Chapter 53: The Jealous Boyfriend

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Jealous Boyfriend

Daniel was in the middle of a dramatic scene. Sir Aldric was facing the dragon. His sword was raised. His companions were cheering him on. The dragon opened its mouth, ready to breathe fire.

"And then," Daniel read, his voice low and tense, "Sir Aldric leaped. Higher than any man had ever leaped before. His sword flashed in the sunlight. And with a mighty swing, he—"

"PAUL!"

The shout echoed through the library. Loud. Angry. Desperate.

Daniel stopped reading. He looked up. Lyra opened her eyes. Fluffy stirred on the table.

A man was storming toward them. He was young. Early twenties. Average height. Average build. Brown hair. Brown eyes. His face was red. His fists were clenched. He looked furious.

Paul looked up. His expression shifted from relaxed to surprised.

"Oh," he said. "Hey, Mark."

Mark stopped in front of the table. He was breathing hard. His whole body was trembling.

"Don’t ’hey Mark’ me!" he shouted. "You know what you did!"

The librarian looked up from her desk. She glared at them. "Quiet," she hissed. "This is a library."

Mark ignored her. He pointed a finger at Paul.

"My girlfriend!" he said. "She won’t stop talking about you! Every day! Paul this! Paul that! Paul is so handsome! Paul is so charming! Paul has such nice hair!"

Paul blinked. "I do have nice hair."

"Shut up!" Mark’s voice cracked. "She has a picture of you! Under her pillow! I found it yesterday!"

Paul’s expression shifted. He looked uncomfortable. "A picture?"

"Yes! A picture! She drew it herself! She spent hours on it! She got your jawline perfect!"

Paul winced. "That’s... flattering?"

"It’s not flattering! It’s insane!" Mark stepped closer. His hands were shaking. "She talks about you in her sleep! She sighs your name! She wrote a poem about you!"

Daniel leaned back in his chair. He was watching the scene unfold with interest. Lyra was watching too. Her eyes were wide.

Fluffy looked at Daniel. "What’s happening?"

"Entertainment," Daniel said.

Mark grabbed Paul by the collar. He pulled him to his feet.

"You’re going to fix this," Mark said. "You’re going to tell her to leave me alone. You’re going to tell her you’re not interested."

Paul held up his hands. "I can’t do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I don’t know who she is."

Mark froze. "What?"

Paul shrugged. "I don’t know who your girlfriend is. I’ve never met her. I’ve never talked to her. I don’t even know her name."

Mark stared at him. His grip on Paul’s collar loosened.

"You... you don’t know her?"

"No." Paul shook his head. "I meet a lot of people. A lot of women. I can’t remember all of them."

Mark’s face went through several emotions. Confusion. Disbelief. Then anger again.

"So you’re saying she’s just... obsessed with you? For no reason?"

Paul nodded. "It happens sometimes. I’m very charming."

Mark’s eye twitched. "You’re not charming. You’re annoying."

"That’s not what your girlfriend thinks."

Mark raised his fist. He was about to punch Paul. Daniel stood up.

"Okay," Daniel said. "That’s enough."

Mark looked at him. "Stay out of this. This is between me and him."

Daniel shook his head. "You’re in a library. There are rules. And the librarian is about to call the guards."

Mark looked at the librarian. She was standing now, her hand on a small bell. Her eyes were cold.

Mark lowered his fist. He let go of Paul’s collar. He stepped back.

"Fine," he muttered. "But this isn’t over."

He turned and walked away. His footsteps echoed through the quiet library. The door slammed shut behind him.

Paul straightened his collar. He sat back down. He looked at Daniel.

"Thanks," he said.

Daniel sat down too. "Don’t mention it."

Lyra leaned in. "Does that happen often?"

Paul sighed. "More than you’d think."

Fluffy tilted her head. "Why do girls like tall man?"

Paul smiled. A sad, tired smile. "I wish I knew."

Daniel picked up the book. He found their page. He cleared his throat.

"Chapter One. The sun was setting over the kingdom of Aldoria..."

Lyra leaned against him. She closed her eyes. She listened.

Paul watched them. He shook his head. Then he smiled.

"You’re a strange group," he said.

Daniel looked at him. "We know."

Paul laughed. Quietly. Then he leaned back and listened to the story too.

---

The library was quiet after that. The librarian returned to her desk. The other adventurers returned to their books. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, warm and golden.

Daniel read for hours. He read about Sir Aldric’s battle with the dragon. He read about the knight’s narrow escape. He read about the treasure he found in the dragon’s lair. He read about the princess he rescued.

Lyra listened to every word. She laughed at the funny parts. She gasped at the scary parts. She cried at the sad parts.

Fluffy fell asleep on the table. Her tail twitched occasionally. Her ears flicked.

Paul sat quietly. He didn’t say anything. He just listened.

When Daniel finally closed the book, the sun was setting. The library was closing.

"That’s the end of volume one," Daniel said. "There are more volumes. We can read them tomorrow."

Lyra nodded. Her eyes were wet. "Thank you."

Daniel smiled. "You’re welcome."

They stood up. Daniel picked up Fluffy. She mumbled something in her sleep but didn’t wake.

They walked out of the library. The guild grounds were quiet. Most adventurers had gone to the dining hall for dinner.

Paul stretched his arms. "Well," he said. "That was an interesting day."

Daniel nodded. "It was."

Paul looked at him. "What’s the plan for tomorrow?"

Daniel thought about it. "Training. Missions. Getting stronger."

Paul grinned. "I can help with that."

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "You can?"

"Of course." Paul puffed out his chest. "I’m not just a pretty face. I’m also a skilled fighter. I can teach you a few things."

Daniel nodded slowly. "Alright. Tomorrow, we train."

Paul nodded. "Tomorrow, we train."

They walked back to the dormitory together. The stars were appearing in the sky. The moon was rising.

Daniel looked at Lyra. She was smiling. A peaceful, content smile.

He looked at Fluffy. She was sleeping on his back. Her ears were relaxed. Her tail was still.

He looked at Paul. The handsome man was walking beside him. Humming a tune.

Daniel smiled. For the first time since he woke up in that desert, he felt like things were going to be okay.

He had a harem. He had a gun. He had a partner. He had a friend.

And tomorrow, he was going to get stronger.