Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 1495: We’re hypocrites, Dora.

Soon, Victor took Mira out of the prison. As they walked through the corridors, Mira clung to him like a frightened koala, refusing to loosen her grip for even a moment. Her face remained buried against his shoulder, fingers trembling as Victor took her towards one of the empty office rooms.

Dora followed quietly behind them. In her mind, she had done nothing wrong, not even for a moment.

After all, she had only investigated the person responsible for the destruction of her academy. If not for Aether’s preparation, those children and her professors would have died without leaving a single trace behind, so in her eyes, her actions were justified beyond doubt.

She had finally uncovered a clue linking Mira to the disaster, and it wasn’t as if she wanted to torture the poor girl. The old nurse had been disturbingly certain about Mira, recounting in detail what Mira had done to her. The terror carved into the old woman’s expression, the way her hands shook as she spoke, everything about it screamed truth far louder than words ever could.

Even so, Mira had outright rejected every accusation placed before her, but Dora found herself unable to accept that denial so easily.

Dora had gone through Mira’s personal data with scrutiny, and everything had been flawless.

Too flawless, in fact!

She even sought Celestia’s help, and Celestia, who had conducted her own research before.... Mira was perfect, unnervingly so.

Every record, every report, every detail felt prepared in advance, as though someone had planted those files with deliberate precision.

That realisation made Dora uneasy, and the doubt gnawed at her until she decided drastic measures were unavoidable.

Victor stood before the office door while Dora stepped forward and opened it. Once inside, Victor carefully guided Mira to the sofa and gently helped her sit down, mindful of every small movement she made.

"N-No... no... please don’t leave me," Mira whispered, her voice cracking as fear spilled through each word. Her arms tightened instinctively around him, as if letting go would make him vanish.

"Sshh... I’m not going anywhere," Victor said softly, "You need to rest now. I’ll arrange some food for you and make sure you’re safe, so just breathe, okay?" He tried to ease her onto the sofa, though she still clung to him, refusing to let go even as exhaustion weighed her down.

"N-no..."

Mira’s trembling fingers clenched around Victor’s clothes.

Victor let out a slow sigh and glanced toward Dora, who stood silently beside him. She met his eyes for a brief moment, then gave a small nod before turning away and leaving the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

Now alone in the quiet office, Victor leaned closer and spoke in a gentle murmur. "It’s alright, Mira. Nobody is going to hurt you anymore, not here. Just look at me for a moment... come on, lift your head and look at me," he urged softly as Mira slowly raised her tear-soaked face, her eyes unfocused as they found his.

Victor brushed his thumb across her bloodied lips, "Yes... Yes, everything is fine now. I’m here with you, Mira, and I won’t leave. Just try to rest for a while."

Mira stared at him with eyes clouded by tears, "I... I really didn’t do it. I swear I didn’t... please, you have to believe me."

Victor nodded without hesitation, "I do believe you. You didn’t do it, not for a second. So close your eyes and rest first, alright? You’ve been through more than enough."

[+200 AP]

Mira nodded weakly, her body finally surrendering to exhaustion after endless days and nights of torture. The healing potion she had taken restored her wounds, but it also dragged the full weight of fatigue down onto her, making every limb feel unbearably heavy.

Slowly, Mira loosened her grip on Victor’s clothes and eased herself back onto the sofa, though one hand still clung to his sleeve as if even sleep couldn’t convince her to let him go.

"P-Please... don’t leave me," she murmured again, her voice fading. "Please... just stay."

Victor nodded gently, brushing his fingers through her blood-matted hair with careful tenderness. He remained beside her, watching as her drooping eyes struggled to stay open before finally giving in to rest.

[+300 AP]

"Once you wake up," Victor said softly, "you will come with me, okay? You and your grandparents can stay at my place. There will be no need to fear anyone anymore. You’ll be safe there... I promise you that, Mira."

[+300 AP]

[+300 AP]

A faint, fragile smile curved her lips as she struggled to speak, each word sounding thinner than the last. "I... I cannot burden you," she whispered weakly. "I... I will... leave... I just... I..."

Victor shook his head slowly, his expression firm yet gentle as he cut her off before she could force herself further. "Don’t think about that now. Just rest," he said quietly. "We’ll talk about everything later, when you’re stronger."

"V-Victor..." Mira murmured, her voice trailing as exhaustion finally claimed her. "P-Please..." The rest dissolved into a soft, broken sound as sleep overtook her.

As her breathing evened out without any struggle, the hand clutching Victor’s sleeve slowly loosened. Her fingers slipped down, falling lifelessly onto the sofa as her body surrendered completely to rest.

Victor carefully lifted her hand and gently placed it against her chest, watching her for a long moment. The blood-stained clothes clung to her fragile frame, dark patches still stuck stubbornly to her skin.

She needed a bath, he knew that well, but not now... Right now, sleep mattered more than anything else.

Victor let out a slow sigh and ruffled his own hair, confusion and unease twisting inside him. For once, he felt lost, unsure of the path ahead.

After another glance at her peaceful, exhausted face, he turned and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Dora stood waiting outside, her expression calm and unreadable, arms crossed loosely as if she had been there the entire time.

Victor looked at her, his gaze turned sharp and questioning, demanding answers without a single word spoken.

Dora sighed, rubbing her temple as she began, "I told you already. The old nurse was a 1000% percent sure that—" but she stopped mid-sentence as Victor interrupted her.

"I know," Victor said calmly.

Dora blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

Victor exhaled slowly. "I already have doubts about her existence," he continued, "I can’t explain everything in detail right now, but she’s been under my surveillance for some time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That doesn’t mean she’s the one who did it," Victor replied evenly. "According to the old nurse’s report, it wasn’t only her. There were other students working at that time too, right? Students are hired to take care of children for money... You are the one who hired them, right?"

Dora let out another sigh, "I did, but The old nurse clearly stated it was her."

Victor shrugged slightly, "A person who was possessed before," he said slowly. "Are you really that certain? What if someone altered her memories? After all, we’re talking about a ghost. What if it deliberately pinned everything on Mira?"

Dora opened her mouth instinctively. "That’s not possi—"

"But ghosts are real," Victor cut in quietly.

Dora fell silent.

"Listen, Dora," Victor continued, "I understand what you’re trying to do, and I’m not going to object to it in any way. But tell me one thing honestly." He paused,

"Did you really have to go that far with such a weak girl?"

Dora grew slightly annoyed, "Come on, Victor... it’s not like we knew she was really weak," she said, folding her arms.

"What if she were a wolf in sheep’s skin? What if she was trying to deceive us again? And why her?" Dora pressed on.

"If there were other students, then why did the old nurse only mention her?"

Victor took a slow breath. For a brief moment, Dora almost thought she had made a valid point, but then he stepped forward.

"You said it yourself, Dora... ’What if?’" Victor moved closer, "What if she was really a weak one? What if she were really just a sheep? What if she was mistaken for someone else?" His tone darkened as he continued, frustration bleeding through. "... So many what ifs, Dora... so many fucking what ifs."

Dora fell silent.

"You know this better than me," Victor continued, "We punish the one who did this, not the one who might have done it. There is a fucking huge difference between those two."

"A criminal escaping is fine, but an innocent being harmed is unforgivable."

Dora remained silent... This was the first time she had been yelled at by someone not even half her age, and the realisation left a bitter taste in her mouth.

What a predicament this was.

Still, Victor might not be entirely right either.

There was a chance he was wrong.

But the real reason Victor was this angry slowly surfaced.

"Tell me," Victor said quietly, his voice suddenly heavier, more painful.

"If it had been Aria or any other noble student, would you have done the same to them? Would you have treated them the way you treated her?"

Each word sounded as if it were dragged straight from his chest.

Dora parted her lips to answer, but nothing came out.

Noticing her silence, Victor’s heart trembled. "See?" he said softly, though his eyes shook. "Just because Mira had no one... just because she was a nobody... You touched her without hesitation." His voice cracked slightly.

"Dora... why?"

He took another step closer, "Tell me, am I wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Whether she did it or not, this should have gone through proper procedure. She’s not your subordinate, not a professor who betrayed you to your face." His fist clenched at his side.

"She’s just a student trying to survive through her own hard work."

Victor’s voice sharpened as the question cut deeper. "Is this what you teach in this academy?" He paused, then asked again, more forcefully,

"What would you have done if she were a fucking noble’s daughter?"

"..."

Dora didn’t answer... more like she couldn’t answer!

Victor let out a weak smile, one filled with disappointment, "You need proof," he said quietly. "Real proof. Definite proof to take Noble into custody. Otherwise, a riot will happen." He inhaled deeply.

"I... I’m sorry," Dora said at last. She now understood the judgment she had passed based purely on emotion.

Victor had made her see her mistake clearly. If Mira had truly been a noble’s daughter, Dora knew she would never have done what she did.

"I’m not the one you need to say that to," Victor replied quietly as he shook his head and turned to leave.

"But..." Dora spoke again, "I still believe she’s the one. Maybe you’re mistaken... maybe you’re the one doing wrong."

Victor halted mid-step and turned back. A faint smile touched his lips as he nodded slowly. "Maybe," he admitted. He reached out and touched her cheek lightly, making her flinch.

"I don’t have the ability to confirm whether the old woman was possessed or simply forced to say those things."

His eyes sharpened as he continued. "But the old woman isn’t proof," Victor said calmly.

"What makes the ghost hesitate to blame others? Why did it point to her first?" He tilted his head slightly.

"It pointed to the old nurse before anyone else... didn’t it?"

"Give me definite proof," Victor said, "Until then, not a single scratch on Mira. Not even by accident."

Dora nodded silently.

Victor stepped back, "Once she wakes up, arrange clothes for her, proper food, and a bath. Make sure everything is prepared."

"I have an important meeting to attend."

Dora nodded again, her response automatic, almost subdued.

Victor smiled faintly as he leaned toward her, lowering his voice. "I would never hate you, darling," he said softly, pressing a brief kiss against her cheek before turning away.

Dora blinked, momentarily stunned, then shook her head lightly. ’Who exactly do you think is your darling?’ she thought.

Just as Victor took a few steps forward, he halted without turning back. His voice dropped, quieter, edged with something unsettling.

"...I think I’m not that different from you," he muttered slowly, "I wouldn’t have reacted this strongly if she were just nobody." A hollow laugh escaped him, brittle and humourless. "Hah... I didn’t even react when I first saw her. I only did after I learned who she was."

He exhaled, the sound heavy with disappointment aimed inward.

"We’re hypocrites, Dora."

Dora raised her eyebrows slightly, then let out a weak, conflicted smile. "Hypocrites," she echoed under her breath.

Meanwhile, behind the closed door, Mira was not asleep as she was supposed to be. She leaned weakly against the door, her head bowed, eyes fixed on her own feet. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably as she clutched her chest, fingers digging into herself as if trying to suppress the ache swelling inside.

"I... I hate this feeling," she whispered shakily, "Mother Clara..."

Drip...

A single tear fell, striking the floor beneath her.

****

Outside, Victor walked out of the academy grounds, his mind crowded with tangled thoughts. He shook his head, forcefully pushing them aside. There were more urgent matters demanding his attention, things he could not afford to neglect now.

Then suddenly, his steps slowed.

"Wait... why her?" he muttered to himself, his brows furrowing deeply. "Why that time?" A sharp sense of unease crept up his spine, the feeling that something crucial didn’t fit together.

Why?

How?

What?

And... who?