Another tedious summer had begun. Hazel remained at the quiet school, now devoid of students. While she wasn’t entirely alone, she wasn’t sociable enough to approach acquaintances and suggest eating or studying together.

With only a short two-week break, traveling all the way to the distant Lawrence estate to meet Mrs. Lawrence was difficult. It would have been nice if Mrs. Lawrence had stayed at the capital residence. However, since the northern summer was indeed cooler, all Hazel could do was write in her letter that she hoped Mrs. Lawrence would enjoy the summer at the Lawrence estate.

One benefit of the break, though, was the opportunity to sleep in and finally read the books she hadn’t had time for due to her studies. As an orphan who learned to read late, she often felt embarrassed by not knowing the empire’s heroic tales or founding myths that other students already knew. Even at eighteen, this was still the case.

For example, when the teacher mentioned the warrior Dulek during class, Hazel was too flustered to ask who he was, realizing that everyone but her seemed to know him.

“You don’t know again, do you? Dulek was famous not only for his bravery but also for his beauty. That’s why his name is often used as a metaphor for beauty,” a friend sitting next to her whispered kindly, helping her out of the immediate crisis. But with such situations repeating themselves, Hazel found herself unable to leave the library during breaks. Fortunately, she genuinely enjoyed reading.

Waking up well past ten in the morning, Hazel quickly washed and prepared to go out. She only needed to wear her uniform during the semester, so today she planned to wear a dress. Mrs. Lawrence sent several sets of casual clothes every year, but since Hazel rarely went out and usually wore her uniform, she hardly had a chance to wear them. If she didn’t wear them occasionally, they would soon go to waste.

After a moment of deliberation in front of her wardrobe, Hazel chose a light yellow dress with chiffon sleeves that looked cool just by sight. It had a floral ribbon brooch under the collar, giving it a fancy feel, but she didn’t mind the dressed-up look.

Finally, as usual, Hazel instinctively picked up a black ribbon to tie her hair half-up but then put it down. She carefully took out a small jewelry box from the back of her drawer. The silver box, with various flowers embossed on the lid, was a gift from two winters ago.

Inside were a crystal pendant necklace, hairpins adorned with colored stones like rubies, sapphires, and peridots, and a golden hair tie woven with pearls. Hazel marveled at how Mrs. Lawrence always sent gifts that perfectly matched her taste, even though she had never mentioned her preferences.

After much thought, Hazel picked up the pearl hair tie, tied her hair, and added a subtly sparkling sapphire pin next to her ear before standing at the door. Choosing shoes was easy since she had received a matching pair of light yellow flats with the dress.

Just dressing a little differently than usual lifted her spirits. Her steps quickened unconsciously as she left the dormitory and headed toward the student cafeteria.

“Hazel! Are you going out somewhere?”

She was almost at the cafeteria when she heard a familiar voice. Turning around, she saw Sijel, one of the school caretakers, emerging from between the flower beds and waving.

“Mr. Sijel! Hello!”

He tossed the gardening shears he had been holding onto the grass and removed his gloves. Then, with a friendly smile, he approached Hazel.

“Today, you look like a proper young lady.”

“Oh, come on. Are you saying I’m not usually a lady?”

Hazel pouted playfully as she spoke, and Sijel laughed heartily in response. It was a laugh that never failed to lift Hazel’s spirits.

“I’m saying it because you look lovely.”

“I received this as a gift, so I thought I’d try it on. I’m not going anywhere special.”

She twirled around to show off the skirt that flared out gracefully, prompting him to ask knowingly.

“Is it from the Lawrence family? It suits you perfectly, dear. By the way, I heard someone from the duke’s household is coming today. Did you know?”

“Really? But it probably doesn’t concern me. They must be sending someone for academy sponsorship or something like that.”

Hazel lowered her gaze and shuffled her feet a couple of times. Sijel tilted his head, puzzled by her reaction.

“You seem a bit indifferent.”

“The people I want to meet are Mrs. Lawrence or the duke himself.”

Only then did Sijel somewhat understand Hazel’s demeanor.

“Both of them are very busy people. Especially the duke; ever since he became an adult, even I’ve had trouble meeting him.”

“The duke never replied to me even before he became an adult, so it’s not surprising.”

This time, Hazel genuinely pouted. Sijel almost mentioned that all the things she was wearing were gifts from the duke but decided against it. For some reason, the young duke was extremely reluctant to reveal that he held a significant interest in Hazel as her patron.

“Anyway, you’re here to eat, right? Today’s menu is fruit salad and ham sandwiches. Enjoy your meal.”

He changed the subject. Despite having three daughters, he was still clumsy at comforting a child with a hurt heart. Fortunately, Hazel quickly returned his smile and responded cheerfully.

“Yes! You have a joyful and happy day too!”

“I will.”

With his hearty laughter in the background, Hazel opened the dining hall door. As expected, there wasn’t a single student in sight. During breaks, the dining hall operated on a limited basis, allowing students to eat outside the school if they wished.

Hazel filled a glass bowl with just fruit salad, found a spot near the serving area, and began her meal. It was simply greens topped with large pieces of fruit and a drizzle of dressing, yet the refreshing taste was remarkable. Rumor had it that Chef Ellen once worked for the royal family, and it seemed the rumor wasn’t unfounded.

After filling her stomach with the delicious food, she felt energized. She thought she could sit in the library all day without moving. Hazel tidied up her space, stood up, and headed straight for the annex.

The annex housed various classrooms for activities, including the library, etiquette room, laboratory, and potion-making room. However, the library occupied the largest space.

Except for the first and second floors on the left side of the central entrance, the entire area was a library, making it more reasonable to call it a library rather than an annex.

Hazel made her way to the topmost fifth floor. Although climbing the stairs was a bit of a challenge, it was the most pleasant space, and she always favored it. She often brought books from other floors up to the fifth floor, so it was no wonder her friends teased her playfully for being so peculiar.

Sliding the door open and walking straight through the lined-up shelves, she found wide desks by the windows waiting for students, much larger than what you’d expect for six people.

However, Hazel wasn’t heading to the desks. She moved confidently to the far right corner. Soon, a faded pink sofa appeared, basking in the sunlight streaming from both sides. On the armrest lay a thin blanket she had brought in advance, and on the chair sat the book she had been reading the day before.

At first, she thought the sofa didn’t match the library at all. The suede fabric was now quite worn, making it feel rough rather than soft, but Hazel found even that part of its charm.

She picked up the book and sank deeply into the chair. She casually kicked off her shoes, pulled up her knees, and covered herself with the blanket. This narrow space sometimes felt cozier than her own bed, and it wasn’t just her imagination.

The book she was reading was about the myths of the empire’s founding. She had only encountered it as a fairy tale when she was younger, so she hadn’t expected it to be so extensive. She was already on the eighth volume, with twelve more to go. But if she spent this break well, she could finish the series without a problem. She wanted to proudly write in her next letter to the duke’s family that she had read all twenty volumes.

It was around the time the sun began to dip past noon. Suddenly, she heard the sliding door open with a creak. Since it was break time, it couldn’t be the librarian, so perhaps it was another student. She returned her gaze to the book, but her concentration was already broken.

Eventually, she closed the book and stood up, craning her neck to see who it was. However, there was no sign of the person who had opened the door. Instead, a cute meowing sound caught Hazel’s attention.

“Meow.”

Looking down, she saw a cat rubbing its body against her leg with its tail held high. Despite its large body and slightly mischievous face, the cat was so endearing that the students had named it Dulac.

“Oh? Dulac, how did you get in here? Did you open the door?”

She petted its head a few times in delight, and Dulac let out another satisfied meow before lightly jumping onto a nearby desk chair.

“What, are you here to read too? But what kind of book should I give a cat?”

Hazel muttered to herself seriously. Then Dulac, as if saying “follow me,” leaped from the chair to the desk, then to the ladder closest to the shelves. Hazel, impressed by how agile Dulac was despite its hefty body, followed the cat as if under a spell.

Eventually, Dulac settled on the top of the bookshelf. There were so many books that there was no place to fit them all, so the top of the shelf was also packed with books. Dulac left paw prints in the dust as it ambled over the books. At one point, Dulac’s plump belly nudged a book stacked high.

“Ahhh!”

“Meow!”

The book fell in an instant. Hazel was so startled that she didn’t even think to dodge and instead covered her head with her arms.

Thud.

She thought she had heard the sound of a book hitting something, but strangely, she felt no pain. Curious, she cautiously lowered her arms and looked up, only to see a book floating in mid-air. No, to be precise, someone was holding it.

“…You should be careful.”

What was this unfamiliar, mature-sounding voice? It resonated like a wave, reminiscent of something she might have heard long ago…

Hazel slowly turned around. A navy uniform, which seemed familiar, came into view. However, because the person was much taller and larger than her, it was difficult to discern who it was.

She carefully took a step back and looked up at the owner of the voice. The strong sunlight streaming in from outside made her squint for a moment, but in that brief time, the person who had saved her reached out an arm to the shelf and returned the book. A shadow formed over Hazel’s eyebrows, gradually revealing the person’s outline.

Sleek, well-groomed black hair, sharp yet strong facial features, a straight nose, and a calm, composed mouth. And eyes that shone more transparently than the peridots in a jewelry box…

Hazel instinctively knew who he was—the very person she had imagined every time she wrote a letter.

She had so much she wanted to say if they ever met, so why couldn’t she utter a single word? Maybe she could ask if the outfit she was wearing, a gift she had received today, suited her well. But that seemed too odd for a first meeting… No, he probably didn’t even know who she was. But how did he know to come here? Had she mentioned this place in a letter…?

Her mind was so cluttered with unnecessary thoughts that Hazel couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Yet, one thing she was certain of was that she wanted to keep looking into those beautiful eyes, reminiscent of a summer forest.

Eventually, he lowered his arm and straightened his posture. There was a leisurely grace in his slow movements. It was so refreshing that it almost made Hazel mistake the library’s book smell for the fresh scent of trees after a heavy rain, leaving her momentarily lost in thought.

Maybe this was just an illusion.

He didn’t avoid Hazel’s obvious gaze and met it directly before turning away.

Her head followed him instinctively. But that was as far as it went. As the sound of his footsteps grew distant, her heart began to race. Her lips, pressed tightly together, refused to part. Like gazing at a landscape painting, Hazel stood frozen in place until his shadow disappeared, the door closed, and even the lingering scent completely vanished from the air.

It was, indeed, her first love.

—Fin

Thank you so much for reading this novel (ᵔ◡ᵔ) Side stories won’t be posted unless there’s a specific request for them. See you in my other stories! Love, Adeline<3