"It's Satoru; he wanted to come meet you," Puck said, struggling to poke a tiny paw out toward Gojo Satoru.
Beatrice's eyelids fluttered slightly as those dreamlike eyes shifted to Gojo.
"Oh, the one who was with that idiot from this morning, I suppose."
"Honestly, when will Roswaal learn to stop bringing back so many morons?"
"What a beautiful pair of eyes you have, Betty," Gojo said with a grin, unbothered by her sour little face.
"Call me Beatrice! 'Betty' is a name only those close to me are allowed to use, I suppose!"
Gojo shrugged. It seemed this little loli was going to be a tough nut to crack. But it didn't matter; his goal was the books in the Forbidden Library.
"Now that you've seen me, if there's nothing else, go back. Don't interrupt Betty's time with her brother, I suppose."
Puck weakly extended a paw from Beatrice's embrace. "Betty, Satoru wants to be a guest and look around the library."
Beatrice knitted her youthful brows, shot Gojo a sidelong glance, then looked at the apologetically smiling Puck. After a moment's thought, she nodded.
"Since Brother says so, you may come in. But don't let there be a next time, I suppose."
No next time? Gojo shrugged to himself.
Having seen with his own eyes how that door connected to the Forbidden Library, he had already memorized the fluctuation. As long as he spotted that specific ripple on any door in the mansion, he'd be able to open the way to the library with pinpoint accuracy.
Stepping into the Forbidden Library, the decor mirrored Roswaal's mansion—elegant and lavish. Between two bookshelves stood a small round table paired with a high-backed chair. On the table were black tea and snacks, with an open book resting to the side. Clearly, the owner had been reading right until they arrived.
Upon entering, Beatrice ignored Gojo completely, busying herself with playing with Puck in the chair like a child who had just received her favorite toy.
"Quite an extensive collection you have here."
"Mind if I browse the shelves?"
Beatrice, clutching Puck, let out a soft huff. "Before saying that, shouldn't you put down the book already in your hand before asking, I suppose?"
"Betty is so cute, I figured you wouldn't mind," Gojo replied, completely ignoring her barbed tone. Instead, he chuckled and flipped through a volume he'd snatched titled Advanced Guide to Precise Mana Manipulation.
The contents were handwritten. Rather than a published book, it was more like a research journal. After a quick skim, Gojo snapped it shut and looked back at the shelves.
He didn't really need specific "operating instructions." With the Six Eyes, he could perfectly manipulate both Cursed Energy and so-called Mana without a single drop of waste. What he truly needed were Yin-affinity spells.
However, after a quick scan, he realized the shelf in front of him didn't have what he was looking for.
"Betty, do you have any magic books regarding Yin affinity?" Gojo tucked the manual back and walked over to the little girl with a smile.
"I told you to call me Beatrice, I suppose!" Beatrice glared at him, dissatisfied.
"Right, Betty."
Beatrice was starting to get angry. "I am under no obligation to tell you or help you, I suppose."
"Furthermore, your time in the Forbidden Library is up."
With that, the little girl extended a pale, dainty palm toward Gojo. Simultaneously, the door behind him swung open.
"Betty..." Puck tried to intervene, sounding a bit awkward.
But following Beatrice's gesture, the air between her and Gojo suddenly vibrated. An invisible ripple surged toward Gojo at high speed, attempting to forcibly eject him from the room.
Yet, the moment that invisible force neared him, a sudden gust of wind whipped through the enclosed library. The pages of the book on Beatrice's table fluttered wildly, thwip-thwip-thwip.
"If you want Big Brother to like you, you have to be a bit more gentle," Gojo said, beaming at her.
He stood rooted to the spot, not moving an inch.
Seeing him remain completely unfazed, a flash of surprise crossed Beatrice's eyes. She clearly hadn't expected such a thing to happen on her own turf.
"Humph. You have no right to tell Betty what to do, I suppose."
"If you think you can provoke Betty just because your strength is decent, you are gravely mistaken, human!"
"How ruthless. But I don't have any intentions like that," Gojo said with a helpless shrug. "I'm just a man who loves to learn."
One second he was by the door; the next, he had vanished from Beatrice's sight. Before she could react, a hand rested on her head, gently ruffling her hair.
Feeling the warmth of the palm on her head, Beatrice froze. Then, a fire seemed to ignite within her beautiful eyes.
"You are truly infuriating from the bottom of my heart, I suppose!"
"You annoying pest!"
Beatrice raised her hand, and a dark, near-black purple light began to glow. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere spread throughout the library.
Gojo, however, didn't panic at all. Instead, he put on a pitiable expression.
"Don't be mad. I really just wanted to find some interesting books."
"And you wouldn't want to hurt your big brother, right?"
Puck, who had been on Beatrice's lap, was suddenly in Gojo's hands, being held up like a shield.
"Betty would never hurt me!" Puck said, crossing his arms with total confidence.
Beatrice shifted her palm; Gojo moved Puck accordingly, keeping the cat aligned with her hand while hiding behind him. Seeing Gojo use Puck as a literal shield, Beatrice's rage reached its boiling point.
"Let go of my brother!"
"I want to find Yin magic books," Gojo said decisively. "I want to learn Yin magic. If I had a book like that, I'd be very busy. Naturally, I wouldn't have time to disturb cute Betty's alone time with her brother."
Beatrice's forehead pulsed. She looked at Puck and managed to force her anger down. Without a word, she stood up and marched toward a distant bookshelf, vanishing from sight.
"Satoru, you really made Betty mad," Puck noted. "If this keeps up, even I won't be able to bring you back in next time."