บท 51: [Chapter 51] Simon's Master
The door of the student council room slowly opened.
The student council members had at least heard of or seen 'Elandria's family relative' before. Anyway, she was the most eye-catching kid among the new students.
However, only Abellus and the two dukes' sons had talked to Neris Trude or seen her up close.
So, when the platinum blonde girl with a bright smile walked into the student council room, the members were shocked again.
The student council member who had gone to fetch her earlier closed the door, but no one paid attention to it.
Neris Trude's presence was so strong that anyone who had seen her once couldn't help but focus on her.
"Hello, seniors."
After greeting, Neris walked up to the mahogany desk at the farthest end of the student council room and stopped.
That desk was Abellus' seat, and it was where Megara had naturally made eye contact with Abellus earlier. However, unlike Megara, Neris kept a distance of about three steps from the end of the desk.
Unlike earlier when Megara had only caught Abellus' attention, Neris' position allowed her to receive equal attention from all the student council members.
Her straight back, perfectly angled shoulders, and neatly clasped hands created a refined and leisurely atmosphere that was etched in everyone's eyes.
It was definitely a noble. The students who had only heard about Neris exchanged glances and whispered to each other. Elandria's noble.
Yes, Nelrisheon senior was worth paying attention to. Although she was a distant relative, how did she inherit the family's traits so well?... Even if she was a distant relative, wasn't she quite close to the main family?
Otherwise, she wouldn't have received such a good education, right? No, if we consider her bloodline...
The silent debate was intense, but Abellus gazed at Neris' face with an indifferent expression.
His uninterested eyes seemed to scrutinize Neris, taking in her entire being, from her past life to this one.
Even under Abellus' searching gaze, Neris maintained a calm and dignified expression.
Abellus soon raised an eyebrow and nodded at Megara and Aidalia, who were sitting to his right.
"Are you in the same grade? This one is a witness."
"What are you a witness to?"
Aidalia, who had been silent since entering the student council room, was startled by Neris' calm response and stiffened, glancing at Nelrisheon's face.
Nelrisheon spoke softly.
Megara thought that Neris had returned to her room without anyone noticing, and it was perfect.
Megara, who had a perfect mood, had two things that bothered her. First, there was Aidalia, who had promised to follow her but was now sitting uselessly in the student council room. Second, there was Neris' expression.
"But that will be resolved soon."
Megara maintained a beautiful smile, expecting Neris' expression to distort in frustration.
Abellus, who had finished observing, slowly asked, "Where were you last night?"
"I was in my room," Neris replied.
Yes! Megara's eyes sparkled with joy for a moment.
Aidalia grabbed Megara's sleeve, and Megara warned her with a glance not to say anything unnecessary.
It was clear that Aidalia was about to say something like, "But you said you weren't in your room."
In reality, whether Neris Trude was in her room last night or not was irrelevant. The fact that she was lying now meant that last night's business was something difficult to talk about with others.
Then, it would be impossible to provide an alibi. This was perfect!
"What time did you go to your room?"
"Around 9 pm, I think. I stayed in my room until morning, Your Highness. Where would I have gone?"
Neris' tone was casual, but her expression was too calm, and no one focused on the fact. Natasha frowned and confirmed.
"Didn't you say you were going to attend a social etiquette lesson last night?"
"Yes, I met you, Natasha senior, on my way there. But then I suddenly got a headache and returned to my room."
Some of the student council members, who were simple-minded, looked at Neris with contemptuous eyes, thinking that was an excuse.
On the other hand, Abellus and Nelrisheon's gazes became more serious than before.
The two men knew that they had missed a great opportunity last night.
Hudis Tiphian, that cunning and ruthless old man, was trying to offer his grandson as a sacrifice to the royal family. Abellus didn't hesitate to accept the deal.
If he could kill the monster, Clewin, and finally obtain Maindorlant, wouldn't it be a small price to pay to give Tiphian a piece of land?
But they had barely managed to surround Clewin and inflict a fatal wound, only to have the rat in the trap disappear.
It was even more infuriating because Abellus and Nelrisheon had sent their most trusted knights to track down Clewin.
How did that monster manage to escape? They had received reports of deep wounds on its legs and abdomen, but how did it hide?
Abellus, who was analyzing the situation, was furious about Ralph's report that he had met a noble girl from the Elandria family while searching for remnants.
What did it matter if the 1st-grade kids witnessed the struggle between the royal family and the dukes? They should have searched thoroughly from the start!
Ralph, who knew that the situation would have been exposed if he had really found the truth, had conducted an all-night search and had not returned yet.
Abellus' speculation that Clewin might have escaped from the Remnant Office and his subsequent frustration were growing.
But what if Clewin hadn't escaped on its own, but with the help of that kid?
The same possibility crossed the minds of the two men. Nelrisheon was unusually tense, and Abellus shot him a furious glance.
If Neris had helped Clewin, the probability that it was her solo act was low. There was no reason for that young kid to help a bloody stranger, unless Nelrisheon was betraying him.
Abellus asked, testing her, "Is there anyone who can prove it?"
"No," Neris replied, shaking her head.
Megara watched that scene with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. She was thrilled to finally see Neris become flustered and desperate.
Maybe they could finally get rid of Neris, Megara thought.
"Neris Trude, we are currently searching for a criminal."
Abellus' word choice was clearly intended to intimidate the kid. Neris' eyes, with their dark, mysterious color, showed a hint of doubt.
"A criminal?"
"Yes. There was a thief in the teacher's office last night. If you don't tell us where you really were last night, you'll be expelled."
Neris, who had paid an astronomical tuition to attend the academy, wouldn't want to be expelled. Abellus thought he had sufficiently intimidated the kid and was satisfied with the anxious expression on Neris' face.
He believed that he would soon hear the truth, whether it was about the exam or the Clewin case.
However, to hear the truth, the other students in the room were a hindrance. The fact that the royal family was trying to destroy the noble families couldn't be known to other high-ranking nobles.
Abellus signaled to the other students to leave, and the student council members quickly exited the room. The two attendants who had accompanied Aidalia and Megara earlier briefly entered to escort their masters.
Aidalia had been regretting following Megara from the start. She had come to get Nelrisheon's attention, but he hadn't even glanced at her.
Aidalia, who hadn't slept well due to Megara's plan the previous night, stumbled slightly due to fatigue. Her attendant, Simon, caught her.
"It's okay, Simon. Let's go."
Simon, Aidalia's attendant, was the one who had visited Neris' dormitory twice the previous night to confirm her absence and had even placed the stolen exam paper in her room.
He had said that he hadn't run into Neris, and since he had finished all his tasks before the 1st-grade curfew, Neris wouldn't have recognized him. But he had still felt a little uneasy.
The timid Aidalia couldn't help but glance at Neris. And when she saw Neris' eyes widen slightly, she felt a pang of guilt.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me?"
Neris quickly returned to her usual expression. Aidalia blinked several times, feeling confused, but soon calmed herself down.
Yes, there was nothing Neris could do now. That's why Aidalia had also lent her attendant to Megara as requested.
Neris' existence was the most abnormal and wrong 'phenomenon' in this school. Aidalia was a kind person, and at first, Megara's request had sounded bad to her.
But, for something that wrong, maybe using a slightly wrong method wouldn't be so bad either.
Yes, if the problem just disappeared... then she could go back to being kind and good again. She would even go to the temple and pray fervently, reflecting on her actions.
The door closed behind Aidalia.
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