NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 18
It’s surprisingly common for nobles to request meetings with professors at the academy.
I mean, these are the people teaching their precious kids—it’s only polite to at least know their faces, right?
Of course, during these meetings, shady deals involving bribes or answers to exams might sneak in.
The prestigious Kia del Academy strictly prohibits bribery, and the penalties are hefty.
So, they do tend to be cleaner than other academies—though not entirely free of dirt.
I remember some professors who previously perished in the Witch’s Forest had their fair share of shady dealings too.
But they were veteran professors responsible for the S and A classes, so that’s how they got bribed. A rookie professor like me? Not a chance.
In my special class, there are a few kids from noble families, but they’re treated like discarded baggage.
Rynelle, who sits next to me, is one of them.
“Is Duke Agail really coming for sure?”
“If my father thinks he can fool you, he’d rather use my obituary to trick you instead.”
There’s absolutely no way the Duke wouldn’t show up—Rynelle made that clear as day.
The playful spark in Rynelle’s eyes, which she usually shows, was nowhere to be found, which means I had to give up all hope.
Instead, I felt puzzled. The Duke’s surprise visit happened much later than this moment.
The Duke appears just before Rynelle truly starts opposing Nina.
Nina’s healing light and her newly awakened abilities caught the Duke’s attention, leading him to propose she become his family’s adopted daughter.
Naturally, this proposal reached Rynelle, acting as the final trigger to set off her emotions.
Not only had she never received anything resembling interest, but her father was suggesting that another girl could become his daughter!
Being ignored all this time as the biological daughter, how could she not lose it?
With Professor Pernelson’s persistent teasing, Rynelle becomes the ultimate villain.
“I had a plan to kill Nina and bring down the Agail family along with Kia del Academy.”
Hating this reality where she had no allies and tormented by her destructive instincts, she couldn’t help but find a way to lash out.
Destroying the Agail family could see half her plan succeed, but Nina ends up thwarting her efforts with the academy.
In the end, right on the academy’s rooftop, with everyone watching, she would say, “It’s too late,” and jump.
Rynelle just wanted someone to care about her. Even if she caught everyone’s attention at the last moment, it was too late to turn back.
The image of Rynelle shedding blood tears from her red eyes in her final moments is still etched in my mind.
“…Rynelle really is quite pitiful in many ways.”
Reflecting on Rynelle’s story invokes a sense of sadness within me.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh? For what?”
“I forced you to give me supplementary lessons and even asked you to meet with my father, stealing your precious time.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
“I’m really sorry. Once this meeting is over, I promise I won’t trouble you again.”
“You? Yeah right.”
“I’m being serious! I know how uncomfortable I make you feel.”
“…So you plan to keep your distance from me for life, huh?”
“Yep.”
I chuckled softly and closed my eyes.
Accepting her offer and leaving Rynelle to fend for herself would inevitably lead her to ruin, morphing into a villainess.
Then, she’d meet a miserable end while serving as a stepping stone for Nina’s growth.
It was the perfectly crafted story I was aiming for, but…
Ugh… Something feels off.
I always thought that villains end miserably, especially when they’ve committed unforgivable sins while cursing others.
But is it really right to cast someone who merely made slight missteps into a story of misery, especially if they show genuine remorse?
Must I squash the futures of villainous noble daughters to live happily, surpassing the original Daniel?
Maybe there’s a path towards a good ending without ruining Rynelle’s life.
Suddenly, a sense of doubt began to wash over me.
I pledged to live happily after reincarnation, but upon arriving at the academy, here I am, only seeking the easy way out.
I decided to maintain my identity as ‘me’ rather than living like Daniel, yet it’s amusing how that didn’t quite pan out.
“Professor?”
Rynelle isn’t just a character in a novel; she’s a real person.
A person who breathes, thinks for herself, laughs, and sometimes cries.
How can I wish for her ruin when I bear no ill will toward her? Isn’t that what makes me a villain?
Same goes for Rynelle and all the other villainous noble ladies.
I think it’s time I reflect on them a bit deeper.
“Don’t do anything rash. If out of the blue you suddenly distance yourself from me, rumors will spread that I harassed you.”
“If I clarify that’s not true…”
“Even if you do, the label of a professor who wallows in wall-building with a student won’t change. I don’t mind being called incompetent, but I won’t have anything said about being irresponsible.”
So follow your heart.
The responsibility is yours, but I won’t force you to do anything against your will.
Rynelle stared blankly at me.
Just as I was about to feel embarrassed in the silence, a burst of laughter escaped her lips.
“Hah!”
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re trying to keep a serious tone, but it totally doesn’t suit you! Hahaha!”
“Seriously, who do you think you are, saying such silly things like you’re not in the special class?”
Just as I was about to give her a light thump on her head just like I did with Ailey, a knight clad in dark armor suddenly emerged from Rynelle’s shadow to deliver news.
“Miss, your father is about to arrive. He said you should wait outside for a moment.”
“…Understood.”
Not long after Rynelle stepped out, the mana around us began to stir.
A powerful presence gradually approached my classroom.
Clack, clack, the door opened, and a middle-aged man strode in.
His elegantly groomed beard caught my eye, and the color of his hair and eyes matched Rynelle’s perfectly.
His expression was devoid of emotion, which instilled an odd sense of tension in me.
“Pleasure to meet you, Professor. I am Ruphon Agail, the head of the Agail family and Rynelle Agail’s biological father.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Duke Agail. I am Daniel Crawford, the lead professor of the special class that Rynelle is part of.”
I grasped the hand that Duke Agail extended without hesitation and shook it.
Simultaneously, I felt his mana quietly attempting to infiltrate my being, and I pushed it back.
“You seem to be quite the prankster beneath that facade. Rynelle’s mischievous personality must come from you?”
“I just wanted to see how skilled the professor teaching my daughter really is. I would appreciate it if you could forgive my rudeness.”
“Is that so? Just verbally, though?”
“Daniel, you are surprisingly bold for someone who appears so mild-mannered.”
“Do I look that timid to you, while I earn my living teaching others?”
Duke Agail briefly lifted the corners of his mouth and observed me.
It seemed my upright posture impressed him.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve somehow been giving off good vibes to villains lately.
“Alright, since I came without giving a heads up, I shall grant you one request as an apology; how about that?”
“Since you’re offering a wish, I can’t possibly refuse.”
I received it casually, but in reality, it was an immense gift.
I could demand anything from none other than Duke Agail.
It was like picking stars from the sky. I could ask for a rare spellbook or money to live off three generations!
Anyone else would be over the moon or drooling with excitement.
“What do you wish for, now that you’ve graciously accepted?”
“Honestly, I do have one wish.”
But it felt futile.
The Duke would likely use that wish to resolve his own schemes.
Nina had received a wish token from Duke Agail in the original story as well.
She kept it tucked away, unsure how to use it until one day, her parents’ crops they had nurtured suddenly burned down.
Unable to pay her taxes, she eventually used the wish token to resolve the tax issue.
But the real trouble started afterward.
The word spread that she had resolved her family’s issues using Duke Agail’s favor.
Although she had merely received a kindness, people soon perceived Nina as someone deeply indebted to the Duke.
Afterward, the Duke approached Nina and requested she become his adopted daughter.
When she refused, people began to hurl insults at her, calling her an ungrateful wretch.
The critical point to understand is that Duke Agail’s favors are inherently traps.
Whether I accept or decline, it’s an unpleasant trap.
Holding onto it will lead to trouble, but asking for cash means he’ll find a way to regain it through other schemes.
Just like father, just like daughter—Rynelle and her dad certainly share a knack for shady deals.
“Whatever you wish for, I will grant it. What does the professor desire?”
But wait, who am I?
I’m the guy who dismantled Rynelle’s schemes right to her face and handed her a big ol’ “no thank you”!
Naturally, I have my own strategy in mind to counter Duke Agail’s trap.
“Then please, just turn around and leave.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m quite tired today, so let’s postpone this meeting for another time!”
By exhausting the Duke’s goodwill on a useless wish, I was off the hook.
Of course, I don’t plan on seeing him off.
Duke Agail absolutely detests wasting time.
I will be remembered as the only person who led him to walk in circles.
Take that! Here’s your wish token. Tough it out with that!