Chapter 31: Creation Myth

Black Wolf Keep, Library.

After pushing open the heavy oak door, Xia Mingyu faced row upon row of towering bookshelves stretching to the ceiling, as if about to drown the entire space.

The air carried a faint scent of books and raw wood; sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor, making one want to sleep.

“Just woke up and already sleepy? In a way, the library is a blessing for insomniacs.”

Xia Mingyu’s lips twitched.

He hadn’t forgotten why he came here—he had to quickly acquire the nobility’s “common knowledge” of this world to clearly understand his current situation, identity, and duties.

“Far more books than I imagined.”

Xia Mingyu moved between layers of bookshelves, gazing at the dizzying piles of books, unable to help but sigh.

One could imagine that over the past century, generations of the Hughes family’s lords had spared no effort collecting books, amassing this many in a world resembling the medieval era.

“But with so many books, how do I find the ones I need?”

Xia Mingyu rested his chin in thought.

The bookshelves here seemed unclassified; if he searched book by book, he might not find anything even by nightfall.

It would be nice to have a librarian.

As he pondered a solution, he wandered unconsciously between the shelves.

“Wait, that’s—”

He stopped, his gaze fixed on a narrow gap between the shelves.

Through the gap, he saw an elegant hammock, with someone lying on it.

“Could the Viscount Hughes really have assigned a librarian here?”

With this thought, Xia Mingyu circled around the shelves and walked toward the hammock.

As he drew closer, he saw the person's appearance.

She was a girl no older than thirteen or fourteen, her silver-white hair cascading like a waterfall along the edges of the vine-woven hammock, shimmering faintly in the sunlight from the window.

Her face was barely larger than an adult’s palm; her slightly parted lips were as delicate as newly bloomed cherry blossoms, her porcelain skin revealing faint blue veins beneath, her long silver lashes trembling slightly.

She curled up on the hammock, her pale pink silk nightgown slipping to her knees, exposing snow-white calves and slender, exquisitely shaped bare feet.

“What an adorable girl!”

Xia Mingyu couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

Though Anliya was also beautiful, her beauty was gentle and intellectual, subtly captivating without stirring base desire.

But this girl was different—her silver hair and petite, perfect figure were the ultimate appeal of a certain group on Blue Star, a demonic charm that pulled at the soul.

Xia Mingyu had no doubt that if this girl were born on Blue Star, a single photo posted on TikTok would have countless otaku companies begging for her endorsement.

“But she doesn’t seem to be the librarian.”

Xia Mingyu glanced at the white text above her head and sighed.

“Noble.”

As expected, this girl was likely a member of the Hughes family—probably the daughter or younger sister.

“I’ll search the shelves again.”

Just as Xia Mingyu was about to leave, the sleeping girl’s lashes trembled; she let out a soft mewl like a kitten, then slowly sat up and stretched.

She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of slightly dazed heterochromatic eyes.

Her left eye was crimson as blood, her right eye ashen as ashes—two starkly different hues forming a breathtaking beauty on her tiny, delicate face.

She propped herself up slightly; the straps of her nightgown slipped down her shoulders, revealing a flash of pale skin.

As if still half-asleep, she stared blankly at Xia Mingyu in front of her, as cute as a kitten.

“Such beautiful eyes.” x2

Xia Mingyu and the girl spoke in unison.

“Huh?”

Both froze, surprise flashing across their faces.

“You—Your—!”

The girl was about to speak, then suddenly noticed the text above Xia Mingyu’s head—“Heir to the Kingdom of Fourteen Hundred Million.”

Her pupils shrank sharply; the “you” on her lips instantly changed to a respectful form.

With a nimble twist, she leapt off the hammock and stood bowing respectfully before Xia Mingyu.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

Her voice was soft and soothing, making one want to hold her.

“Who are you?” Xia Mingyu asked first.

“I am Elise Hughes, daughter of Viscount Hughes,” Elise replied.

“May I ask why such a noble person would appear here?” Elise glanced around, confirmed it was her family’s library, then asked cautiously.

“If you don’t wish to answer, that’s fine too—someone as exalted as you should be the one asking questions, not me,” Elise added.

As she spoke, she stole several glances at the title halo above Xia Mingyu’s head, then pinched her waist hard behind her back to feel the pain, confirming she wasn’t dreaming.

But if this wasn’t a dream, why did this young man with obsidian-black eyes bear such an impossibly noble title?

The combined populations of Sosia, Milan, and Rhine—the three human kingdoms—could not possibly reach such a terrifying number.

And for a figure of such stature to appear in her family’s library was utterly bizarre.

“I am Mingyu Xia, invited by your father, Viscount Hughes, to stay temporarily at Black Wolf Keep,” Xia Mingyu said calmly.

“I see. It is the Hughes family’s supreme honor. May you enjoy your stay.”

Elise instinctively reached to lift her skirt in a curtsy, but as her hand rose, she realized she was wearing only a nightgown—her pale face flushed slightly.

Her hand hung awkwardly in midair, neither lifting nor lowering.

If she curtsied, too much skin would be exposed; if she didn’t, the noble prince might deem it disrespectful—and she’d be socially ruined among the nobility.

“No need for a curtsy. Could you do me a favor?” Xia Mingyu, seemingly sensing her discomfort, said softly.

“It would be my honor, Your Highness,” Elise replied quickly.

“I’m looking for books on mythology. Do you know which shelf they’re on in this library?” Xia Mingyu asked.

“Mythology books are usually on the third row of the seventh shelf,” Elise thought and replied.

“Thank you.”

Xia Mingyu’s eyes lit up, and he hurried toward the seventh shelf.

In a world where gods truly exist and watch over mortals, what could be more captivating than mythology?

(End of Chapter)