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They are flowers that she greatly admires, indeed one of her favorites. The crown of blossoms on her head revealed this, as did the delightful smell—fresh flowers, artfully braided and secured together. I stood back, a few meters away, desiring to reach out to her, but I couldn’t manage it.

I simply could not do it. I was perplexed as to what was keeping me from approaching. Was it the fact that we weren’t permitted to meet? Is this what one might call forbidden love?

“Bookman, a little assistance, if you would.”

The male voice nearby pulled me back to reality as I looked over at my colleague, who was burdened with a stack of books. Ah yes, I nearly forgot. We were here to collect an order. Sighing, I moved to his side and took a handful of books to lighten his load.

“Your habit of drifting off is quite troubling,” he commented with a puff of annoyance. “Maybe you should focus better on our task at hand?”

I rolled my eyes in response while I arranged the books on our cart. “That’s exactly what I was doing. And I was not daydreaming,” I replied. “I was merely scanning the surroundings.” Just a little white lie.

We Bookmen were not permitted to cultivate close relationships. A painful realization, indeed, but then I recalled the many occasions when my ancestors disregarded this taboo, frequently engaging with the Noah of Wisdom for sheer entertainment or simply because of love.

The Bookman before me had followed this path, as had the one before him. This is well-known in our historical records. Ah, I dread to think about the difficulties this might have caused—wait, I DO know.

After all, it is my duty to preserve the memories of every Bookman who has come before me. And now here I am, one of the few female Successors of the Clan. It feels heavy, yet I have grown used to it. We Bookmen begin our training at a very early age.

My master wasn’t present, however. They mentioned having errands to run, so I was left with someone else to handle his order. I’m not particularly thrilled, as I had planned to spend my day in the city.

Looking for her. Watching her. The Noah of Wisdom.

I’ve heard so much about her, and it made me wonder… would she even notice me?

I was aware of her favorite flowers. The flower crown she wore was a telling sign.

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