Chapter 99

Chapter 98

As I suddenly shifted my body, Ilya tilted his head in confusion.

"Is there a problem?"

There is a problem. My ranking suddenly shot up, you know?

I laughed awkwardly, trying to brush it off.

"It's nothing."

Ding!

[Throne 'Seongjeokchung' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Wow, look at how the ranking soared right after the return! 😂]

Ding!

[Throne 'Campaign Ad Traffic' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[I came here after seeing the ad! The video of you dancing in the Ozwald Stream profile is so cute! 😄]

"......"

Overwhelmed by self-loathing, I quickly closed the broadcast settings and the donation window.

The Ozwald Stream profile video shoot was undoubtedly the worst black history among the many schedules I had to handle.

As I sighed deeply, Ilya closed the book he was reading and stood up.

"Seems like you can't concentrate. Let's stop here."

Oh no, I've caused a disturbance.

I hastily spread my arms wide to block his path to the door.

"No, Professor! I'll concentrate properly from now on. Please don't go!"

Ilya's gaze fell on my arms, which were blocking his way, then met my eyes.

"Your method of trying to keep me here is quite unique."

I sheepishly pulled my arms back.

"Sorry, I just got a bit too eager…."

I nervously gauged his reaction.

"Are you angry…?"

Ilya tilted his head.

"Why would I be angry?"

If someone else had asked this, I might have thought they were being confrontational, but Ilya wasn't the type to nitpick.

"It's just that you took the time to help me, and I couldn't concentrate, so I feel bad…?"

"I'm not angry because your intelligence can't keep up with the material."

"......"

Ding!

[Throne 'Facts Are Also Violence' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Your generosity is quite extreme…]

Frankly, I felt it would be better if he were angry.

I said with a slightly pouting face,

"I was worried you might be disappointed because I couldn't concentrate, but if not, that's a relief."

"…Do you not want to disappoint me?"

"Yes."

At that, Ilya stroked my head, just like he did before entering the library.

Though his expression was blank, his touch was tender, almost melting.

"I've never been disappointed in you, so you don't need to worry about that. I've told you before, you're a valued student."

"Professor…."

Ding!

[Throne 'Facts Are Also Violence' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Disappointment also requires a certain level of expectation…]

The throne's donation comment shattered my emotional moment.

'Ugh. That's a valid point.'

Well, even if that's true, Ilya only calls someone his student when they have at least two red hearts.

So, there's no need to distort Ilya's genuine words about valuing me.

He withdrew his hand from my head and said,

"Study well for tomorrow's exam."

"Okay!"

* * *

Sunday's Balar was quiet.

Of course, this was a relative quietness compared to the bustling weekdays filled with students.

The Willow Duke's residence, which also served as a magic school, required far more staff than a typical noble's mansion.

Moreover, there were quite a number of commoner students staying in the dormitories.

'But I'm probably the only one who came to school in uniform today.'

Scribble, scribble, scribble.

After finishing the last problem, I looked up at the professor, who was raising an eyebrow and looking at me with suspicion.

"I'm done, Professor. Can I leave now?"

The professor took the test paper, checked the answers, and then looked at me with a peculiar expression.

Ding!

[Throne 'Conspiracy Theorist' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[The spoiled princess is hiding her intelligence]

"…The exact results will be announced tomorrow. You can leave now."

The midterm exam, delayed due to the dungeon, finally ended.

After leaving the lecture hall, I headed straight to my next destination.

Knock, knock.

"President, it's Tereze Squire."

It was the president's office.

As I waited for the staff to open the door, I came face to face with the president, who had come out to greet me.

The president's office was an elegant space, gently illuminated by the noon sun, but I didn't have time to look around as I was immediately embraced.

"Oh, Tereze. I'm so glad to see you again."

"Ah, yes…."

The president tried to give me an unwanted emotional reunion.

'I wish he would let go.'

What I really wanted was to check the actual layout of the president's office.

Since the president's office couldn't be entered freely, I wanted to take a good look while I had the chance.

"Come, come, over here."

Unaware of my thoughts, the president led me to the sofa and sat me down.

On the table were beautifully arranged pastries, a crystal bowl filled with sweet honey, and a fragrant cup of steaming tea.

"Go ahead, help yourself."

"Thank you."

I felt the warm surface of the teacup and quietly rolled my eyes.

A space reflects its owner's personality.

Thus, the president's office was suffocatingly perfect, with everything in perfect order.

All the furniture was symmetrically arranged, and the desk was placed in the center.

The room revealed his obsessive and rigid nature.

However, if you only considered Noel Willow, he seemed relaxed and generous, making it hard to see his obsessive and strict personality.

'In contrast, there's Professor Felix. His lab is a mess.'

Hmm… maybe my room too.

At that moment, I felt grateful for the staff who cleaned my room.

Clank.

Suddenly, the sound of the teacup touching the saucer caught my attention.

The president was looking at me intently, having noticed my distracted state.

"I heard you've finished all your exams. Your expected grade is an A? Honestly, I'm surprised. How is that possible?"

"…Because I'm a fourth-year?"

Ding!

[Throne 'Pro Coach' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Even a third-year wouldn't make as many excuses as Tereze]

My answer seemed absurd, and the president, uncharacteristically, was silent for a moment before chuckling.

"My question was foolish. Fourth-year students, who were previously lax in their grade management, often work hard to graduate. I understand."

Though he said he understood, it was clear he just wanted to move on from the topic.

So, he changed the subject.

"I heard you submitted the dungeon report. Did you read Clyde's report before submitting yours?"

"Yes."

"I see. That's what I thought. Since your report didn't mention the two people getting married in the dungeon."

The dungeon creates a virtual world based on what the demon contractor desires, and while there are some common trends, the reports are crucial.

If there were discrepancies in the reports of the dungeon exploration team, it could be seen as a personal gain, leading to almost certain execution.

While the Willow family wouldn't face execution, they would certainly face significant trouble.

"Why did you do that?"

The president was very curious.

I could have put the Willow family in a crisis or blackmailed Clyde into marrying me.

But I didn't ask for anything in return and just aligned my report with his.

There was a reason for this.

"Because Clyde would be in danger. I didn't want that."

Even though I chose to die in his place in the dungeon, Clyde sacrificed himself for me.

That fact didn't change.

"Clyde isn't just a simple heir to the dukedom. He is the owner of a holy relic and has made significant contributions to the empire. He wouldn't be in much danger, would he?"

"Ultimately, that's just an assumption. Unless Clyde is an invincible god, I don't feel comfortable with it."

The president, looking into my sincere eyes, suddenly burst into a weak laugh.

"I see. It was a very simple reason."

While he didn't lower his guard, his attitude softened a bit as he asked,

"Do you have any requests? As Clyde's grandfather, I want to show my gratitude."

"Really?"

"Tell me what you want."

"Then, can I take a look around the president's office?"

Ding!

[Throne 'Materialism' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[?]

"…Did I hear that right? You want to tour the president's office?"

"Yes."

As I nodded and slightly lifted my buttocks, the president looked genuinely surprised.

"…Alright, then."

"Thank you."

I quickly stood up and began to explore the president's office.

"Wow… Oh…"

The suffocating precision. Perfectly organized.

There wasn't even a speck of dust.

Moreover, numerous rare magic books, likely personal collections, caught my eye.

I finished my tour, feeling satisfied.

"I've seen everything, President."

The president still looked disbelieving.

"Are you really satisfied with just this?"

"Yes."

"…I see. You should go and rest now."

It was a welcome suggestion.

I was starting to feel like returning to the dormitory to rest.

After leaving the president's office without any issues and returning to the dormitory, I was greeted by Elowise, who was packing her belongings.

"Oh, I heard you had a meeting with the president, but you're back early!"

"Yeah, the exam ended quickly."

"Did you do well on the exam?"

I chuckled and said nonchalantly,

"Well, I did well enough not to get expelled."

"Enough not to get expelled…?"

Elowise realized my grade would be at least an A- and screamed.

"Ah! Really? What do I do! You studied so hard, and your grades improved so much?! I have to tell the head of the house. How happy he'll be!"

"I can tell him when the grades come out."

"Still! I should tell the kitchen to prepare a special dinner for tonight. And open some champagne!"

Elowise, jumping around, quickly ran out.

Ding!

[Throne 'Facts Are Also Violence' has donated 100,000 coins.]

[Anyone would think you're the top student]

Thinking of the top student, Clyde came to mind.

"By the way, is Clyde in the dormitory now?"