Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

She could only feign greater arrogance to conceal her lonely heart, which yearned ever more to end it all...

Just then, the doorknob of the Forbidden Library turned slightly.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into Betty's forbidden library..."

Being caught in her vulnerable moment triggered Betty's self-protection mechanism. She frowned, her turquoise eyes coldly fixed on the black-haired man who had pushed open the bookcase door.

But he was interrupted halfway through the reprimand by the other person's cheerful voice:

"Oh! Lady Beatrice, have you finished reading that blank book of yours? If you're done, bring it here, I'll burn it for you!"

"Varied..."

Betty's hand froze on the Book of Wisdom...

How did this person know that Betty's book was blank...?

Chapter 70: 068. Surprisingly, it's forbidden.

"Why..."

"How did you know Betty's book was blank?"

Betty's petite body sank into the bar stool, two strands of cream-colored spiral curls hanging down the sides of her face, making her chubby little face look even more childlike.

At this moment, only astonishment remained on that small face that was usually held high with pride. Her butterfly-shaped pupils widened, and her fingers gripped the Book of Wisdom tightly.

The fact that the Book of Wisdom has become a blank should be known to no one else in the entire mansion, let alone the whole world.

How would this man, who is entering the forbidden library for the first time today, know this?

Natsuki Subaru stood with his hands behind his back, meeting Betty's gaze, and calmly spoke:

Before answering your question, I also have a question for you.

He raised his hand and pointed to the book that Betty was clutching tightly in her arms.

"As Lady Beatrice just said, why is your book blank?"

Betty sat frozen in her high chair once more.

Subaru Natsuki's words hit the nail on the head regarding the question that had troubled her for nearly four hundred years.

How did this man know?

Betty only asked Subaru how he knew the book was blank, but never mentioned that she was also searching for the reason why the pages were blank.

Natsuki Subaru did not answer, but instead brought to the forefront the question that had been hidden in her heart for hundreds of years.

This coincidence is unsettlingly precise.

He did it on purpose.

He must have known what Betty was thinking, which is why he asked her that question.

This thought made Betty grip the pages of the book even tighter, and her butterfly-like pupils trembled slightly.

Originally, this book of wisdom was not what it is today.

Based on her own book of wisdom, Mother made two nearly perfect copies, one for Betty and the other for Roswaal.

In the decades following her mother's death, new words would still appear on the pages, guiding Betty to continue guarding the forbidden library and waiting for the person who could inherit all of her mother's knowledge and make a pact with her.

As long as there were still instructions in the book, she knew that her wait would eventually come to an end.

But one day, all the text suddenly disappeared.

From then on, no matter how many times Betty opened the book, all she saw were blank pages. Why the Book of Wisdom had lost its power, and whether her mother had given up on her—these questions remained unanswered.

The wait, which originally had an end, has continued for nearly four hundred years.

Betty's arms tightened around the Book of Wisdom.

Natsuki Subaru knew the book was blank the first time he saw her.

He could even bypass all the randomly connected doors in the forbidden library and arrive directly in front of Betty...

It even revealed her innermost thoughts in a single sentence...

An irresistible thought immediately surfaced in Betty's mind.

Could this black-haired youth be the "person" she has been waiting for for four hundred years?

Just as hope began to rise, fear gripped Betty's heart.

Like those people in the past, Wakatsuki Subaru will once again return to a time when only bookshelves and dust accompany her, carrying shattered expectations.

If Natsuki Subaru is truly the one she's been waiting for, the short lifespan of humans will eventually take him away. After decades of companionship, only Betty will remain in the Forbidden Library.

Regardless of the answer, it filled her with deep fear.

Betty's lips moved slightly.

She wanted to ask Subaru Natsuki who he was, why he knew the secret of the Book of Wisdom, how he managed to find this place, and whether he was the one in question.

The words reached his throat, but he never uttered them.

It seems that as long as we don't ask, the answer will remain somewhere between hope and despair.

Natsuki Subaru waited for a moment but received no reply.

He didn't dwell on the matter any longer, waved his non-existent sleeve, and extended his right hand in invitation:

"Lady Beatrice, please come with me."

Betty's pupils trembled slightly.

Go out with him.

She had imagined this sentence countless times during the four hundred years she had been waiting.

After "that person" arrives at the Forbidden Library, will he also stand at the door like this, reach out his hand to her, and ask her to leave with him?

Now that statement has actually come true.

Betty's petite body instinctively shrank back into the chair, her two spiral curls swaying gently.

No, I'm not going.

She puffed out her chubby cheeks, shook her head vigorously, and hugged the Book of Wisdom even tighter, as if she had put on that proud shell again.

"Betty, I...I'm not going anywhere."

While verbally refusing, her fingers were already eagerly turning the pages of the book.

One page.

Two pages.

More than ten pages.

Betty wished the book contained even a single instruction to tell her whether or not she should trust the person in front of her.

But even after she finished reading the entire book, there was still nothing on the pages.

"Lady Beatrice, what are you doing flipping through it? Even if you finish today, it will still be blank tomorrow."

Subaru Natsuki sighed and spoke earnestly.

Betty stopped flipping through the book abruptly, looked up, and glared at him.

Natsuki Subaru then realized that he hadn't explained why he had invited Betty out.

“Puck, Emilia, and I made a promise to study magic together every morning.”

He still reached out his hand to Betty.

"Lady Beatrice, your magical skills are so high, would you like to come along?"

Betty glanced at Subaru Natsuki, then looked down at the Book of Wisdom in her hands.

It turns out they were just going to the garden to learn magic.

She had actually thought that Subaru Natsuki was going to sign a contract with her...

Betty's round cheeks flushed slightly. While she felt a sense of relief, she also felt a strange pang of loss.

Subaru Natsuki's hand remained in front of her.

The doors to the forbidden library have also been opened.

The morning sunlight streamed in through the door, casting a bright ray of light on the dim floor.

Betty remained silent for a long time, then gently wiggled her legs, which were dangling over the edge of the chair, before finally jumping down from the high stool.

The little leather shoes landed softly on the carpet, and the hem of her skirt bounced slightly.

"Ok."

She didn't hold Subaru's hand, but simply walked to the door with the book in her arms.

But as she passed that hand, her steps noticeably slowed, and she quickly pretended nothing had happened.

Betty tilted her little face up, trying to make her tone sound indifferent.

"But you need to understand that Betty is willing to go out only to see her brother."

"Betty has absolutely no interest in what kind of magic you learn."

"Don't let this cause any unnecessary misunderstandings."

This is due to Betty's proud and arrogant personality. Her high self-esteem and thick skin prevent her from accepting someone's invitation so easily.

According to her understanding, once she finished speaking like that, Subaru Natsuki would most likely keep a certain distance from her due to the sense of alienation in his words.

Unfortunately, she misjudged Subaru Natsuki.

Natsuki Subaru watched Betty walk out of the Forbidden Library, completely ignoring what she said, and burst into laughter on the spot.

"Hahahaha!"

Betty was startled by the sudden laughter, her shoulders hunched, and her two curly hairs bounced.

She immediately puffed out her soft cheeks and glared angrily at Subaru Natsuki.

What are you grinning about!

"Of course I'm happy to be able to learn magic with Lady Beatrice!"

"I originally thought it would take at least three visits to the Forbidden Library to persuade you to come out, but I didn't expect to get you out on the first visit. Great luck, the best of luck!"

After saying that, Natsuki Subaru laughed even louder.

Caught off guard by these blunt words, Betty's face flushed red, her entire face glowing as if bathed in the morning light.

"You're such an annoying guy."

She turned her head and quickened her pace. After a few steps, she couldn't help but peek out from behind her curly hair to make sure Subaru Natsuki wasn't following.

"Stop saying such irresponsible things. If you say it again, Betty will go back to the Forbidden Library and never come out again."

Natsuki Subaru quickly suppressed his smile.

"Okay, I won't say anymore."

He readily agreed verbally, but his joy did not diminish in the slightest.

Natsuki Subaru was indeed happy that Betty was willing to learn magic with him.

In addition, he was also pleased with his increasingly profound strategist skills.

In the previous round, he asked Betty to teach him magic.

Betty didn't leave the forbidden library; instead, she used magic to throw him out of the room.

When he came to her door a second time, Betty kicked him out into the garden.

This time, he only needed a few words to get Betty to leave the forbidden library on her own.

What is progress?

That's what progress is!

The return from death after a few days was indeed completely different from the past when it could only return to a dozen seconds earlier.

Previously, he could only change the outcome of battles through his reflexes and swordsmanship.

Now he can understand people's hearts in advance, guide them according to the situation, and take advantage of them! He can achieve his goals without bloodshed.