyes down and smiled awkwardly.

‘No, it’s not polite.’

Even though I couldn’t formally express my gratitude to the person who helped me, I thought I shouldn’t avert my gaze and be evasive.

And the moment I lifted my head, my eyes directly met his.

“T-That…”

Adelio tilted his head slightly and smiled again.

At his relaxed figure waiting for my answer, I opened my mouth and said in a small voice.