A soft knock startled Aisha, making her jump up from her seat.
'Who could it be?'
She was afraid that someone might see her ugly appearance and her equally ugly heart.
"...Wh-Who's there?" Aisha whispered softly towards the door.
"It's me, Aisha," Andrew's voice came from the other side.
With caution, Aisha opened the door to find Neike, Andrew, and Eshild waiting outside.
"You didn't even lock the door..." Andrew couldn't finish his sentence.
Aisha's usual well-groomed appearance was nowhere to be found.
Her hair was a mess, as if she'd been tearing at it, and her once-moisturized skin was dry and rough.
It seemed like she had aged ten years in just a few hours.
Suddenly, Andrew snapped back to reality. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes, I'm okay," Aisha answered, though her appearance suggested otherwise.
Her eyes, wide like those of a terrified child, trembled uncontrollably, and her body shook.
"Aisha, we just apologized to Theo. He's still here... Maybe you should go see him too."
"I... I see," Aisha glanced at Neike, Andrew, and Eshild with trembling eyes.
But their expressions were quite gloomy, considering they had just apologized.
'Did they not... receive forgiveness?'
Aisha's mind was struck with a thought, like a bolt of lightning.
She couldn't ask if they were forgiven or not.
Those three had gone to apologize directly, not just thinking about it, but taking action.
In comparison, she was too pathetic.
While they were apologizing to Theo, she had been huddled in a corner of her room, trembling with fear and anxiety.
Aisha slapped her cheeks, an action she would never do in front of others under normal circumstances.
But right now, she had no room to worry about others' gazes.
'Even if I'm not forgiven, I have to beg. I can't run away. I'm a member of the Waldeurk family, and I want to become a hero.'
With this newfound resolve, Aisha gazed at the three individuals, her eyes still trembling.
"Th-Thank you..."
"He's probably in Neike's room... Go quickly."
Andrew's discomfort was evident as he shifted his gaze toward Aisha, and Eshild followed suit.
"I-I understand..."
Trembling, Aisha mustered the courage to take one step after another.
She made her way toward the room where Theo was likely to be.
The door creaked open.
Nervously, Aisha entered the room.
Her anxious, trembling eyes met mine.
'She's frightened.'
Even without [Observer's Eye], I could sense it.
Perhaps it was her pale complexion and reddened eyes, resembling a rabbit captured by a hunter.
"······."
I looked at her without saying a word, putting more strength into my gaze than usual while sitting in my chair.
Honestly, I didn't feel much sympathy for her.
Out of the six people, Aisha was the one who had betrayed me the most.
After falling into this world, I thought I had interacted with her quite a bit, following Noctar and Irene.
But in truth, it wasn't just Piel who took the lead; Aisha was equally involved.
She hesitantly approached me.
Aisha's lips quivered several times as if she was struggling to find the right words to say.
"······."
Yet, I maintained a calm expression, simply observing her.
After a while,
"I-I'm sorry!"
Thump.
Aisha knelt before me.
"I-I'm sorry, Theo... I should never have done something so terrible... Please forgive me."
Her head lowered, and tears streamed down her face.
"······."
Well, well, what a surprise. I hadn't expected her to kneel.
Her action caught me off guard more than I had anticipated.
If it weren't for [Twisted Noble's Dignity], I might have lost my composure.
But regardless, she knelt.
···How humiliated Aisha must feel in this moment.
In this world, kneeling carried significant meaning. It signified an unconditional acceptance of the other person's judgment.
In the original story, such situations were rare. Most villains would rather die than kneel, offering their heads instead.
···How humiliating it must be.
Even though Aisha is a distant relative, she is still a member of the Waldeurk family. Undoubtedly, she is a noble.
And as the hope of her distant family, Aisha had received a thorough noble education from a young age, making her even more refined than most nobles.
But Aisha was a cunning girl.
"Do you understand the implications of your actions?"
I thought she might kneel just to avoid a crisis.
Strangers might tell me that I'm being too cruel to a child and call me heartless.
I don't care.
This part needs to be addressed clearly.
Aisha lifted her head and met my gaze.
"······Yes."
"What does it mean?"
Aisha bit her pink lips.
"Go ahead, punish me as much as you want... But please forget about what transpired this morning. I lack any semblance of shame... but I simply want to graduate from the academy in peace."
"........."
Rather than responding, I continued to stare into Aisha's eyes.
Her trembling gaze met mine.
'She's genuine.'
Punish her as much as I wanted?
It was a better bargain than I had anticipated.
Aisha was a promising named character destined to become the head of the Waldeurk family one day.
Currently, she was also the idol of Elinia Academy.
Her image is good, she's skilled in maintaining a public image, and she has connections in various places.
Even if I didn't immediately exact punishment and merely cleared her debt, she would still prove incredibly useful.
There were countless ways to utilize someone like Aisha. In some respects, she was even more valuable than Neike.
"Alright."
"... Are you forgiving me?"
A glimmer of hope appeared in Aisha's eyes.
"No."
I curved my lips into a smile.
"So, what am I supposed to do..."
"What do you take me for? There will be no punishment for you. It's a waste of time and emotions."
"··· Huh, hu-huh."
Aisha lowered her head, tears streaming down her face.
I kept my silence.
"Instead, try to be helpful to me. I believe that with hard work, even negative emotions can be transformed into positive ones. I prefer action over a hundred words."
Aisha, her eyes reddened, looked up at me.
"I, I... I'll try, really. I'll prove myself through my actions! Please, believe in me..."
With that, she bowed her head once more, sobbing.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you."
With those words, I fell silent.
Gazing down at Aisha, who continued to sob.
'Sigh, what should I do now.'
I thought about how to utilize Aisha.
There were too many possibilities, none of them clear.
"........."
I remembered.
There was a place to put Aisha to use soon.
She and I could form a mutually beneficial relationship.
For now, I suppose I've done enough.
Pushing her further might lead her to make extreme choices.
That would be my loss entirely.
"Get up."
Extending my hand to Aisha, still on her knees and weeping.
"······ Yes?"
Aisha lifted her tear-filled eyes to meet mine.
"My arm hurts."
"··· Yes, yes!"
Aisha grasped my hand and promptly stood up.
'She must have been genuinely frightened.'
All her fingernails were bitten down.
In the original story, Aisha had the habit of biting her nails when she felt anxious.
...I managed to get Aisha indebted to me as well.
Now, only Piel remains, but having Neike and Aisha come forward is already more than I expected.
If Piel fails to offer an apology like the others, I intend to treat her as inconsequential.
...And Jang Woohee, well doesn't feel a strong connection to the academy or anywhere else.
At this point, she doesn't have anyone she cares about.
She only joined the investigation team to obtain information.
She wouldn't feel guilt or unease from unfairly accusing me.
Based on the words and actions of the four – Neike, Andrew, Eshild, and Aisha – it seems Jang Woohee hasn't divulged any additional information to others, including the fact that she assisted me with the code decryption.
'For now, I'll leave Jang Woohee be.'
She doesn't hesitate to kill. There's a high probability that I'll needlessly provoke her and put myself in danger.
‘But······.’
She will contact me soon.
After all, I made it clear that I am aware of her true identity. Even a fool would comprehend that.
"······Hmm."
Meanwhile, Aisha.
When will she release my hand?
"It's time to let go."
"Ah, ah······. Yes, yes!"
Aisha hurriedly released my hand.
In any case, I have acquired reliable allies who will wholeheartedly support my endeavors.
As for Piel, I'm curious about her next move.
***
4/4! That's it for the week!
Enjoy the chappy!
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