An affectionate attitude that she would not have been happy with in her previous life now only disgusted her.

Neris spoke with an innocent expression. She did not want to be wary of Nellusion yet, but she no longer wanted to be close to him.

“I’m sorry, Nell Oppa. I’m just Neris. My mother usually called me ‘our baby.’ But since I’m not a baby, it would be strange for someone else to call me a baby, wouldn’t it?”

The corners of Nellusion’s mouth rose in contentment. He began to look at her kindly, enough to be considered a very warm affectionate relationship to anyone who did not know them.

“You’re right. Then I’ll just call you Neris. I want to make a name that only I can call, but if a cousin who is not even a fiancé acts too close, it will tarnish your honor.”

“That’s a shame.”

Neris spoke with a cold feeling that was completely insincere.

Nellusion had plans to sell her to the marriage market to raise the prestige of the Elandria family, so he was only concerned about Neris’s honor. Despite it not being for her happiness, his show of concern was unbearable.

Unaware of her thoughts, Nellusion thought Neris was really sorry and happily contemplated the benefits her existence would bring.

Lately, he had been really troubled by the loss brought by Lianon Berta.

Although he knew that under Idalia Kendall’s guidance Lianon was quietly being ostracized, he felt relieved instead of pitiful. The blind emotions of children were only precious when they were beneficial to him.

And if Neris’s emotions were directed at him, it would be really, really nice.

Thud. Then the door of the student council room opened without warning. Nellusion raised his head faster than he thought, and Neris more slowly than she thought.

“What is it?”

Standing alone at the door, Abellus looked startled.

He had left the card game Nellusion had casually summoned earlier and had come to the student council room out of habit, not expecting anyone to be there, so he was somewhat flustered.

Seeing Nellusion’s affectionate position next to Neris, even the notsosharp Abellus began to grasp the situation. Abellus staggered and laughed.

“What’s this, Nellusion? When I was with Tashi, didn’t you tell me not to use the student council room for secret meetings?”

Nellusion was also startled, but he soon smirked uncomfortably, as if it was absurd.

“Secret meeting, Your Highness? I am monitoring a punishment exercise as a member of the student council.”

“Yes, that must be it. Alone with the prettiest girl among the freshmen, right?”

Abellus glanced at Neris only once, but of course, recognized who she was.
Neris was bitter that Abelrus had used such words. Though they had lived as a couple for several years, Abelrus had always grumbled that Neris was ugly.

Of course, even if the world turned upside down, she wouldn’t be the prettiest among the freshmen, so his words now must have been nonsense to tease Nellusion.

From Neris’s perspective, Abelrus was not an object of affection as much as Nellusion. From the beginning, they knew they had married for the benefit of their families and had been disappointed until they had no expectations.

The memory of being hit by Abelrus, saying it was because of her, as soon as the Elandria family wore the crown, was not special to Neris.

She would have to pay back what she had endured, but it was not yet time. Neris watched silently, feeling something like a fire smoldering in her chest, promising the next.

Meanwhile, Abelrus had said anything just to tease Nellusion, but soon began to tear Neris apart unknowingly.

A genius? A word he had used to describe Neris before, but he knew what a genius was.

Geniuses were bastards like Cledwin Maindland. Monsters who wouldn’t die no matter how much you tried to kill them, and who you could only look up from the bottom no matter how much you tried to overcome.

Compared to that, Neris was of a lower status that didn’t need to be cared about, and her linguistic talent was only useful to an interpreter.

Apparently, Nellusion seemed to want to use Neris as a card, but it was just a symbol that Jaan had.

It was useful. But it wasn’t a big hand that he, the crown prince, would deliberately care about. Watching Valentin, the only daughter of the main house, was more efficient if the Elandria family were to form a marital alliance with any family.

“It’s just work.”

Nellusion wasn’t too nervous because he almost knew exactly what Abelrus was thinking.

He lifted his lips a little more and approached the student council president’s seat. And he pulled out a chair and asked.

“Would you like to sit? If you have something to do, we’ll be here for a few hours, so join us.”

“No, I’m good.”

Abelrus, who had just moved his footsteps for a walk, really had no business in the student council room. Most of the student council’s work was being handled by Nellusion.

He should not leave everything to him as before.

In fact, the documents that had been in the secret drawer before were not great even in Abelrus’s view. He was angry at the fact that he harbored other secrets right in front of his innocent face, but once his anger subsided, he realized that he hadn’t expected Nellusion to do so.

Anyway, the Elandria family was a traditional loyal subject of the royal family. Not a loyal dog, but a treacherous hyena that could show its teeth at any time.

Abelrus lost interest and turned his body.

“I’ll join the next game. Do well.”

Neris didn’t know what Abelrus’s next game was, but Nellusion understood that the crown prince was planning to return to his cardplaying gang.

In the quieted student council room, Nellusion smiled reassuringly to calm Neris.

“Let’s keep working. Don’t worry about it. The crown prince was just joking.”

There was probably no one who knew that fact better than Neris. There were few people less attractive to Abelrus as a woman than Neris. She smiled innocently.

“Yes, Brother Nell.”