For Pala, exams weren’t that important.
With her natural intelligence, she could maintain decent grades, and she thought it was better to spend ti strengthening relationships with others rather than studying hard.
For her goals, the academy’s exams weren’t that important.
At [N O V E L I G H T] least until now.
‘Phew...’
Pala let out a long breath and put on her round glasses.
Although her eyesight wasn’t particularly bad, she had a habit of wearing glasses whenever she needed to concentrate on sothing.
In other words, wearing glasses ant she was starting to concentrate ‘seriously’.
...Seriously.
For Pala, being serious was a weakness. The mont she revealed her true feelings, her sincerity, there were many who would bite her throat and break her arms and legs, throwing her deep underground.
However, just for now... she decided to show her sincerity.
Because that was the proper thing to do.
‘Alright.’
Shall we begin?
Trying to calm her tumultuous heart, Pala opened her book and picked up her pen.
In the quiet room, only the sound of turning pages could be heard incessantly.
For Helena, exams weren’t that important.
Important, not important... rather than weighing the significance, it was just one of the trials passing through her life.
After all, Helena didn’t believe she could take first or second place.
She didn’t have the brains for it, nor had she put in the effort.
“I can do it... I can do it...”
For her, studying was unfamiliar and frightening.
The one fortunate thing was that she had sowhat improved her practical skills through training with Felix.
‘First place... would be difficult.’
The wish ticket.
Although the four won gathered there hadn’t specified anyone, it was obvious who their wish tickets would be used on.
She knew that everyone had accepted the bet with only Felix in mind. Therefore...
‘Let’s try my best.’
She tries not to lose.
She might not be able to win, but she had no intention of losing helplessly. Helena, who had made up her mind, picked up her pen while encouraging herself.
Scribble, scribble.
Perhaps if her parents had seen her, they would have fainted in shock. Helena began to concentrate on studying for the first ti in her life.
For a very long ti.
Exam.
For Sylvia, it was a word neither too distant nor too close.
As an ordinary commoner, Sylvia inevitably had less knowledge compared to other nobles. They learned many things from a young age under the na of education.
Nevertheless, she maintained decent grades because she devoted herself to studying more diligently than others.
After entering the academy, she received attention from many people.
She knew well that not all of this attention was positive. Because of this, she was sotis isolated and had to endure unwarranted criticism.
That’s why Sylvia devoted herself to studying.
To prove that her presence here, in this academy, was due to her own abilities.
To prove that she hadn’t entered through improper ans by seducing soone, as so ignorant people gossiped.
Therefore, for Sylvia, exams were both a ans of proving herself and sothing not entirely welco.
But now it was different.
“Let’s do this...!!”
She was making an effort of her own will to achieve what she wanted.
Sylvia clenched her fists tightly and began to concentrate on studying with a determined resolve.
Ashillya leisurely sipped her tea while looking out the window.
Studying during exam periods, good.
Cramming, good.
Reviewing and studying again during exam periods, Ashillya thought that was good too.
But she didn’t need it.
People often misunderstand.
They think Ashillya is an exemplary student who diligently studies while also carrying out imperial duties.
But those who see her up close know. Ashillya doesn’t study hard.
She just already knew what to study.
For her, the second-year curriculum of the academy was already in her head. For Ashillya, first place wasn’t a competition.
It was simply a position for Ashillya, for her.
Of course, it took ti and effort to put the second-year curriculum in her head faster than others, but such things weren’t important.
Everyone only looks at the results, not the process.
Once again sipping her tea leisurely, she unconsciously raised a mischievous smile.
“It was an unfair bet from the start. How will thou deal with it......”
There was a way to take first place in the first year.
However, it would take trendous effort to implent that thod. Looking at it this way, one might think Ashillya was the villain, but,
For Ashillya, there was no word such as competition.
Competition with soone? She had already claid the imperial throne.
“I look forward to it.”
Will they simply submit?
Or will they stand against it?
***
[This concludes all the exams of the academy.]
[Students, thank you sincerely for your hard work.]
“Phew...”
Hearing the announcent, I let out a long breath.
The academy’s three-day midterm exams, which felt both long and short, had co to an end.
On the first day, we had written exams; on the second and third days, we had practical exams, which had just finished.
The last was a joint training practical, so Helena, Sylvia, and I smiled at each other.
Although we had bet on the exam results, the relief of knowing that the exams were over ca first.
Seeing Cain, who was in the middle, also smiling with relief, it seed others felt the sa way.
“It’s over...!!”
Cheers erupted here and there.
Because the academy had high standards, the difficulty of the exams was considerable.
Moreover, even though they were still young students, they had co to the academy to achieve high grades.
Even though everyone seed to be absorbed in playing and eating, they were all struggling in their own ways, knowingly or unknowingly. That’s why many people focused on the exams.
Well, even without that, just the fact that the exams were over was enough to make people happy.
“Did you... do well on the exam?”
Although one of the practical exams was joint training, there were quite a few other types of practical exams as well.
Therefore, thinking only about the joint training was a bit unreasonable, but... still...
“I think so?”
One thing was certain: we had perfectly executed the joint training.
To the point where I could be a little arrogant and say that probably no other group could match us.
Sylvia and Helena grinned at my answer. It seems these guys were also secretly concerned about their exam scores while pretending not to be.
Seeing how their mood improved just by thinking they did well on the exam.
As I was chuckling at their behavior, I felt soone tapping my shoulder.
“...Pala?”
“Did you do well on the exam?”
Perhaps because other students were around, Pala asked gently with a charming eye-smile, unlike her usual self.
It was a bit funny to see her eyes trembling slightly, probably uncomfortable with treating this way, but I also answered calmly, conscious of the gazes around us.
“More or less? How about you?”
“I think I did pretty well, too.”
I hadn’t seen Pala like this recently, so seeing her again after a long ti felt sowhat new.
Suppressing the slight urge to tease her, I watched Sylvia and Helena greet Pala.
‘...Sohow.’
It feels strange.
This was a combination that didn’t exist in the original story.
One was the novel’s protagonist, one was a person not described in detail in the story, and the other was the villain who hated and bullied the protagonist.
Seeing them chatting and laughing together amicably felt sohow closer to .
Even though this was the world of the novel, and I no longer thought of it as just a story, seeing these aspects made it feel like it had truly beco reality.
Lost in thought for a brief mont, I started walking in step with the girls as they approached again and began to lead away.
“Now that the exams are over, let’s go eat sothing delicious!”
“Sounds good, sounds good.”
“Not a bad idea.”
As I nodded in response to Helena’s suggestion and Sylvia and Pala’s replies, I turned my gaze to Pala, who was staring at intently.
“...What?”
I asked in a lowered voice because Sylvia and Helena were there, and Pala looked at with a sowhat strange gaze.
“Nothing, you’ll soon have to...”
“...?”
“Make a choice.”
She just smiled and said these puzzling words.
“...Choose what?”
“It’s nothing.”
For so reason, in Pala’s deanor as she said this, I couldn’t sense her usual mask.
Anyway, with that, all the exams were over.
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