The chair in the library was as comfortable as ever. Neris naturally lifted her face when she sensed someone's presence.
The casualness with which the other person occupied the seat was unbelievable. Clewin's face, which looked like he had just taken a stroll, was calm and innocent, making Neris smile.
"What do you want to say?"
Since they had already made an appointment through a letter, it was as if Neris had obtained permission from the chair's owner. Thinking so, Neris spoke confidently.
"Spread some rumors for me."
"Rumors."
Clewin repeated the word and sat down in front of the chair, making Neris momentarily taken aback.
As the successor of the Maindellant family, he was legally of a higher status than anyone in the country, excluding direct imperial family members. He must have had a luxurious childhood, unlike anyone else.
However, his action of sitting down on the cold stone floor was as natural as ever.
Was it because he was from the swordsmanship department and was used to training? They didn't provide high-class chairs in the training hall, after all.
But there was an inexplicable naturalness to Clewin's attitude. From the beginning, it was unlikely that the swordsmanship department of the Noble Academy would give Clewin Maindellant such harsh training. Abelsu must have intervened to prevent a proper teacher from being assigned to him.
"Yes. The source of the rumor is Alecto."
"What's the content?"
"Here."
Neris took out the prepared paper. Clewin unfolded it and quickly scanned the contents. His attitude didn't show any discomfort at receiving orders from someone of a lower social status and academic year.
If someone who didn't know their true social status had seen them, they would have thought it was a noble lady giving orders to her servant.
Clewin was definitely very fast at reading. He didn't take much longer than Neris would have needed to read the same amount of text.
After quickly finishing reading the paper, he put it away and raised one corner of his mouth.
"It seems like you're using her well. This time, the target was that girl. When the hunt is over, the hunting dog gets discarded, right?"
"If I'm a wolf that can attack you at any time, then yes. You may keep people who are likely to harm you by your side, but I'm not like that. I don't have the ability to defend myself, so if I allow my opponent to attack me even once, I'll die."
The girl's words, which sounded like she was willing to die, echoed monotonously in Clewin's ears. He looked up at Neris with a calm gaze.
The chair, which was finished with intricate carvings and velvet, was undoubtedly a high-class item, but it didn't seem out of place in the library.
However, when she sat on it naturally, it looked like a kind of throne, symbolizing authority and power, the kind that was passed down through generations of direct imperial family members in the imperial palace.
Even for direct imperial family members, sitting on a throne at a young age was unnatural. In fact, Neris's body was small, and she didn't even fill half of the chair, with her toes floating in the air.
Despite this, she seemed to dominate the atmosphere like an adult who had made many decisions.
It was a strange thing. Clewin liked strange things. His life, by his own standards, was quite dull, and it didn't seem like it would change much in the future, but Neris Truede had appeared and caught his interest.
Well, her existence would bring some variables to his life...
"Alright, as you wish. Is that all?"
"There's more. I need a piece of land. It would be nice if it's close, but security is the most important thing. It's okay if it's a bit far."
"Land?"
Clewin tilted his head and smiled strangely.
"Do you want to become a lord? It'll take a few years, I think."
What was this person talking about? Neris glanced at him slightly. Of course, what she was asking for wasn't a lord's position somewhere. Why did he have to make a joke like that?
"For now, a small field would be fine. Of course, it can't be in my name. It would be nice if there's a house attached. It should look like a place where some minor noble would leave it unattended, so it's better if there are no passersby."
Although it was clear that she had come up with a very clear plan from the beginning, Clewin found it difficult to guess Neris's intentions. He made a guess based on the most likely possibility.
"Is it a house for your mother to live in?"
"No."
Of course, Neris would have moved her mother to a safe place if she could, but she couldn't reveal her most important weakness to Clewin yet. Not even after she got to know him a bit better.
It wasn't time yet for a fatal threat to reach her mother. One of the reasons she was still trying to please Nellusion was because of that.
"Don't ask where it's for. You can deduct the cost from my salary later."
In a normal sense, it would take Neris a few years to be able to work formally for Clewin. And since she asked for it to be in a different name and emphasized the importance of security, it was a task that required a lot of work.
She was asking him to wait for the day when she, a low-ranking noble girl without a background, could pay the price for all that, including the trouble.
Despite saying something that went beyond common sense, Neris was confident. Clewin, who was looking at her, suddenly burst out laughing.
It seemed that Neris's confidence was infectious.
Neris was confident in her own words. Who else could know their own abilities and sense of justice as well as she did?
She could do many things, and she always paid back what she owed. She planned to repay him much faster and more than he expected.
Clewin raised an eyebrow, his eyes still smiling.
"Alright, I'll take care of the details."
"I'll send you a letter. I didn't expect you to agree so quickly, thank you."
She had called him with the intention of answering a few questions with lies, but today's business had ended much faster than expected, leaving her feeling a bit flustered. However, Neris ended the conversation with a polite thank you.
Clewin shrugged and looked at Neris, making her feel uncomfortable.
"Why?"
"Why did you stir up trouble between Alecto Islani and Rianon Berta for today?"
Neris looked at him strangely, her mind momentarily stopping.
Of course, his words were true. But he shouldn't have known the truth.
Neris had expected that the children would feel uncomfortable and annoyed just by hearing Rianon's name, and that they would eventually become unable to bear their own discomfort.
In her past life, Rianon's luck - which was unfair to some people - hadn't spread to such unpleasant gossip.
Rianon wasn't hated, and she was well-received among the high-ranking noble children.
The low-ranking noble children accepted Rianon's family background as different from their own, and the high-ranking noble children accepted her existence because she was a quiet child.
But this time was different. Neris had manipulated everything.
Everyone had secretly despised Rianon, and everyone had seen her as "the presumptuous Rianon" at least once.
But how could they not dislike the fact that she had become a real countess?
People had a tendency to quickly spread rumors when they felt jealous and annoyed. Something similar had happened in Neris's past life when she became a duchess.
The children, who had repeated the same complaints among themselves dozens of times, had come to hate and avoid even the topic of Rianon. It was a convenient psychological escape for the noble children who believed themselves to be noble and dignified.
What could be done? From now on, they would have to tolerate Rianon's existence in the social circle.
But Neris had planned everything carefully.
The same solution didn't apply to Neris's case. Valentin, the "real daughter" of the duke's family, who entered the academy a year after Neris, openly despised and scorned Neris at school.
In her past life, Neris was hated in a more subtle way in front of her and in a more vulgar way behind her back after becoming a duchess.
To put it simply, Count Berta was a much better father than Duke Elantria's adoptive father. He was a person with the power and affection to give his young daughter a diamond necklace.
It was a point where a wise person would realize that they should keep their mouth shut and endure.
So, Alecto's wit, which continued to bring up uncomfortable topics, was no longer welcomed in an instant. Neris knew well that children who seemed simple were actually complex and could change their attitude in an instant.
But how did Clewin know that Neris had manipulated everything from behind the scenes to make this day come?
Neris responded with a more nervous tone than she had intended.
"How could I have known that Count Berta and Count Berta would pass away? Am I a prophet?"
"I don't know."
Clewin looked up at Neris and smiled slightly. A ray of sunlight illuminated his face.
His forehead, nose, and eyes, which shone with a subtle golden light in the sunlight, were like marble.
Clewin was truly a handsome boy, and the contours of his face became even more dramatic as the sunlight highlighted them. Even Neris, who had seen many beautiful people in the palace, had never seen anyone with such beauty.
But what did a handsome face matter? Abelsu liked beautiful women, but Neris didn't have the hobby of befriending people based on their looks.
She suppressed her momentary unease and looked at Clewin, who seemed to be examining her for a moment.
After a while, Clewin stood up with a light smile.
"I've bought the seeds you mentioned. You can send them to me and maybe arrange a garden or something."
"Thank you."
It was good news. Neris smiled with a clean face and stood up.
Clewin watched her small, elegant back as she left for a long time.
***
Alecto couldn't believe the situation she was in.
It had been several days already. The children she used to play with would avoid her like the plague when she approached, and when she tried to join a group, the children would all get up and leave.
At first, she thought she was just being overly sensitive, but when her witty remark in class was met with awkward silence, she couldn't deny it anymore.
"Do you have a problem with me?"
Alecto's question, which she had carefully thought out, was met with an awkward expression from Idalia.
Alecto was surprised and slightly angry at Idalia's reaction. If there was a problem, shouldn't she just say it straight out? That way, if there was something wrong, it could be fixed, and if there was a misunderstanding, it could be cleared up?
"This is why you don't have any friends."
Alecto sighed at Idalia's immaturity and asked kindly.
"Do you have a problem? Tell me, so I can fix it."
However, it wasn't Idalia who responded.
"Hmmph."
A boy sitting nearby let out a loud snort. Although the classroom was noisy because the teacher was absent, Alecto could hear the snort clearly, and it hurt.
"Doesn't she know what she did wrong?"
Alecto and Idalia's faces turned bright red at the same time. Idalia glared at the boy.
"Hiss."
Hiss Angerson had a crush on Idalia. She was pretty, delicate, and kind. Plus, her family was good.
If she wanted to say something, there was no reason she couldn't, but did she have to be so timid in front of the despicable Alecto Islani?
He didn't think so.
"What do you mean?"
Alecto asked, her eyes wide with surprise. Even a child less perceptive than Alecto would have been able to sense the contempt and hostility in Hiss's voice.
Hiss snorted again.
"It's really sad that Beni Shayer trusted you. You call this a friend? Do you know how angry the kids are right now?"
"What?"