The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away - Chapter 96.2
The plan had been running exactly as intended. Yet, it felt as though an unexpected piece had rolled in and ruined the puzzle.
What was even stranger was how the new, distorted picture that the broken puzzle now formed began to draw his curiosity more and more.
Leslun.
That name kept echoing in his mind.
“I’ll go see the commander.”
The butler, who knew Brian’s secret, bowed his head.
After the butler left, Brian tucked the vial into his inner pocket. As he exhaled slowly, waiting for the carriage to be prepared, his brow furrowed suddenly.
“That aide is attending the Academy right now, isn’t he?”
The Empress had promised him the position of Academy Dean, yet failed to keep that promise.
Later, she said she would hand over everything related to the Academy, but there had been no noticeable actions since.
“I suppose I’ll have to make a move myself.”
He just had to occupy it from the bottom up. The only question was where to begin.
“Yes, that would be the best place to start.”
Brian pictured a location every student was sure to visit—one quiet enough not to draw attention.
***
As soon as Leslun stepped into the Academy, he sensed the faint buzz of noise in the air.
It was not unfamiliar. He had felt something similar before—back in the dining hall.
At that time, it had been because the Crown Prince was visiting.
What was it today?
There had been no announcement of a guest, nor had he heard of any special lectures.
From the end of the hallway, by the windows, and between the desks came faint whispers and muffled breaths—proof that something was definitely going on.
The Academy had now become the place where rumors spread fastest.
Among the noble and royal students who gathered here, rumors were no longer simple gossip. They were political weapons.
Leslun sat down quietly, but the murmuring around him showed no sign of fading. Looking around, he muttered softly to himself.
At that moment, he felt someone take the seat beside him.
The movement was natural and confident. When he turned toward the familiar calm aura, he saw Prince Tarensiu taking his place next to him.
“Curious?”
The prince spoke as if he could see right through Leslun’s thoughts. Leslun didn’t seem surprised and simply nodded.
“Yes. Did His Highness the Crown Prince come again?”
Tarensiu tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“If that were the case, you’d be the first to know.”
Leslun fell silent.
That wasn’t necessarily true. The Crown Prince often acted without warning. He had appeared before Leslun in the same sudden manner before.
“If you want to know the rumor, there are two ways,” Tarensiu said, tapping his fingers lightly against the desk.
Though his tone was refined, there was a playful note beneath it.
“One is to ask directly…”
Leslun’s brow twitched slightly. That was the easiest method, but also the most uncomfortable.
“And the other is…”
The classroom door opened.
Someone entered, and immediately, the air shifted. The murmur grew louder, and every head turned at once.
At the center of their attention stood Lady Miroi.
With each step she took, the sound of her heels rang clearly across the floor.
“Waiting for the moment when reactions are loudest,” Tarensiu’s voice followed.
He was watching Lady Miroi with an amused expression, as though he had predicted this scene and was enjoying it.
Leslun found himself looking at her, too. Soon, their eyes met.
Lady Miroi’s gaze was unwavering and clear. She showed no sign of avoiding his or anyone else’s stare.
Instead, there was a peculiar composure shining in her eyes.
Leslun instinctively bowed his head in greeting.
She nodded slowly in return, accepting the gesture, then took the seat beside him without hesitation.
“Shall I tell you?” she said calmly, as though she already knew what he was wondering.
Her quiet whisper carried a faintly excited tone.
“There’s a rumor that I was almost kidnapped.”
Leslun’s eyes widened.
“And that His Highness the Crown Prince saved me.”
Her voice was tinged with playfulness, as if it were just idle talk.
But Leslun couldn’t bring himself to smile.
The thread that had once been cut in the original story was being connected again.
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