CHAPTER 433: DON’T GET IT

Coco ate her breakfast in silence, her gaze would repeatedly shift towards Heiren and Quizen across from her.

She found herself stealing glances at the two mediators as they ate with her that morning, her eyes lingering for a brief moment each time.

Her usual appetite has diminished due to the questions that lingered from the night before and soon found herself picking at the food without much enthusiasm, but she finished every bite.

The silence around the table was heavy, the normal conversations and banter absent.

She fidgeted in her chair, her mind filled with questions that were left unanswered, but she made no effort on saying them out loud because the person who caused these questions to pop up wasn’t present.

Upon completing her meal, Coco gathered her things and prepared to head out.

Lala, who had perched herself comfortably on top of her head after waking up and rushing down the stairs to see if Coco was still there, was in no hurry to get off the comfortable resting spot.

Coco, with Lala still resting on her head, exited the house, her thoughts still swirling with questions about the last night’s events.

The air outside was crisp and chilly, the cool breeze ruffling her hair and causing Lala’s wings to twitch in response.

Coco soon arrived at the guild and went straight to the mission board, then she scanned the board with her eyes quickly skimming over the various tasks and their difficulty levels before her gaze settled on the simplest mission available, a decision born of both practicality and weariness.

As she selected the most manageable task, a sigh escaped her lips— it wasn’t the most challenging assignment, but she was in no mood to push herself today so she just went for it.

After finalizing her choice, Coco left the guild.

Coco swiftly completed the mission in less than an hour, returning to the guild with the defeated monster slung over her shoulder like usual.

As she approached the guild counter, she handed over the slain beast to the receptionist who called for Neo at the back, who accepted the kill with a nod.

In return for her successful completion of the quest, the guild rewarded her with a small pouch heavy with coins.

The weight of the coins clinking together was a satisfying sound to Coco, a reminder of her small accomplishment of the day.

Not a minute after, Coco left the guild, then she found that the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting an orange glow across the sky, but she still wasn’t in the mood to return back home.

Deciding not to dawdle, she started walking towards the city square, opting to go on foot instead of waiting for the carriage.

She had not sent a message to Sinclair, but she had always said to the hybrid to tell the coachman to leave if she’s still not out of the guild after ten minutes or so.

Coco arrived at the city square and stopped by one of the food stalls, her hunger pangs demanding satisfaction.

After purchasing a simple meal placed on a stick from the stall, she began making her way towards the nearby library where the cause of her questions is currently working.

The city library stood tall in the distance, its grand structure radiating a sense of knowledge and wisdom.

Coco couldn’t resist the lure of the library, knowing that it would provide a peaceful haven away from her troubled thoughts and restless mind, but also know that the source of her confusion is inside.

It’s quite ironic that the one who can answer her question is currently working inside the place of knowledge, no?

Coco entered the library and her eyes immediately fell upon Alhai, who was just emerging from one of the book sections of the library.

He was pushing a cart filled to the brim with dusty books and scrolls, his expression one of concentration as he navigated the maze of shelves— his eyes sweeping across the books on the cart and on to the bookshelf.

Coco stopped in her tracks, frozen in surprise for a moment as she watched him.

The sight of the grumpy and usually aloof Alhai pushing a cart full of books looking quite calm and devilishly handsome was unexpected, to say the least.

The bell above the library door chimed loudly as Coco completely entered, alerting Alhai to her presence.

He jolted in surprise, his head snapping towards her direction, his expression flickering with a mix of surprise and irritation.

Despite the irritation he felt at being interrupted, Alhai’s face was quick to morph into surprise and embarrassment.

His eyes widened slightly as he realized who was standing before him because he hadn’t expected to see Coco here, especially since this was his work place.

He quickly tried to compose himself, schooling his expression into a more neutral one.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, hoping that she wouldn’t notice the slight flush creeping up his cheeks and tried to look away from her.

Before Alhai could fully react, Coco took charge and closed the distance between them.

Coco’s hands shot out and cupped his cheeks, pulling him down to meet her in a swift kiss— their lips flushing as if they were meant to be pressed against each other.

Alhai was caught completely off guard, his eyes widening in surprise as her lips met his.

His hands hovered in mid-air, frozen in surprise for a moment, and before he could reciprocate the unexpected kiss, Coco pulled back, her lips parting from Alhai’s as she broke the kiss.

Alhai froze with a dumbfounded look on his face, his mind reeling with confusion, his body still tingling from the brief sensation of her lips touching his.

"I still don’t get it." Coco mumbled, voice dripping with bewilderment which only added to his confusion.

He frowned, his brows furrowing as he tried to make sense of the situation, and somehow managed to speak up.

"Don’t get what?"