The Villain Reborn as Game's Final Boss

Chapter 265: Let’s do it [5]

For a total of three seconds, Ashlyn simply stared at me, without speaking a word.

"Will you?"

I repeated my question, making her lower her head a little, as if thinking through the answer, which shouldn’t have been this difficult to utter.

"By partner do you mean for the assignment that has been recently released by the academy?"

Raising her head again, Ashlyn asked the question, which honestly felt a little weird to me.

What else could she be my partner for—

"Yes, for the assignment."

I nodded my head.

Though there was no need to be confused over such a basic thing, I let the matter go, knowing that girls always tended to have misunderstandings over topics that should have been pretty clear to understand from the start.

"I don’t think I can be of any help to you in that."

Hm?

"Reason?"

At my question, Ashlyn lifted her right hand, before gently tucking the strands of hair that had fallen over her forehead behind her ears.

"I don’t know whether you had been informed about it, but the visit is scheduled at my duchy—"

"I know that."

"Then?"

Ah!

"Are you prohibited from partnering with anyone from the academy?"

At my words, Ashlyn simply nodded her head.

"And... who was it that had made the decision for you?"

Maybe, I could talk to that person.

"The headmaster."

"..."

Could my luck have been any better?

"That’s alright. I will see what I can do."

"Sorry about that."

Ashlyn spoke the words with an awkward smile on her face.

Was she guilty about rejecting my offer?

"I think you misunderstood my intentions."

"Sorry?"

"I meant that I will talk to the headmaster about it, so it would be good if you come along."

"..."

"..."

I mean... shouldn’t my guardian help me out?

Just as I began to walk out, I sensed that Ashlyn hadn’t followed me.

"Aren’t you coming?"

My question made her look blankly at me.

"Why would the headmaster meet us? Normally we would have to take an appointment to meet him—"

"I know it. Come along."

I didn’t care to explain much as I walked out of the room.

And... my decision proved correct, as I sensed Ashlyn shaking her head, before following me.

Just as I was about to walk out of the council room, I had to stop midway as Victoria stood before me, with a small file in her hand.

Sensing my presence, she raised her head to meet my eyes, before looking at the person behind me.

"..."

Victoria seemed to have understood that we were heading out together, though she chose not to ask us anything.

As if I would have answered her.

Giving Victoria a last glance, I looked at Ashlyn, who simply nodded her head to acknowledge Victoria’s presence, before walking by my side.

Victoria too responded with a nod of her own.

Hm?

I thought the two of them were supposed to be rivals, but maybe... they had some sort of respect for each other.

"You respect her?"

I wanted to know what Ashlyn thought regarding Victoria.

"Uh... I do."

Ashlyn blinked her eyes at my question, but responded nonetheless.

I simply nodded my head, before walking towards the headmaster’s office.

"You didn’t talk with her?"

Ashlyn’s question made me look at her, only to find her looking ahead.

Was she avoiding eye contact?

"Well... we aren’t exactly on the best terms."

Though Ashlyn should have already known about it, I chose to clarify nonetheless.

"Do you wish to?"

"Hm?"

"Do you wish to be on good terms with her?"

I paused in my tracks, making Ashlyn do the same.

"What’s with the sudden interrogation?"

"Nothing... just wanted to know your thoughts."

Ashlyn replied with the same neutral face.

"Well... I don’t wish to disclose them."

I didn’t know why, but I didn’t feel like talking about it.

"Okay."

The reply I received was short, yet it felt like I had accidentally revealed something that I shouldn’t have.

"Let’s go."

This time it was Ashlyn who took the lead as I followed her from behind.

Looking at her blonde hair that was currently tied in a ponytail, revealing her nape, I couldn’t help but stare at her bare skin.

It was white... pure white.

Coupled with her blonde hair, Ashlyn did really have some nice features.

Well... that should have been obvious, as anyone born in a noble house is destined to look good.

After all, maintaining their image before the general public was an important thing for the nobles.

The walk was a little long, though we finally arrived at the headmaster’s office.

Ashlyn just stood near the door, waiting for me to catch up.

"Are you sure about it?"

"What?"

"I just hope the headmaster wouldn’t lash out at us."

Ashlyn shrugged her shoulders, relaying a possibility that felt like a given for the current situation.

But—

"Just follow me."

Saying the words, I pushed open the door, without caring to knock.

Ashlyn seemed surprised by my actions, though she withheld the words in her mind, and didn’t comment on them.

Entering the office, the same scene greeted me, as the headmaster sat behind a table, looking at us with one of his hands on a book that was placed before him.

Seeing me, the headmaster showed no change in reaction, as if it was a normal matter, and indeed... it was.

Ashlyn though now seemed a little nervous, as I felt the headmaster’s presence burdening her in ways I couldn’t relate to.

After all... I had never treated the headmaster as someone above me, despite him being a Sovereign.

But that wasn’t necessarily the same case for Ashlyn.

"I wanted to partner with her for the upcoming assignment."

I spoke simply, standing at my place, without sitting on the chair that was placed just before me.

Ashlyn too followed my actions, as she stood beside me, hands behind her back.

"She is a Levaith, so I think you had prohibited her from partnering up with anyone."

"I did."

"Yeah, so I just wanted to say that I would like to partner up with her."

"Huh?"

It wasn’t the headmaster but Ashlyn who was surprised by my words.

"That will make the assignment unfair to the other students."

After a short silence, the headmaster spoke in his usual calm voice, which was too warm for me.

I knew the guy always pretended to show a good side of him, still knowing something and always feeling its effects were two entirely separate things.

"Has anything ever been fair?"

"Kael?"

I could feel Ashlyn gently tugging at the sleeve of my left hand, as if to remind me that I was standing before the headmaster of the academy.

"Alright."

"..."

Just as I was about to reassure Ashlyn, the headmaster nodded his head, before opening the book before him.

Taking that as the hint to leave, I nodded at the headmaster, before looking into Ashlyn’s eyes, who was still confused by the events that had transpired in the last minute.

"Let’s go."

"Huh? Y-Yes."

My words seemed to have brought her back to reality, as she followed me out of the headmaster’s office.

Though before exiting the office, I sensed the headmaster smiling as he looked at my retreating back.

Click.

Closing the door behind, both of us stood at the place for a second, looking at each other.

"Does that solve the problem?"

My question was met with silence, though Ashlyn sighed at the end.

"If the headmaster has no issues with this arrangement, then neither do I. Well... it’s not like I would lose anything by partnering with you."

Ashlyn’s words made me nod my head in acceptance.

"Partnering together will be helpful for you to showcase my support to the students. Everyone would get the message that I would be supporting you for the coming elections."

"Did you suggest this partnership for that reason?"

"Yes. Why would I even need your help for such a petty assignment?"

I mean... that should have been obvious.

Ashlyn just stared at me for a few seconds, before finally displaying a small smile.

"Well then... let’s do it."

This time it was Ashlyn who initiated the handshake.

"Sure."

I responded politely.

Seeing there was no need to stand at the same place, Ashlyn was the first one to move, though I didn’t follow her.

I stood there for some seconds, watching her disappear into the long hallway.

Haa...

Turning around, I pushed open the door, before entering the headmaster’s office again.

"Why did you smile?"

That smile for some reason had lingered in the back of my mind, not going away no matter how much I tried.

The headmaster, hearing my question, simply raised his head, while smiling once again.

"Don’t you smile when you see something interesting?"

Haa...

This bastard.

"Have a nice day."

Saying the words, I exited the room again, before heading towards my dorm.

Was I that easy to read?

I didn’t think so.

But maybe... the headmaster was right in his own way.

Things had certainly become interesting.