What?
She did what now?
Victor was completely taken aback when he heard those words. It was something he hadn’t expected at all.
To be honest, it was downright shocking. He meant… come on now, she looked way too innocent, and on top of that, she was far too old to be involved in something like this. And most of all—
“Why did she acknowledge her guilt so easily?” Victor asked, his tone laced with deep suspicion as his gaze locked onto the old woman in front of him.
“Suspicious, isn’t it?” Dora frowned, tilting her head slightly as she turned toward the old woman, who visibly flinched in fear.
Dora continued, “I was helping others, removing that debris, you know, minding my own business, and then—out of nowhere—she just walks up to me and claims that she was responsible for everything. Now, isn’t that way too convenient? That’s exactly why I brought her here… It just felt off.”
“Here?” Victor frowned, feeling a mix of confusion and irritation. What exactly was Dora expecting him to do? If she wanted him to torture the woman into talking, she was out of luck.
That kind of thing wasn’t his style—especially not with old ladies like her.
However, Dora simply nodded, her expression turning serious. “If someone was influencing her, all you need to do is manipulate her mind, just like you did with Jack. Get into her head and make her spill the truth.”
Victor exhaled sharply but gave a slow nod in understanding. His gaze shifted toward the old woman, and in an instant, his eyes flickered with a deep crimson glow. The effect was immediate. The old woman’s pupils dilated, and her mind went blank, her consciousness slipping into a hazy void where only his words would hold meaning.
“Tell me…” Victor’s voice dropped into a cold, commanding tone. “Who is responsible for the Academy’s destruction?”
The old woman’s lips parted, and without a hint of hesitation, she answered in a blunt tone, “It’s me.”
Victor and Dora both frowned at the response. Something about this didn’t sit right. Victor narrowed his eyes before changing the question. “Why did you do that?”
“Because it’s what Master wanted.”
The moment those words left her lips, the room fell into a heavy silence.
Dora’s expression darkened, and Victor clenched his jaw. So, Alaric wasn’t the only mole inside the academy?
That bastard had others working behind the scenes?
They exchanged a glance.
Even though things were becoming clearer, something about this entire situation felt… off. There was an unsettling nagging feeling in Victor’s chest, like an itch he couldn’t scratch. His frown deepened as he leaned forward slightly, resting his arm on the table. “Why did you confess your guilt so willingly?”
“Because that’s what Master wanted.” The old woman repeated the exact same words, her voice devoid of any emotion.
Victor’s fingers twitched slightly.
That answer wasn’t natural. Dora, too, frowned harder, her eyes narrowing. There was no hesitation in the woman’s voice, no signs of distress or even fear. She was simply stating what she believed to be an undeniable fact.
Why the hell would he want her to get caught after everything…?
Did he know he was going to fail from the start?
“Arrrhh! That bastard is still fucking annoying even after his death.” Victor let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair as he leaned back against the chair.
Dora crossed her arms, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, it’s like he’s still playing his twisted games from beyond the grave.” She then turned her focus back to the old woman, her lips curling into a thoughtful smirk. “Well, looks like I’ll need to have a little… chat with her later. Just the two of us.” She stood up slowly.
However, Victor immediately interrupted, “Wait…” He held up a hand, stopping Dora in her tracks before turning his attention back to the old woman. His expression darkened slightly as he asked,
“Tell me… What exactly are you to your Master? A subordinate? A Table Member?” His voice carried a sharp edge, his frown deepening as he waited for her answer.
“…”
There was a brief, unsettling pause, and Victor’s eyes immediately sharpened. The crimson glow returned, intensifying as his power forced her mind deeper into submission. The old woman flinched violently before finally responding,
“I am just a subordinate.”
Victor’s frown deepened further. “Subordinate? And what exactly do you do for him? How many others are there like you?”
“I don’t know… I only follow Master’s orders. Nothing else.” The old woman’s voice remained eerily flat, emotionless.
“Hmmm…” Victor’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he gave a soft nod.
“Is everything over now?” Dora asked as she moved toward the old woman.
“Well…” Victor exhaled, rubbing his chin as he contemplated. There was still something bothering him, a detail he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
He was just about to release his manipulation when, out of nowhere, an odd thought struck him. Without thinking, he asked,
“Hmm… Hmm… Are you… being controlled right now?”
The question came out suddenly, surprising even himself. He wasn’t sure why he asked, but deep down, something told him there was a possibility.
That’s why he couldn’t ignore it.
“No, I wasn’t.” The old woman responded without hesitation.
Dora let out a sigh of relief. “Good. At least we don’t have to deal with that kind of mess on top of everything else.” She then rolled her shoulders before adding, “Anyway, I’ll handle the situation at the academy. I’ll also deal with her and see what I can dig up about the Origin Blood.”
But just as she was about to turn away, she paused, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of Victor’s expression. He was still staring directly at the old woman, his frown deeper than ever.
Something was wrong.
“Victor?”
Victor snapped out of his thoughts, letting out a low hum in response.
Dora hesitated for a moment, her expression shifting as if she was unsure how to put her words together. Finally, she started, “You… You see, the children we—”
Before she could finish, Victor smiled gently, his voice carrying an unusual softness as he said, “I will take care of them… don’t worry.”
Hearing that, Dora sighed in relief, her tense shoulders relaxing as a small, grateful smile graced her lips.
However, she had completely forgotten who she was talking to.
There was no kindness in that gentle smile of his.
Victor’s grin widened as he leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a whisper—not to her illusionary human ears, but directly to her invisible fox ears. His warm breath ghosted over them, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine as he murmured, “But you know… a fox also needs to pay for child care, right~?”
Dora’s entire body stiffened as an unmistakable heat crawled up her neck. “Y-You… You!” she stammered, her voice trembling slightly. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She knew exactly what kind of “child care” he was talking about… and it had nothing to do with actual children.
Victor’s smirk deepened, watching her flustered reaction with amusement. He leaned in just a bit more, his lips dangerously close to the shell of her ear. “I mean… parenting takes two, doesn’t it?” His voice dripped with something dark and teasing, and he made sure to let his fingers barely graze her arm as he pulled back.
Dora’s face was now completely red. Her fox ears—if they were visible—would have been twitching uncontrollably. With an embarrassed huff, she grabbed the old woman and vanished in a hurry.
[+8000 AP]
Victor chuckled, shaking his head. Strong women were always the funniest when they got weak in moments like these.
“Anyway…” Victor exhaled with amusement, but as he turned his gaze, he was met with three blank stares. Well, except for Thalia, who was grinning like she had just found her new favorite entertainment show.
Aria, however, frowned and asked blankly, “Is she… your target?” Her voice was so devoid of emotion that it almost felt like his answer would determine whether something very bad was about to happen.
Victor simply nodded. “Yeah,” he said casually as he sat back down.
Aria’s frown deepened before she let out a long sigh. “I cannot believe this…” she muttered under her breath.
Her hubby was going after that woman too? This was so messed up.
Even though Aria didn’t hold any direct grudge against Dora, the fact remained that she had been indirectly involved in her suffering…. Not that Aria was complaining, but still… she couldn’t help but wonder how the hell this world worked.
More than annoyed, she found herself strangely amused.
‘Hmmm… Wait!’
‘Wait… am I getting used to this?’ Aria blinked in horror as the realization hit her—she was accepting another woman into her hubby’s life without hesitation.
“Hmm… What target?” Thalia frowned, clearly confused by the conversation.
Meanwhile, Liora, who had been observing quietly, tilted her head with curiosity. “You didn’t seem to trust her confession,” she noted, watching Victor’s expression closely.
She had seen the way he had been staring at the old woman earlier, his gaze filled with deep suspicion.
Victor hummed in thought before asking suddenly, “Are you in control right now?”
Liora raised a brow at the odd question but answered without much thought. “No,” she said with a shrug.
Victor nodded. “That’s… right but also… wrong.”
“Huh?”
Everyone frowned at his cryptic response.
Thalia clicked her tongue in irritation. “Tsk, come on now! Just say it already!”
But then—
“Wait a second…” Aria’s eyes widened slightly, her eyebrows raising as if she had just pieced something together.
Victor grinned. “Yes… That’s right…”
Aria’s eyes widened in horror, “Oh my…..”
Still, Thalia looked completely lost, her confusion only deepening. Liora, on the other hand, simply shrugged as if she didn’t want to think too much about it.
“What is it?” Thalia turned to Aria for answers since Victor clearly wasn’t going to explain it to her.
Aria rubbed her temples as if dealing with a mild headache before answering, “She is already in control… and yet, she said ‘No.'”
Thalia frowned, still not fully getting it, “How can you say she’s in control?”
“Because she said no!”
“….”
Thalia blinked, utterly baffled. She slowly turned her gaze toward Raven, hoping for a more logical explanation, but all she got was a calm and resigned response.
“There are times you just have to trust your gut,” Raven said simply, nodding wisely.
“IDIOT! YOU DON’T GET IT EITHER!!!”
________
[Author’s note: Comment on the title if you got the answer right! You got it… or just like Thalia?]