The tutor was true to his word. Shawn did not get a moment to rest. For the entire day, he sat with his fingers pressed against raised symbols, forcing himself to memorize patterns that meant absolutely nothing at first. Every time he thought he understood a concept, the tutor moved on to another set of symbols and proved him wrong.
Even lunch became a battlefield. When servants arrived with food, the tutor simply dismissed them and continued the lesson. Had Morgan not intervened personally, Shawn was convinced he would have spent the entire day starving while being taught how to read.
Still, despite his irritation, the results were undeniable. When the lesson began, the strange symbols might as well have been random scratches on a wall. By evening, he could slowly recognize words and understand short passages. It was still reading, just not in the way he was used to. After all, reading was not tied to sight alone; understanding words through touch served the exact same purpose.
As the day drew to a close, the tutor finally decided he had tortured Shawn enough.
"That will be all for today."
Those were easily the best words Shawn had heard since arriving at the library.
However, before leaving, the old man gave him another task: he was to familiarize himself with the library.
The instruction sounded simple until Shawn remembered he was blind. Fortunately, Clara was assigned to accompany him. As his personal servant, helping him navigate the manor had long become part of her daily responsibilities.
The moment the tutor left, Clara guided him deeper into the building. Only then did Shawn realize something. He had never actually entered the library itself. The room where his lessons were held merely belonged to the library building—a reading area separated from the actual collection of books. In other words, he had spent days studying beside the library without truly exploring it.
The realization immediately piqued his interest.
As they walked, Clara explained the structure of the building.
"The library is divided into six sections," she said.
"Six?"
"Yes. Three floors. Two sections on each floor."
Shawn nodded silently. The building was larger than he had imagined.
"The first floor is open to everyone," Clara continued. "Most people start there."
"What does it contain?"
"General knowledge mostly," Clara said. "Literacy, philosophy, stories, legends, and historical records."
Shawn found himself surprised. At least Morgan had not filled the entire building with cultivation manuals and books on how to kill people.
"And the second section?"
"Maps."
That immediately caught his attention.
"Maps? What kind of maps?"
"Special maps," Clara clarified. "They require energy to activate."
His interest died instantly.
"Never mind."
Clara laughed, and the two continued walking.
As they climbed a staircase, she resumed her explanation.
"The second floor contains more specialized knowledge."
"Such as?"
"The first section contains history of the world, information about the different realms, and beast compendiums."
Shawn slowed his pace slightly. That actually sounded useful.
"And the second section?"
"Alchemy, herbs, forging, arrays, and talismans."
This time, Shawn stopped completely.
"Wait. There's an entire section dedicated to that?"
"Of course."
Her answer sounded so natural that Shawn felt foolish for asking. To someone born in this world, such things were common knowledge. To him, however, it sounded fascinating.
Unfortunately, fascination alone could not solve a certain problem.
"I assume I can't access any of those books," Shawn noted.
Clara hesitated.
"Not most of them."
As expected. The moment something sounded useful, reality stepped in to ruin it.
They resumed walking, eventually reaching another staircase.
"This leads to the third floor," Clara explained.
Shawn noticed the change in her tone. It carried a hint of caution.
"What's up there?"
"The most important books."
That answer only made him more curious.
"What kind of books?"
"Cultivation techniques," Clara said. "Advanced cultivation knowledge. Records that aren't available elsewhere."
Shawn remained silent. Even without seeing it, he could tell why the place was heavily restricted. A cultivation technique could determine a person's entire future, so such things would never be left lying around.
"You've been there before?" he asked.
"Once," her answer came casually. "Five years ago, after my awakening."
Shawn's steps slowed.
Five years ago, after her awakening.
For Clara, it sounded like an ordinary memory. For Shawn, it felt like someone had quietly pressed against a bruise. Even a servant had awakened. Meanwhile, he, who had once been heir to the Starborn Clan, remained completely unawakened.
The comparison stung far more than he wanted to admit.
Fortunately, the feeling passed quickly. Sulking about things he could not change had never solved anything.
By the time they finished their tour, several hours had passed. The library was enormous, far larger than any library Shawn had ever seen in either of his lives.
As they headed toward the exit, Clara spoke up.
"I hope the walk around the library was fulfilling, Young Master Shawn."
Shawn suppressed a sigh at the title. He had told her countless times to stop calling him that, but Clara always gave the same answer: Lord Morgan had instructed her to address him that way.
At first, Shawn dismissed it as meaningless, but now the title bothered him. It wasn't the respect that annoyed him, but the person it came from.
Morgan Vonte had destroyed his clan. The man had openly admitted he intended to take something from him, yet somehow that same man had given him a room, tutors, servants, and a title usually reserved for family.
The pieces did not fit together.
A troubling thought suddenly surfaced.
Is he planning to adopt me?
The idea was so absurd that Shawn nearly laughed.
Impossible.
Morgan had already made his intentions clear. The man wanted something, and whatever it was, he intended to take it eventually. Once he got what he wanted, Shawn doubted his fate would be pleasant.
A predator did not suddenly become kind without a reason.
"The library was impressive," Shawn admitted honestly.
Clara smiled.
"I thought you would like it."
The two continued through the halls of the manor. By now, the evening had settled completely, and the estate had grown calmer.
Eventually, they arrived outside Shawn's room.
"Would you like your meal in the dining hall?" Clara asked. "Or should I have it brought here?"
"The room," he answered without hesitation. Eating alongside Morgan's family sounded like a terrible experience.
Clara seemed unsurprised.
"As you wish, Young Master."
Shawn pretended not to hear the title as the door opened, greeting him with warm air. For all his suspicions and resentment, the room had slowly become familiar, a small corner of stability in a place that was anything but stable.
"Have a good evening," Clara said.
"You too."