Delma swallowed hard. Although she was much older than Nellusian, she had never been able to easily deal with this young master.

Even with Valentin’s absolute favoritism, Delma was ultimately just a servant employed in a house that Nellusian would inherit.

“Master, the young lady is still very young and obvious places for her to go are limited. So, I looked in a few places and brought her back.”

“Yeah, that’s right!”

Valentin, encouraged by Delma’s voice, spoke up with confidence.
“I, I was at the house by the lakeside. It was an empty house near the pavilion that my brother took me to last time. Delma came to the lakeside and heard my voice, so she brought me out.”

“Lakeside?”

Nellusian’s eyes flashed coldly.

“Neris thought that, being a freshman, you would know the lake, so she suddenly called you there, and you left Delma behind during dinner time and went there? You tried to live well, but Neris suddenly found an empty house by the lakeside and confined you there?”

After hearing the continued words, Valentin began to see the flaws in her excited head.

“Valen, do you think your brother looks like a fool?”

In response to Nellusian’s chilly question, Valentin tightly sealed her lips, and Delma didn’t know what to do.

“Um, Master…”

“Shut up, Delma. If Valen hadn’t been overly cherished by my brother, you would have been kicked out already.”

Everyone present could see that he meant what he said. Under Nellusian’s sharp gaze, Delma shrank her shoulders.

Suddenly, a spark flashed in Valentin’s frustrated mind.

“Brother, am I more important, or is she more important? I just barely got out of that dirty and dark place, and you’re going to take her side?”

“Valentin Elandria, you are my sister, and I will always protect you. That’s an undeniable fact.”

Then, trying to express his anger more and continue his protest, Valentin swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth as she faced Nellusian’s cold expression. Nellusian, with a warning look, looked down at his sister, who was trying to express her anger.

“If you can’t be close to Neris, I won’t force you. After all, you don’t know how to behave like a lover. But Neris has some utility. Don’t mess with her.”

While it could be heard differently as “you’re stupid, so stay quiet,” Valentin didn’t argue and just closed her mouth.

Nellusian’s determined gaze, which contained the will not to end the situation if he didn’t hear an answer, was poured out. Valentin eventually had no choice but to give an unwilling answer.

“…Okay.”

“Good.”

Nellusian replied with satisfaction. The same gentle smile returned to his face.

“You had a hard time today, right? Valen. Go wash up and eat something. Or just wash up and go to bed. We have classes from early in the morning tomorrow, and you shouldn’t be too tired, right?”

Valentin nodded quietly. As Nellusian left the reception room, Delma hurriedly approached the master and spoke in a comforting manner.

“Oh, my lady, you must be upset, right? Master is something. He should comfort you from above.”

“Hmph.”

Valentin sat up straight on the reception room sofa while Delma spoke to the maid, brought hot water, and towels, and sharpened her teeth.

“That wicked girl played with me! Just watch, I’ll make her true colors show in front of my brother!”
In the morning, Neris, enjoying the clear sunlight, went to the window. Opening the small window for ventilation and to let the light in, she checked the room.

Since the owner had arrived just before the semester, the corners of the room, which were probably less organized, were clean. There were traces of Isabelle wiping, cleaning, and sweeping the room last night.

Last night, when she saw Neris return after locking Valentin in the warehouse, Isabelle was shocked as if she had seen a ghost.

Thanks to that, Neris was convinced that Isabelle knew about Valentin’s plan.

Anyway, it was a good thing that Valentin was confined. Isabelle reported to Delma that Neris’s quick return was strange, so it wouldn’t be interesting if the rescue happened quickly.

Nellusian’s interrogation was not frightening. He would quickly realize that his sister was the cause of all this, and during a time like this, when he wanted to look good to Neris, he would scold Valentin.

Neris’s gaze suddenly stopped in front of the door. During her stay in Pheriche, she never received another letter from Cladwin. So, she wondered if there might be more letters at school.

If Cladwin hadn’t returned even after the semester started, it would have been an interesting topic in itself. He must have attended yesterday’s class, but if he didn’t return, it would have been notified late enough.

It was just annoying to lock up Valentin. Thanks to Isabelle reporting directly to Delma about Neris’s quick return, it would be uninteresting if the rescue happened quickly.

Neris evaluated the situation ‘objectively’ in that way. She didn’t talk to Cladwin as a conversation partner, and there was no reason to exchange letters when there was no business. Both were busy people.

‘There might be…’

It might be slowly accumulating.

Neris murmured seriously in her mind.

She already heard from Betty’s letter that Rob, Betty’s brother and Cladwin’s subordinate, had arrived safely and was taking care of the fields on the land received from Cladwin.

However, Betty, who only knew Neris as an ‘introducer,’ did not provide specific details.

They needed to raise burdocks from next year on the land. Since it was necessary to check the situation directly, Neris planned to visit Sedona around this weekend.

But if a young girl visited alone, Rob would be suspicious. Rob and Betty knew that the person who bought the land and hired workers was an adult aristocrat from Mainland.

‘There must be…’

If it were Cladwin, he could probably seek acquaintances who could visit the place with Neris. Neris was annoyed just thinking about it.

An annoying child. There was much to do, but it would still take a few years to become an adult.
Of course, thanks to that, I can take my time preparing for everything.

‘When I become an adult…’

When I become an adult. At that moment, Neris will no longer have the opportunity to prepare slowly and leisurely as she does now. Only then will she face enemies with all her might, and one of them will die.

And Neris had no intention of playing the role of the defeated.

Chirp, chirp.

At the sound of birdsong, Neris woke up from her reverie. She sighed and poured water into the basin on the dormitory table.

Last night, Isabelle even filled the water bottle in the room. Perhaps while cursing Neris inwardly.

Still, she left water for Neris, so it was the best treatment Neris had received from Isabelle, considering both her past life and this life.

After splashing her face with the thoroughly chilled water and wiping it off with a towel, Neris gradually regained her clarity of mind. With a lively and refreshed cheek, Neris thought deeply and decided.

If she doesn’t send a letter first, she can go meet him.