Chapter 64
After the break, the library carried a slightly mustier scent than before, and some books on the shelves were missing or newly added.
But overall, nothing had changed. Just like it had been for decades.
It was as if summer vacation had never happened—last semester still felt vivid. Nerys quietly made her way to the secret spot on the fifth floor of the library.
If not today, she had planned to come sit here tomorrow or the day after. As she was reading a randomly selected book, she suddenly noticed a familiar figure sitting on the floor. Looking up at her.
“You should’ve said something when I came in.”
Nerys knew how oblivious she became to her surroundings once immersed in a book. Assuming he’d been waiting for a while, she casually scolded him. Cledwyn grinned.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your reading.”
“It’s rude to waste someone’s time. Why did you come? If you’re here to communicate with someone, I can step out.”
Since she was the one with a favor to ask, Nerys decided to show some consideration first. Cledwyn, sitting cross-legged, shook his head.
“I came to see you. Didn’t you have business with me?”
So he figured it out already? His men must have been watching the library closely. Well, since it was a known meeting point, it made sense.
Just as Nerys was about to ask him for people to lend, she noticed something about Cledwyn’s expression that didn’t sit right with her. She quickly figured out why.
“Are you hurt?”
Cledwyn gave a faint smile. The fact that he didn’t answer was suspicious. He was always annoyingly articulate—except when joking.
Nerys sighed. He was a little taller than before the break, his features slightly sharper, yet still in perfect harmony—like a fae. That calm smile.
He was the kind of boy one might call near perfect. Had he been born in an ordinary noble family, his school life would’ve been nothing but joy. Why did he have to endure such a difficult path?
Looking at his outwardly calm but clearly troubled face, Nerys had to admit it—even if just a little.
She was worried about him.
Just a little. Truly.
No, really—if he died, it would be a problem for her too.
“Is it a wound that can’t be treated, or is there no one to treat it?”
Even before he opened his mouth, she had a guess. The latter, probably.
Having seen all sorts of things within the Imperial Palace, Nerys knew there were very few wounds that couldn’t be healed.
Aftereffects of illnesses already suffered or limbs long gone couldn’t be restored, but most external wounds could be resolved with divine power and medical assistance.
Magic could have similar effects too.
Of course, there were far fewer mages than priests, but the heir to the Mainland Duchy should at least have one in his employ.
Cledwyn’s expression didn’t change, but Nerys caught a subtle glint of displeasure in his eyes.
“How do you know everything?”
That was always his line. Nerys narrowed her eyes.
“If you’re hurt, you didn’t have to come in person. No, if you can’t get treated because of spies inside, then you shouldn’t have come in that state at all. Do you realize you’re sweating cold?”
Like someone casually picking up something they almost forgot, Cledwyn wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Nerys stood up.
“Come with me. I don’t know where Ren is right now. Actually, it doesn’t have to be Ren. Just go to the Theology Department and grab any professor—intimidate them. So what if people find out the heir of Mainland is injured? By the time rumors spread, you’ll already be healed.”
In her fluster, she forgot to add “senior” after Ren’s name. She only realized that after finishing her sentence.
“You’re more reckless than I expected.”
Cledwyn didn’t get up. He just gave her a quiet, bitter smile. Nerys flared her eyes.
“And who’s the one getting injured all the time?”
“Are you worried about me?”
“Do you need me to be?”
“Not really.”
“Then I’m not.”
Even though she realized she was worried about him, she saw no reason to let him know. There was no benefit in revealing her hand when she might need to use him. Nerys raised her chin and spoke clearly.
At her resolute tone, Cledwyn looked oddly dispirited. If he, a grown man, had been hoping for concern from a child, it would only prove he lacked the qualifications of a leader.
“I didn’t skip treatment out of fear. I just didn’t have time.”
“Why?”
“There were matters in the territory.”
Nerys had suspected as much.
If anything happened during the break, it would naturally be in the territory. Ren had hinted at the situation in Mainland too.
“You must’ve attended class yesterday at least.”
“I only dropped in briefly. I’ve been searching since then.”
“For what?”
For the first time, a flash of intensity crossed Cledwyn’s otherwise calm eyes.
“Agents of the traitor.”
It wasn’t something she could blame him for. Nerys looked at him for a moment and sighed.
“You’ve had it rough.”
“You’re not going to ask?”
“For details? If it’s something I need to know, you’ll tell me. What’s the point in forcing it out when you don’t even want to talk?”
Nerys began to feel awkward, realizing she was the only one standing. She debated whether to sit back down or make him stand when Cledwyn slowly rose to his feet.
His posture was a little unsteady. Nerys frowned and grabbed his arm. Cledwyn blinked, then grinned.
“Trying to help me up?”
“I’m too short to do that. But if I hold on like this, you won’t suddenly collapse, will you? You really had no time to get treated for that? Don’t you know letting a wound worsen is the stupidest thing you can do?”
“The best healer crossed over to the other side. And the one who can still treat is on the verge of death. I’ve been out the whole time and just got back to the dorm. Without a reliable hired hand like you, Lady Nerys, who knows what might’ve become of me.”
That was a decent move. Nerys shot him a sidelong glance as Cledwyn chuckled at his own surprisingly straightforward joke, and together they exited the hidden spot.
“For someone so short on time, you made it here just fine.”
“It might’ve been urgent. I had to come first. Treatment… as long as I’m not dying immediately, I can do it later.”
‘Is he stupid or something?’ Nerys revised her evaluation of Cledwyn once again since that incident in the thicket.
Diligent. Needlessly diligent. A man who puts duty before himself, even when it’s clear it’ll cost him.
Honestly, what could be more urgent for her than the heir to the Mainland Duchy walking around sweating from a wound?
And it’s not like Cledwyn doesn’t know that. He’s just the kind of fool who puts others before himself.
Seeing someone like that reminded her of her past life. Nerys stiffened her neck.
“There’s nothing more troublesome for me right now than you dying. I still have a lot of things to ask of you, so even if you don’t like it, stay healthy. Got it?”
Watching her speak with that bold tone, like she was doing him a favor, Cledwyn let out a sigh-like laugh.
Truthfully, his injury was quite serious. Not fatal on the spot, but if left untreated, it could become fatal.
If anyone else had requested a meeting, he would’ve rejected it without hesitation. As a leader, he knew how much his condition affected his people.
But when he heard Nerys was waiting, he couldn’t help but come here before visiting a priest. Otherwise, it would’ve weighed on his mind.
A girl hiding things, carrying burdens on that tiny frame. A child trying to clean up a past even Cledwyn didn’t fully understand.
Last semester, by the time he heard that she’d been summoned to the student council after falling into Megara Lykeandros’s trap, it was already over.
Cledwyn had been wounded and missing due to his grandfather’s betrayal. His subordinates had been focused on finding him, and afterward, cleaning up the mess.
That was entirely his fault. He foolishly relied on blood ties, and his poor judgment ended up affecting even a child already carrying more than her share.
And wasn’t it because she saved his life that she got dragged into that trap?
That’s why, if she needed help, it was only natural that he’d place her above all else.
But saying such things to her felt too self-serving. So instead of offering excuses, Cledwyn just smiled.
* * *
“You get hurt again?”
The moment they arrived at Ren’s dorm, the pink-haired boy shot at Cledwyn with a sharp glare.
Then, immediately turned to Nerys with a cheerful grin.
“Good to see you, Nerys. I’ve got snacks—want some?”
It was blatant favoritism. Only someone like Ren could treat the heir to the Mainland Duchy this way.
After all, the Pope and the Emperor were the twin pillars of the empire—spiritual and political. No one could definitively say which stood higher.
‘Though it might just be his personality too.’
Even with the Pope’s importance, only the most devout would continue to show such respect to a former Pope.
Power was absolute only while it lasted—once it was gone, nothing faded faster.
As the younger brother of the former Pope, Ren had once wielded near-unchecked authority, but now he was a disconnected kite. Yet he showed no signs of shrinking back, living entirely by his own terms.
Nerys didn’t find his attitude unpleasant. It was far worse to see someone broken by hardship groveling for scraps.
She just sighed and said,
“No snacks, thank you. But I’m really sorry—can you treat him?”
“If it’s your request, of course I can.”
Despite the casual response, Ren quickly scanned the area and ushered them inside.
Since it was around the time morning classes began, a few people were out on the streets. Ren shut all the first-floor windows and drew the curtains to keep anyone from peeking inside.
“How’d you run into that guy?”
As Nerys helped Cledwyn to the sofa in the first-floor parlor, Ren asked in a friendly tone. Nerys offered a vague excuse. She couldn’t exactly say they had a secret meeting spot.
“There were some circumstances. Originally, I just meant to talk for a bit, but then I saw he was hurt. I know you’re busy, senior Ren, and I’m sorry for asking this again. But I had no one else to ask.”
Her words included a touch of flattery.
When she’d told Cledwyn to ‘grab any professor and intimidate them,’ she had been half-serious. But knowing Ren had no ties to the upper levels, she didn’t want to waste such a useful contact.
Besides, he wasn’t the scheming type, so there was little chance of him pretending to heal while doing something else.
Surprisingly, Ren’s face lit up at her words. And in the same moment, a warm white light flared from his hands.
