Loading User Commands:
[X] "If you'll have me."

---

"I am returning to the library," says Patchouli softly. "Some of the other references are there."

The magician closes her book with finality, as if she has made some sort of decision. Slowly, she looks up to meet his gaze in full. Her eyes, though wavering, seem to be full of resolve.

"Would you like to join me?" she asks.

"If you'll have me," replies Grey automatically.

"Alright," says Patchouli. She stands up and gives him a tiny nod, urging him to follow, before walking out of the room.

On the way back to her reading area, neither of them speaks. Patchouli walks between the bookshelves in silence, her every move careful and deliberate, as if deathly afraid of tripping on her feet and embarrassing herself. Staring at the back of her head, Grey follows the magician, making sure to slow his pace to match hers. During the walk, he observes that a number of colorful ribbons are intricately tied and arranged in her long lavender hair. Wouldn't it be a bother to maintain them every day?

After walking for some time, they reached Patchouli's reading desk. Without a word, the magician takes her seat and props her book open before her. Grey takes one last glance at her before turning toward the nearby shelves. He grabs the first book that he finds written in English, then he takes his own seat nearby.

After a few minutes, the awkward atmosphere that formed earlier vanishes like a bad memory. Patchouli regains her usual demeanor as she reads, calm and collected. Grey smiles at himself before turning to his own book.

"Fenrir and Odin," he reads. The cover of the book shows a surprisingly realistic picture of a warrior wielding a great spear against a montrously large wolf-beast creature. The tale is surprisingly vivid in its description, and soon, Grey finds himself engrossed in it.

Only after the afternoon sun begins flowing through one of the few windows does he finally put the book down. The rest of the story will have to wait. There are some things he needs to deal with. Grey leaves the book on the table after taking note of the last chapter he finished.

"I'll be heading off now," he tells the magician. "That was a good read."

Patchouli doesn't raise her head from her book. But as Grey stands up to leave, something surprising happens.

"Wait," says the magician. Holding the book in one hand, she pulls out something small from her dress. Without taking her eyes of her book, she speaks again.

"If it's fine with you," she whispers, holding out her hand to him.

"Eh?" he mutters dumbly as he accepts the item.

"Take this."

Grey blinks as he recognizes the tiny gift. It looks like a ribbon.

He has about an hour to kill before dinner.
[ ] Walk around the library a little bit. Maybe you can find Koakuma.
[ ] Check the kitchen and dining room. Sakuya might be there.
[ ] Go to Flandre's room in the basement. She might be awake now.
[ ] Visit the front gate. Meiling should be at her duty.
[ ] Explore the second floor. Perhaps you can find Remilia's room.
[ ] Return to your room and rest. A break is fine too.
[ ] Custom

"..."

He doesn't know how long he stayed there, trying to figure things out. In the end, he sighed to himself. There are simply too many pieces missing in this puzzle.

"I don't get any of it," whispers Grey to himself. He takes a glance at Patchouli, who seems to be ignoring him as was her custom.

He blinks dumbly. It must be his imagination, but it seems like she is stuck on the same page without progress. However, as evidence that she hasn't fallen asleep, her cheeks are slightly pink as she takes notice of his gaze. Deliberately, he fixes his eyes on her to observe further.

Patchouli continues to stare at her book, though she clearly isn't reading a single word. She gasps silently with her lips slightly apart as he watches. Slowly, her chest's subtle heaving rhythm becomes visible. The faint blush upon her cheeks grows delicate red.

Suddenly, her eyes turn to his, and they widen slightly before looking back into the book. Grey turns away, as if seeing something he shouldn't stare at. An awkward silence falls between them for several minutes, each engrossed in their own thoughts.

"I am returning to the library," says Patchouli finally. "Some of the other references are there."

She closes her book and looks straight at Grey.

"Would you like to join me?"

[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.

---

"You should be completely recovered," says Patchouli. "You can leave, if you like."

Grey pauses before answering.

"Mind if I stay a little bit longer?" asks Grey. "I'd like to collect my thoughts for a bit."

"Go ahead," she replies. The magician doesn't make any other visible reaction. She turns her full attention to her book, with her eyes moving from side to side. She flips a page in an almost mechanical manner as he watches.

Grey shakes his head from the oddly hypnotic movements and shifts his gaze to the walls. Slowly, he starts to recall the different things he did today. Somehow, he feels that there may be something he missed.

He woke up with a start after that nightmare involving Patchouli and Koakuma. After calming down, he immediately headed to the Voile Library to check on the little devil. Thankfully, she was alright. He felt so relieved that, before he realized it, he had embraced the girl tightly in his arms. However, Koakuma pushed him away in fear. Perhaps he creeped her out, grabbing her without warning like that.

After waiting for her to calm down, they managed to meet up with Patchouli. At his invitation, she decided to join for breakfast. While Koakuma went off to fetch off the maids to bring some books, the magician handed him a few blank spell cards. They turned out to be pretty useful, Grey notes.

During breakfast, he decided to talk about the youkai attacks and the mansion defenses. A brief argument broke out between Sakuya and Patchouli, and Remilia unexpectedly asked him to investigate the incidents. After the meal, he spoke privately to the pink and purple wizard, who suspected that there may be a traitor in the mansion.

Upon hearing her words, Grey told her that he must be the prime suspect, considering the circumstances and the odd dreams that he had. To his surprise, the magician, rather than punishing him, cast a spell to protect him before passing out. He managed to carry the girl back to the library, where he met and spoke with Koakuma. She told him that Patchouli would recover after some rest. Before he left the library, something odd happened. Koakuma gave him a tight hug, and whispered that things will be alright.

Grey decided to investigate the clock tower, since he felt that something important was there. Inside, he found several interesting and unusual things, but before he could examine things closely, he found himself attacked by a giant clockwork spider. After barely escaping, he met up with Sakuya. He told her everything, explaining that he knew of this place through his dreams.

Somehow, he convinced Sakuya that there was something in the tower that they need to find. Despite her powers not working in this place, the chief maid agreed to accompany him. Soon enough, they found a place that looked suspicious, but it was guarded by a huge clockwork spider guardian.

With Sakuya keeping the creature busy, Grey managed to sneak past it to enter the chamber it was protecting. Inside, he discovered a set of modern light-emitting devices forming an intricate sealing circle. After rearranging the devices, the light changed color, and somehow, he felt that some heavy burden was lifted. However, the chief maid was fighting a losing battle outside.

He managed to save Sakuya from being crushed by doing something completely stupid, and thinking back, he would be dead by now if it weren't for Patchouli's barrier. Barely alive, he felt some strange power awaken within him, which he used to masterfully defeat the clockwork guardian and rescue the chief maid. He passed out afterward, of course.

Grey managed to have a short conversation with Sakuya before focusing on his own recovery. By the time he woke up, he found himself alone in her room. Waking up hungry, he made himself a disaster of a meal before heading to the Voile Library. There, he managed to talk to both Patchouli and Koakuma about a few more things. Afterward, the little devil decided to accompany him during the investigation.

Somehow, his mind grows foggy at this point, as if there was something that changed. In any case, they decided to head outside. At the garden, they had a nice conversation with one of the maids, though they didn't learn much. But when they got to the front gate, something started messing with his head.

Grey doesn't remember clearly, but he thinks that he almost shot Koakuma and Meiling. Thankfully, he passed out before anything happened. The next thing he remembers is waking up with the pink and purple wizard watching over him. After a little more rest, he found himself still here with her, collecting his own thoughts in silence.

Loading User Commands:
[X] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[X] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.

---

Carefully, Grey opens his eyes. He feels well rested, if not a little bit disoriented. Slowly, he surveys the room. He blinks in surprise when he notices that Patchouli is still holding his hand. She hasn't left his side.

"..."

How long was he asleep?

Grey turns his head slightly to get a better look at the pink and purple wizard. She looks relaxed, and her face is calm as usual. Holding her book with one hand, she continues reading. Her eyes move steadily from left to right as she reads each line. This movement is strangely hypnotic, and before he realizes it, he starts following her beautiful violet eyes move from side to side. It takes him several minutes to finally turn his attention to something else.

Checking his left hand, he can feel the magician's tender grip. Her soft hand doesn't move much, but every few seconds, he can feel her stroke him slightly with her tiny index finger. Occasionally, her hand would shift its position, as if trying to find a way to hold him a little bit tighter. Her grip would loosen slightly each time she clumsily flips a page of her book.

He watches Patchouli as she flips the page of her book using only her other hand. It takes his brain almost a full minute to realize something strange. She doesn't let him go even if she has to turn to the next page. What an odd thing to do.

Suddenly, Patchouli turns to him. Her eyes meet his instantly. For a moment, Grey feels like he saw them widen slightly upon noticing him, but it must have been his imagination. She considers him thoughtfully with a calm, calculating gaze.

"Are you feeling better?" she asks.

Grey nods as he sits himself up. Reluctantly, he lets go of the girl's hand. While there is still an odd ringing in his ears, he feels much better now.

"I feel much better now," he says. "Thanks a lot for the help. I can probably walk around in a few minutes."

"That is good to hear," Patchouli replies. She holds her book with both hands and returns to her reading.

Grey takes a few moments to reorient himself to his surroundings.

"Patchouli, how long was I unconscious?" he asks. "And where exactly is this place?"

"Two hours and thirty-two minutes," she says succintly. "This is a spare bedroom in the Voile Library."

There are bedrooms in the Voile Library? Patchouli and Koakuma probably sleep somewhere nearby, then. And speaking of the devil...

"How's Koakuma?" he asks.

Patchouli pauses before answering.

"She is finishing a few errands in the library," she says. "I told her that you were alright, but that didn't stop her from taking a peek to check on you. I think she came in three or four times."

"I-I see," he mutters. Koakuma must have been worried about him.

For a moment, he stays silent, distracted by his own thoughts.

"You should be completely recovered," says Patchouli. "You can leave, if you like."

Somehow, Grey feels that she said that last part a little bit sadly.

[ ] Stay with Patchouli a little bit longer. There is no hurry to leave.
[ ] See if you can find Koakuma. She might be worried.
[ ] Hang around the library. Perhaps you can find a good book.
[ ] Explore the library alone. The investigation must continue.
[ ] Excuse yourself and leave the library. You need to clear your head.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Tell her what you remember from the incident at the gate.
[X] Ask if you can hold her hand.

---

The magician looks up from her book. Her deep violet eyes are clear and focused.

"I would like to monitor your condition until you are able to walk around on your own," she says. "If there is anything I should know, don't hesitate to tell me."

Grey raises his head as he tries to clear his head.

"Earlier, Koakuma and I went to the gate to talk to Meiling. I..." says Grey. He cringes in pain as his head starts pounding. Patchouli turns back to her book, but her eyes aren't moving. She seems to be listening intently.

"I-I think we were trying to decide on something when my head began to hurt. I started to lose my balance, and my vision was blurring. I think I started to hear strange things," he continues. The pain is intensifying, but somehow he is able to fight it.

"I got really confused. It's difficult to describe, but I think I felt like I was in danger. I think I drew my gun at Koakuma and Meiling," he says. "My head felt like it was splitting. I think I managed to drop the weapon before passing out."

Patchouli doesn't say anything. Her eyes are still on her book, but she is clearly not reading a single sentence. She seems to be in deep thought.

"Are you sure that no one was hurt?" Grey asks. "I don't.. remember much. I'll never forgive myself if something -"

"Everyone is alright," interrupts Patchouli. "Just calm down and rest."

She looks at Grey thoughtfully. Somehow, her eyes feel different. It is as if some renewed determination has been sparked within this pink and purple book lover. Such an expression doesn't really fit the anemic wizard, but somehow, he can feel some unexplainable strength emanating from this girl.

"I think I am starting to understand," says Patchouli. "I suppose that I will have to act soon."

"Huh? What did you understand?" replies Grey. "None of this makes sense to me."

The wizard turns back to her book and begins to read again.

"Don't worry about it. Just focus on resting. You will be safe here." she says.

Grey sighs as he lies his head back on the bed. His head is spinning wildly. If he tries to hard, he will probably just injure himself. He should just focus on resting.

"..."

But he can't sleep, for some reason. Too many thoughts are passing through his mind. He takes a glance at Patchouli for a moment.

"Can I hold your hand for a bit?" he asks. He blinks stupidly as he realizes what he just said. Did he just think aloud? Patchouli doesn't reply, but her eyes have froze.

"I just want to make sure that you are real to me," he continues. Somehow, this seems to be the best way he can describe how he feels.

Patchouli doesn't say a word. After a few minutes, Grey simply lies back on his head and tries to get some rest. It was a foolish request anyway. This is inappropriate, to say the least. What was he -

Without warning, he feels something warm grab on to his left hand. He takes a glance at Patchouli. She simply continues reading, holding the book with one hand. Her face is calm and neutral. However, he can feel her gently placing her small soft hand over his own. She strokes the back of his hand with her tiny fingers, as if to reassure him. For some reason, his mind becomes focused only on the sensation of her fingers rubbing upon him.

Slowly, he finds himself calming down. Grey closes his eyes. He starts falling into a deep, dreamless sleep. The last thing he remembers is Patchouli flipping the page of her book.

...

Carefully, he opens his eyes. He feels well rested, if not a little bit disoriented.

He surveys the room slowly, barely turning his head. The first thing he notices is that Patchouli is still holding his hand. She hasn't left his side.

"..."

How long was he asleep?

[ ] Greet her normally. Thank her for watching over you.
[ ] Wake up with a start. Let go of her hand immediately.
[ ] Observe her a little bit longer. Wait until she notices that you are awake.
[ ] Pretend to roll around in your sleep. Pull her over you "accidentally".
[ ] Custom

Grey opens his eyes. He stares blankly at the ceiling for several minutes as he tries to clear his mind. Slowly, he turns his head from side to side. He seems to be in a bedroom. But this isn't his room. The place is sparsely decorated, and it has no windows. He hasn't been in this place before.

"Can you hear me?" asks a voice.

He turns toward the voice. It takes a few moments for him to recognize the pink and purple wizard.

"Patchouli?" he asks uneasily.

"Good. It must be taking effect now. You should be fine in a couple more hours." she says.

"Huh?" he says.

"Koakuma and the gate guard brought you in here a few minutes ago. They said that you passed out by the front gate." she replies. "This is very odd, though. Aside from a little exhaustion, there is no sign that your body has been damaged or tampered with. Very strange."

"Where.. where is Koakuma?" he asks. Is she alright?

"I told her to take care of some other duties for the time being," says the magician. "She was very... emotional when you were brought in. I think she needs some time to calm down."

"I-I see," he says. No one was hurt. He sighs in relief.

"..."

Grey blinks. Patchouli is sitting at the end of the bed, complete with a book in her hands. There aren't any chairs in the room, it seems. She doesn't seem to be leaving soon. Is she going to stay here with him?

As if to answer his query, the magician looks up from her book.

"I would like to monitor your condition until you are able to walk around on your own," she says. "Tell me if you feel anything strange. If there is anything I should know, please tell me."

Grey's head is too muddled up to explain anything.
[ ] Lie down and get some rest.
[ ] Cough violently.
[ ] Look for your weapons.
[ ] Ask if you can hold her hand.
[ ] Tell her that she doesn't need to stay here.
[ ] Try to force yourself up.
[ ] Custom

Loading User Commands:
[X] Drop the gun.

---

Grey raises the gun toward them. They aren't human, and they are planning to kill him. Even if it is futile, he won't go down without a fight. This weapon can harm youkai. The past few days proved that. At the very least, he can wound them before he dies.

"Is he going to fight back? How convenient," says Koakuma. She sneers at him as she licks her lips.

"I'm not very hungry right now. He's all yours," comments the gate guard. How is she talking in her sleep?

Grey tightens his grip on the pistol. He moves his other hand slowly towards his coat, feeling for his spell cards.

"I'm not going to die here!" he cries out loudly. "Not without a fight!"

Koakuma slowly sidesteps toward Meiling, not turning her back on him. She gently shakes the gate guard awake. Meiling wakes up with a start, muttering something he can't understand. The little devil whispers something to her, then points to him. The gate guard gasps audibly when she notices that his weapon is drawn.

What? Why can't he hear their words? He can see their mouths moving, but he can't hear their voices. Something.. something is wrong.

".. elp me.. ill him" says Koakuma. Her voice sounds so distant.

"..lright.. fight back.. hurt him badly," replies Meiling.

The two nod at each other before turning back to Grey. Slowly, they start stepping towards him.

"G-get away from me!" he cries out. He fires the pistol a couple of times in the air as a warning.

".. wrong? ..hurt you! ..me" cries Koakuma. He can see her face clearly now. She looks really worried, and her eyes are damp.

"..give me.. gun.. hurt anyone," says Meiling. She speaks in a calm, soothing manner as she approaches.

They are coming to kill him. But he won't go down alone. He quickly aims the pistol at Koakuma's head, since she is a bit closer. From this distance, even she will have difficulty avoiding the shot. His finger shudders as it strokes the trigger of his weapon.

Koakuma shouts something at him, but he can't hear her voice. Slowly, tears start gushing out of her eyes. Why would she do that? This isn't right. This isn't how someone with murder in their heart would act.

"I'm really glad that you let me come with you," she said. He recalls those words clearly, as if she was repeating them to him.

No, Koakuma isn't going to hurt him. She and the other inhabitants of this mansion may be strange, but they are not bloodthirsty murderers. On the other hand, he just drew his weapon and pointed it at them. He was going to kill them.

For what?

Grey immediately drops the gun. He watches it hit the ground silently. His senses are starting to dull. He can't hear anything now, though he can see Koakuma and Meiling crying out to him. But why can't he recognize their faces? His vision is blurring too. What is happening?

He opens his mouth to speak, but he can't hear his own words. Finally, he collapses on the ground. He doesn't get up.

The last thing he sees are two blurs rushing towards his fallen form.