Sting.

The moment he heard his voice, Nigel’s heart, which she thought had calmed down, began to throb unpleasantly again.

For some reason, she felt her face might flush under that gaze looking down at her.

Nigel deliberately ignored it and took Noah’s sword, grasping it familiarly.

Because of this, Nigel did not notice that all the swordsmanship students except Noah had turned pale.

To swordsmen, a sword was like an extension of oneself and not something to be casually given to others. Even letting others look at it was done cautiously, as a moment’s carelessness could cost one’s life.

This was especially true for swords engraved with family crests or bestowed by noble figures like the emperor. And Noah’s sword fell into both categories.

Unaware of this fact, having never formally learned swordsmanship, Nigel swung the sword handle a few times, which was clearly engraved with the Beselion viscounty’s crest, as if gauging its weight. Then she lifted her head with a faint smile.

“……?”

Everyone in the training grounds was staring at Nigel with dumbfounded expressions. Nigel blinked and slowly looked around.

The only ones in the training grounds who weren’t dumbfounded were Ashton, who was chuckling with an odd expression, and Noah beside her.

When her gaze briefly met Noah’s, her heart acted up again as if it were malfunctioning.

‘Why is it so hard to look at Noah’s face?’

Not wanting to acknowledge her attitude that had changed overnight, Nigel raised her head boldly.

However, upon seeing those blue eyes whose thoughts she couldn’t fathom, her firmly set resolve crumbled in an instant and she quickly averted her gaze.

Without even knowing why she was avoiding it, she grew irritated at her own incompetence, fleeing like a frightened mouse at the slightest sound.

At that moment, Lena, who had been standing dazed, suddenly spoke up as if released from a spell.

“……Let’s just forget this happened.”

“What? Why so suddenly?”

Lena had never surrendered first, even if she might faint from Nigel’s magical power. For Lena to curb her competitive spirit before the match even began left Nigel bewildered.

“Sorry. I love swords and want to live wielding one until I die. I’m definitely joining the knighthood after graduation.”

Lena glanced at Noah and said something incomprehensible, then suddenly sheathed her sword and bowed formally to Nigel. Her manner was as disciplined as if addressing a superior.

“……So the rumors were half right and half wrong.”

Lena walked away, muttering cryptic words until the end.

Both sword and person were ready to fight, but the opponent had disappeared.

Nigel ended up returning the sword to Noah and going back to Ashton. Then she lightly hit Ashton, who was grinning for some unknown reason.

……You knew this would happen and deliberately gave me the sword?

She couldn’t help but laugh. Having close family members who were knights, Ashton clearly knew the meaning of a knight directly handing over their sword. There were only two cases: to show unwavering loyalty to one who had sworn allegiance, or to express trust to a loved one.

Whether consciously or not, everyone understood the intent behind Noah Beselion’s action.

Of course, except for the person directly involved.

“……What do you mean actions speak louder than books?”

In the first-year lounge.

Ashton had been listening to Nigel’s complaints for 10 minutes.

“So much for an objective perspective, you just wasted time. You could have finished the group project in that time.”

“That’s why we’re doing it now, lady.”

Ashton shrugged, asking what the purpose was of all the theology books piled on the desk.

“……Anyway, it’s true that I didn’t learn anything. Noah’s behavior is still strange.”

“Well, I don’t know. To my eyes, he’s still the same Beselion as always.”

“How do you see Noah subjectively?”

“Usually, he’s like a gentle lamb that doesn’t even need a sheepdog. But……”

As Ashton trailed off while looking at Nigel, she unconsciously swallowed.

“He’s more greedy than anyone when it comes to what he desires.”

“……What?”

Greed and avarice were words that least suited Noah. Nigel stammered with a blank expression.

“How can you come to that conclusion?”

“It’s a secret. The Beselion I know has always had consistent behavior patterns. Ah, speak of the devil and he shall appear.”

At Ashton’s gesture, Nigel turned her head. Noah was really there at the lounge entrance.

And.

‘……Bluebell.’

The lovely girl with light sky-blue hair who had given flowers to Noah entered the lounge after him.

“It seems Sir Beselion also came to work on the group project.”

Noah naturally carried the female student’s belongings and took a seat at the desk next to Nigel. It was the usual kind Noah Beselion that Nigel knew well.

Why strange emotions were surging like a tidal wave, she didn’t know.

“See? He’s moving according to his desires just like usual.”

Ashton said, turning her head sharply.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course you don’t. Nigel, you already have too many emotions built up to judge Beselion objectively. Simply put, it’s like this. Someone who’s too good for one person can be too bad for another. For instance, Sir Beselion, who’s good to everyone, has recently become a bad person to Lady Nigel.”

Nigel fell into thought.

Ashton was right. Currently, Nigel couldn’t make normal judgments. Whenever she saw Noah, her heart would annoyingly flutter to the point of nausea, and when Noah wasn’t in sight, this feeling only worsened.

Moreover, strangely enough, when there were many people around Noah, her mood would sometimes drop even lower than when Noah wasn’t visible.

Just like now.

“……”

This unpleasant sensation was eating away at Nigel more and more as time passed. She’d made mistakes like forgetting promises, and she feared it might swallow her whole if this continued much longer.

Swish.

At that moment, Nigel felt warmth on her shoulder.

“I wasn’t going to interfere anymore since there’s nothing in it for me, but it’s hard watching you like this, Nigel. I’ll tell you. The source of Sir Beselion’s behavior patterns.”

“Why suddenly……? You acted like you’d never tell.”

Nigel’s face brightened, but she couldn’t shake off her suspicion.

“Well, human relationships seem to start with two people on a level scale, but in reality, it’s always a losing battle for the one who wants to get closer. So I’m telling you.”

Ashton smiled gently at the girl who was suffering without even knowing her own feelings. Then she handed Nigel a book she had borrowed from the library before coming to the lounge.

“This is ‘The Lady and the Maid’, isn’t it?”

Nigel tilted her head, not understanding.

“Yes, it’s a classic that’s been passed down for ages.”

“Is a nobleman falling in love with his fiancée’s maid a week before the wedding, abandoning the bride he’s been engaged to since childhood, considered a classic?”

Just then, Noah Beselion was coldly glaring at Ashton.

“Yes.”

Ashton said with a pretty smile, her eyes crinkling.

“Because love conquers common sense.”

Does Nigel know? That earlier in the training grounds, Sir Beselion glared at me when I spoke to Nigel.

Snicker.

Ashton couldn’t help but laugh when looking at Beselion.

He and she were in the same situation. Not on a level scale, but on one that had shot up high.

No matter how much he fiercely guarded against and targeted people approaching Nigel, that position wouldn’t change.

All the raised scale could do was reach out a hand that might touch the lower scale, waiting for the lower scale to notice its existence and grasp it tightly to level things out.

‘Fool.’

Ashton mouthed towards Noah. Judging by his grimace, he seemed to have understood clearly.

Yes, he truly was a fool.

So focused on not letting his scale harm the opposite one, he didn’t even realize that Nigel’s scale had started to rebound towards his side.

“So you’re saying the reason for his behavior is ‘love’?”

At Nigel’s words, Ashton turned and smiled brightly at her.

“That’s right. If you read this book, you’ll understand better. There’s a reason why people have loved it for so long.”

Nigel looked down at the book for a moment, then soon smiled faintly.

“I see, so that’s how it was.”

It was the light smile of someone who had found an answer.

“Meriel…!”

Ashton didn’t miss Nigel’s excited whisper.

Meriel… does she mean the lady of the Duke Dien family?

Oh dear, it seems this answer was wrong too.

Noah Beselion was so cautious about everything that he didn’t even know a simple fact.

Namely, that scales only move when one reveals their heart to the other.

It was then.

“Thank you, ……Ash.”

A smile spread across Nigel’s face.

Ashton couldn’t say anything, trapped by that shy smile. She had a definite feeling that she would be trapped by that smile for a while, or perhaps for a lifetime.