Allen’s villa, which he had returned to.

Only after proving more than ten times that Nigel was safe and sound could she bring up the topic of Lumen.

“Lu, Count Lumen was that kind of person?!”

After Nigel’s story ended, Allen was the most flustered.

“I thought he was a kind person because he always greeted the employees politely……”

“There’s something more important than that.”

“You mean the invitation, right?”

Nigel nodded lightly at Yeni’s answer.

“The kind-hearted Count Luden that Allen praised is unfortunately an aristocrat and nationalist, so no one but Beselion can participate in the auction. Ah, is it the same that even the successor of Beselion, the Emperor’s sword, cannot participate?”

“……”

The room instantly became heavy.

“So, does anyone have any alternative ideas that come to mind?”

Nigel cheerfully raised her hand and asked for opinions.

At that moment, Yeni raised her hand.

“How about buying someone else’s invitation?”

“Impossible. They said they thoroughly check identities at the entrance to the auction house. Ah, even without an invitation, if you can prove your identity, you can freely enter and exit.”

“How about using invisibility magic tools like we did in Histen?”

This time, Noah raised his hand.

Nigel, who made eye contact with Noah, subtly avoided his gaze and opened her mouth.

“That… won’t work either. Since it’s a secret auction, they said they strictly limit the use of magic tools.”

“It’s more difficult than expected.”

“Moreover, for security reasons, you can’t know who bought it, but they said they confirm everyone who participated in the secret auction. Even if Beselion becomes an unfilial son for just one night, only two people can accompany Beselion. That’s two people, with one extra companion specially added because Beselion is a marquis family.”

At that moment, Allen’s eyes lit up.

“……Yeni! Yeni, are you perhaps a noble?”

“Unfortunately, I’m from the Kingdom of Crena, not the Arenium Empire. I think I would be woefully inadequate in the eyes of that nationalist gentleman.”

Yeni raised the corners of her mouth to make a pretty curve, but her amber eyes above couldn’t hold back their anger and blazed.

“Well then…… we’re really in trouble.”

Haa, a deep sigh filled the room.

“Well, what can we do. Whether it becomes soup or bread, if we’re going to worry, we should do it near Lumen’s auction house.”

“Then for now…… shall we pick who will accompany Lord Beselion?”

At Yeni’s suggestion, a lottery was held on the spot.

And as expected, Kirellia once again did not favor Nigel’s hand, but took Allen’s and Yeni’s hands.

“Huh…… I, I wasn’t chosen? Me……?”

Nigel crumpled up the paper that said ‘blank’, then bowed her head and gave a hollow laugh. Then she rubbed her eyes again, unfolded the paper, and repeated looking at it with a dejected smile.

Thud.

“Nigel, no matter how good you are at studying and how powerful your magic is, you can’t always be chosen. Do you now understand how Noah and I felt, always being left out and lonely because of you?”

Allen playfully put his arm on Nigel’s shoulder.

“That’s right. Now that I hear it, your words are correct, Allen.”

Nigel suddenly lifted her head and looked at Noah.

“……Oh right, Beselion. You understood my feelings today too, right? It was really scary coming back from Ather risking my life.”

Nigel’s cold smile mixed with emotions she couldn’t resolve in the first semester.

The feelings built up towards Noah, who was willing to give up his life just to keep Nigel’s secret.

Also, the distrust that he might have revealed her secret to Widrun.

As the postponed feelings were brought up to the surface, two hurt gazes met and trembled.

“H-Hey! Why are you all like this! This isn’t the time for this!”

At that moment, Allen squeezed between the two.

“I’ll give you back the exact words you said. If you’re going to fight, fight at the auction house.”

……Nod.

At last, they arrived at Count Lumen’s auction house.

“Wait a moment.”

Nigel stopped the chosen ones who were about to get out of the carriage.

“Take this with you.”

It was none other than a mask that covered the eyes.

“Use it later during the secret auction. You… stand out too much.”

“……”

The chosen children blinked and stared blankly at Nigel.

“Nigel~”

At that moment, Yeni snuggled into Nigel’s arms.

“My heart aches, leaving Nigel behind. I really wish Nigel could come with us……”

At Yeni’s ticklish voice, Nigel, who had no immunity to girls, melted helplessly.

Here’s one small thing that had been bothering me for a while.

“……Yeni, aren’t you interested in Noah?”

It was the fact that Yeni, who was weak to pretty faces, showed no interest in Noah.

Since things usually led to bad outcomes when they deviated from the original work, Nigel’s voice was serious without any hint of laughter.

At Nigel’s words, Yeni’s eyes sharpened and she looked at Noah as if examining him. Noah, who made eye contact with Yeni, tilted his head as if wondering what was going on.

Swoosh.

Yeni turned her head coldly without any particular emotion, then looked back at Nigel and smiled brightly.

Something was strange.

Recalling how Yeni had admired Noah’s appearance to the point of praising it with every step in the original work, this result was incomprehensible to Nigel.

‘Is Beselion’s face condition not good today?’

Nigel, who had been busy turning her head quickly to avoid making eye contact with Noah, looked straight at Noah for the first time.

Kind-looking eyes that seemed meticulously crafted, a well-defined nose bridge like a sculpture, a graceful jawline.

‘He looks much better than usual, no, even better than when he was pale during the semester… why?’

Nigel rested her chin on her hand and scrutinized Noah thoroughly.

“Ni, Nigel……?”

It was all the same as usual Noah Beselion, who blushed and averted his gaze when stared at intently, being unaccustomed to the opposite sex except for the female protagonist.

“There’s nothing strange! I just like Nigel more than Lord Beselion.”

At that moment, Yeni’s lovely voice turned her gaze.

It seemed that the development had gotten tangled because of her interference. Although she couldn’t dislike that Yeni liked her, it was inevitable to be worried.

“Beselion.”

At Nigel’s call, Noah’s blue eyes looked straight at Nigel.

“I’ll join you later somehow, so please take care of Yeni and Allen at the auction house.”

……Sigh.

Noah suddenly sighed, when Nigel thought he would obediently nod right away.

At this reaction she had never experienced while living with Noah, Nigel was so shocked that she was at a loss for words.

‘Could it be that he’s trying to express his emotions without distinguishing between public and private matters?’

Just as Nigel’s face was about to wrinkle, Noah parted his lips.

“If Nigel promises me that she won’t overdo it, that she won’t go into dangerous situations alone.”

Again, that expression. The face contorted with deep pain whose reason couldn’t be easily read on that night of the full moon.

Although she had barely escaped its reason until now, Noah easily dragged Nigel back into that night. Into a prison where the more she pondered, the more impossible it became to gauge the severity of the punishment.

Even when she kept the secret from the leader of Ather, her mind hadn’t been this complicated.

To escape from the dizzying situation, Nigel gritted her teeth and nodded.

Only then did Noah relax his face and smile his usual gentle smile.

Swoosh.

Nigel firmly hooked her finger with Noah’s pinky.

“In return, you promise too. That you will never sacrifice yourself by putting your life on the line.”

Noah hesitated and then nodded.

“Then, we’ll be going.”

Allen and Noah waved to Nigel.

Yeni hugged Nigel tightly once and then followed the group.

Nigel blankly watched the group.

Noah’s hair color had already returned to normal, and Yenicar still had light brown hair due to the use of extra potion.

The guards easily let Noah and his companions into the auction house after seeing Noah’s blue-silver hair, which was as good as proof of identity.

Worry came first about whether those three could really return without any trouble.

Setting aside Noah, who was a talent selected for the Imperial Knights at the age of 17, unpleasant thoughts surfaced about whether Allen, who had no trace of muscle, or Yeni, the delicately raised princess, might get caught up in bad situations at the secret auction house.

However, since worrying wouldn’t change anything, nor could Nigel step in to help them, she shook her head.

All Nigel could do was either sit and wait until the group came out, or if lucky, meet someone familiar with a title of count or higher near the auction house and enter the auction house accompanying them.

Of course, since the latter case was almost impossible to happen, Nigel cleared her mind and took a seat on a bench with a good view of the auction house.

It was obvious that if she tried to observe the structure of the auction house, she would just end up getting lost.

Her chest felt empty because she couldn’t do anything for Allen’s group.

“So…… this is how it felt.”

Only now did she fully understand the emotions of Allen and Noah who had hurt expressions when she tried to resolve matters on her own.

In a situation where she knew nothing about what had happened to them, all that was allowed to her was to pray for their well-being.

To understand their situation only after being in the same situation herself.

She couldn’t help but laugh at her own stupidity.

That’s when it happened.

“Ars? What are you doing here?”

An arrogant boy’s voice was heard from behind.