Before leaving, Alex turned to speak with Scarlett once more, placing a hand over his heart and bowing his head slightly in a gesture of gratitude.
"I really appreciate everything you did for me this year, Scarlett. I'll never forget it. If you ever need my help in the future, I'll be in Aurethia's capital—probably running an alchemy shop, if I manage to escape."
He already had a rough plan for how he'd leave should his vengeance succeed and he needed to disappear afterward.
Scarlett smiled brightly and nodded. She knew Alex would never bow to a noble, so this gesture showed just how deeply he respected her.
"It's been a pleasure to teach and guide you through your troubles, Alex. You're one of the brightest students I've ever had, and it pains me to see what you've endured. I sincerely hope you heal and find yourself living happily again someday."
As she watched him walk away, she grew quiet and thoughtful.
One thing she hadn't told him was that she, too, was planning to leave the academy this year.
This academic year had pushed her to her limit—the corruption was at an all-time high, and the harassment nobles directed at commoners had worsened.And while her passion for teaching remained, she no longer knew where she could go afterward.
As a noble, she was bound by her household. Unless one renounced their status entirely, options were limited.
'I'd rather work as a hunter or mercenary than teach another group of unworthy nobles in a place this corrupt, she thought.'
Scarlett had always believed nobles should be examples of ethics, manners, and morality. Now it felt like she was the exception rather than the rule.
While Scarlett returned to her thoughts, Alex was already making his way to the hall where the written exam would take place.
It was the same hall used for the midterms, as it was the only one large enough for the four hundred-plus students.
Once there, Alex spotted Tessa, who stood in the middle of a group mostly composed of noble girls.
After the midterms, her popularity had skyrocketed. She had become well-known overnight.
Sensing his gaze, Tessa looked back at him. Alex nodded lightly in greeting, a small, gentle smile appearing on his face.
Tessa stared, stunned by the shift in his demeanor.
It was her first time seeing him in over a month, so she had no idea how much he had changed.
Alex took a random empty seat.
Tessa wanted to go to him and ask about everything she'd missed, but her newfound fame had people constantly approaching her.
Since the midterms, she had been approached by all sorts—nobles and commoners alike.
Girls said they wanted to befriend her, though Tessa quickly realized most only wanted to learn from her rather than spend time with her.
Boys mostly confessed their feelings—some she didn't even know existed.
Noble boys even proposed marriage outright, promising wealth and power.
Tessa found the whole thing irritating. It helped her understand why Alex always preferred mid-level spots where fewer people bothered him.
Still, she rejected every confession. She believed in marrying for love, not convenience.
She also found herself missing the peaceful days spent with Marc and Alex—the calm atmosphere and their amusing dynamic.
Now that Alex seemed closer to who he used to be, a spark of hope rekindled in her chest.
She wished with all her heart that he wouldn't pursue revenge. If he didn't, then maybe—just maybe—they could reconnect… and become something more.
No boy at the academy made her feel what Alex did.
He was brilliant, well-mannered, gentle, and kind—all qualities she cherished. But after Marc died, the part of him that held those traits seemed to fade with his friend.
When Tessa finally got free of the people surrounding her, she started walking toward Alex, but the bell signaling the start of the exam rang, forcing her to find a seat.
She sat three rows behind him.
Soon after, the headmaster entered along with all the teachers, walking toward the stage.
Once there, Mikhail began speaking.
"Hello, students. I hope this has been an exciting year for all of you.
Today marks the start of the final test of the year. This will also be your longest written assessment—one hundred open-ended questions. There will be no deductions for wrong answers.
You will have five hours to complete it. I trust you reviewed your lessons well."
His delivery sounded rehearsed, carried by his usual voice that made him seem lifeless.
Once the tests were distributed, an hourglass materialized in the headmaster's hand. He flipped it over and said:
"Start," the moment the sand began to fall.
The hall filled with the sound of rustling papers and quills gliding across parchment.
Alex calmly organized his sheets, picked up his quill, and began writing.
One by one, he answered the questions with steady precision—never rushing, never pausing.
As the teachers walked around watching for cheaters, Scarlett stole a glance at Alex.Seeing he already had ten questions answered, she knew he was taking his promise seriously. She couldn't help feeling excited for his results.
After barely three hours, Alex finished. He reviewed his answers once more to make sure he hadn't missed anything.
Satisfied, he waited until Scarlett was nearby and raised his hand.
Since rankings were also influenced by completion time, he trusted only Scarlett to handle his test now that he was giving everything he had.
Scarlett stepped forward.
"Any questions?" she asked, trying not to show her anticipation. This was Alex's first time raising his hand during a test.
"No. I've already finished," Alex replied coolly.
Scarlett checked his test. After confirming every question was answered, she took out a special quill to note the completion time, but asked:
"You don't want to double-check?"
"I already did. No need to worry," he said, giving her a quick wink.
"Okay," she said, amused.
Seeing the wink, she chuckled inwardly.
'He really believes he's got everything right.'
As she walked toward the headmaster, she skimmed his answers.It didn't take long to see he had answered everything correctly—some responses went above expectations.
His answers were exceptional.
Realizing his true potential for the first time, Scarlett felt the sudden urge to smack him for not trying this hard sooner.
When she placed the test on Mikhail's table, he immediately began correcting it.
He remembered Alex the moment he saw the name.
As he read through the responses, a small smile appeared on his face. He read them like a child absorbed in a beloved story. Without hesitation, he wrote a clean "100" in the corner of the paper, just beneath the completion time.
While writing her own test, Tessa observed Alex from the corner of her eye as he stood up and left.
'He already finished?' she thought, stunned.
'It hasn't even been three and a half hours!'
'So this is your best…' she concluded.