I Reincarnated as the Villainess's Brother, and my Family may Fall to Ruin

Chapter 41: Sanctuary

When asked about his favorite place on the academy campus, Virgil would probably have a hard time answering that question.

There were different places he liked being at, based on what he was planning to do, and he'd much rather be in his room in the dorms, if anything. Though, he wasn't about to show the crown prince his bedroom anytime soon.

However, if he was asked what place he most frequented, he could only think of one room in the entire school.

As the black-haired boy guided Cyril into the school building, he gave a brief description of each area they passed, as they traveled to their destination. Walking to a higher level of the vast building, they stopped in front of two grand doors that had ornate gold ornaments on it. Much like everything else in the school, it was a luxurious display that showed both the power of the school and it's elegance in design.

Grasping onto the handle, Virgil pushed open towards the entrances as he led the golden-haired boy into one of the largest rooms in the school.

The Grand Library.

Much like it's name suggests, it was expansive and magnificent. The walls were lined with books and there were numerous shelves that almost gave an illusion of a maze inside the room. There were separate stairs to a second floor that wrapped along the walls, allowing a balcony that could view the first floor in it's entirety. The academy's library was famous, as it contained books that even the royal family's library did not have, and researchers would often come to study within it's halls.

There were only a few students actively at the desks that were placed near the entrance of the library, since today was only orientation day, but the sounds of their pen scratching could be heard through the hall, creating an ambient noise in the background. Some other students were looking around, exploring the school like many others, although they tried their best to be quiet. The light sound of their footsteps could be heard when walking through the area.

Virgil looked over at the boy next to him, who's eyes seemed to have plucked the stars from the sky itself. Even someone who had lived and seen the Imperial Palace almost everyday couldn't help but be amazed. The black-haired boy let out a light laugh in his head, being able to see a tail wagging behind the golden retriever-like boy.

There was a smell of books in the air, that felt crisp and clean. The tranquility this atmosphere brought about made Cyril feel comforted and warm. He had started to love places like these, despite preferring to be outside when he was little, as they reminded him of the black-haired boy next to him. Just like him, these places made him feel relaxed and he could let his guard down.

As he looked over at Virgil with tender eyes, if anyone had saw his loving face, they would most likely not be standing.

But, naturally, he quickly composed himself.

"Gil, this really fits you! So, this is your favorite place?"

The black-haired boy shook his head, which confused Cyril. However, he soon followed after the boy, who seemed to want to lead him deeper into the library.

As they walked past each of the grand windows letting in the light, Virgil finally stopped near a back wall of the library. It almost felt like a blind spot that not even the second floor of the library could see, much less any light from the outside. Cyril looked perplexed about what they were doing here, but then he saw Virgil place his hand on the wall in front of them, closing his eyes in a calm manner.

As the air around them seemed to breeze by, lifting Virgil's hair and clothes lightly off his body, a black mist that seeped from the ground soon followed.

Rather than a black mist, however, Cyril knew that this was Virgil's shadow magic.

He'd only seen it a few times while visiting the Deianira estate, but each time he witnessed it, he couldn't help but be awe-stricken, unable to take his eyes off the beautiful boy's image. His heart clenched whenever he saw him, but these moments felt as if time had stopped and he could only feel as though his breath was taken away.