Chapter 6: The Exceptionally Talented and Beautiful Man (6/302)

Chapter 6: The Exceptionally Talented and Beautiful Man

April 22, 2023

It was an absurd assumption.

Even when Nereis was a 'real' first-year, she had good grades. She loved books from a young age and could recite many passages from the scriptures in both the sacred language and the common tongue, and she knew a lot.

Although she wasn't used to the noble education system and wasn't the top student, her ranking was much higher than Lianon's.

Nereis folded her arms calmly.

A few people were captivated by her ice-like transparent eyes, and even those who weren't were amazed that the well-mannered student from an unknown family had such an upper-class, perhaps even royal, demeanor.

"Our family isn't wealthy enough to hire a tutor. My father passed away when I was very young, and I can only afford the tuition for this school with the help of my relatives. How can I hire a tutor? You, as the granddaughter of a count, are different."

Lianon, hearing the logical response, asked again with a contemptuous look. She seemed irritated by Nereis's attitude, which didn't show any sign of being intimidated despite knowing her 'superior' status.

"Then how did you do so well on the exam? It wasn't because of your own ability, right? If what you say is true, you didn't receive any education, did you?"

"The priest in the village where I lived had many books, and I learned basic sacred language from him."

Since most countries on the continent, including the Empire of Vesta, use languages derived from the sacred language, knowing it made learning foreign languages much easier. The children who understood this nodded in agreement.

Lianon, though her academic performance was poor, was better at reading the room. When she fell silent and stepped back, Megara's eyes narrowed.

This time, Megara gave a brief evaluation.

"Is that all? Then you're even more impressive."

Though she said that, no one missed the coldness that crept into Megara's pretty face.

In fact, the children knew that Megara had disliked Nereis Trued from the day of the opening ceremony, and those who flocked around her to flatter the famous young lady were unaware of this.

"Alright, everyone, please return to your seats."

Sir Sheridan, the social studies teacher, entered the auditorium. The children dispersed obediently, sitting in groups that had already formed.

However, many eyes remained fixed on Nereis. Most were friendly, but some were filled with contempt.

Sir Sheridan held a timetable. He called out the children's names in alphabetical order, and the called child would come forward to receive their timetable.

With a lively and clean-cut appearance, he happily chatted with every student who approached him.

"Lianon Bertha, you showed great potential. Is your grandfather well? Knowing everything doesn't mean you don't need to attend school. I've had students who scored the lowest in the evaluation test but received an honor at graduation. Just work hard."

"Alecto Islani, you write well. I enjoyed reading it very much. Your spelling is excellent, so with a little more study, you might be able to study with older students next year. Aim for that."

"Aidalia Kendall, you're excellent overall. I received a recommendation from Sir Cloder, and Mr. Rylan from the music department wants to have a conversation with you."

"Megara Licanoros! The party at your house during the last social season was impressive. I believe you will excel in my class. You did very well on the exam. A few classes have been skipped, so check your timetable carefully."

The children who had already become Megara's followers clapped as soon as he said that. Megara smiled gracefully, took her timetable, and returned to her seat.

Nereis found it pitiful how many people joined in the applause. Well, whether it was pitiful or not didn't matter. After all, there wasn't a single clean person among them.

Or was there one?

Diane received her timetable after Megara and said to Nereis with a sad face.

"I wish we had more classes together, but it doesn't seem like we will. I didn't skip any classes."

"Social studies, dance, and basic magic will definitely be together. Those three subjects don't have skips."

"Really?"

Diane's face brightened a little. Nereis added indifferently.

"And I'll know if I skipped any other classes after I get my timetable."

Contrary to her words, Nereis skipped all her classes except for the three mentioned.

Sir Sheridan talked at length about how perfect Nereis's answers were and how he expected her to do well in the future. Nereis felt the increasing hostility in Megara's and Lianon's eyes.

'So that's why they were angry.'

Just getting praised for something trivial. During the long period of being ostracized, Nereis now understood that the accusations of showing off, which she had heard, actually stemmed from their own inferiority complex.

People's hostility wasn't directed at those who should be better than them. It was directed at those who were supposed to be worse but weren't. And once that hostility arose, it never disappeared.

***

After the social studies class, the freshmen moved to other first-year classes.

Nereis had no first-year classes left for the day, as she had skipped all of them. Some of the skipped classes were at different times from the lower grades, so she had a free period.

The next lecture was in the center of the Kartak campus. After calculating her free time and route, Nereis decided she had time to visit the library.

So she did.

The academy had several historic libraries, and the Zachariah Library she found was one of the oldest.

Saint Zachariah, who performed miracles and saved many lives in ancient times, greatly influenced the empire's medicine, and many cities and buildings were named after her. The Zachariah Library of the academy, fittingly, was a medical library.

However, few people used the Zachariah Library. The study of 'skills' like medicine was not attractive to the nobility.

Even those who visited were mostly senior theology students or teachers with a strong sense of service. In the highest floor, only a few librarians visited.

Nereis went to the highest floor of the building. In a reading room with no one, old books and scrolls in boxes lay quietly, covered in the dust of time.

Nereis counted the mahogany bookshelves from the entrance. One, two, three, four.

Behind the fourth bookshelf, next to a pillar.

'Here it is.'

She smiled with her small lips.

There was a space between the pillar and the wall where two people could sit. This space existed only here, not behind any other pillars.

The space, designed to be invisible from the outside unless you knew it was there, contained nothing but a small, square skylight and a chair that seemed oddly out of place in the reading room.

The skylight was just as she remembered, but the chair was a bit cleaner than she remembered. Perhaps she had found this place earlier in this life than in her previous one.

Nereis sat comfortably in the chair and leaned back. She saw a clear, blue sky in front of her, just as it had been long ago.

Before graduation, this small, book-scented space was Nereis Trued's haven from being ostracized. And with a high probability, it was her exclusive haven.

The space was hard to find, and even seniors rarely visited the top floor of the medical library, let alone explored every corner.

Except for Nereis in her previous life, who had sought out a place where no one else would come.

She used to find secret spots to hide for a long time whenever children chased her, throwing stones or hitting her for fun. When a spot was discovered, she would search for another, wandering around the school.

This was a place she found a few years later and used until graduation.

"I was here back then too."

She had never seen anyone else use this space. But someone must have been here before her, someone who had sat in this chair and rested comfortably.

The chair's position, where it could enjoy the view outside the window while slightly avoiding the sunlight, was evidence of this.

Had a librarian placed it there at some point? Or perhaps a student buried in books on the top floor of the Zachariah Library had secretly arranged a place to sleep without the librarian's knowledge.

Nereis gazed at the sky and slowly closed her eyes.

She felt a gentle, rippling comfort in her small chest, as if she were separated from the world but not hostile to anyone. It was peaceful.

She wished time would stop here, and nothing would happen. Nothing at all.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard. Someone had entered the reading room.

Nereis was annoyed that her peace was disturbed. Why now, when no one usually came here?

She thought about moving, but there was no real reason to. If they were just looking for a book, they would probably pass by if she stayed still.

But the footsteps approached her more clearly and quickly than expected. When they stopped in front of her, she opened one eye and glared at the intruder.

The first thing she saw was a chest higher than she expected. Her gaze slid up to a handsome face.

Under jet-black hair, bright gray eyes sparkled like the night sky.

A small face, slender limbs, and a flawless beauty. Lips that any portrait artist would praise as ideal.

Was this what a fairy from a legend looked like?

A boy, dressed lightly with a sword at his waist, stood by the window, looking down at Nereis. She finally opened both eyes after recognizing him.

A frosty question fell from the boy's lips.

"Who are you?"

"Who are you, senior?"

Nereis knew who he was but asked coldly.

Cledwyn Maindland.

The only member of the only ducal family in the country, he would rule the northern part of the empire after graduating from the academy.

Nereis had heard that after the previous duke's death, he had beheaded all the family elders who opposed his immediate succession to the ducal throne.

The previous duke had died shortly after Cledwyn entered the academy, so his rightful succession had been delayed for a long time.

Maindland, in the north of the empire, was a vast territory that included everything from barren tundra to coastal resorts with hot springs. It was an old land with a unique culture and a high nose.

Even as a princess, Nereis rarely spoke with Cledwyn. He rarely left his land.

But the impression of an exceptionally talented and beautiful man remained.

"You first."

Cledwyn slightly raised the corners of his perfect lips. Nereis spoke calmly.

"I'm a freshman. I was resting here, but you disturbed me."

Abelus disliked Cledwyn. He called him a cruel monster who couldn't tolerate subordinates, a man who didn't look like a man, and said his lack of social skills was due to his intelligence.

He criticized him for every reason, but to Nereis, Cledwyn was a hundred times more talented than Abelus.

At least after Cledwyn became the duke, no one dared to invade Maindland. Abelus mocked it as a frozen land ruled by a terrifying monster, but that was just his disdain.

"This isn't a place for freshmen to know."

This was the second time she had heard such a comment. Nereis looked up at Cledwyn with a strange feeling.

In fact, Nereis had attended school longer than Cledwyn. He had skipped grades and graduated before he was of age, but Nereis had stayed for the same period as others.

When she didn't answer, Cledwyn's eyes turned stern.

"Speak."

Suddenly, a sharp blade was in front of Nereis's eyes. It was a quick draw, and she didn't even know when he had done it.