“As Sir Volter said. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the dormitory when it’s over. Even though En is a senior, you’re still young. A freshman being punished late at night, it must have been scary, right?”

Although she had guessed from their conversation earlier, Neris’s insides flipped when she heard it directly from Nellusion’s mouth.

She took a step back and distanced herself from Nellusion. Then, she looked up at Volter and opened her mouth.

“I don’t want special treatment. If I’m doing community service, what is Mahuradi doing?”

Volter looked down at Neris with unreadable eyes. Neris felt a strange satisfaction from his expression. She also remembered Cledwin’s face.

Such refined and elderly faces, faces of people with their own philosophies, were worth her attention.

On the other hand, Nellusion was not worth paying attention to. Essentially, he was only interested in using and deceiving others.

How nice it would have been if she had known that fact before all the damage was done. Why had she only come to feel this disillusionment and regret now?

“Don’t be mistaken; just because Nellusion takes you doesn’t mean your punishment will be easier. You will also engage in activities fitting the name ‘community service,’ and Mahuradi En will do what I deem suitable.”

The words sounded fair. Even Mahuradi himself couldn’t complain. Neris raised her eyebrows for a moment but quietly bowed her head.

“…Yes, I understand, sir.”

“Go. I have work to do as well.”

Volter closed the door as soon as Nellusion retreated. Nellusion laughed at his cold demeanor.

“He’s always like that. He can’t even say a kind word to a young and cute freshman.”

“He’s a good person.”

“Huh? Well, of course.”

Nellusion was secretly flustered at Neris’s dry voice but didn’t show it.

Volter was usually feared by young students because of his seemingly cold indifference and strict attitude.

Falling suddenly among peers who were better than them and stern teachers after receiving all kinds of love at home was terrifying for anyone. Therefore, the students wished for someone to speak kindly to them.

Nellusion, pleasant in appearance and demeanor, was liked by many. Lianon Berta’s disgrace also stemmed from expressing such feelings in the wrong way.

Nellusion, who had been discovered by Prince Abelus with his secret drawer because of a silly child’s behavior, was not in a good mood these days.

However, he had come here, expecting to cheer up a little while talking to Neris, but the conversation didn’t go as he had thought from the beginning.

“It’s strange.”
Voltaire was not afraid, and Nellusion thought that Neris had no admiration in her eyes as she looked at him.

He was annoyed. Her attitude, somewhat different from before the semester began, and her sophisticated posture, also different from that time.

“Shall we go, Neris?”

Nellusion smiled broadly with an intentionally kinder voice than usual. Neris met his eyes for a moment, then looked down.

“……Yes, let’s go. Thank you for caring so much.”

With her last words, the faint sense of discomfort disappeared.

Nellusion began to walk contentedly, thinking that her aloof attitude came from shame or was a delusion of his own.

After all, there was no one who did not admire him.

(This is a time separator.)

The student council room was empty.

It was late, so it was natural, Neris thought, but today’s solitude was deliberately created by Nellusion.

The student council members enjoyed the feeling of being part of their small social circle in the council room during their free time. It was no big deal when there were classes during the day, but even when the lights in the surrounding classrooms were all off in the evening, laughter often flowed from the student council room late into the night.

“Today, I need you to organize the attendance register. It’s not a hard task, so don’t worry.”

Speaking thoughtfully, Nellusion walked to the bookshelf covering one wall of the student council room.

Elandria’s rightful heir, he had joined the student council at a quite young age and thus knew the ins and outs of the complex council room.

“Isn’t the attendance register managed by the subject teachers?”

Knowing the answer, Neris still asked, pretending not to know.

Nellusion took out a rather thick bundle of documents from the shelf. Unlike ordinary paper made cheaply by private contractors in Carten, the paper used by the student council was expensive imported paper. Therefore, it had a silky shine, and even many sheets together took up little volume.

This should impress her. Paper is an expensive item, after all. Nellusion handed the documents to Neris with anticipation.

“Initially, that’s the case, but the student council has the authority to manage the academic records comprehensively. Of course, that doesn’t mean we view laziness more leniently than teachers. The spirit of student autonomy presupposes diligent learning.”

The attendance registers, beautifully drawn and lined by a vegetarian staff member, were adorned with expensive ink, and they had intrinsic value. Instead of being thrown away after use, they were to be preserved for a long time once each year’s records were filled.

Neris’s expression did not change as she looked at the attendance register on top of the documents, and Nellusion raised an eyebrow. See this?

Was it her lack of experience, or was she familiar with such beautiful things?

Common sense would say the former.

“You’re not supposed to write anything on these documents. That’s something a trained person has to do carefully. This paper is an expensive item bestowed by the royal family, and if a novice mishandles it and makes it unusable, isn’t that disrespect to the royal family?”

Neris laughed inwardly.

Of course, she had dealt with the most expensive paper in her daily life, and the paper used for the documents she had just received was not at a level to rant about disrespect to the royal family.

If it had been such a precious item, it would not have been entrusted to students in the first place. It would have been sanctified.

It was clear what Nellusion wanted to do. His younger brother Valentine and his mother, the Duchess, often used this materialistic tactic.

Showing off an enormously expensive item to make the other person nervous, then kindly offering it as if out of good will. Then the other person is touched by the fact that such a great person is being kind to them and opens their heart.

Although the structure itself was no different from simple boasting, it was malicious in that it was a method of manipulating others.

Neris deliberately smiled a soft and innocent smile. Faced with that smile, Nellusion was momentarily stunned.
He had heard that Megara Likeandros was the most popular among the freshmen. But to his eyes, Neris was not just pretty in appearance but had an innocent sparkle.

Nelletion immediately imagined the gain he could obtain using her and felt thirsty. It felt like discovering a treasure. Could this child look like this?