Chapter 523: Despair

"They are… going to execute Megawoman?"

Katherine was not really one to bother other people's conversations—especially a conversation between two confusing people. But as soon as she heard Esme's words, she could not help but make her way near Riley and join in on the conversation.

"Megawoman? Who is that?"

"It is what my people call Aerith, Princess Esme," Riley was the one to answer her question as he looked up to look her in the eyes. Katherine didn't even need to read Riley's heart in order to know that it was fluctuating,

"Where did you get this information from?"

"I may not be regarded highly amongst my family, but I am still royalty, Professor Riley," Princess Esme nodded, before gesturing to Riley to follow her,

"I overheard my father talking to my oldest siblings, I like to eavesdrop in their conversations, you see," Esme slightly bowed to not hit her head on the way out of the lecture hall, "It would seem that Aerith was put on trial for leaving Theran without any formal permission from their kingdom. Father said they are probably making an example out of her—making a statement that even if she is the only princess of the Hel Kingdom, she was not exempted from their laws."

"Riley, we need to do something," Katherine grabbed Riley's arm, "This is serious. Since they are willing to sacrifice their kingdom's princess just like that, I don't know what they would do to the others; our daughter, Silvie… your mother. Paige was also with Megawoman and she's completely unrelated to everything."

"Are all of your acquaintances women, Professor Riley?" Esme halted her steps as she glanced at Riley, "Although I already half expected it. You seem to have this weird way of gaining the trust of females."

"..."

"You have the consistency of a pet that women and girls will not be able to resist, is what I think I want to say, Professor Riley."

"I suppose that is one advantage of my looks, Princess Esme," Riley only shrugged as he gestured to Princess Esme to continue walking, 

"If my face was not pleasing to look at, then I am sure Katherine would not even think of her ridiculous 'Turn Dark into Light' plan and just go straight to the Hope Guild to reveal who I am. But since I am good-looking, she wanted it to be our little secret so she could keep me to herself."

"Hm, very superficial," Princess Esme nodded several times as she looked at Katherine; a few seconds after, however, she let out a sigh, "I honestly would have done the same, Professor Riley. If you are ugly, I would not be wanting to gain your approval on whether or not I am equal to the Rebel Princess."

"That is probably why no one is trying to get your approval, Princess Esme."

"...I am ugly?" Princess Esme blinked a couple of times as she lightly touched her face. She then turned around to look at some of the other students that were walking across the large hallway. But alas, before she could even open her mouth to ask for their opinion, they all quickly turned to walk where they came.

The Supreme College has many students, but with Princess Esme in tow, everyone just wanted to avoid her path—avoiding the eccentric princess' path is avoiding trouble.

"You are not ugly, Princess Esme," Riley shook his head, "There is no such thing as an ugly face, beauty is a collection of different preferences—you just look different than what most people would deem good-looking."

"I am abnormally tall too," Princess Esme sighed, "Perhaps it is just my fate to be different, as you say. But I don't really mind the way people look at me, they are the ones with the problem, not me."

"Hm, it is good you think so, Princess Esme. We—"

"Riley, we're getting distracted! They need us there!"

"Hm…" Riley nodded as he looked at Katherine, "Forgive me, Princess Esme, but my subordinate is right. It's time to stop the roleplay. It is a pity, though. I was starting to learn why people want to teach others, it is quite a nice feeling to impart your knowledge to other people."

"I am sure that even if it was just a single day, the things my people have learned from you will be useful for eternity, Professor Riley," Princess Esme then stood in front of Riley, before bowing her head and doing some sort of curtsy—even then, however, she still towered over him,

"I no longer wish to prove myself equal to the Princess of Hel, as no matter what I do, I know you hold a certain bias toward her."

"That is true, Princess Esme. Aerith and my sister will always be better than everyone else."

"Your… sister?" Esme squinted her eyes as soon as the word 'sister' entered her ears, "The information I received did not indicate you having a sister. Are you saying your sister is equal to Princess Aerith?"

"Yes," Riley answered without any hesitation.

"..." Esme then turned her head to the side, looking at the view from the outside for a few seconds before turning her attention back to Riley, "If you answer this single question truthfully, then I will do everything in my power to let you meet Princess Aerith. Let us forget any prior deals."

"What is it?" Riley tilted his head to the side, causing his long white hair to flow from his shoulders.

"If you would choose between your sister and Princess Aerith, who would you choose?"

"In terms of what, Princess Esme?" Riley then squinted his eyes as he placed his hand on his chin.

"..." Esme also squinted her eyes as she seemed to really be thinking about her question deeply. And after a few seconds of silence, she looked Riley straight in the eyes,

"Eternal Death. Since Aerith is being put to Eternal Death, are you willing to exchange her for your sister instead?"

"But my sister is not the one on trial, Princess Esme."

"I shall rephrase my question, Professor Riley—If you have to choose only one, who will you save from death?"

"..." Riley's eyes furrowed as he looked away. Even Katherine, who was just urging them to leave and do something, could not help but pause in her tracks as she heard the violent fluctuation of Riley's heart—no, she didn't just hear his heart fluctuate, it was screaming…

…screaming to the point that it made Katherine want to cover her ears.

From the outside, however, Riley just seemed to be thinking about the question deeply.

"There will always be a way to save both, Princess Esme," Riley then said.

"But what if there is not?" Princess Esme insisted, "I was once asked this question by my father decades ago, he asked me to choose between my pet lizard and mother."

"May I ask what you answered, Princess Esme?"

"I did not have an answer."

"..."

"..."

"What about you, Professor Riley? Have you come up with an answer?"

"After thinking about it for a few seconds, I suppose I have come up with an answer, Princess Esme," Riley then let out a small but very deep sigh as he dropped his arms,

"My sister will die, Princess Esme."

"So, Princess Aerith is more important to you?"

"No, they are both still equally important to me," Riley shook his head, 

"But it would be better for sister to die."

"...Why?"

"So she would not have to see what I would do to the world that made me choose between her life and Aerith's."

"...And what exactly will you do, Professor Riley?"

"Destroy it."

"But you told me you are already doing that."

"I am," Riley then let out another deep breath as he looked at the view outside, "But in this case, I will let them live." 

"You are lowering their punishment?"

"No. I will let them live so that at every second, at every breath—they will know that I am there. They will look at every darkness, at every shadow… and I will be in their minds, slowly burrowing into their brains and reminding them that the sun will never shine on them again. They will live afraid, hurt, and tortured—I will be the insect that digs through their children's eyes, the cancer that eats away at their bodies…

…I will no longer be the peace of Death, but the anguish of Despair itself."

"But you are an evil person, Professor Riley. Do you not think you deserve to lose the people you care for?"

"But they don't deserve to lose everything for the things I have done," Riley said as he looked Princess Esme in the eyes, "My actions are mine alone, and they will always be mine alone."

"Then what about Princess Aerith? Are you saying she deserves to see you destroy and hurt others?"

"Aerith will never choose her life over another, that is the kind of person she is. And if I make that choice for her…" Riley breathed out, "...She will hate me forever—and that is my eternal punishment."

"You really thought this through; as expected of a professor," Princess Esme nodded to herself several times as she once again started walking,

"I am pleased with your answer, Riley. Although there's a chance father might not meet with us, I can be quite convincing in finding ways to seek an audience for the King."

"Hm."

"The two of you need to change, however. I will ask them to prepare your attire in your room, please wait there in the meantime. I will come and find you."

And with those words, Princess Esme disappeared; leaving a slightly baffled Katherine to ponder what just happened. Did… 

…they just waste an entire day playing teacher-and-student?

Unbeknownst to Katherine, however…

…Riley's single lesson would have a clear, dramatic, and sudden effect on the themarians of the Varoif Kingdom.