Out of all the many students and dormitories, her roommate just had to be Serena. It was truly someone she didn’t imagine.

Aris felt a thunderous shock, but she pushed her emotions aside and grasped Serena’s hand.

“I’m Aristena Eldeiz. I look forward to getting along with you as well.”

For now, the Serena before her had no prior acquaintance with Aris.

Although Aris felt anger welling up along with memories of her past life as soon as she saw Serena’s face, she managed to hold it back.

‘I don’t want to get involved with this person unnecessarily.’

As roommates, they should be able to coexist without much interaction. Aris just needed to show disinterest in her.

Aris turned her back again and sat at her desk after finishing the greeting. She ignored Serena’s gaze following her back.

Hoping that Serena would also lose interest in her, Aris pretended to be busy.

* * *

A letter arrived.

Three days ago, having received a stern threatening letter from Marquis Eldeiz, Aris looked at the letter with a gloomy feeling.

‘…It’s not from Father?’

Despite being very tense, it wasn’t a letter stamped with the Eldeiz family seal.

‘There’s no sender’s name…’

While pondering in confusion, Aris suddenly remembered that person. The nameless person who had lent her a large sum of money.

She covered her mouth and hurriedly sat at her desk. It was a reply after a week. Actually, she hadn’t been expecting a reply, but now that it came, she couldn’t have been happier.

Aris carefully opened the letter. Once again, angular letters that seemed to have been printed with something appeared. Although it might seem like a stiff letter at first glance, Aris smiled for the special reason of exchanging correspondence.

Just as she was about to read the letter from the unknown sender,

“It doesn’t seem to be a letter from your family this time?”

Startled by the sudden voice from behind, Aris turned around. Serena was standing right behind her, having approached unnoticed.

She smiled brightly when their eyes met. But rather than a pure smile, it felt closer to a sneer.

Aris had adapted well to the Magic Department so far.

She was studying diligently and completing all her assignments without fail. Although she wasn’t on particularly good terms with Serena, who she shared the room with, they managed to get along somehow.

But if there was one problem, it might be this.

Aris glared at Serena’s grinning face. Serena Frencia was more interested in Aris than she had imagined, and as a result, she often made unnecessary interventions like this.

“…It’s a letter from someone I know.”

“Someone you know? But you don’t even know the sender’s name?”

Serena cast a glance at the letter in Aris’s hand with a look of surprise. Momentarily stunned by her words, Aris asked with a sinking feeling.

“Have you touched my desk?”

“Oh my, me? How could I? What do you take me for?”

Serena said with a frown, as if mocking. Aris felt upset for a moment.

Was it because the Serena before her was younger than in her past life? The hostility emanating from her was palpable.

‘Come to think of it, when I tried to mail the letter to that person last time, my desk was a bit messy…’

No wonder she had an uneasy feeling then. Given the circumstances, it was clear that this person had rummaged through her desk. Had she read the letter Aris had written?

‘But she has no reason to hate me now. Even if she could back then because I had taken her place…’

Aris was about to confront her but just turned her head away instead. She didn’t want to get more involved.

‘You’ll become the Empress since I’m not there, anyway. Please just leave me alone.’

Aris inwardly rebuked her like that and put down the letter she was holding.

“…Never mind. Don’t you have a lecture soon? You’d better get going.”

Then Serena folded her arms and muttered with a displeased look.

“Are all easterners like this…”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing, I was talking to myself.”

Eventually, Serena gathered her textbooks and left the room. Aris stared at the closed door.

She really felt bad. Even in her past life, she had never felt such blatant discomfort.

‘I didn’t know she was this kind of person.’

In her past life, she had thought Serena wasn’t a bad person. But to think it was all a facade. Just how stupid had she been?

It wouldn’t have taken much thought to figure out what kind of feelings Serena, who had her high position snatched away right in front of her, would have towards her.

With a sunken heart, Aris picked up the letter she had put down on the desk. Her downcast gaze followed the letters. For a reply that took a week to arrive, it contained only a few lines.

[You’ve understood my wishes very well. If Miss Eldeiz wishes, I will become your patron.

Perhaps that proud dream you wrote about in your letter might be my joy as well. I would like to support you.

Please don’t feel burdened. I, too, am merely repaying a favor.

I would be grateful if you could send your regards from time to time.

—Your supporter, anonymous E—]

The content was in stiff phrases without highs or lows. Yet how could it be so affectionate?

No one, not even her parents, had ever said they would help her. They were never interested in Aris’s dreams to begin with.

Aris somehow felt like crying. It was the first time she felt like tears might fall from joy. The gloomy feeling from just moments ago vanished, and happiness quickly welled up.

Aris immediately looked for stationery and a pen to write a reply.

[Thank you for your reply, Mr. E.

I didn’t send the letter expecting a reply, but I was truly happy to receive a letter back from you.

Then, may I shamelessly ask for your patronage?

But I can’t accept it without any compensation.

I will definitely become an honorable scholar in return for your support. Also, I will gradually repay the amount I’ve been sponsored with the money I earn later.

Moreover, to hear that I’ve done you a favor… To be honest, I was surprised.

Since I don’t know who you are, I’m not sure when that was. It’s the first time I’ve felt good about my own actions.

Thank you for making me feel satisfied when I’ve always only blamed myself.

You must be using an alias because you don’t want to reveal your name. Then, will there ever be a day when I can meet you?

If you don’t want to, I can’t help it, but I’d like to thank you in person. No matter when that might be.

Since I’m still quite lacking now, how about after I graduate from the department and become a scholar? Would that… still be difficult for you?

Anyway, thank you for saying you’ll support me. You are my benefactor as well.

I hope you have only good things ahead.

—Sincerely, Aristena Eldeiz—]

* * *

As time passed and the lukewarm spring breeze began to warm up, Aris prepared for her first exam in the Magic Department.

As there was no separate entrance exam for the Magic Department and there were many entrants, many students dropped out after receiving failing grades due to the high difficulty of the exams.

To prevent this from happening, Aris had been consistently reviewing and preparing since before the exam schedule was announced.

‘That’s enough for today…’

Stretching to relieve her stiff neck and shoulders, Aris leaned back in her chair.

No matter how much she studies for the exam, overdoing it would only worsen her condition. So she studied diligently, but only as much as she had set for each day.

Following this principle, Aris, having finished her studies for the day, organized her writing materials. At that moment, she felt someone approaching from behind.

“Finished studying? You’re always so diligent.”

A voice tinged with laughter…

It was Serena Frencia again. Aris held back a sigh that almost escaped.

Why is this person so interested in me?

It doesn’t seem like goodwill either.

Finding it tiring to always be on guard, Aris just responded casually.

“I’m done for today. If we don’t study hard, we might fail, right? You’re always working hard too, Miss Frencia.”

“Oh my, I didn’t expect you to think so highly of me.”

Serena covered her mouth and smiled softly. Aris had just stated the obvious, but she was still a woman full of pride, both in her past life and now.

Of course, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. For Aris, it was rather something she wanted to emulate.

Serena came to Aris’s side and stared at her textbook. Then, looking at the range of the exam Aris had marked, she tilted her head.

“Miss Eldeiz? Is this perhaps the scope of the exam?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, that’s strange. I took this lecture a few semesters ago, so I know. But it’s not just up to here…”

Serena flipped about ten more pages in Aris’s textbook.

“Isn’t it up to here?”

She smiled as she held up the textbook. Aris looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“…That can’t be right.”

In fact, in terms of progress, they had already gone thirty pages beyond the exam range. This lecture was famous for its rapid pace, with the exam range and progress often being out of sync.