Drinking water, Claudewin put on a more composed expression each time he swallowed, not concerned about the water’s temperature. Neris snorted. She thought he was a smart man, but having suffered through such an incident and leaving Viscount Tiphian unharmed into the future, he turned out to be a fool.
“How many things have you entrusted to me? Anyway, which dormitory do you live in? Ren, too, needs to sleep, so go back when you have the chance. Your wounds were deep, and your clothes were soaked in blood. Ren helped clean your body, change your clothes, and even provided medical treatment, so make sure to repay the favor.”

“Scolding.”

Claudewin grumbled, but he didn’t outright refuse. His eyes, gauging the remaining pain, momentarily softened.

The fact that the new pope, Omnitus III, was scheming against the younger brother of the former pope had secretly spread widely. Most thought Omnitus III was showing signs of excessive anxiety.

“At least the rank of a Subdeacon.”

It was a fatal injury ambushed by several skilled individuals. To the extent that even a skilled doctor might have given up on treatment. But after Ren treated him, Claudewin now felt discomfort at most.

To be at this level before graduating from the theological department. There was some basis for Omnitus III’s concerns.

However, the most bizarre thing in this situation was not Ren Pheial’s unexpected latent abilities.

Neris, as if she had no interest in whatever Claudewin was thinking or saying, raised an eyebrow at his gaze. Her face seemed to be urging him to get up, but Claudewin didn’t even blink.

“I came to attend classes. There’s supplementary class due to exam preparations. Since other freshmen are also attending, the teacher obtained separate permission.”

“Don’t swallow. It’s harmless but tasteless.”

Firm and shameless lies, a joke handed over to alleviate the other’s pain by pretending to be indifferent. Claudewin had a fair idea of what Neris thought about herself, partly due to the anger and sadness she had revealed and the initial investigation report when he first looked into her.

“I’m dissatisfied because they ruined me.”

In the early days of her enrollment, Claudewin had her room searched, wondering if there might be any traces of contact with a specific backer.

According to the report at that time, her room was excessively simple.

Regardless of how much wealth one had, it was customary for anyone to have at least one flower or a pretty stone in their room.

But there were no usual small decorations to expect. As if she wished that no traces of life would remain in the place she stayed.

As if shouting that even if she disappeared from this world right now, she was sure that no one would care.

Expressing anger to everyone around her by doing nothing.

As if saying, “Hate me as much as you want, someone like me is not worth attention!” Claudewin had dealt with many subordinates with peculiar circumstances. And having conversed with Neris multiple times, he knew more about her values than most.
So, she could focus on the clues that only briefly appeared and disappeared.

Another aspect to note is that she, who couldn’t see a single good point in herself, was actually a kind person.

When Neris heard her voice from the bushes, he felt resigned, thinking that even if she betrayed him directly, there was nothing he could do.

What to say about her intelligence. Since being surrounded by an absurd deception, he had already prepared himself for death.

In Neris Trued’s view, how worthless a partner that would be?

In that place earlier, she only needed to say two words. In the bushes.

Why not let Abelus and Nellusion do something good for a moment? Couldn’t that little girl come up with a way to deal with them anyway?

If she actively handed over the body of Claudewin Maindulante and gained trust, it would have been easier.

But still, she picked some tasteless weeds—now that he thought about it, it was a kind of civilian herb that poor mercenaries chewed on all night—and stuffed them into his mouth.

And with her frail body, she really pushed herself to bring him here. Overcoming all possible threats along the way.

Claudewin’s subordinates were blindly loyal to him. But between them, they exchanged something. This unilateral help was the first of its kind.

Anyway, even his grandfather betrayed him.

Since he couldn’t figure out how to think about it anymore. Claudewin forced himself to get up. Nerris gave a cold evaluation of his graceful movements.

“You look fine. From next time, try to go around with a subordinate who has divine power.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Neris returned to her dormitory building, it was just before dawn.

The first floor hall of the old communal dormitory was so narrow that its name seemed pale. It was packed with one window leading to the management office, one small door leading to a tiny storage room, and one narrow, steep staircase.

The management office that was usually guarded was strangely empty, probably due to the late hour. It was fortunate. The clothes Neris wore when she left her room this evening were half soaked in blood.

Although she was wearing the outerwear borrowed from Claudewin—when she arrived at Ren’s dormitory, Ren gave her an outerwear, but when Claudewin arrived at his dormitory, he gave her a new one, saying that it was soaked in blood—she was not sure what could be seen through the gaps. She wanted to avoid the situation of having to explain today’s events to someone.

Having stayed up all night with her young body, and almost supporting a man much larger than herself twice in moving, her small feet were almost numb.

‘Fortunately, it’s over with that.’

When Neris learned the fact that Claudewin Maindulante had suffered an injury so severe that he couldn’t even breathe, she really prepared herself to dispose of the body.
I haven’t completely avoided reading herbology or medical books in my usual life, but it was at the level of general knowledge rather than specialized knowledge to treat severely injured individuals.

Fortunately, she had at least mastered enough about herbs with awakening effects from her past life.

Right after being adopted into the Elendria family, Neris urgently needed to perfect the education of a noble lady. At the same time, she had to learn political knowledge that would be useful to the family.

During that time, she often stayed up late, chewing on those herbs.

It was really fortunate that Ren, who she had approached without hesitation, provided assistance. Neris had several ways to make Ren listen to her, but all of them were coercive measures.

In fact, Ren strangely tended to follow her. She didn’t know when it started.

Creak, creak.

She heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs.

Neris complained inwardly and cautiously hid in the darkness next to the stairs. Who could be the fool doing unnecessary activities before dawn?

Undoubtedly, it must be someone who, despite sitting at the desk, claiming it’s exam season, hasn’t studied as much as intended and stayed awake until this hour.

The firm and brisk footsteps rhythmically descended the stairs. Creak, squeak.

The stairs that countless poor students had trodden on definitely creaked. However, the students living in this building knew how to reduce the noise, and the current sound was too loud.

Feeling something strange, Neris instinctively checked the face of that ‘fool.’