The man had charged her the wrong price for the book. Leah had paid far less than she should have. As a matter of fact, the bookshop was going to go bankrupt if he managed it this way.

She couldn’t imagine why the store was in the hands of this person. Checking the price of the book again, Leah pulled out two coins.

“Mura, wait a minute,” she said. “The clerk made a mistake with the price…”

Leaving the book with Mura, she went back to the bookstore to find the register unoccupied. She was about to call out when she noticed the door at the back of the bookstore was propped up, leading to a side alley.

When she slipped out the door, she found the man smoking a cigar in the alley, gazing blankly at the sky. The sight reminded her so much of Ishakan, she stopped and unknowingly watched him for a minute as he smoked.

But a frown came to her face as she looked at his white hands, traced with veins. The smell of the cigar was also totally different from the ones Ishakan liked. The acrid smell made her nose itch.

Leah held her breath and quickly approached, holding out the two silver coins.

“You charged me the wrong price for the book.”

He did not look surprised at her sudden appearance.

“Oh, thank you very much,” he said mildly, taking the coins with nonchalance.

It made Leah suspicious. Had he deliberately made a mistake? Maybe he had done it with the intention of getting her to return to the shop, though she couldn’t imagine what his motive might be.

“I’ll be going.”

“Oh, wait,” he said, catching her sleeve. “Would you like to have tea? There’s a good coffee shop nearby.”

He offered the suggestion with a smile.

“I’m sorry, my husband is waiting for me,” Leah said. “I also have a son. You shouldn’t pursue a married woman.”

“You’re so strict,” he noted with a slight smile. “I just wanted to talk to you.”

His smile was so innocent, Leah was taken aback, embarrassed at her presumption.

“It’s not often that I meet someone who can speak the ancient languages,” he went on. “And besides, we share an interest in similar books.”

Unconsciously, Leah nodded. It was true. But the man took a step closer, positioning himself near enough to make her uncomfortable.

“So, when will you come back again?” He asked.

If he had moved one step closer, she would have recoiled.

“I don’t know.”

“I’d like to make sure I’m here, so I can talk to you.”

His voice was filled with nothing but good intentions. He seemed like a gentle man, easy to picture sitting at a desk with a book in his hands.

She could tell at a glance that he was sturdy, despite his baggy clothes. She had felt the strength of his hands when he had caught her and held her. He probably was a person of exceptional intelligence.

Leah glimpsed the man’s eyes through his spectacles, the smile that carried into them and made him look harmless. But the longer she looked at them, the more wary she felt.

“Maybe in fifteen days,” she said, picking a number at random, since she would not be able to return to the store for a while. “I imagine we’ll see each other, if we get the chance.”

She didn’t need to tell him the truth; the odds were they would never see each other again. This was just the fastest way to get out of the conversation. She left the alley without a backward glance, leaving the man behind.

He chuckled, watching her go.

“…Hmm.” He muttered. “I like her.”