Nigel’s eyes sharpened like a wary cat, then softened only after seeing Nubilus’s face.

“Well… shall we go in?”

Nubilus said, cheerfully jingling a silver key.

Click.

The key glowed as it entered the lock.

Warm-toned furniture overall, plush-looking sofas, shelves filled with snacks suited to students’ tastes. The counseling room exuded a comfortable atmosphere unlike regular classrooms.

“The reason I called the beastkin and the human boy this time is simply to follow guidelines, so don’t worry too much.”

Nubilus said, plopping down on the sofa.

‘This person does follow human rules.’

Nigel thought anew as she sat on the sofa without Nubilus’s permission to sit. Noah glanced around cautiously before slowly sitting next to Nigel.

When Nigel couldn’t take her eyes off the shelf, Nubilus grinned, hugged an armful of snacks from the shelf, and dumped them in front of Nigel.

Noah barely held back a laugh seeing Nigel’s noticeably sparkling purple eyes and put on a serious face.

“Ah, there’s a drop of self-interest mixed in.”

At Nubilus’s words, Nigel looked down at the snacks piled on the tea table with disinterested eyes.

“Eat comfortably. Living beings need nutrients to stabilize psychologically.”

Nubilus roughly tore open the pink polka-dotted candy wrapper with her molars and popped it straight into her mouth.

Feeling like her mouth might move on its own if she stayed still, Nigel reached for the pile of snacks.

“By the way, I never expected there to be another human who knew about beastkin characteristics besides me.”

Nubilus turned her gaze to Noah, who was handing Nigel different types of snacks.

“Beastkin, would you like to try sensing mana?”

Despite Nubilus’s sudden words, Nigel, understanding her position of having nothing to say if scolded all afternoon, obediently followed Nubilus’s words.

“…!”

Nigel’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected result.

Noah’s mana was hidden in his signet ring as usual, and Nubilus’s mana was nearly depleted.

However, unlike Noah, whose mana was calm like a still lake with no changes, Nubilus’s mana freely absorbed and leaked out like waves on the sea.

“Yes, I know it’s rude to say to a boy, but I greatly resented being born with a magician’s fate. Only by having mana deficiency can one coexist with beastkin without any problems.”

Smack!

Just then, a clear sound was heard next to Nigel.

Nubilus had lightly flicked Noah’s forehead.

“Even so, such impulsive actions in my class are not allowed in the future. Not all beastkin are relatively docile like Kwangsil. It could have been really dangerous.”

“I’m sorry.”

Noah answered with his forehead turning red.

“Yes, yes. I’ll let it slide just this once since it was for your kind.”

Nubilus smiled kindly, then turned her gaze from Noah to look at Nigel.

Nigel felt oddly tense under Nubilus’s inexplicable gaze that seemed to see right through her.

“I came to like living beings, especially beastkin, after reading the scriptures. Even if humans have negative perceptions of beastkin, the fact that beastkin were created due to the goddess’s pity remains unchanged.”

She raised the corners of her mouth while looking straight at Nigel and spoke again.

“I’ve observed beastkin and magical plants indiscriminately since becoming an adult when my parents could no longer legally restrain my actions. Everyone around me doubted my sanity, but I even lived among beastkin habitats for several years. But even after all that time, I couldn’t fully satisfy my academic curiosity.”

Nubilus paused at an ambiguous point and ate a snack. Although she spoke indirectly, Nigel understood her meaning.

The reason she deliberately started with scriptures in her introduction.

The library she visited after the opening ceremony. The reason Nubilus wrote a thesis on the relationship between scriptures and beastkin.

All of this converged on one point. Namely, the fact that Nubilus had long studied how divine power affected beastkin.

Fearing unnecessary words might slip out, Nigel stuffed snacks into her mouth to keep it closed.

“Of course! This is just a baseless hypothesis and question I came up with on the spot, so both of you don’t have to say anything.

The guidelines given to professors at Sienna say that when there’s disruptive behavior during class, we should have dean or professor consultations depending on the severity. But it also says we should allow children’s freedom within the school rules.”

Though she said that, Nubilus’s greedy gaze remained fixed on Nigel and Noah.

After a long silence, Nigel suddenly rummaged through her pocket.

‘I didn’t mean to use this…’

What emerged from Nigel’s pocket was a small, milky cream-colored egg.

Since trading with the child in Nox, this egg showed no movement, let alone gold. But the warm temperature felt when touching it indicated that the egg was alive.

‘I’m doing a lot of firsts today.’

There’s a saying that creatures born from eggs recognize the first living being they see as their parent, so Nigel had only preciously kept the egg that could hatch at any time in her dormitory and private room. This was the first time she brought it outside the dormitory.

Sure enough, Nubilus’s interest shifted from Nigel to the egg.

“That egg… where did you get it?”

“That’s what I want to ask. Do you know what this egg is?”

“Not at all. The size, shape, color. Everything about it is new to me…!”

Nubilus’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she finished speaking in one breath without even pausing. Unable to hold back, she unconsciously reached out toward the egg.

At that moment, Noah timely inserted his hand between Nubilus and the egg.

Unable to touch the egg, Nubilus wriggled her hand in disappointment.

Nigel seized this opportunity to speak.

“I’ll let you touch it if you keep your hypothesis as just a hypothesis and don’t dig into it further.”

Nubilus fell into contemplation.

“The guidelines you mentioned include counseling protocols, right? What happens during student consultations should be kept confidential unless it violates school rules or threatens others.”

‘It’s good I read all the Sienna school rules out of curiosity.’

Nigel recalled the time she read in the library. The guidelines were not only disclosed to professors.

Nubilus wavered for a moment but didn’t completely give in.

Seeing this, Nigel took a gamble on Nubilus’s recklessness and curiosity that slightly diverged from humans.

“If you just promise, I’ll let you research the egg.”

Swish.

Nigel extended her hand.

“Ah, and I’ll try to make sure Kwangsil’s punishment goes in a good direction.”

As soon as Nigel finished speaking, Nubilus’s entire body shook greatly.

This was the final puzzle piece Nigel held.

In cases where students were harmed during class, punishment was determined by combining opinions from the affected students, dean, and professors. And in this case, the affected student’s opinion carried the most weight.

Of course, Widrun might have danced with joy at the thought of Nigel being devoured by mana.

Nubilus hastily grabbed Nigel’s hand as if it were a lifeline.

Nigel smiled victoriously and lightly opened the hand holding the egg.

Just as Nubilus jumped up to observe the egg, it hid back in Nigel’s hand.

“Please write a contract to prevent any mishaps.”

And she put on the innocent smile that worked well when pretending to be weak to Ron or Heres.

…Nod.

‘…Success!’

As soon as Nubilus nodded, Nigel clenched her fist with a sense of achievement.

Nigel only signed the bottom of the contract after including nearly twenty items. Notable items included that ownership of the egg belonged to Nigel, and the transfer period was until cracks appeared on the egg.

Nigel and Nubilus each took a copy of the crudely handwritten contract. Naturally, Noah became the witness to this contract.

Click.

Leaving behind Nubilus, who couldn’t take her eyes off the egg as if lovestruck, Nigel and Noah left the counseling room.

“Haa…”

Nigel sighed, resting her head against the cold wall.

The guilt of thoroughly using Nubilus was very brief, leaving only a sense of stability and liberation.

“Nigel!”

Just then, a dark-haired male student approached happily from far down the hallway.

It was none other than the politics department male student she met during the debate.

“Ashton.”

“I told you to call me Ash? It’s even nicer seeing you again. By the way, I was really surprised earlier. I didn’t expect Kwangsil to do that… It could have been a big deal if Lord Beselion hadn’t quickly stepped in. Are you okay now?”

“Yes.”

‘I’m glad I thanked Noah.’

Nigel smiled slightly as she briefly recalled and answered.

“But what brings you here alone?”

Ashton’s ash-gray hair shook.

“Alone? What do you mean…?”

Nigel tilted her head and turned around.

Noah had disappeared at some point.

Again.

Nigel furrowed her brow and irritably brushed back her hair.