"You want to know?" Avendial observed Aria as she immersed herself in the conversation, her curiosity piqued by the carefully constructed lies he was weaving.
However, he didn't particularly care about her fascination.
He decided that he only needed to add one more piece to the puzzle before calling it a day.
His strategy was not to reveal everything to her today, ensuring she wouldn't feel as if she knew all there was to know—which might lead to her losing interest or, worse, forgetting what Lin had done to her.
Instead, Avendial planned to drop breadcrumbs for her to follow, allowing her the autonomy to piece the information together herself.
By withholding certain details, he believed it was best to keep her in the dark, giving her mind the space to process these revelations.
This approach would help her willingly embrace the information rather than questioning his motives or doubting him.
The human mind is undeniably complex, but this same quality often leads to errors, especially when overloaded with information.
"Hm..." Aria nodded, her gaze fixed on him in anticipation, clearly focused and ready to absorb whatever he had to share.
"In the future, you will die at Lin's hand," he stated.
'!'
He noticed her eyes widen in shock, yet surprisingly, she seemed to be processing this unsettling information, maintaining her composure.
Her fists clenched, betraying the inner turmoil brewing within her mind.
Avendial recognized it was time to retreat, giving her space to digest what he had just shared, avoiding the risk of overwhelming her further.
"It's class time; you should head there now," he said, brushing past her before she had a chance to react.
'Huh?' As he walked away, she stood there, entranced by the weight of his words regarding Lin's impending betrayal.
"Wait! Professor—" Aria turned sharply, her hand reaching out in an instinctive attempt to stop him as he paused, already five steps ahead.
He turned back, offering her a cold, piercing look.
"Listen, I know you too well, Aria. You'll eventually accept the fact that you're destined to die at his hands and start trying to mend your relationship with him," Avendial remarked.
He had observed her behavior and saw how, despite her unique ability to perceive Lin as the protagonist and herself as the villainess, she still harbored affection for him.
She was acutely aware that whenever it came to him, she weakened—unable to take a stance of her own.
The words Aven had left her with lingered, striking a chord deep within her.
Initially, even after hearing that her future self had prohibited him from sharing anything with her past self, she still saw the warmth behind his eyes—emotions that were both directed at her and simultaneously distant.
"What should I do?" Her gaze fell to her dress, its hem brushing against her nails as she stood there, lost in thought.
She understood that this man had come to the academy for her—just to warn her, breaking the promise he made to her future self, just so he could protect her from what was now inevitable.
Yet, here, like an idiot, instead of appreciating his efforts, she just wanted to uncover how she met her death at Lin's hands.
Knowing how her future self had revealed everything about her ability to Aven, it was evident that she had placed immense trust in him.
Countless doubts and questions swirled in Aria's mind.
But from the observations made today and the information gathered from Aven, she was aware that he and her future self shared a connection—love, to be precise.
The pain of knowing that he disregarded the commitment to her future self and still came here to warn her weighed heavily on her.
All this only made her understand how different she was from her future self. Read latest chapters at m_v-l'e|-novelhall.net
As she watched the last traces of disappointment, anger, and a hint of sympathy on Aven's face fade into the distance when he left, she felt a profound realization settle within her.
She—her present self—had failed him.
Standing inside the garden where the gentle breeze filtered through the air, ruffling the leaves and brushing her hair with a light touch, she looked downward in disappointment at herself. Only one thought occupied her mind, and her lips formed a mumble: "I... am... sorry, Aven."
---
'This would make it much easier,' Avendial, exiting the garden, stepped onto the platform leading to the corridor, moving as he placed his hands in his pockets, effortlessly moving while thinking about how he had gotten a very good opportunity to deal with Aria's issue.
He moved, prepared to enter the classroom to deal with Amrita, knowing that the corridor was most likely empty due to students entering the classroom.
'!?!'
He moved ahead, and when he passed the third pillar where he could easily see the garden, a familiar face and smell made him stop in his tracks. He turned slowly, just a bit away, and locked eyes with a woman who was staring towards Aria, prompting him to call her out. "...Aecilia?"
"Oh, it's you, Marquess....," Aecilia, who had been observing everything since earlier with her folded hands, tilted her head, looking back with a narrowed gaze, meeting Avendial as she added with a small smile, "You seem to be enjoying yourself, aren't you?"