Chapter 47
And so, the day of the final exam arrived.
Among the students taking the final exam, including Reina, the one who burned with the most motivation was Will Rileis.
(I will absolutely defeat Lady Reina in this exam...! I'll prove that I'm someone who stands as her equal...!)
Will began furiously filling in the answers on his test sheet.
Though his fighting spirit was blazing, he never let it run wild.
Taking the utmost care to avoid mistakes, he even reviewed his answers properly.
Losing his composure and making silly mistakes from overexcitement—such disgraceful behavior was unworthy of a genius like himself.
(This question and this one too... all weaklings, weaklings, weaklings, weaklings...! I can solve them all with ease. A perfect score is guaranteed!)
He had fully prepared for the exam.
He had memorized everything in the textbook and grasped the tendencies of the teacher who made the test.
He even made deals with upperclassmen to obtain and analyze past exams from last year.
The result was perfect.
His efforts bore fruit splendidly, and there wasn't a single question he didn't understand.
(With this, a perfect score is certain... Even if Lady Reina also gets a perfect score, it'll be a tie. Losing is impossible...!)
Will was confident in his victory.
A boy who had tasted loneliness due to his overwhelming talent had found a rival in Reina Laurel, and had poured himself into the test like never before.
All to show Reina his talent.
To make his first-ever worthy rival recognize that he was her equal.
And then, a few days after the final exam ended.
The test results were posted in the hallway.
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First-Year Final Exam
1st Place: Will Rileis - 500 points
2nd Place: Reina Laurel - 490 points
3rd Place: Eric Seincle - 475 points
- ...
- ...
- ...
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"............!"
Standing before the posted results, Will clenched his fist tightly.
(I won... It's my victory...!)
Just as he expected, it was a perfect score.
His classmates nearby were voicing words of praise for Will, who had scored a perfect score without missing a single question.
"That's amazing... Rileis, you got a perfect score."
"Reina-sama and Prince Eric are of course amazing too, but as expected of the Prime Minister's son. That's impressive."
"I heard even the Prime Minister himself is astonished by his talent. There's no one else who could support Prince Eric's reign as the next Prime Minister..."
Though being at the top academically had always been expected of him, the praise from ordinary people felt good precisely because he had given it his all.
It was a blissful moment where his worth was recognized by those around him.
(I've shown the commoners the difference in class... Now then, where is Lady Reina...?)
When Will looked around, he spotted Reina a little ways off.
She too was looking at the posted test rankings in the hallway.
Her expression showed no emotion... but Will assumed she must be silently accepting her defeat.
(Well then... As the victor, I suppose I should say a few words.)
Puffing out his chest proudly, Will walked over to Reina.
He would offer words of praise to Reina, who came in second, and receive praise in return.
They would commend each other's efforts, vow to continue competing and improving together, and shake hands.
Confirming that they were equals, meant to stand side by side.
"Hehehe..."
Will boldly puffed out his chest and raised his right hand toward Reina.
"Hey, Lady Reina..."
"Reina-sama!"
"Guhah...!"
However, just as he was about to call out to her, someone shoved him aside.
His frail body, unaccustomed to physical activity, was pushed to the edge of the hallway and nearly crashed into the wall.
"Thank you so much, Reina-sama! Thanks to your tutoring, I made it into the top twenty!"
"Me too, Reina-sama! Now I won't embarrass my fiancé!"
"If I had ranked lower, my father the civil official would have been furious... Truly, thank you!"
The girls surrounding Reina and expressing their gratitude one after another were her classmates.
"W-What the...?"
Reina was surrounded by a crowd of female students, all thanking her profusely.
Will was bewildered, his eyes darting in confusion at the sight.
"Come to think of it, I heard the Saint was tutoring the girls in class?"
"Even though she has duties at the shrine after school, she still made time to hold study sessions."
While Will stood there confused, he could hear the voices of others around him.
"She's incredible. Not only does she study for herself, but she also helps those around her. There's no way I could ever do that."
"W-What...?"
Will felt as if he had been struck in the head.
While Will had been studying relentlessly to defeat Reina in the exam... during that same time, Reina had been helping her classmates study, all while fulfilling her duties as the Saint at the shrine.
(She never intended to beat me... No, was she never even competing in the first place...?)
"Reina-sama, please allow me to treat you to tea as thanks for your tutoring."
"I'll prepare some sweets as well. Come, let's head to the terrace!"
"Yes, then I'll happily accept. The final exam is over, after all... Shall we have a tea party for the first time in a while?"
Reina was surrounded by her friends.
The loneliness that came with genius.
Will had thought Reina, like him, stood at the top and had no one who truly understood her.
(And yet... why does she have so many friends around her?)
Will was stunned.
He had believed Reina was the same as him.
That she too was all alone.
That's why he believed that if it were the two of them, they could be equals and fill each other's loneliness...
(Was I the only one who was truly alone...?)
"The weather is lovely today. I'm sure it'll be a delightful tea party."
Without even sparing a glance at Will, who sat slumped against the wall, Reina walked off with her friends.
All Will could do was gaze in awe at her retreating figure.