Aris expressed pure admiration for his abilities and conveyed her thanks. She never dreamed that things would be resolved so smoothly without any major incident.

After adding some other daily stories, the letter was complete. Aris smiled as she carefully sealed the letter with heated sealing wax.

‘I wonder what kind of person he is.’

She was very curious, but it seemed impolite to pry since the other party didn’t want to reveal himself.

Aris put the letter aside and looked around at Serena’s place. It was empty now, but soon there would be a new roommate.

‘I hope it’s a good person this time…’

In the past, meeting new people was scary. Because her life was full of infamy. But now, she was so full of anticipation that her heart was fluttering.

It still felt like a dream. No, even if this is a dream, I’m happy.

Although encountering Serena wasn’t part of the plan, she was already satisfied with this life just from this.

‘To keep living like this, I need to do well on the exams. Let’s do our best, Aristena!’

Filled with motivation, she pulled over the book she had laid out beside her and started studying.

One week until the first exam. Aris immersed herself in studying, thinking of her sponsor.

* * *

The results of the first exam came out. Seeing students gathered near the wide central stairs of the Magic Department, Aris hurried over.

Papers with rankings were posted, separated by lecture. Perhaps because of this, while popular lectures had many students gathered around, the ranking charts for unpopular lectures were almost empty.

Aris stood on her tiptoes behind the crowded people, trying to peek at the bulletin board.

‘I can’t see well…’

Feeling a bit gloomy, wondering if it was because she was short, Aris glanced at a ranking chart with relatively few students.

‘Huh? This is a lecture I’m taking.’

Aris looked at the crowded and uncrowded areas. Upon closer inspection, the crowded areas were for magic lectures focused on practical skills, while the less crowded areas were for theory-based lectures without practical components.

Aris, of course, took theory-based lectures. Knowing she had no talent, she deliberately avoided practical lectures for fear of failing.

Of course, there would be some mandatory lectures she’d have to take eventually…

‘To think I didn’t have to push through this crowd.’

Aris, struggling to escape the dense crowd, headed towards the ranking chart for the lecture she was taking. Even getting out of the crowd wasn’t easy.

‘First, starting with the most difficult exam…’

Aris began scanning the rankings with eagle eyes.

‘Aristena Eldeiz… Aristena…’

Squinting her eyes, Aris bit her lip nervously as she scanned the rankings from the bottom up.

She felt anxious and afraid. In her past life, things often went wrong no matter how hard she tried. Surely it wouldn’t be the same this time.

Maybe I’m just someone who fails at everything no matter what I do.

Aris clasped her hands together with all sorts of anxieties.

It should be around here… As she thought this, the rankings kept going up.

Finally, her gaze stopped after climbing quite a way from the bottom.

Aris, who had been squinting timidly, opened her eyes wide. Near the top of the ranking chart, the name she had been searching for caught her eye at once.

‘Fourth place…!’

A breath full of emotion burst out. Excited, Aris quickly checked the rankings for other lectures as well.

Second place, third place, second place…!

Although she didn’t place first, Aris was so happy she almost jumped up and down on the spot. To think she could achieve such results through effort.

‘It’s different… This time it’s really different. If I work hard, it’s possible…!’

Even after rubbing her eyes or pinching her cheeks, the results didn’t change. She was so moved she almost cried.

Aris stood there for a long time, staring at the rankings before turning away. At first, she walked quickly, but gradually picked up speed until she was almost running at some point.

She was now thinking of that person. She couldn’t think of anyone else.

The person who gave her a chance. E, who had willingly said they would support her.

‘I must quickly write a letter about the exam results…!’

Just as Aris was about to leave the department with an overwhelming feeling, someone suddenly appeared from a side path hidden by the building and collided with her.

Aris, who had been running absent-mindedly, frowned and touched her bumped nose, then hurriedly bowed her head to apologize.

“I’m, I’m sorry…!”

“…Miss Eldeiz?”

She heard a low voice calling her name. Aris froze.

Slowly raising her head, thinking it couldn’t be, a very familiar person came into view. Aris’s lips parted slightly without her realizing.

This can’t be.

No wonder things were going so well today…

He also seemed a bit perplexed, as if he hadn’t expected to run into her like this. Kalaian asked with a cautious look.

“Are you alright?”

Aris hurriedly straightened her posture. Somehow, their previous encounter overlapped with this one, and she couldn’t understand why she kept running into him like this.

With a nervous heart, she greeted him.

“I greet Your Highness the esteemed Crown Prince,  the small sword that protects Belvaiden…”

“I asked if you were alright before the greeting.”

“…I’m fine.”

Stunned by his words, Aris stumbled for a moment before finally answering, breaking out in a cold sweat from the uncomfortable atmosphere. She wanted to go write her letter quickly. She wasn’t sure if it would be okay to turn her back right away in this situation.

Kalaian looked at Aris over once and then answered with a light sigh.

“That’s good, then.”

Then he stared at her blankly with his characteristic calm, violet eyes. Aris rolled her eyes around before reluctantly opening her mouth.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve recently become interested in the Magic Department and came to look around. There’s also someone I want to meet.”

Kalaian’s voice, which answered as if he had been waiting, had a faint trace of laughter.

Someone he wants to meet. Aris thought of Serena. Somehow, she felt a lump in her throat. She spoke calmly, trying to smile.

“If you’re looking for Miss Frencia, she left the Magic Department a while ago.”

“I see. But that’s a fact I already know.”

“What? Ah, of course… Then are you here to see another scholar or professor? This place is only frequented by students, so the person you’re looking for might not be here.”

Aris smiled awkwardly. If they were close, it would be natural for them to know such things about each other. She had overlooked that point. Aris’s desire to escape from his presence only grew stronger.

But Kalaian didn’t seem to have any intention of turning away first, and he just smiled refreshingly.

“You’ve guessed well. I came to see Dr. Herian, but I got lost and was wandering around.”

“You’re looking for Dr. Herian?”

Aris’s eyes, while she had been listening silently to his words, unknowingly sparkled.

Dr. Herian was the professor of a lecture that Aris found interesting. And he was also the person who had given her the moving rank of second place this time.

Aris, who not only enthusiastically attended his classes but also had a fan-like admiration for him, often wrote about him in letters to her sponsor.

As it happened, she knew exactly where Dr. Herian would be at this time. She had occasionally visited him on errands. Thinking she could just tell him the location and leave, Aris felt relieved.

“If it’s Dr. Herian, he should be in the main building of the Magic Department right now. You can go straight that way.”

Aris proudly stretched out her arm, pointing to the left. A large building was found at the tip of Aris’s outstretched hand.

Originally, he would have known the main building of the Magic Department well even without being told like this. As the commander leading the knight order, Kalaian would have visited several times to obtain information about monsters.

‘Please go quickly…’

Aris earnestly wished inside.

Kalaian looked at the building she pointed to once, then at Aris once, and smiled, tilting his head slightly.

“Would you guide me? I’m embarrassingly terrible with directions…”

“Pardon?”

That couldn’t be true, could it?

But he had no reason to lie to Aris. Even in her past life, he who had mistreated her for being an easterner wouldn’t make such a request while enduring the deep-seated hatred in his heart, would he?

She was very bewildered. Now that she’s asked to guide him, Aris’s plan to leave this place quickly crumbled.

Kalaian looked at her quizzically.

“Do you perhaps have some urgent business? If so, I won’t burden you.”

“Yes, urgent business…”

As she hesitated, he nodded slightly as if to say it was okay. Aris was relieved by his cool response.

Of course, it wouldn’t happen, but if he had commanded that everything else was unnecessary and she should just guide him, Aris would have had to follow his order while sobbing.

“Then I’ll…”

Just as Aris was about to softly speak to leave, Kalaian sighed and muttered.

“I had something urgent to deliver. At this rate, I might not be able to return to the Imperial Palace until tomorrow…”

Then he looked very troubled. Aris felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.

“It would be really nice if someone could help…”

“Um…”

“Ah, don’t worry about me. You can go. It’s really fine.”