The chairs in the library were as comfortable as ever. Nerris naturally raised her face when she sensed someone’s presence.

Taking over the other person’s seat with an unbelievable calmness, it seemed as if she had obtained permission to occupy the owner’s chair. Thinking like that, Nerris confidently spoke.

“Spread some rumors for me.”

“Rumors?”

Cledwin repeated the word and casually sat down in front of the chair as if he had come out to catch a breeze. Nerris was momentarily taken aback.

Believing that he had inherited the title of Maindland, he was legally superior to everyone in the country except the direct nobility. Perhaps he spent a childhood that could not compare to the wealth of the MacKinnon family.

Nevertheless, the act of casually sitting down on the cold stone floor was as natural as always.

Was it because of swordsmanship, accustomed to training? Since there were no high-end chairs placed in the training area.

However, Cledwin’s attitude had a naturalness that was difficult to explain with just that. Originally, there was no way the Swordsmanship Department of the Noble Academy would subject Cledwin Maindland to such rigorous training. Abelus would have intervened to prevent him from having a proper teacher.

“Yeah. Spread rumors with Alekto as the source.”

“The content?”

“Here.”

Nerris pulled out the paper she had prepared. Cledwin sat down in front of the chair, repeating the word, and skimmed through the contents once. His attitude showed no discomfort receiving orders from a person whose status and grade were far below his.

If someone who didn’t know their true status had seen them, they would have thought it was a lady giving orders to a servant. Cledwin unquestionably read the writing very quickly. It took almost the same time as Nerris would need to read the same amount of text.

As soon as he took his eyes off the paper, he picked it up and put it in his arms, raising one corner of his lips.

“It seems like you’re using it to your heart’s content. The target this time was that kid. When the hunt is over, does the hunting dog survive?”

“As long as it’s a wolf that can attack me anytime. Seniors may have someone near who is likely to harm me just because they have a kind heart, but I’m not. I don’t have the ability to defend myself, so even allowing the opponent’s attack once could be fatal.”

The girl’s words, as if deliberately killing but not actually dying, rang monotonously in Cledwin’s ears. He looked at Nerris with calm eyes.

The chair finished with carvings and velvet was clearly a luxurious item, but it wasn’t very awkward even in the library. However, when she naturally sat on it, it seemed like some kind of throne, a type symbolizing authority and power, even though it was in the library. It was the kind passed down through generations by direct royalty in the palace.
Even for direct nobility, a throne felt unnatural at a young age. In reality, Nerris’s small stature couldn’t fill half of the chair, and her toes were hovering in the air.

Nevertheless, she, like an adult who had made many decisions for a long time, dominated the air there.

It was strange. Cledwin liked strange things. His life was quite boring by his standards, and it didn’t seem like it would change much in the future. However, Nerris Trude appeared and caught his interest.

Now, how much of a variable would her presence be in the future…

“As you wish. Is this the end?”

“There’s more. Get me some land. It would be nice if it’s close, but security is the most important. It can be a bit far.”

“Land?”

Cledwin chuckled, then smiled strangely.

“Do you want to become a lord? It might take a few years.”

What is this person saying? Nerris glanced at him. Of course, what she was asking for was not a lordship somewhere. Why did he always joke like this?

“For now, just a piece of land will do. Of course, it shouldn’t be under my name. It would be nice if there’s a house attached. It should look like a place where a decent noble would play around. The fewer people passing by, the better.”

Although it was clear from the beginning that she came up with a very vivid picture, Cledwin found it difficult to guess Nerris’s plan. He ventured to make the most likely guess.

“Is it your mother’s house?”

“No.”

Of course, Nerris would move her mother to a difficult-to-find place whenever she wanted. However, she couldn’t reveal even her most important weakness to Cledwin yet. It was enough to know more about what kind of person he was.

It wasn’t a time for a fatal threat to her mother yet. One reason she was trying to match Nelusion’s preferences was that.

“Don’t ask where I’ll use it. Deduct the cost later from my salary.”

Logically, Nerris would need several years to officially work for Cledwin. And he had a lot to handle, as he had mentioned the need for security and asked for it in another name.

She just had to wait for the day when a low-ranking noble girl without a background could pay all the effort, including the value. Even saying that was beyond common sense.