The white flowers at the tips of grass stalks as tall as a child’s waist dazzlingly reflected the sunlight.

Inhaling the subtle floral fragrance, Neris walked slowly. It was a secluded stone path where even the nearest building was quite a distance away for a child’s steps. Seen from afar, her figure casting short building shadows on her skirt and struggling to push through the bushes was utterly adorable.

The place she was heading to was her secret spot. She hadn’t been able to walk there for a while due to an unexpected disturbance appearing recently, but the more she thought about it, she realized there was no reason for her to avoid it.

During her 8 years of attending school, this wasn’t the only place where she enjoyed time alone. But other places already had bad memories attached, so she didn’t want to go there.

‘At this rate, it feels like I’m losing.’

In her previous life, she had lived accommodating everyone. Before, she only cared about others’ opinions due to circumstances, but in truth, Neris disliked losing. She had pride commensurate with her intelligence.

It’s just that she hadn’t had the environment to showcase it.

Finally reaching her destination, the top floor of the Zacharia Library, Neris listened carefully to her surroundings. Hearing no sounds of turning pages or footsteps, she approached the pillar with relief.

“You’re here again.”

Suddenly hearing a voice from behind, Neris opened her eyes wide and stopped near the pillar.

That voice, cool and solid like a gem, seemed to be coming from just beyond the bookshelf next to the pillar. Though not visible to Neris who had approached directly from the entrance to the pillar, it was a good position for someone hiding to notice her approach.

“Why do you keep coming here?”

Was he hiding? Feeling wary and angry, Neris asked coldly. Cledwin Maindlant spoke lightly like a breath, but even in that short, comfortable speech, power and confidence could be felt.

It was the voice of a ruler. Perhaps, no, certainly far superior to Abelus.

“Because it’s my place. Didn’t you come knowing that? Neris Trude.”

Cledwin knew Neris’s name. Neris wasn’t surprised by this fact. Among the new students with purple eyes, there were only Megara and Neris, and the two differed greatly in their usual attire and manner of speaking. It wouldn’t have taken long to find out.

“It’s my place. No matter what you think, senior.”

However, his expression of calling this place his irritated her, so she retorted primly.

It seemed clear that he had discovered this place before Neris, time-wise. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have approached so unhesitatingly behind that pillar with nothing around it that day.

But for what reason would he use such a narrow space? He must have a luxurious dormitory room.

“I brought that chair.”

Neris flinched. The chair… certainly looked expensive. Worthy of the son of the Grand Duke of Maindlant.

But imagining Cledwin leisurely napping in the library felt strange. Neris asked suspiciously.

“Really?”

“Don’t you need to hide sometimes when it’s urgent? Like when you switched that child’s ribbon.”

“You were watching?”

“I know many things.”

Neris was surprised and somewhat impressed.

While high-ranking officials typically have followers, Cledwin was still young and hadn’t officially inherited the Grand Duke title.

To think he had spies deployed here, where the headmaster, the Emperor’s eyes, was closely monitoring all the academy’s students. I know even Abelus only got his secret service as an adult.

“Must be nice knowing so much.”

“You’re not afraid.”

A light chuckling sound floated over like a cloud. Neris responded nonchalantly.

“If you were planning to tell others, you wouldn’t have come to me and mentioned it so kindly like this. What is it you want to say, Cledwin Maindlant?”

“No.”

Cledwin let out another light laugh.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I’m not a spy monitoring you, senior. If that’s what you’re curious about.”

“Then?”

“I’m just an ordinary twelve-year-old new student.”

“An ordinary twelve-year-old new student who doesn’t fear the blade, receives the highest score since the school’s founding without early education, knows words only frontline diplomats use, and manipulates public opinion about childhood friends?”

Neris frowned. Her narrow, high-bridged nose wrinkled slightly.

“Investigating a lady’s background, isn’t that unbecoming of a knight? You should know better than me, having received early education.”

“Are your actions those of a lady? I must have been mistaken about the virtues of ladies these days.”

Though he threw the words right back, Cledwin immediately retorted without a hint of being flustered. Neris, feeling mischievous, responded sharply.

“That’s right, you must not know because you’re old. Why didn’t you pay more attention in your social lessons?”

Suddenly, a sound like a light sigh was heard from across the bookshelf. Could he be laughing? That Cledwin Maindlant?

‘I must have heard wrong.’

In diplomacy, the ability to wait long enough to accurately gauge the other party’s emotions was important. Neris waited. Until Cledwin spoke his next words.

“It was clean.”

“What was?”

“Your record. There’s no trace of you being taught separately by any noble family in the capital, let alone the Elandria duchy. It seems true that you grew up in a rural village from birth until now, as you usually claim. But the priest in your parish probably can’t speak the holy language as well as you.”

“Our priest is quite good at the holy language.”

Neris, at a loss for words, just shot back like that. She wanted to see Cledwin’s face. Honestly, he was already difficult to deal with, and not being able to see his expression made it even harder.

Maybe she shouldn’t have come.

“Come over here if you want. Let’s talk face to face.”

Startled by his words, Neris silently pondered. After a moment, she made her decision.

Walking a few steps to lean against the side of the bookshelf, Neris turned her head to look up at Cledwin, who stood diagonally from her.

He was leaning against the bookshelf with his arms crossed, looking down at her. To Neris, who was much shorter than him, it looked as if his head was supporting the ceiling.

“You didn’t call me over here to kill me more easily, did you?”

“If that’s what you think, why did you come?”

“Because even if you decided to kill me, I wouldn’t be able to escape just by running away.”

Cledwin raised one corner of his mouth almost imperceptibly.

“Deliberately asking a question you know the answer to in order to gauge the other’s reaction. You’ve learned well.”

Neris’s violet eyes flashed coldly.

“Can you read minds or something?”

She had met many difficult people in her diplomatic work. But Cledwin seemed to be among the most challenging of them all.

Was she perhaps being overconfident due to her memories as an adult? Neris thought that might be the case and paid careful attention to managing her expression.

“Does it matter?”

Cledwin was still smiling. Without giving Neris any leeway, he abruptly brought up the main point.

“Tell me what you want from this school.”

“What?”

Neris frowned at Cledwin suspiciously. She couldn’t tell, but to others, her face looked amusing and cute, like a child imitating an adult worrying about human affairs.

Cledwin gazed at that face for a while, looking down with his diamond-like brilliant gray eyes.

“There are several things. Academics are important for now.”

After a moment, Neris answered evasively.

There was an undeniable majesty in his gaze that was hard to defy. Abelus wasn’t even comparable, and even Princess Keimil didn’t have such a perfect ruler’s gaze. It was strange that the heir to a ducal family who was orphaned at a young age had more dignity than the imperial family.

“Is that so?”

His eyebrows, as black as the night sky, raised.

“Shall I hire Henri Voltaire as your personal teacher?”

“Lord Voltaire is already teaching me.”

“No, as your exclusive teacher. You understood.”

Neris’s eyes widened. While flustered, she tried to read the true intent hidden behind the surface words, her intelligent face making the effort. Cledwin looked down at her with satisfaction.

“Why?”

“Because you want it.”

“No, why are you trying to do such a thing?”

“I need talented individuals.”

Yes, satisfaction was right. Neris was sure. His smooth smile revealed his pleasure.

“Talented individuals? You think I, only twelve years old, am a talented individual needed by the future Grand Duke?”

“Why else would I have come here to meet you?”

Neris’s mind raced. She clearly acknowledged it.

She needed protection. Something to guarantee at least her own safety, and if possible, her mother’s safety as well.

But could she trust Cledwin?

If she made a mistake, she might end up working herself to death for others and ultimately being abandoned to die, just like before she came back. There was no way she had the ability to manipulate the future Grand Duke.

At least not now.

“Think about it.”

Cledwin moved away from the bookshelf and bent down. Suddenly coming down to a similar height, Neris’s gaze lingered for a long time on those beautiful eyes that she now faced directly.

The long, pitch-black eyelashes cast shadows on the crystal-clear irises and the ivory-like cheeks below.

“Neris Trude, rulers always need people. When something becomes desperate for you, come find me. I’ll treat you according to your worth.”

If you asked the new students to pick the classmate they most wanted to befriend, the answer would converge on one person—with a few exceptions—.

The Likeandros viscounty was wealthy and had a long history. There were illustrious ancestors and magnificent treasures casually lying around. The new student Megara Likeandros seemed to be the epitome of such a viscount’s family.

To Angarad Nine, this beautiful child of the same age was an object of admiration. The highest quality purple silk dress and frilled headband, which couldn’t even be imagined let alone seen in the Nine barony, seemed like treasures from heaven.

How wonderful it would be to become friends with such a child.

This had been Angarad’s constant thought since first entering school.

Of course, there was no reason for Megara to befriend her. But then again, who knows? Someone as wonderful as Megara probably already had many wealthy and high-ranking friends, so she might need a friend of lower status who would listen well.

But now, even while having tea alone with Megara, Angarad couldn’t feel joy.

“I, I can’t do it.”

“Why?”

In Megara’s luxurious dormitory reception room, there were only Megara and Angarad besides the maids and servants. Megara tilted her head as if she really didn’t understand.

Angarad’s fingertips grew cold.

She had followed the previous instruction to put a spider in Neris’s bag. Because Neris had upset Megara, and if she made her touch an insect and get startled, the reward would be sufficient.

Perhaps she would even help Angarad adapt to school more easily in the future.

But at that time, Neris clearly touched the spider yet acted as if nothing had happened. Anyone else would have surely turned their bag inside out and made a fuss. So her usual calm demeanor should have completely disappeared.

Isn’t she disgusted by insects? As far as Angarad was concerned, Neris herself was disgusting.

Strange child.

Many children admired Neris, but Angarad had known her since childhood, so she didn’t particularly have such feelings.

More than that, it was truly strange. She knew better than anyone that the Trude mother and daughter in little Rohez didn’t even have enough money to invite theology students to study.

Yet as soon as she entered school, she surpassed everyone.

In Angarad’s opinion, this was not only strange but also oddly unpleasant, and therefore even wrong.

If Megara had ranked first among all new students, it would have made sense. Everyone would have thought it natural and congratulated her. Because the education she had received since childhood and her bloodline were different. But the daughter of a low-ranking knight?

Angarad could vaguely recall Neris from childhood. There weren’t many children her age in the Nine barony, so she remembers being happy when Neris became her playmate. Only a blurry image remains from those childhood days.

So she tried to get along well, suppressing her displeasure.

But Neris coldly rejected the hand she extended. What a nasty girl.