Home/The villainess's personal maid is very good at her job/ch 129

Episode 129

Can you only be called smart if you study well?

No. Perhaps the truly smart people are those who live life easily.

In that sense, Nathan couldn't help but be self-absorbed.

'Foolish and pathetic people.'

He gazed contentedly at the bracelet on his wrist.

As Nathan had expected, the Viscount and Viscountess Veliahrn were overjoyed to hear their son had placed first in the entire school.

They'd spent a fortune on tutoring and struggled to get him into the Academy, only for him to be near the bottom.

Their troublesome child had become top of the school!

How could they not be happy?

"As expected of my son. I knew you'd do it someday."

"Haha! If there's anything you want, just say it. Your father will buy it all."

"Come on, you two. I'll be first place from now on—don't make such a fuss."

Nathan shrugged at his parents' praise.

Even his arrogant attitude was endearing to the Veliahrn couple.

However—

"Nathan, come sit here."

"What is it, Father?"

"I've been hearing strange rumors in high society lately."

"What kind of rumors?"

"That you cheated on the exam."

Since most Academy students were nobles, the story of a bottom-ranking student suddenly becoming top spread quickly through high society.

Along with the label 'suspicious.'

The Viscount Veliahrn eyed his son with an uncomfortable gaze.

"Ahem. I don't want to doubt you, since you're my son, but surely you didn't actually cheat?"

"Father. Don't you trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you—I just want to be sure. You may be innocent, but if rumors keep following you, it will affect the Veliahrn family's honor."

Though he said he didn't doubt him, a peculiar suspicion flickered in the Viscount's eyes.

To be honest, even he, as the father, found it somewhat suspicious.

'He never had much talent for studying.'

Hadn't he barely scraped into the Academy?

Every tutor who taught him had cautiously said, "I'm sorry, but the young master doesn't have much aptitude for academics."

"Nathan."

"……Yes, Father."

"If you're truly innocent, I intend to file a complaint with the Academy."

"You'll file a complaint?"

"Yes. I can't just stand by and watch my son and family's honor be tarnished."

Narrowing his eyes, the Viscount added in a sharp voice.

"I'm thinking of requesting a retest."

"A r-retest?"

"Yes. If you solve other problems as well, everyone will believe in your innocence."

"That's true, but……"

Nathan hesitated for a moment.

'A retest? I have to take a retest?'

If he did that and it was revealed that he'd actually cheated……

'No. No. How would anyone find out?'

He could just use the same method during the retest as he did for the original exam.

Just as he was steeling himself—

"Nathan. So be honest with me. You really didn't cheat, did you?"

At the Viscount's interrogation, Nathan swallowed dryly.

He had already read the doubt in his father's eyes.

He felt both scared and wronged.

'How could he not trust me?'

Other students might be jealous, but his father was his father.

Yet he doubted him like this!

Gritting his teeth, Nathan glanced at the bracelet on his wrist.

The violet jewel glittered proudly on the inside of his wrist.

After stroking the smooth jewel once, Nathan nodded confidently.

"I'm innocent. I can take a retest anytime—do whatever you want, Father."

---

"Did you deliberately provoke that?"

"Provoke what?"

"This."

Tap, tap.

Theo—Kendrick in disguise—lightly tapped the notice posted on the school bulletin board.

«Notice of Retest.

Student: Nathan Veliahrn.

At his request, a retest with different questions will be conducted.

This exam will not affect grades. Students wishing to observe may submit an application form.»

After briefly scanning the notice again, Janet curled the corners of her lips.

"Yes. I wanted to check something."

She wasn't particularly interested in whether Nathan had cheated.

'Honestly, it's obvious he used some trick.'

What Janet wanted to confirm was 'what method he used to cheat.'

More precisely——

"I was curious whether that bracelet was involved in this cheating. And whether that bracelet really did come from the Yuperion Magical Kingdom."

That was it.

Janet and Kendrick had already figured out why Nathan's bracelet looked familiar.

It was the same shape as the Yuperion brainwashing magical tool that Prince Mateo had tried to force on Rosina.

"But we have that one, don't we?"

"Yes."

"Then that means his is a different bracelet……"

After realizing the familiarity of Nathan's bracelet, Kendrick had double-checked the location of the bracelet they'd obtained.

That bracelet was currently with Owen, who was in charge of magical tool production at Illinia.

He was studying the Yuperion magical tool to develop new tools based on it.

"To find two Yuperion magical tools in the Empire—both of them 'brainwashing' tools."

"So Yuperion is definitely plotting something?"

"Yes. I think so too."

At Janet's confident answer, Kendrick nodded in agreement.

Their distrust of the Magical Kingdom, built up through a series of previous incidents, had already reached its peak.

But there was one thing they didn't understand——

"How did Nathan get his hands on that magical tool? And how did it end up at the Academy?"

"Perhaps the Magical Kingdom is targeting the Academy."

"The Academy?"

"Wasn't 'Luna' also from the Magical Kingdom?"

"Ah, that's right."

Recalling a forgotten face, Janet nodded.

"Either way, we need to check it out."

The fastest way was to extract a confession from the person involved.

Where he got the bracelet, who told him about it, and how he used it to take the exam.

The two filled out observation forms and dropped them into the submission box.

---

On the day of the retest, the exam hall was crowded with curious students.

Though there were more applicants than seats, not all could be accommodated.

Fortunately, Janet and Kendrick were allowed in as observers.

"Quite a crowd."

"Everyone's curious. Whether Nathan cheated or not."

Whispering to each other, they fell silent and exchanged glances as Nathan appeared.

Tread, tread.

The exam proctor lightly scanned Nathan's body as he walked in confidently.

"Nothing in your pockets, right?"

"Of course not, Professor."

"Hm. And what's that bracelet on your wrist?"

"This? It's just a lucky charm. An ordinary bracelet."

"An ordinary bracelet?"

"Yes. Of course. If you're suspicious, you can check it."

At Nathan's brazen answer, Janet and Kendrick smiled at the same time.

The proctor glanced at Nathan, then examined the bracelet closely.

No particular magical power was detected from the bracelet with the violet jewel.

"Hm. Alright. Understood."

Just as he was about to turn away—

"Hey, Nathan. Isn't that a Yuperion magical tool?"

At one observer's clear voice, all eyes turned to her.

Janet Ortega.

The student who had been the center of attention before Nathan.

"Oh, what a coincidence. I was given a similar bracelet too."

With that, Janet jingled the bracelet on her wrist.

A violet jewel—just like Nathan's—glinted.

Nathan's face turned pale in an instant.

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