Ch.281281. What, Are You Being Threatened by Someone?

“Oh, come in.”

A female student hunched her shoulders as she knocked and crossed the threshold into the space that would soon become Rupert’s headmaster’s office.

“Um, I was wondering why you called for me…”

The female student stood awkwardly without sitting on the sofa, staring at the floor.

She was small with a delicate frame, looking like a tiny flower petal fluttering in the wind.

Her hands anxiously pinched the hem of her skirt, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

“Madeline Belcatri?”

“Yes, that’s right. I… how should I address you?”

“My name is Selden Alphonse, so call me whatever makes you comfortable. And please, sit down.”

“…Alright.”

Madeline Belcatri sat down demurely on the opposite sofa, still with hunched shoulders.

I broke the silence with a short sigh.

“Nothing serious, but how did you end up taking the entrance exam for the academy?”

“My, my father told me to take the exam.”

“Ah… I see?”

“…Have I done something wrong?”

I stared intently at Madeline Belcatri as she fidgeted with her fingers.

One of the final villains from the novel “The Youngest Son of a Brilliant Family.”

She was right here in front of me.

Madeline Belcatri’s personality gradually becomes violent due to her father’s abuse during childhood.

After becoming an adult, she accidentally acquires a hidden magic book, grows powerful, murders her entire family, and goes on to commit indiscriminate violence and terrorism.

Well, like most novels’ endings, she eventually gets killed by the protagonist, Serion Lycus, but…

From what I could see with my Insight, she hadn’t discovered the magic book yet.

However, behind her timid personality, anger was swirling.

By the way.

As expected of a character from a novel, her skin was flawless, smooth, and radiantly white.

The large eyes beneath her long eyelashes were quite charming too.

Anyway, I was once again reminded how beautifully the novel “The Youngest Son of a Brilliant Family” described its characters, whether good or evil.

I placed the scoring sheet on the table and smiled gently.

“No, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“…Then why did you call for me?”

“Well, think of it as a personal interview.”

“Ah…”

Madeline Belcatri pressed her lips together and nodded, and after thinking for a while, I spoke.

“You said you took the academy exam because your father told you to, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. My father mentioned that a new academy was being established in Lake Territory.”

“I see you’re twenty now, but don’t people usually apply to academies between fifteen and eighteen?”

At my words, Madeline Belcatri drooped her shoulders and lowered her head.

“I’ve applied to academies consistently every year but never got accepted.”

“…Is that so?”

“I, I can do whatever I’m told, so please accept me.”

“Why do you want to be accepted?”

“…I want to become stronger.”

I leaned forward toward Madeline Belcatri while remaining seated on the sofa.

“What do you want to do once you become stronger?”

Madeline Belcatri’s eyes darted around as she struggled to continue.

“Well, being strong is good… I can hunt monsters… gain fame…”

Checking with my Insight, it was clearly a lie.

Though her face appeared withdrawn, her emotions were indeed burning with anger and vengeance.

I quietly shifted my gaze to the scoring sheet on the table.

Swish-!

Hmm, her written and practical scores were barely passing.

After checking with my Insight, I wondered how she had managed to become a villain.

What level of magic book did Madeline Belcatri find that made her so powerful?

Until just a moment ago, I had no desire to save Madeline Belcatri.

But seeing that fragile frame, my heart was softening.

Where did they hit her to cause such abuse…

Though covered by clothes, the small bruises here and there made my chest ache.

After staring intently at Madeline Belcatri to the point of discomfort, I spoke.

“Not everyone who attends the academy becomes strong.”

“But wouldn’t I become strong enough to at least protect myself?”

“What, are you being threatened by someone?”

When I casually asked, Madeline Belcatri flinched and shook her head from side to side.

“No, no! I’m not being threatened right now!”

If Madeline Belcatri doesn’t turn evil, it could somewhat reduce Serion Lycus’s suffering and prevent innocent territory residents from dying in terrorist attacks.

Yet whenever I felt inclined to help, hesitation took over.

If Madeline Belcatri became incredibly powerful after finding a magic book despite her current poor abilities, what would happen if she found it after receiving academy education?

She would become an even greater monster than in the original story.

Moreover, if she couldn’t be reformed, the problem would grow larger than expected.

The mere fact of being a graduate would tarnish Lake Academy’s reputation, and I would have to bear the consequences.

That’s why I had to be so cautious.

“Kuk!”

I chuckled without realizing it.

If I had first possessed “Selden Alphonse,” I would have focused solely on my own survival, but now I’ve become someone who can look out for others.

Meanwhile, Madeline Belcatri tilted her head at my laughter.

“Why, why are you laughing? If I’ve somehow offended you, I’m really sorry—”

“No, it’s not that. It’s just that looking at you now reminds me of myself from the past.”

“…Pardon?”

“I also thought like you, that I just needed to become strong enough to protect myself.”

Madeline Belcatri flinched and carefully spoke.

“…So did you become strong?”

“Hmm, didn’t you see how cautiously the headmaster and faculty treated me at the interview hall earlier?”

“That’s because you’ve amassed great wealth and established the academy, isn’t it?”

“That’s right?”

“The strength I’m talking about isn’t that. I mean physical strength.”

“I know that too.”

“…Pardon?”

I adjusted my posture as I looked at Madeline Belcatri, who still didn’t understand.

“Physically, I’ve also become strong enough to protect myself.”

“Ah… I’m, I’m envious.”

“Nothing to envy. Just because you can protect yourself doesn’t mean your life will flip like the palm of your hand.”

“But at least you won’t suffer pain against your will.”

“Pain… I originally had the personality where I wouldn’t feel satisfied until I got revenge for what I suffered. But do you know how it feels after getting revenge?”

Madeline Belcatri shook her head with wide eyes.

“I, I don’t know.”

“After achieving revenge, there was a temporary emotional change, but in the end, I realized nothing had changed. The wounds inside me remained the same, and if anything, they felt deeper.”

“…Really, nothing changes at all?”

“Of course, there’s the momentary satisfaction of achieving revenge, but the end always felt empty.”

Madeline Belcatri quickly wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Why are you telling me this…?”

“I told you. It’s like past me and present you are similar.”

“…Do I look like I want revenge on someone to you?”

“If I knew that, would I be having this personal interview here? I’d probably be making money as a fortune teller.”

I shrugged my shoulders, and Madeline Belcatri showed a faint smile for the first time.

“When I came for this personal interview with you, I was so afraid and scared, but now I feel truly at ease.”

“Why were you afraid and scared?”

“Because if I failed again, a hellish life would continue…”

Madeline Belcatri trailed off, then quickly covered her mouth as if she realized she had misspoken.

“Please, pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.”

“What kind of lunatic would tell others about a personal interview?”

“…Thank you.”

I leaned back against the sofa and smiled gently.

“You passed.”

“…What?”

“From now on, you’re a student of Lake Academy.”

“Me?”

I nodded at Madeline Belcatri, who pointed at herself in disbelief.

“Yes, you passed, so you can go now.”

Still with an expression of disbelief, she froze like a stone, then quickly came to her senses, stood up abruptly, and kept bowing.

“Th-thank you! I’ll work really hard at the academy!!”

After expressing her gratitude several times, Madeline Belcatri left the headmaster’s office.

As the door opened, Headmaster Rupert, who had been waiting outside, appeared.

“May I ask why you called for Madeline Belcatri…?”

“Just make sure she passes.”

“…You must have seen an ability in her that I’m unaware of.”

“Well, it’s complicated to explain, but anyway…”

I trailed off before continuing.

“Is Madeline Belcatri’s father still in Lake Territory?”

“Since the acceptance announcement hasn’t been made yet, I suppose he is.”

“Then tell him to come to the mansion in two days.”

“…Pardon?”

I slowly rose to my feet, gradually removing the mask of pretense I had been wearing to reform Madeline Belcatri.

And I twisted the corners of my mouth strongly.

“After all, revenge is best served by someone else.”