Lon shook his head, thinking it was just a coincidence that he came across these particular books. He decided these novels were simply all that Santi had with him.
Still, he could understand him. The boy was at that transitional age when desires emerge — desires not so easily suppressed by anything else.
With a sigh, Lon went to check the rest of the books, hoping to find something actually useful.
As he walked along the shelves, his eyes quickly scanned the titles:
"Your Presence Pleases Me..."
"Our Love Knows No Bounds..."
"Healer of Our Love..."
"Living With Eight Men in One House..."
— …
«What the hell?! Don't tell me all his books are romance and erotic novels! This is madness! Where did he even get these?!»
Lon's mind spun with questions.
And yet, it was the truth. Where had his younger brother gotten such books?
On the surface, Santi seemed like a refined gentleman, always ready to help a lady in distress. But clearly, that was just a façade.
His entire library was packed with novels clearly not meant for someone his age.
«Okay… maybe one or two books on the topic I could understand. But a whole library? Even I think that's a bit much.»
Lon stared at the books, wondering:
«Where did he get them? The public library doesn't lend out this stuff — 18+ only. So he must've had another source. Could there be underground shops in this world? But there's no memory of that in Renvel's past… And even if there were, how did he get in? He's not that type of guy… Or maybe I just don't know him as well as I thought?»
It hit Lon suddenly — he really knew almost nothing about the current Santi. All he had was a mental image of a clever little brother he used to tease occasionally.
He let out a heavy sigh.
«I really need to spend more time with him if I want to understand him better... And still, I haven't found a single normal book about the world…» — Lon gave a bitter smile, realizing he had failed.
«Alright, I'll ask him when he gets back. I should leave now before leaving any more traces...»
He quickly made a decision and headed for the door.
He hadn't found the book he was looking for and didn't want to make things more awkward. He was an understanding person — he didn't want to put his brother in an uncomfortable position.
But just as Lon reached for the doorknob, he heard a click.
*Click.*
The door slowly creaked open, and Santi stood in the doorway.
He looked up and stared directly at Lon, who stood frozen before him.
— …
— …
Awkward silence.
Santi's face was filled with horror, like he had just witnessed his entire family get burned alive and was now left as the town's laughingstock. Lon, on the other hand, wore the unmistakable expression of someone caught red-handed.
Santi opened his mouth, ready to explode, but Lon quickly pressed a finger to his lips and whispered:
— Shh… I can explain. No need to yell. Speak calmly, like me.
Santi's expression only grew more unhinged, but he managed to grit his teeth and hiss:
— What are you even doing here? You're supposed to be in the hospital! And didn't I tell you — no one is allowed in my room?! No one!
Lon scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
— Yeah… I was discharged today. So, here I am. And as for the room thing — I just wanted to find something to read...
Santi's frown deepened.
— You could have just waited! There was no reason to sneak into my room...
Lon lowered his head in guilt.
He could have waited and just asked for a book. Instead, he had barged into his brother's personal space. It was selfish and thoughtless.
«I've made another mistake. In my pursuit of knowledge, I ignored the feelings of someone close to me. Even if they're not my real family… I still have all those memories — of someone tied to them by blood.»
He sighed and looked at Santi.
— Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your… preferences. I promise.
Santi's face turned bright red.
— I've only read five books! Not all of them!
— Then why do you have so many? Stocking up for the long haul? Planning to gradually explore new emotions and aesthetic pleasures? — Lon grinned.
Santi turned redder than a tomato and muttered quietly:
— That's none of your business… And anyway, you just got out of the hospital. You must be tired. Go get some rest. Preventively. — He began pushing Lon toward the door. — You said you wanted books? What kind?
— Something about the Woven. Also, history, world structure — stuff like that.
Santi nodded.
— Wait here. I'll bring them.
He disappeared into the room and returned half a minute later with a small stack of books.
— Here. — He handed them over.
Lon smiled, took the books, and thanked him:
— Thanks. Really — don't worry. I get it.
— You better, — Santi grumbled and slammed the door shut.
Lon chuckled and headed to his room.
The whole exchange had amused him — finally, he'd had a real conversation with his brother, and he was starting to understand what kind of person he was.
Santi was a little hot-tempered, but kind. He had his quirks like everyone else, but deep down, he was a good person.
===
Sitting down at his desk, Lon laid out the books.
There were three in total: a red one — "Basics on the Woven", quite short at only 30 pages; a brown one — "History of the Steam Industry"; and a blue one with an intriguing title — "Everyone's Watching You".
He skimmed the summaries.
"Basics on the Woven" covered the Woven Ones themselves and their powers. "History of the Steam Industry" detailed the rise and development of the technology. "Everyone's Watching You" explored conspiracy theories and strange sightings.
They all looked interesting, and Lon settled in comfortably.
Naturally, he began with "Basics on the Woven".