“Alright, come anytime. Classes? Are you taking Understanding Berlen Politics and Culture with me this semester?”

The dazzling divine power quickly absorbed into Cledwin’s body as Ren brought it close.

Cledwin’s complexion improved from earlier. Neris sat quietly next to Cledwin and nodded gently.

“Yes.”

“It’s nice to take the same class again this year. I hope that Mahradi bastard won’t be there.”

“He probably won’t be. Lord Volter said they won’t let students with low grades into classes conducted entirely in Berlen.”

Lord Volter had clearly said so when taking course registrations at the end of last semester.

And Ren and Neris, having taken the same classes all last year, knew well what level Mahradi’s Berlen skills were at.

His conversational skills were decent enough to be somewhat confident. But it wasn’t enough to take politics classes conducted only in Berlen.

Ren snickered as he summoned divine power in his hand again.

“It was tiresome having classes with that bastard. We probably won’t see him again.”

Ren was close to graduating and taking many theology major courses, so that made sense. Neris, who still had a few years left of school with Mahradi, felt a bit envious of Ren.

The light of the divine power, which brightened one’s mood just by looking at it, continued to flow into Cledwin’s body.

And when the speed of the light’s absorption suddenly slowed, Ren removed his hand. Less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea had passed.

As it seemed the task was finished, Neris excused herself to get some water. As soon as she disappeared, Ren spoke gruffly.

“That’s enough. Don’t bring a child to the forefront next time.”

“Thank you.”

Cledwin touched the area around his waist where he had been injured and nodded.

It was certainly a quick treatment. His condition felt so good that the throbbing, feverish wound from earlier seemed like a dream. There wasn’t even pain when he pressed firmly on his waist.

“And you.”

Ren, who had been quietly observing, spat out words with a fierce glare. It was a markedly different attitude from when he was in front of Neris.

“If you have any conscience, stay away from that child. I roughly know how dangerous your situation is.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Cledwin’s eyes also grew fierce.

“I mean exactly what I said. Neris is too soft-hearted, and there’s no one to protect her. That Nelrysion guy pretends to take care of her, but he won’t really be of any help. So it’s better for her to stay inconspicuous, and a guy like you shouldn’t ruin a child’s peaceful daily life.”

Cledwin realized that Ren was more concerned about Neris than he had thought. He seemed to think of her almost like a little sister.

But what right did Ren Feyel have to interfere in matters between Cledwin and Neris? Did he think he was really her older brother or something?

Moreover, soft-hearted?

Cledwin snorted.

He too thought Neris was soft-hearted.

However, that was a conclusion he had reached after seeing many of her seemingly strong aspects, after seeing what choice she ultimately made in crucial moments, after comprehensively considering everything.

What did Ren know about Neris? He only had a fleeting connection with her, barely more than what she might accidentally drop in passing.

Ren’s eyes dangerously darkened.

“…It seems like you’re thinking something that’s pissing me off right now…”

Despite looking like an innocent boy, Ren had good intuition. Cledwin raised an eyebrow.

“How could that be, senior? Anyway, I have business with her and she has business with me, so it’s not for you to interfere.”

“Damn bastard, I disliked you from the moment I first saw you.”

Ren grumbled, quickly realizing that Cledwin wouldn’t back off.

Cledwin thought the feeling was mutual. He was just staying quiet because he thought Ren could be helpful to Neris.

In fact, in terms of ability, Ren was also a remarkable talent. Until last year, he seemed to be wasting time unable to control his temper, but after meeting Neris, he had driven away spies and kept helpful people by his side, so he had a high probability of surviving at least a few more years.

So at any other time, he would have considered recruiting him, but…

Cledwin just didn’t want to for some reason. Was it his instinct judging that Ren wasn’t the type to work under someone? Anyway… how should he put it, this instinctively felt…

Should he call it unpleasant?

It wasn’t a word Cledwin often used, but somehow it seemed the most appropriate name for this inexplicable feeling he was experiencing now. So he decided to keep using that expression for now.

Until he could think of a better expression, Ren would continue to be an unpleasant person.

When Neris returned to the reception room and saw that Cledwin’s complexion had improved, she thanked Ren.

“Thank you so much, senior. This person will definitely pay you back.”

“What payment? It was your request.”

Though he said that, Ren shot a glance at Cledwin that said ‘Are you really going to let this slide?’ Cledwin was also planning to pay him back, of course.

Neris looked worriedly at the pile of dishes on one side of the reception room and said:

“You should hire a servant. How can you manage this big house alone while studying?”

Since driving out his long-time servant Dogon, Ren had been living alone. Ren answered with a face that instantly became beaming again as soon as Neris returned:

“I’m not alone. The priests come to help sometimes. What about you? You’re so young, how do you manage alone?”

“My room is small, so there’s not much to worry about…”

Cledwin inwardly clicked his tongue at Ren’s shamelessness in changing his attitude so quickly. This must be why he was unpleasant.

A little while later, Cledwin and Neris left Ren’s dormitory. Ren insisted on going out with them, but Cledwin quickly finished preparing to leave, so Neris followed him without saying much.

Cledwin led Neris down a path where no one was walking. Although Neris knew quite a few trails in the wide campus of Noble Academy, the passage Cledwin turned into was a place she had never even thought of as a path. A place where students truly never went.

“I’ve never seen such an empty path during school hours.”

Neris marveled as they crossed the quiet garden of a certain empty dormitory that currently had no owner. Cledwin calmly replied to her voice, which was overall calm but tinged with light admiration.

“You can find them if you look.”

While acting detached from everything, she would sometimes unconsciously reveal herself like this if you kept watching.

Like when she smiled at the mention of an unremarkable birthday gift last time.

Cledwin clearly acknowledged it. He wanted to be good to her.

He didn’t know which part was ‘ruined by those people’ as she said, but if that’s what she thought about herself, he had no intention of forcing her to ‘think about your own good points’.

If Neris Trude thinks she’s broken, it’s not a problem that can be solved by a few words from others.

If she wants revenge, she can do so. He had no reason to judge the cause, justification, or value.

And if there was anything she needed in the process, he wanted to support her without making unnecessary excuses about expense reports or whatnot.

Just as she had prioritized bringing him to Ren from the morning, even though she must have had her own business to attend to.

As they entered a narrow, shaded gap between buildings that could barely fit one person at a time, Neris suddenly said, as if she had just remembered:

“A maid has been coming in and out since yesterday. Don’t send letters, there’s a risk of them being discovered.”

“I understand. Until when?”

The subtle question implied: how long will you let someone who’s obviously a spy come and go as they please? Neris smiled faintly.

“As long as they’re useful. I’ll come find you if I need to. And I’m planning to visit Sedona this weekend, so I need someone to be with me then. An adult would be nice.”

It would be funny to pretend to be a mysterious adult noble but then go alone as a child to look at land. It would be better to have someone go ahead and pretend to be their companion.

Understanding her words, Cledwin nodded.

“I’ll send a suitable person. At noon on Saturday at the station.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

How can this person grant everything she asks for?

Neris briefly worried about Cledwin as she heard his cool acceptance. Once she admitted to herself that she had worried about him, there was no hesitation in moving on to another worry.

The nominal reason he was being good to her was investment for recruiting talent. But where in the world is there an employer who likes to give advances?

While she was still only a second-year at the academy and hadn’t been of any help yet, Cledwin himself was getting injured while personally finding and punishing traitors.

And then he immediately came when she visited the library in the morning to make this kind of request, which could actually be postponed to next week.

The more she looked at him, the more she was reminded of her past self, and Neris thought for a moment that long-forgotten fragile emotions seemed to be reviving.

Fondness. Blind admiration. Absolute trust.

Sincere love poured out to those who were not worthy of receiving such emotions.

A few principles she thought she should keep for herself even if unrequited.

And what was the outcome she eventually faced?

Neris knew well that she was not the person responsible for Cledwin’s life. So she had no intention of giving a long, lesson-filled speech to enlighten him.

In the first place, people don’t change by listening to speeches from others.

How can you tell a responsible person to live irresponsibly for themselves from now on?

Dealing with those who live without principles and taking revenge on them was a job for someone like her, who already knew their methods well and had dirtied her hands.

But she thought she could say this much:

“…Thank you, really.”

Because she could kill those fragile emotions again anytime. Because she was no longer a stupid dog wagging its tail without knowing its master would use even its corpse.

So at this moment, she could at least say these words of gratitude.

Neris muttered softly.

Hearing her words, Cledwin nodded with an unreadable expression.

Isabel felt quite wronged.

It wasn’t her fault that she came here, that she worked late into the night with blisters on her hands because of the ill-mannered Neris Trude, and that she couldn’t quickly report the failure of Valentine’s plan.

However, the number of people Delma could lash out at and reprimand was limited even in this mansion where the Elandria siblings were staying. Half of the dozen or so servants were Nelrysion’s people, after all.

And because she was directly involved in the incident, Delma really ‘picked on’ Isabel.

“You couldn’t even get out of it properly! How are you going to manage with such slow wits? Do you know how scared the young lady was because of you!”

Strictly speaking, Valentine trembling for a couple of hours locked in a dark warehouse was her own fault. But Delma would never admit that fact, and Isabel didn’t want to think that way either. Because there was an easier target for anger.

‘That cunning wench.’

She must have been scolded for 30 minutes already, kneeling on the floor.

The proud Isabel disliked the fact that she was being made an unfair scapegoat, and that even a menial maid was witnessing such a scene. It was humiliating.

And all of this was because of the fox-like Neris Trude.

If that precious young lady wanted to tease her a bit, couldn’t she just endure it, being a year older? Did she have to escape it so viciously?

She would only be locked up for one night, but everyone in this mansion was walking on thin ice.

It was incomprehensible how someone as kind and dignified as Young Master Nelrysion got entangled with such a venomous wench.

Isabel deliberately ignored the fact that no one knew when Valentine would have let Neris out. And she also ignored the fact that Neris had no reason to endure such treatment.

Because that made her feel more wronged.