Chapter 8

While watching Bertha, who seemed to be out of touch with reality, Matthias took a sip of his slightly cooled tea. It was different from the cheap tea leaves he had been saving; this was the expensive tea he used to enjoy.

Matthias owed it to Bertha that he could drink this tea again, thanks to the Rumbek family's recovery. Bertha didn't know this yet... The dress she was wearing now was also a gift from him.

Bertha, who was standing there in a daze, had more influence on her surroundings than she realized.

Mainly in the role of a matchmaker.

First, there were the second prince Benedikt and his fiancée, Margareta. These two were actually famous for their animosity when they first entered the academy. Margareta was haughty and extravagant, and her high-handed attitude made the usually calm and gentle Benedikt dislike her.

When he heard that Margareta was interacting with the commoner Bertha, he thought Bertha was being bullied. However, upon observing, he found that Margareta, though condescending, was diligently taking care of Bertha, and Bertha was accepting it without resistance.

It seemed that no matter how much Margareta tried to be mean, it had no effect on Bertha. Instead, seeing how impoverished Bertha was, Margareta became worried. Margareta had never been close to commoners other than merchants and never imagined they could be so poor.

While not all commoners were poor, seeing the "struggle to get food" firsthand made her think. Mainly, it was a feeling like protecting a small animal.

Margareta's diligent care for Bertha caught Benedikt's interest. He wondered what kind of person his fiancée, who had never cared for others, was now paying attention to. The first tea party intrusion started from this curiosity.

...Benedikt, who was taken aback by the sudden distance, had never seen anyone run away from Margareta before. This was the first time Margareta had seen someone come to her instead of running away from Benedikt. Margareta's cheeks bloomed with joy, and Benedikt saw her smile for the first time, a smile befitting her age.

From then on, the gap that had formed over the years seemed to disappear.

With Bertha as a buffer, they began to notice things about each other that they had never noticed before and are now good fiancés, leaning on each other in peace.

Next, there were the various fiancés who had mutual misunderstandings.

When Bertha, as a scholarship student, was deemed valuable, the young nobles who wanted to play with low-ranking women were bluntly rejected by Bertha, who was focused only on her studies. Normally, this would have caused resentment, but Bertha was different.

"You should help with the new business in your fiancé's territory instead of talking to me here," "Your fiancé is over there," "I'm not as good at this issue as your fiancé," "Your fiancé," "Your fiancé," "Come over here."

She threw them to their fiancés without a second thought.

---Bertha, who had been eager for power, studied relentlessly. She studied all kinds of knowledge and the influence of others. If the borrowed tiger's might couldn't be used, it was meaningless. There was even a possibility of being a guest of the count. Bertha studied relentlessly, and as a result, she could vaguely understand which noble was involved where, what they were troubled by, and what they needed. She could also vaguely sense the suspicious nobles.

Studying without regard for anything, Bertha became quite well-informed.

Moreover, Bertha had no intention of approaching anyone with a fiancé. It was against etiquette. She wanted power but didn't want to cause problems. So when a young noble with a fiancé approached her, she kept mentioning the fiancé to push them away.

Being mentioned often made them curious, and Bertha made it easy to approach the fiancés. The young nobles began to approach the young ladies more often. More meetings led to more conversations, and more conversations led to deeper understanding.

The mutual misunderstandings they had eventually turned into close relationships, either as romantic couples or comrades with the same goals.

Incidentally, for those without fiancés below the rank of count, she pushed them towards suitable partners. These were combinations that she judged, based on her own judgment and bias, to be "more meaningful than talking to me," such as those with aligned interests or similar hobbies.

As a result, 80% of the pairs became couples.

When set up like this, fewer people felt resentment. Rather, they saw her as a love cupid. Those who deepened their relationships with their fiancés and those who formed new relationships were grateful for Bertha's matchmaking. Many couples defended Bertha.

Rennalt was one of them. Rennalt, who had persistently warned Bertha about her disrespectful behavior, was introduced to a lively viscount's daughter (who loved riding) and eventually got engaged. Since then, he has been treating Bertha as a love fairy, calling her "Ber-tan" and being annoying with his partner. What's with "Ber-tan"? Where did his original stern character go?

In this way, Bertha had a significant impact on her surroundings. She successfully spread good marriages and earned the favor of many nobles. Just that alone made her a valuable asset.

The rest was simple—noble blood couldn't keep losing to commoners.

Bertha, as a scholarship student, had demonstrated sufficient ability. But this meant that the nobles, with all their accumulated knowledge, had been outdone by a commoner.

It was the correct way for a scholarship student, but the proud nobles couldn't keep losing to commoners. If commoners were working so hard, the nobles couldn't just sit idly by.

Inspired by Bertha's dedication, the students this semester studied diligently, and the average test scores rose across the board. The quality of the students improved dramatically, and the academy's reputation soared. The headmaster decided to place Bertha in a good family for her future.

Even as the students began to rise, Bertha maintained her top position.

Bertha described her knowledge as superficial—like a blunt tool that becomes sharp with repeated use. With repetition, it becomes polished and eventually becomes genuine.

Even as everyone aimed higher, Bertha didn't falter, having acquired knowledge that went beyond the superficial.

So, as a noble, he decided to protect and nurture this capable young talent.

There was nothing strange about it.

Adopting her as a noble wouldn't make the sting of losing to her in tests any less.

There was nothing wrong with it.

---Of course, there were those who had more ambitious plans.

What to do now? Matthias looked at the dazed Bertha.

Bertha, who had been reading books and holding a pen like she was possessed, had been quiet and soulless for the past three days. In the past, she would have returned to reality sooner, with her large violet eyes looking at him, but now she seemed to be looking at something else entirely.

She was so quiet, as if she had burned out after burning so brightly.

It would be easy to tell her about her unknown achievements that led to the adoption, but he doubted she would understand. Bringing his dazed stepsister back to reality was probably beyond his ability.

For now, he could only maintain a watchful stance to ensure she didn't do anything strange.

The person he was waiting for arrived just as Matthias finished his second cup of tea.