Day by day, the sky becomes a higher blue, and the earth turns golden – the bountiful season of autumn.

The afternoon elective class when everyone easily falls into the embrace of the goddess and drowns in drowsiness.

Cledian’s sharp eyes, which miss not even the smallest mistake, quickly caught those deserving of penalty points.

“Caleb Smith, 1 point. Allen Evans, 1 point. And lastly… Nigel Ars. 1 penalty point.”

“…W-What?”

Allen, who had been dozing off, suddenly awoke and looked at the seat next to him.

Bright eyes maintained throughout class, arms frequently going up and down to answer every question, a pen that never stays still. His best friend, who would surely die if not top of the class, had been staring into empty space and only now regained his senses.

Contrary to Allen’s expectation that Nigel would throw a fit at the dishonorable news of a penalty point, Nigel merely murmured an apology to Cledian and bowed his head once.

The surrounding students all glanced at Nigel before whispering among themselves about his change.

“As class is not yet over, everyone remain quiet.”

The low murmurs on the classroom floor immediately subsided at Cledian’s admonition.

Dong. Dong.

After class ended, Allen habitually tidied up Nigel’s belongings strewn across his desk.

Since Allen had advised Noah, as expected, Nigel had begun to be conscious of Noah.

Noah had always been tearful, worried about losing to Ashton, but after Nigel finally snatched Noah away from Stella and gained the upper hand, Noah’s trust in Allen skyrocketed.

Fortunately, the atmosphere between Noah and Nigel at the ball was quite good, so Allen watched the two contentedly and tactfully slipped away.

Allen, who had been watching his two dear friends from afar, was now full of thoughts of relaxing and watching over Noah and Nigel’s love while teasing them.

But Nigel, far from falling in love, had become thoroughly strange since the ball.

The only positive sign was that he didn’t space out in front of Noah like he did now, but in places where Noah wasn’t present, he would barely understand after being told several times, or space out while eating in the cafeteria, as if his mind had fallen into Tillin.

True to being a terminal patient who would die if not top of class, he had been relatively clear-headed during class time, but even that broke down today.

“…You still managed to take notes in the midst of all that?”

Allen clicked his tongue as he saw Nigel’s textbook packed with notes while organizing Nigel’s belongings.

“Ah, that’s from when I was previewing a few days ago. I couldn’t take many notes during today’s class. I’ll have to threaten Sid to get today’s notes, I guess.”

Nigel, who had belatedly come to his senses, began putting the neatly organized belongings into his bag. Allen wished Sid good luck and opened his mouth.

“By the way, is there even space left to write notes in that textbook filled to the brim?”

“That’s why notebooks were invented for people like that, Allen.”

Swish.

Nigel picked up the textbook in Allen’s hand and the notebook underneath it, and put them straight into his bag.

Allen whistled in admiration as he looked at the bulging bag.

“Isn’t it heavy carrying all that stuff around?”

“That’s why personal lockers were created, likewise.”

“Ah~ How can someone so smart become so feeble like a magic tool without a magic stone? You know you’ve really been acting strange lately, right?”

Nigel’s body trembled up and down at Allen’s sharp words.

“…What do you mean strange? Nothing’s changed from usual. I could swear on Kirelia’s name.”

“You, using the goddess’s name when it’s convenient despite not believing. The goddess will be hurt. Instead of that, swear on our 6-month friendship and tell me.”

Nigel, who had been confidently crossing his arms and reciting the goddess’s name, could not say a word and only clicked his tongue.

“Did you think you could deceive the eyes of Allen Evans? It’s fine, so just tell me everything. Ah, perhaps Noah gave you a nightmarishly terrible ball? Like openly flirting with Stella the whole time and leaving you, his partner, behind to go somewhere else.”

“Not at all.”

As it turned out, openly flirting with Ashton and leaving Noah behind to leave first were all things Nigel himself had done, so he subtly avoided Allen’s gaze.

Then, as if having made up his mind, Nigel looked at Allen’s face full of worry hidden behind his playful mask. And he brought up the story he had kept hidden deep in his heart.

He didn’t want to lie to Allen, of all people.

“…On the day of the ball, I was so pathetic that I…”

“What?”

Allen’s eyes expanded disapprovingly. Nigel looked at Allen, chuckled once, and continued.

“There were outside guests that day, weren’t there? …From the duke’s family.”

“Oh, right. Lady Dien even danced with Noah.”

Nigel nodded.

“I realized when I saw those two.”

“…I get it.”

Allen, who had been sitting on the desk with a furrowed brow, shook his index finger at Nigel several times in displeasure.

“Nigel, you’re about to make another political science department statement, aren’t you? Worthless words about the difference in status between Noah and you, or not being a good match.”

“…”

“Don’t even think about that stuff. Throw those thoughts in the trash right now. You’re good at studying, your looks are decent, you’re overflowing with magic power, and you’re friends with me – what could you possibly be lacking!”

Allen, whose face had turned bright red with excitement, went on about how when he was young, he almost got his father in big trouble by rejecting even Meriel Dien as a playmate.

“So what I’m trying to say is… have confidence, Nigel. There’s nothing lacking in you.”

Allen spoke with sincerity.

He had endured Noah’s tearful complaints that continued late into the night at the dormitory every day, and pretended not to notice Nigel’s displeased face with all his might, only for things to turn out like this. Allen could only feel heartbroken.

“…Thank you, Allen.”

Nigel lightly embraced Allen for that warm heart.

“Good! From now on, no more thoughts like that, okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll try.”

But even after that day, Nigel still couldn’t come to his senses, and his heart only grew more uncomfortable day by day.

“…Is this for real?”

Allen, who had been looking at his grades posted at the bottom of the bulletin board, found his best friend’s name at the very top.

Between his own name that could only be seen by looking at the floor and his best friend’s name that could only be seen by craning his neck as far as possible. Feeling betrayed by the unbridgeable distance even if he were to die and come back to life, Allen whispered in his best friend’s ear.

“…You got a penalty point for poor attitude in class with me last week, but you alone got a perfect score while I barely avoided a failing grade?”

“Of course. Just because I couldn’t focus in class a few times doesn’t mean I can’t study on my own.”

“…You’re vicious.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Nigel responded to Allen with a sweet smile.

“Congratulations, Nigel. You’re top of the class again.”

At that moment, when he heard the gentle voice. A strong wind blew in Nigel’s calm heart.

“…Thank you.”

Nigel answered, moving only his mouth without being able to look up at Noah.

It was an expected result.

Studying was much easier than looking up at Noah nonchalantly and conversing with a smile.

And it was easier to find the answers on a test paper than to find the reason why the heart that had given up after seeing Meriel and Noah’s brightly smiling faces would reappear as soon as he saw Noah the next day.

Well, studying produced results proportional to the time invested. Nigel liked studying for this reason.

Unlike emotions that ran wild on their own, studying was something I could control perfectly, and the additional sense of achievement that could be gained through praise was a nice bonus.

It was completely different from the guilt and sense of debt gained every time he unconsciously chased after Noah, no matter how much he brainwashed himself all day and made firm resolutions.

It seemed he was born with the qualities of a villainess, not content with taking Meriel’s birth mother, but trying to take her man as well.

“…igel, Nigel!”

At that moment, Allen’s voice pierced his ear.

Nigel quickly shook his head to clear his mind.

“What?”

“Are you really not coming to our house during the harvest festival break?”

“Yeah. You said before, remember? That the harvest festival is spent with family. I can’t go and interfere.”

The Alenium Empire started as an agricultural nation, so the harvest festival was one of the biggest events of the year. Thus, after the second semester midterms were finished, the academy gave students a four-day harvest festival break.

It was customary to spend the harvest festival with family, but it would be foolish to go back and forth to Tillin just for a short dinner during the short four-day period that was long if long and short if short.

“Then how about coming to our house, Nigel?”

“Absolutely not.”

Nigel answered flatly.

According to the original novel, the Duke Dien family and the Marquis Beselion family celebrated the harvest festival together. Moreover, it was said that sometimes even the imperial family visited, so from Nigel’s perspective, it was a minefield in all directions.

“Then are you going to stay alone at the academy for four days?”

“…Are you sure you’ll be okay, Nigel? It’s really no burden at all, so think about it again.”

Nigel nodded, deliberately ignoring Allen and Noah’s worried hearts.

“Um… Then how about my house?”

At that moment, someone’s arm landed on Nigel’s shoulder.