Samurai ↔ Nishimura Riki

thirty one

does anyone have discord? wattpad has been so inactive and im feeling lonely on wp 💔. idk why but i was bored on discord and made a server for absolutely no reason than boredom and i absolutely love talking to others (as long as you guys arent rude) maybe ill include a link and invite when samurai becomes more popular. im super active on it these days

ALSO IK THEY USED SCROLLS BACK THEN DONT PENALIZE ME PLS 🙏🙏i just thought books would fit better

countdown: 1/15 of the last part completed!

Her body seemed to have a mind of its own.

Somehow, she had ended up at the library. Hyewon stared up at the grand doors of the palace library, taking the time to admire the meticulous etchings on the golden plaque hanging on the doors. Her fingers brush against the cold brass handles, but she stops herself from opening the doors, hesitating.

While she did have a particular fondness for books, she had never visited it before. She was far too busy to take the time to stop by ever since she was given the responsibility as Riki's guard.

Should she? It would be a shame to not, especially since she was already at its door. She might as well check out the library. It would be nice to distract herself after... some events.

Shoving her worries to the far back of her mind, Hyewon pushed the doors open.

Woah. Her eyes rounded with surprise as she spun around to get the full view of the vast library. It certainly was big, just as her teachers back at the academy had described. In fact, it might even be the biggest, prettiest library she had ever been to.

Chandeliers were lit with magical flames along with a few torches glowed softly, exerting a dim but cozy glow. The whole room itself was shaped like a dome. Several levels curved towards the ceiling, one stacked up on another, connected by either a ladder or a spiral staircase. Each one was filled with several rows of bookshelves, each chock-full with hundreds of books. Tables and chairs were secluded far into the library, a warm fireplace crackling nearby. The faint smell of the incense sticks burning drifted in the air, a familiar scent to Hyewon.

Very few were in the tranquil library and she preferred it that way. Relaxing slightly, she straightened her shoulders and walked over to the bookshelf closest to her, her fingers grazing against the aged wood. Not knowing what story to read, she began to peruse carefully through the wide selection of books, slowly making down the aisle as she looked at the titles of interesting books.

Bleh. The History of Japan? Nah. We were meant to be? How sappy. The Red Crown? Hm....

She plucked out the last story from the shelves and started to read the blurb of the story.

Murder mystery. How fun.

Soon enough, she found herself immersed into the story, sitting on an empty velvet red sofa, flipping through each page gingerly.

"Byul!"

I flinched at the call of my name. Drat. The brass door knob, the beacon of my freedom, shone and glittered, but now I had been caught. I couldn't escape home tonight. It was a tempting thought, damning the consequences and bolting out the door, but it surely would have its own consequences. My trip into the village would have to be postponed for tonight

Slowly, making sure to not make a noise, I crept away from the foyer and slipped into the dining room, picking up an apple and taking a bite of it as if I had not tried to leave my home moments earlier. As I moved, the hidden key jingled against the bag of coins, both which were concealed well in the deep pockets of my dress. Footsteps grew louder and louder with every moment and I stilled, waiting for-