MLCP 10

Chapter – 10

The weather was beautiful.

Eleanor enjoyed the sunlight pouring through the car window and leisurely observed the passing scenery. The green plane tree-lined road, which had continued since leaving the Clavern estate, disappeared, giving way to streets lined with brick and concrete buildings.

“Wow.”

Olivia, who had probably never gone out as freely as her mother did, pressed her face against the window in awe. Eleanor, recalling her own amazement the first time she had arrived at a station, gently pulled Olivia close to her side.

“Let’s stay seated for now; you can see it all outside anyway.”

Olivia blinked innocently at Eleanor’s gentle admonition. She didn’t understand why they had to delay enjoying this moment, but she seemed content to accept it because Eleanor said so.

“You want to visit a university? That’s unexpected.”

Hearing Asher’s voice, Eleanor deliberately lifted her gaze from Olivia to meet his.

“You want to go to school?”

“Yes. If possible.”

Eleanor answered without hesitation.

“What field interests you?”

“Education.”

Asher nodded thoughtfully at Eleanor’s answer. Finally, he seemed to understand why Eleanor had come to the South without an engagement or marriage and taken the position of a private tutor.

“Do you want to become a professor?”

“I would love to, if I could.”

Eleanor spoke with a gentle smile. Asher, like a teenage boy, couldn’t help but steal a glance at the smile that wasn’t directed at him.

Her slender frame, waist-length blonde hair, gray eyes, and faint smile—Eleanor appeared, on the surface, just like any ordinary young woman. Yet there was something in her that captured his attention. Perhaps it was the subtle melancholy that seemed to hint at some hidden story, or her cat-like caution that made her instinctively pull back when someone approached.

“We’ve arrived.”

The driver’s voice stopped Asher, who had been shamelessly staring at Eleanor. He parked the car in front of the main gate of Southern University and looked back at Asher.

“Ah, thank you for your effort.”

Asher said this and opened the door.

“What is this?”

“A school. A university.”

As Eleanor held Asher’s hand and stepped out of the car, Olivia excitedly asked questions. Eleanor calmly guided Olivia past Asher, explaining the existence of the school.

“I’ll meet you in two hours.”

Asher watched their hands briefly touch before following them, bidding farewell to the driver.

“It’s huge, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s even bigger than I imagined.”

Eleanor looked up at the entrance, more than three times her height. Olivia’s face, pressed against the window during outings, glimmered with the same excitement now. Realizing this, Asher chuckled softly. Eleanor hurriedly composed her expression, but the fleeting look had already been caught.

Embarrassed, Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again.

“It’s fine. Southern University is the largest in Redon anyway.”

“…….”

“I’ve never been here either, but that’s what I’ve heard.”

Asher emphasized that he too had never attended Southern University, easing Eleanor’s embarrassment.

“Shall we go inside? Even though it’s vacation, the library should be open.”

Asher motioned ahead, and Eleanor held Olivia’s hand, walking slowly behind him.

As Asher said, few students roamed the campus during the vacation. This made the tidy appearance of the grounds even more striking—neat paths, wide lawns, towering old trees that had stood the test of time, and the faint scent of paper and ink in the air.

“Be quiet in the library, okay?”

Eleanor whispered at the library’s entrance. Not fully understanding, Olivia nodded enthusiastically several times.

“Wow.”

As they entered the large library, Olivia couldn’t help but exclaim, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands. The Clavern estate had a study, but nothing of this scale.

The high dome ceiling, bookshelves climbing the walls, shelves packed with books, librarians climbing ladders to organize them, and the comforting, slightly musty scent of old paper—her heart raced with excitement. She instinctively knew that someday, she would walk here as a student.

“I’ll sit over there with Olivia.”

There were a few tables spaced out near the window, away from the shelves. Spotting Eleanor’s sparkling eyes, Asher led Olivia by the hand to the table.

This allowed Eleanor to move freely inside the library without interruption. She wandered among the shelves, hesitating before finally pulling out a thick book on education.

“……ugh!”

At that moment, on the opposite side, two thick books were pulled from the shelf, and Asher’s face suddenly appeared through the empty space. Eleanor instinctively stepped back, surprised. The light behind him was so bright it rivaled the brilliance of his blonde hair.

When their eyes met, Eleanor involuntarily blinked, lost for words. The library was perfectly quiet, yet her heart was beating as if announcing its presence to the entire room. Her fingertips tingled as blood rushed rapidly through her.

“I was going to wait quietly, but Olivia wanted to play a little trick.”

Asher smiled mischievously, unaware of the shock he had caused.

“You’re participating in a child’s prank at your age?”

Olivia, who had been hiding her body somewhere, giggled softly. She truly resembled the little ghost of the Clavern estate. Eleanor, calming her startled heart, let out a nervous laugh. She then returned the book to the shelf, blocking Asher’s view.

The outing today was just to see Southern University, not to read books. Eleanor reminded herself of this fact as she walked out of the shelves. Asher and Olivia followed her down the hill in quick steps.

“Eleanor, are you angry?”

“Eli, are you angry?”

Eleanor glared at Asher and Olivia, who were cautiously asking. At that moment, an idea struck her—she could tease Asher too. It would be a shame for only her to be surprised.

“If I had screamed out of shock, what would have happened? Olivia might, but you know better, don’t you?”

“I’m sorry……”

Inside the library, a few students read quietly. Eleanor frowned as she scolded them, and Asher, believing she was truly angry, seriously apologized. Eleanor spun around without responding.

“I wanted to treat you to a meal for showing me the school.”

“…….”

“If you’re truly sorry, you should buy me a meal.”

Eleanor turned her head slightly and casually addressed Asher, who was still watching her.

“Of course, I’ll treat you!”

Asher answered immediately, thinking it was the only way to be forgiven. But soon, he pondered the words as if they were a joke, tilting his head. When their eyes met, Eleanor couldn’t help but smile. Asher’s expression fell. He had been worried that Eleanor might be upset and felt as though he had fallen into hell.

“If you asked me on a date, the man should naturally pay.”

Asher added, smiling knowingly, as if it were obvious.

Eleanor teased him, saying she’d expect it, and Asher replied that she could, even lifting Olivia, who had been clutching his jacket edge, into his arms. Olivia gasped in surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“You speak well.”

“I hear that often.”

Even carrying Olivia, Asher matched Eleanor’s pace effortlessly. The glances exchanged between them were peculiar in some way.

Only Olivia, who had thought they were fighting, tilted her head, puzzled by the subtle change in emotions between the two.

After a lavish meal, they settled at an outdoor café near Southern Station.

While Asher and Eleanor perused the menus in their hands, Olivia looked around busily. She was both scared and excited, having never been in such a crowded, unfamiliar place.

“One coffee, please…”

“Same for me, please.”

Eleanor handed the menu back to the waiter after placing her order. She had, of course, let go of Olivia’s hand while doing so.

“Shall I buy some caramel for Olivia?”

Asher asked, brushing his clean-shaven jaw and turning toward Olivia—but the seat she had just been in was empty.

“……Olivia?”

Eleanor panicked, standing to call her name. Olivia was nowhere to be found near the bustling café.

“Olivia!”

“Asher? Eleanor?”

Just as she called out, the always extravagantly dressed Cindy appeared, having spotted Asher and Eleanor.

“I thought you two were on a date, but now I see you’re looking for Olivia. I’m curious—why are you looking for her here?”

She asked Eleanor a question she couldn’t bring herself to answer, her voice tinged with a mix of suspicion and anger at what she had already guessed.