Bab 16: The Odd Couple

IN THE END, Alice picked out forty-eight different books to be brought to the counter. Among the forty-eight that she had chosen, the Ragans had already owned forty-five. She managed to purchase three books, a small fraction of the actual number she had chosen.

"Wyatt," she called out, turning to look at the man that walked by her side.

He turned to face her, smiling warmly while looking down due to their height difference. The books were all in his arms, three of his own and three of Alice's choice, all neatly wrapped up in separate brown parchment papers and secured with a pale brown straw string.

"Hmm?" He made a sound in his throat, prompting Alice to continue her question.

"How many books does your family have in the library? Nearly all those I've picked out were already owned by you guys. Besides, how did you even remember all those titles?"

Around them, the town square never seemed livelier. A prince's birthday celebration had just occurred the day before. As such, there were many different people from all walks of life gathered around cafes and eateries, all leaned over their tables with a fresh tale spewing from their lips. Chatter buzzed continuously from all around, everyone alive with curiosity.

Wyatt's gaze followed a young couple that was walking a little ahead of them. The man had his arm around his lover's shoulder, pulling the woman close as he whispered into her ear. She giggled a little when he pulled away, nudging his nose with her index finger teasingly.

From where they were walking, Wyatt couldn't see the woman's face. She wore a large bonnet hat that skillfully covered her face from prying outsiders. All he could make out was a pair of rosy lips, glossy and curved into a seductive smirk. Her dress was a horrid attempt at pretending to be simple. While the design was plainer than average dresses made specially for nobility, the materials used were still expensive fabrics. It didn't take a trained eye to tell that she was still wearing silk, a fine gossamer fabric that swayed with the wind whenever she made even the slightest movement.

"Well, it's not that hard for me," Wyatt replied, still fixated on the actions of the young couple. "I've always been able to remember random things crystal-clear. Besides, the titles you picked out were all books that I've read and loved. It's not that difficult to recall one's own personal favorites." Raising a finger, he tapped at his chin. "As to how many books are in our estate library… Well… That I'm afraid I've lost count years ago. It should be over a hundred thousand, at least. Our family had always birthed avid readers. There's never an end to pursuing knowledge."

Although Wyatt answered everything breezily, his words made Alice's head spin. He made it seem like a hundred thousand books was nothing. Most libraries that Alice had been to in Riverside Creek didn't even own half of that number of books. Yet, the Ragans had such an extensive personal collection. What's more, Alice assumed that this number wasn't inclusive of the number of books that could be found in their personal studies. Charlie's study room was also stocked with two tall wall-to-floor shelves of books for his use. Dusting everything must be a torture.

Noticing her look of incredulity, Wyatt chuckled. He placed a gloved hand on the top of Alice's head, patting her hair gently.

"The library is always open for you if you would like to take a look. If there's something you wish to read but can't be found, just let me know and I'll get it for you," he offered.

Then, after realizing what he had done, Wyatt's eyes widened significantly. He withdrew his hand, allowing it to fall back down to his side, mumbling an apology along the way.

"Sorry," he said. However, he didn't look any bit regretful of his actions. "I guess it's not proper to touch a lady without permission but your expression just now was simply adorable."

Alice, on the other hand, was used to intimate touches and signs of affection. She was a twenty-first-century girl, after all, born and raised in a country that normalized such things. Thus, unbothered by Wyatt's actions, she waved it off as something friendly.

"It's alright," she pardoned. "It's not something you have to apologize for. I mean, it is just a pat on the head, after all."

She didn't know that at that moment, she had added yet another point into Wyatt's list of curiosities. The things she had mentioned about her place of origin seemed to only get more and more interesting with traditions and cultures Wyatt couldn't even begin to fathom. Of course, he had never voiced out his opinions since there wasn't a need to. He preferred to first observe, then strike only when he knew his opponent like the back of his hand.

"Would you like something to eat?" He asked, gesturing to the little cafe down the street from where they were walking. "Lunch was a little light on the stomach. You must be hungry already. We can grab a quick tea break at the cafe down the street. They have the most marvelous and otherworldly cakes. Some even say that the shop owner is someone from a different world."

Those words prickled at Alice's ears. Although a part of her knew that he probably simply meant the cakes were amazing, a separate part of her also wondered if there really was someone else that had ended up in the same world as she had through a freak accident. Was it possible that she wasn't alone? Was there also someone else from the same Earth she knew?

What if there was truly someone else that was from her world? Would she return if she found a way to do so? That way, she could see her family again. However, there's nothing more than that waiting for her back home. She didn't have a job, her future was as bleak as a dull palette, and she didn't have a great number of friends that she would miss. Or would she stay in Gladiolum, protected by a powerful aristocratic family, and allowed to freely live out her life away from the city's suffocating bustle?

"Alice?"

"Eh?" Jerking up straight, Alice blinked dumbly ahead for a few more seconds before she finally turned around to look at Wyatt properly. She had been so engrossed in her little theory that she hadn't even heard Wyatt calling for her. "Ah! Yes, that sounds great."

As usual, the smile on Wyatt's face was a little unnerving. It was almost as though he could look through all the layers and walls she had put up, diving right into the center of her thoughts. There seemed to not be much she could hide from him, Alice realized. That was a terrifying thought.