The placement of new students in the magic department this year was so good that professors were saying it was a blessing from the goddess Kirelia.
There were no children with severe political conflicts between families, no overly enthusiastic parents about their child’s education, and no royalty or high-ranking nobles with status comparable to royalty who were difficult to ignore.
And! There was the child he had personally interviewed, Nigel Ars.
Nigel Ars was already famous among the faculty even before enrollment.
For good reason, as she received a perfect score from Professor Cledian, who was so strict he examined every single word of the essays!
While trying to treat all students equally whether in class or not, it was inevitable to have a soft spot for students in one’s own department.
Humans are creatures of adaptation, as colleagues would curse about the department scores that were the overwhelming number one cause of incidents on campus, but couldn’t hide their smiles when their own department won.
At the beginning of the semester, when professors bet on which department would win, everyone raised the stakes, but no professor bet on a department that wasn’t their own. Not even that protractor-like Cledian!
In this situation, Heres was proud of Nigel. No, he couldn’t help but be proud.
For the past few years, when he went to the professors’ lounge to take a breather after handling incidents, he had to listen to his fellow professors’ not-so-subtle bragging. So Heres would often return to his own office, leaving behind the free snacks.
…But this time was different.
“Did everyone enjoy their dinner?”
Heres flung open the door to the professors’ lounge and entered.
“Heres, you looked like death every day last year, but your face has brightened up this year?”
“That’s right, it was hard to see Professor Heres’s face in the lounge last year.”
“Oh come on~ When did I ever do that?”
Heres sat down on the sofa, unable to hold back his laughter.
What’s this? Did they cast a shape preservation spell during the break? The sofa felt even more plush today.
Clink.
As expected of the Royal Academy, even the tea leaves were of superior quality.
Plop! Plop!
He was in a good mood, so he added two sugar cubes.
“Professor Heres.”
Just then, a deep, toneless voice was heard.
“Ack… cough, cough… P-Professor Cledian.”
Cledian silently held out a napkin and sat down across from him.
Heres dabbed at his mouth with the napkin. Even though it had been 5 years since he became a professor at Sienna, he still broke out in cold sweat whenever he saw him.
“I didn’t quite understand why you were making such a fuss before the entrance ceremony, but now I see the reason.”
“…Pardon?”
Sip.
Cledian drank his tea without sugar or milk, saying nothing more.
That’s really bitter if you drink it like that…
“That’s right. After seeing for myself today, I was envious too.”
“…!”
Crunch!
Appearing silently behind Cledian, Roneh put her arm around Cledian’s shoulder and crunched on a sugar cube.
“Get your hand off me this instant, Roneh. I’ll say it again, this is the Academy, not the Knights’ Order. It’s not a place where you can do as you please.”
“You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but you’re still so cold, our dear professor.”
Roneh slowly raised both hands. Then she plopped down next to Cledian.
“You two… are talking about Nigel, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
Roneh’s eyes curved into crescents.
“Ah, right. Cledian, I heard you tried to persuade Heres’s kid to transfer to the politics department today?”
“…Pardon?”
“I merely suggested it once because her talent seemed wasted. Don’t worry too much about it, Heres.”
You think that’s as easy as you make it sound, Professor?
“…Yes.”
If Professor Cledian says not to worry, I suppose I shouldn’t.
“What a shame, if you had tried to persuade me, I would have fallen for you right away.”
Roneh leaned her face close to Cledian’s.
Smack.
“Shut your mouth. And don’t make it sound like I’m the only one, Roneh.”
Cledian swatted away Roneh’s face, which was about to touch his, without a moment’s hesitation.
“Don’t tell me Professor Roneh too…?”
“Yeah. The kid’s smart, would be perfect as a tactician, I thought.”
“I heard you were rejected to your face, though.”
“Why bring that up? You were rejected too, Cledian.”
“At least the child didn’t say she had no interest in politics, like she did to you.”
“Interest can fade over time. Ah, of course I don’t mean what she said to you, Dian.”
“…For heaven’s sake, stop that nonsense.”
Excuse me… That’s our child you’re talking about? And could you save your lovers’ quarrel for after work…?
No wonder students were spreading rumors that these two were dating.
Seeing the fiery gazes of the two, meaningful in various ways, Heres quietly stood up from his seat.
“Sigh…”
This year too, enjoying free snacks in the lounge was out of the question. Out of the question.
[This is the timeline separator]Around 7 o’clock, after dinner time.
At the very top of the West Building with the large bell that tells the time at the Academy, in the Magic Department’s student council room.
Nigel was standing here now, after hearing during dinner that all new students from each department must gather in their respective student council rooms after the meal.
‘Is it okay to suddenly call people together on the day of if you’re older?’
Forget trust, Noah Beselion wouldn’t even speak to Nigel unless Nigel spoke to him first.
‘My life is on the line here.’
Nigel crossed her arms and looked at the student council officers standing at the very front.
“Nigel, why do you think they called us here?”
Allen whispered with a grin.
“I don’t know. If they’re going to stand there without a hint of a smile, giving us meaningful looks, the content should be just as humorless.”
“Why, it’s fun. It’s not just us, all the new students were called to their student council rooms, so there must be something going on. For sure.”
Allen said firmly.
“President, all new students are present.”
Nod.
The male student with dark green hair like an evening forest, standing in the center, nodded slightly and opened his mouth.
“First, I apologize for the sudden notice to gather during dinner. I’m Oliver, a third-year student and president of the Magic Department’s student council.”
Clap clap clap!
When the student council officers began to clap vigorously, the new students followed suit with reluctant expressions.
“Before we get to the main point, if you have any questions about academy life, feel free to ask without hesitation.”
At those words, several hands went up.
“Ah, yes. Let’s start with the red-haired female student in the left corner.”
“We’ll be doing more activities together within our department, so why divide uniform colors inefficiently by grade level?”
“As expected of our department. A good first question.”
Oliver grinned.
“Just 4 years ago, until then, uniforms differed by department. Our department was blue, politics was green, and swordsmanship was red. But that year, a regrettable incident occurred where one of our department’s seniors, while punishing a student in a red uniform, ended up with both of them going to the temple together. So from the next year, uniform colors changed to be by grade level as they are now.”
“What…? What does that mean…?”
“In short, they fought to the death, and were both carried to the temple half-dead.”
The female student to Oliver’s right answered in a cheerful voice.
“Ah… I see…”
“Is that a sufficient answer to your question? Then, next?”
This time, even more students raised their hands than before.
“Ah, the blonde male student with glasses there.”
“We’re all students of the same academy, but I don’t understand why we don’t try to get along with other departments, like at the eve party.”
Several students nodded their heads.
“Hmm… As expected, the students in our department are so sharp and kind. Of course it’s possible. Of course it is. Among the student council officers here, there’s even someone who dated a student from another department. Of course, the other person couldn’t handle their personality, so they broke up before even a semester passed.”
“Hey! Why are you bringing that up here?!”
“Right, you’re correct. It would be nice if students from the same academy got along well. However.”
His face, full of mirth, turned cold.
“This is a more fundamental issue. Student who asked the question, what’s your name?”
“Tom.”
“Right, nice to meet you Tom. Tom, do you think our Magic Department is inferior to the Swordsmanship or Politics Departments?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s right, all of our proud Royal Sienna students think that way. Well, does that answer your question?”
“…Yes.”
“Then, since we’re on the topic, I’ll get to the main point. Although Sienna abolished department scores over 10 years ago due to claims it fostered conflict, we unofficially keep scores by department.”
Grab.
Oliver picked up a book half a finger thick from the desk.
“Based on this rule book, created by agreement between the student councils of the Magic, Politics, and Swordsmanship departments.”
“Um… but why go to such lengths?”
One student hesitantly spoke up.
“Because it’s fun?”
Oliver answered without hesitation.
“…They’re really something else.”
Nigel muttered with a blank face.
“Oh, right. Nigel Ars?”
“…Yes?”
Nigel’s eyes widened slightly at Oliver’s sudden call.
‘Surely he didn’t hear my muttering.’
“All day… no, I heard Professor Cledian praised you during class? Is that true?”
“Yes…”
The campus is ridiculously large, yet why are rumors so fast?
Nigel grumbled inwardly.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
At Oliver’s sudden applause, the students awkwardly followed suit.
Clap… Clap…
Soon, the applause died down.
“Congratulations. You’ve scored 2 points. Praise during another department’s professor’s class is usually 1 point, but Pro… I mean, only Professor Cledian’s praise is worth 2 points.”
“Ah, I see.”
By now, nothing surprised her anymore.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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