Chapter 50

A man in his mid-twenties—clearly not a student—was descending the dormitory stairs.

Pressed against the wooden wall in the darkness, Nerys held her breath. The man had no idea she was there.

Without altering his pace, he reached the bottom of the stairs and left the dormitory.

Nerys knew that face.

Her chest burned for a moment. How could she ever forget?

In her previous life, he had aided Eustace Grünehals in abducting her—and then, by showing an opening, had unknowingly given her the chance to escape.

He was the one who had served her drugged tea, the one who had dragged her around for the duration of the kidnapping.

His name was… right.

– “Simon! Tie this wench’s hands. How dare this filthy girl covet my sister’s position?”

– “Hey, Simon, what are we supposed to do next?”

Simon.

That was what Eustace had called him.

During the kidnapping, there had been moments where Simon seemed to be the one giving orders. He must have been a high-ranking servant of the Grünehals family.

He hadn’t seemed particularly close to Eustace, so he was probably Natasha’s man.

Now, over ten years younger than when she last saw him, his face was still unmistakable.

Unlike children, adults changed little with time. There was no mistake.

Eustace Grünehals was currently enrolled at the academy, but he had never crossed paths with Nerys. There was no reason for Natasha to suddenly send one of her attendants after her.

So why was Simon here? And at this hour?

There were plenty of other students in this dormitory. Could some other unfortunate soul have crossed the Grünehals siblings?

Lost in thought, Nerys silently climbed the stairs to her room and shut the door behind her.

The room was just as she had left it. Still, there was no harm in being thorough.

Sleep had already been ruined. Annoyed, Nerys checked her pillowcase, desk drawers, and shelves.

Paranoia.

The word flashed through her mind, but something about Simon’s presence nagged at her.

She had lived in this dormitory long enough to know its residents well. None of them had the courage to defy the powerful Grünehals siblings.

Had her encounter with Natasha triggered something?

Nerys had wanted Natasha to start being wary of Megara early.

That was why she had deliberately confronted Natasha, using the student council members’ schedules—memorized from her punishment under Nellusion—to ensure they crossed paths. She had pretended not to recognize Natasha and subtly warned her.

Had something gone wrong there?

Or had sending Joseph away to save Cledwyn drawn too much attention?

Right now, Abelus and Natasha were in the midst of a passionate relationship.

Had Natasha moved Simon at Abelus’ request to investigate Nerys’ connection to Cledwyn?

Nerys wasn’t foolish. She had long since burned any letters Cledwyn had sent. But had she left behind anything else?

She meticulously searched for any sign that an outsider had tampered with her belongings.

Her pillowcase, desk drawers, and shelves were untouched. Nothing seemed missing. But her gaze lingered on one spot.

The mattress.

Everyone had their own way of tucking in their sheets.

Nerys always folded the excess fabric neatly under the mattress.

Now, however, the edge of the sheet was crumpled and haphazardly stuffed under the bed.

As if someone had lifted the mattress, put it back down, and sloppily restored it.

The difference was barely noticeable, something she wouldn’t have caught under normal circumstances.

But in a situation like this? Every detail mattered.

She had never trusted the flimsy locks on this old dormitory.

A few hairpins were enough to pick any door here—including hers.

Taking a deep breath, Nerys lifted the mattress.

“Ha.”

Nestled between the mattress and the bed frame—where no one would normally look—was a brown envelope.

Scoffing to herself, she pulled it out and carefully reset the mattress and sheets. Then, she opened the envelope.

[First-Year Social Studies Midterm Exam]

It was a test paper. One prepared for the upcoming midterms.

—

Before even the earliest classes began at the academy, the student council members—still half-asleep over breakfast—were summoned.

Every student on the council came from a prestigious family, meaning they typically ate in their dormitories, served by their personal attendants.

As a result, gathering everyone took some time.

Natasha, who had rushed over without even fixing her hair properly, glared at the younger members who arrived after her. The younger high-ranking nobles who assisted with the council’s grunt work looked ready to cry under her sharp gaze.

The already tense atmosphere shattered when Abelus and Nellusion walked in.

The moment Natasha saw Abelus, she composed herself, her fierce expression replaced with a light, playful smile.

Abelus, hair in a tangled mess, yawned widely and plopped down at a desk. Natasha and Nellusion flanked him like guards.

Still rubbing sleep from his eyes, Abelus spoke lazily.

“Sheridan’s exam papers are missing.”

The air in the student council room turned razor-sharp.

The members exchanged glances. Natasha’s voice remained soft as she asked,

“When, Your Highness? This morning?”

“Sometime between last night and this morning. Sheridan says he checked them before leaving for the first-year supplemental class last night, so they were definitely there then.”

Nellusion followed Abelus’ lead and began explaining the situation.

The stolen item was the first-year midterm exam. It was discovered missing this morning. The first person to notice was a servant cleaning the hallways, who found the office lock twisted open and immediately reported it.

When Nellusion finished, Abelus propped his elbow on the desk and rested his chin in his palm, his lips curling into a sinister smile.

“The first-years this year are really something, huh? Not a single quiet day, right?”

He wasn’t wrong. Angharad Nine’s audacious theft, the brawl between Rhiannon Berta and Alecto Isalani… The student council, which practically ran the academy, received reports on all major incidents.

Even so, it was rare to see a first-year class so relentless in stirring trouble from the very start.

“Your Highness.”

Natasha spoke sweetly to Abelus.

“Shall I summon all the first-years?”

“I’m considering it, Tashi. But if the student council calls them immediately, wouldn’t the culprit just destroy the evidence before showing up?”

That was true.

This wasn’t some petty theft like Angharad Nine’s antics.

Stealing an exam paper outright defied the academy’s founding principle of self-improvement, threatening the integrity of the grading system itself.

Once caught, the perpetrator would face severe punishment.

As the student council members exchanged glances, sharing their disdain for the unknown first-year who had dared to provoke them, someone knocked on the council room door.

“Who is it?”

A lower-ranking council member nearest to the door called out.

A soft, delicate voice responded from outside.

“It’s Megara Lykeandros. May I come in?”

Abelus, clearly uninterested, gestured lazily with his chin.

“Let her in.”

The student council member opened the door.

More than one person entered.

Along with Megara came her attendant, as well as Aidalia Kendall and her own servant.

It was only natural for noble ladies of their age not to roam alone, especially at this early hour.

Typically, they would have been accompanied by their close maids, but given the time, they had likely chosen male attendants instead.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the council member dismissed the two attendants and shut the door.

Abelus eyed the approaching Megara and the timid Aidalia behind her with disinterest.

The two girls were dressed oddly.

They had clearly thrown on robes over their nightgowns—a completely unbefitting outfit for young noblewomen to be seen outside in.

“What brings you here?”

Nellusion, prompted by Abelus’ glance, asked gently.

Aidalia, overwhelmed by the weight of her senior peers’ gazes, had been staring at the floor. At Nellusion’s voice, she hesitantly lifted her head.

Megara, however, was practically sparkling with excitement as she answered.

“We were having breakfast when we overheard something shocking, so we rushed over right away. We hesitated, thinking we might be bothering you for no reason… but we felt you had to know.”

“Oh? And what is it?”

“Well…”

Megara glanced away from Nellusion, her eyes flitting toward Abelus.

Abelus, who had been passively watching the exchange, found himself unexpectedly pleased.

He liked beautiful women, but Megara Lykeandros was still too young for such thoughts.

Still, wasn’t it interesting?

Most women admired Nellusion—the gentle, charming one. Yet here, Megara had looked to Abelus first.

Even a child recognized who was more dependable and authoritative.

He had always been irked by Nellusion’s popularity.

A duke’s son was nothing in front of a crown prince. And yet, thanks to that smooth face and easygoing charm, Nellusion seemed to have an irritating amount of influence.

Megara, however, was clever. She had an eye for true power.

Who would children instinctively trust more?

“Alright, Lady Megara. If you want to tell me, go ahead.”

Encouraged by his attention, Megara’s violet eyes twinkled. She leaned closer, lowering her voice and covering her mouth as if sharing a grand secret.

“I heard the exam papers went missing last night. I think I know who did it.”

The student council members reacted differently to her claim.

Nellusion studied Megara with an unreadable expression.

Natasha raised an eyebrow.

Abelus tilted his chin slightly.

“And who would that be?”

Megara hesitated for effect, her tone deliberately cautious.

“I feel bad pointing fingers at a classmate, but… given the seriousness of the situation, I think it’s best to speak up.”

Her pretense of reluctance fooled no one.

No one who ran to make an accusation first thing in the morning could claim innocence.

Nellusion already had a good idea whose name she was about to say. His charming smile wavered slightly.

With an expression of exaggerated sorrow, Megara finally declared:

“Nerys Truydd.”