There was a reason for intentionally making such an excuse. Headaches couldn’t produce evidence, but menstruation could.
Neris wiped the blood-stained clothes she had worn last night with a not-so-expensive set of underwear. She discarded the clothes she had actually worn.

After finishing that task and resting naturally in her room, she was brought in by Abelus’s knight.

Neris sighed as if embarrassed. She patiently waited for either of the two men to resume speaking.

After exchanging glances for a moment, Nellusian hesitated and asked, “Uh, well… Neris, still… you know, that doesn’t prove where you were, right…?”

“Yes. Anyway, I didn’t want to talk about embarrassing things, so I just said it was a headache… um, if you want, you can check my room. I don’t know why I would need to steal that evaluation material… there really isn’t such a thing.”

Rather than being persuasive, Abelus’s doubts wavered like a shaken reed due to Neris’s awkward attitude towards Nellusian. Wasn’t that the appearance of someone who truly knew nothing?

Considering that Nellusian wasn’t a fool and that it might be better for him to kill Claudwin, whom he had caught, instead of sparing him, Abelus became thoroughly fed up. He cursed Claudwin’s monstrous nature inwardly.

“Enough. Your room is being searched, so stay here.”

“Yes. Um, and…”

“What now?”

His attitude was full of annoyance as if he was questioning her first. Nellusian, well aware that this attitude dispelled suspicions directed at Neris and even at the Elendria family, felt relieved.

Neris couldn’t bear the dishonor of expulsion for trivial taunts. It was natural that the family shouldn’t fall under royal suspicion.

“And why were Megara and Idalia here from this morning? They were in their nightclothes…?”

“Didn’t you hear earlier? I said they are witnesses.”

“Did you call them to ask who wasn’t there during class time last night?”

“No, I came on my own.”

Nellusian understood what Neris wanted to say before she spoke. Before he could open his mouth, someone knocked on the door.

“Your Highness, I have searched Neris Trued’s room thoroughly.”

“Come in.”

The conversation that should not be known to the student council was over. Abelus, yawning due to insufficient morning sleep, threw words dryly.

The door opened, and Abelus’s attendant entered. He was a former royal knight. Unlike the student council members who grew up without a rough hand, he knew what ‘searching’ meant.

The attendant entered the student council room, bowed politely, and reported.

“There was nothing.”
There was nothing. This meant not only that the missing test papers were not found but also that there was no evidence of suspicious interactions between Neris Trued, Claudwin Maindralant, or any other families.

Abelus’s suspicion towards Neris completely disappeared. He was now irritated by the fact that there were no clues on how to catch the test paper thief.

Should he catch them all first and search one by one?

“Go!”

Abelus gestured to Neris. She curtsied, looking polite, and left the student council room.

Megara, who was standing in front of the student council room, cast a cold gaze at Neris as she walked out gracefully. Why does she come out so confidently? Could it be that Simon hid the test papers too well? Or did that fox-like girl find and dispose of the test papers this morning already?

But how? How could she suddenly find something well-hidden between last night and this morning? Without having the certainty that something was hidden in the room, it wouldn’t be worth searching.

As Neris and Megara made eye contact when Neris walked out, she stood still and asked, “Megara, intentionally coming to the student council early in the morning to give important testimony?”

“Yeah, is there a problem? There’s such a terrible thief among us; it’s a big deal. We need to catch them quickly, so I said what I knew. I hope it’s okay, Prince. We can also have a conversation with His Highness.”

Megara responded with a perfect, soft manner as always, glancing at the student council members. Neris nodded in agreement with an understanding expression.

“That’s true. You’re really a model student, Megara.”

Model. Although there was no hint of mockery in that word, Megara felt insulted. In this context, in this context! I shouldn’t have qualified to enter this school in the first place!

How on earth did she get out of there? She couldn’t even properly search one small dorm room in the student council!

Under Megara’s subtly resentful gaze, Idalia, feeling anxious, couldn’t help but speak. It might have an opposite effect if she went against Megara’s instructions now.

“Um, Neris. Are you okay? Are you really okay now?”

It was a statement that seemed deeply concerned. Neris turned her eyes and gave Idalia a meaningful smile. Idalia, receiving such kind treatment from Neris for the first time, was taken aback.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks for worrying, really. Thanks to your concern, everything is resolved, so don’t worry.”

“Well, well, children.”

Natasha, standing at the entrance with three 1st graders who didn’t move, spoke harshly as if she couldn’t stand their impatience.

“Move. Seniors are busy.”

“Sorry, seniors. You guided us last night, but I didn’t go to the makeup class properly, so… I made you tired like this.”

Natasha, who became impatient as the three 1st graders did not move from the entrance to the student council room, spoke harshly.

“Step aside. Seniors are busy.”

Natasha, annoyed by the students’ lack of movement, spoke roughly.

“Sorry, seniors. You guided us last night, but I didn’t go to the makeup class properly, so… I made you tired like this.”
What made the student council tired wasn’t Neris but the test paper thief. Nevertheless, Neris intentionally apologized with an innocent expression. Natasha looked at Neris strangely and paused.

The word ‘last night’ brought out the anxiety that Natasha had been thinking about regarding the impudent remarks of a little 1st-year student. In fact, last night, she couldn’t fall asleep at all, thinking about what the cheeky little 1st-year had said.

It wasn’t pleasant that a girl of a low-ranking knight dared to mock and talk impudently about the confusion of high-ranking nobles, but there was some logic in the child’s words.

Did Megara really dare to act so out of line?

Megara didn’t know that Natasha was looking at her strangely. Instead, Megara was contemplating the meaning of what Neris had said to Idalia.

Neris and Idalia were on seemingly good terms only in empty words. They pretended not to know each other. But suddenly, why did they speak so kindly?

And the phrase “thanks to your concern, everything is resolved.”

A suspicion took shape in Megara’s mind. Could this hypocrite really, despite the scrutiny!

Inside the student council room, Abelus’s voice could be heard.

“Megara, Kendall, come in for a moment.”

The faces of Megara and Idalia both slightly stiffened simultaneously. In Megara’s case, it was almost imperceptible, while in Idalia’s case, it was a bit more noticeable.

Before Megara entered the student council room, Neris spoke kindly to her.

“It was worth coming here early in the morning, Megara. It’s nice, chatting with His Highness.”