Certainly, here’s the translation:

“Of course. The card will be issued in Ael’s name.”

“In my name?”

“Yes. The Academy Library is a bit strict, and they don’t issue cards for public use in the Ash Society. So, they said you can get up to five cards at once, but other than Director Nisha… I understand that no one else has needed them yet.”

Calon’s explanation didn’t quite register with Ael.

“I can make my own identification card?”

It had always been something she had to sneakily steal, and now they were offering to make one for her.

In her heart, she wanted to embrace Kyle and jump for joy right away. If it had been Jena in front of her, she might not have hesitated.

Continuing the feeling of walking on clouds from yesterday, Ael couldn’t quite focus on Calon’s words but managed to remember the important part in his story.

“Are you saying that the Empire’s books that go into the Academy are brought by the Ash Society?”
Certainly, here’s the translation:

“Yes. Not only in the Kingdom of Denerthum but also in the academies of other kingdoms…”

“Uh, then! Can I possibly order books?”

Before his words were even finished, Ael had to speak urgently.

Even when she received the money yesterday, she had thought about what she needed to do with it.

Paying the salary, buying food, repairing the house, and…

“I have to buy the torn books again.”

All the books her family had torn apart.

She had to retrieve them and return them to the Academy Library.

Fortunately, the lending period was relatively long, but even with time, she didn’t know how to find the money to buy the books, let alone where to place an order to purchase them.

Still, now that she had some money, she was planning to go to the bookstore to inquire about buying Imperial books, but she hadn’t expected Ash Society to handle that.
“Of course, it’s possible. Employees from the Empire can order the books they want to read. What book are you thinking of ordering?”

As if ready to place the order immediately, he picked up the pen on the table.

Ael mentioned the name of the book she had borrowed. His hand, which had been busy jotting things down, stopped the moment Ael mentioned the name of the last book.

“This book… it’s the one you threw back then.”

“…Yes.”

“Did you lose the book? And they are all Imperial books… it’s difficult for all the books to be damaged at once… If it’s just some soot from the last fire, you could just return it. Of course, we might have to compensate for the damage, but if it’s not too significant, we could still recover it.”

“But they were all torn…”

Ael, who had spoken without thinking, closed her mouth. But it was already too late.

“All of them torn? All ten books?”

“Well…”

“Please be honest, Miss Ael.”
In response to his firm voice, Ael felt conflicted. Speaking up about it would only bring shame to her family, so she intentionally hadn’t mentioned it to Ash Socius’s people. Besides, who would sympathize?

Initially, she considered it her fault for secretly obtaining the identification card. She believed that about herself too.

My fault.

The dire consequences it had brought.

So, Ael had tried to bury everything about the book deep within herself. Yet… there were times when she wanted to speak, to let out the pent-up frustration.

That’s when Calon reached out. He gently lifted Ael’s chin with his hand.

Strands of hair that had been deliberately lowered flowed to the side, revealing her round forehead.

Calon didn’t hesitate as he extended his other hand and placed his fingers on the part of Ael’s forehead where it met the hair.

“Here too.”

From a distance that seemed almost within reach, his voice reached her.

“You’re hurt.”

Too close.
In Ael’s mind, there was only one thought.

A distance where you could count the number of eyelashes on the other person. A distance so close that you could see even the thick and straight eyebrows, the intensely blue irises, and the small mark beside his eye that she hadn’t known about.

She had never come face to face with anyone like this in her life, not even with Jenna.

If it were anyone else, they would have been startled and quickly moved away.

But Ael didn’t want to do that. Her touch, like delicately tracing a thin glass, was cautious and slow.

The sensation where his long fingers made contact was tingling. The feeling, starting from where he touched, quickly spread throughout Ael’s entire body.

With vision and sound blocked, it felt like all her senses were concentrated only in that spot.

If she were to give a name to the sensation, one that she didn’t know how to express…

‘Warm.’
The warmth of the stranger’s touch was even warmer and more pleasant than she had imagined.

Ael easily recalled images of people who easily came into contact with one another: friends holding hands, parents kissing their children, and lovers clasping forearms.

Watching such natural interactions, she had never been able to understand why people stuck together so closely, but with this sensation… it was only natural, she thought.