Chapter 33: Manipulation
I pulled on a crisp white shirt, carefully buttoning the cuffs before smoothing out any wrinkles. From the wardrobe, I selected a pair of fitted black trousers that seemed to suit me well. I had already trimmed my hair while bathing—not too short, just enough to bring it to shoulder length. Now I simply tied it back in a neat ponytail. Part of me had considered cutting it shorter, but for some inexplicable reason, I couldn’t bring myself to completely remove it.
Sigh.
Now I stood before the door, fully aware of what awaited me on the other side. I wasn’t nervous or anxious—more like... exhausted. From this moment forward, I would need to manipulate every single entity that could be of use to me. That meant acting, just as I had done with Anna.
Click.
I turned the handle and stepped through. Before me stretched a vast corridor—the walls, floors, and even the window at the far end were immaculate. The maids certainly knew their job. I stepped out calmly, casting a sideways glance at a woman approaching me. She had brown hair and striking green eyes, her head held high with obvious authority. I didn’t recognize her, but her dress clearly marked her as a maid—though definitely not an ordinary one. Two other maids flanked her sides. The head maid, perhaps?
"Good morning, Sir Neil," she said with an impassive expression, offering a slight bow that was mirrored by her companions. It seemed I am their objective. But how did they know I when I woke up?
Hmm.
It appears I’m not as free as I initially thought. Perhaps the room was monitored from the very beginning—that way, they’d know if I tried to escape. That also means the unlocked window was left open intentionally. I see. It seems I’m dealing with a rather complicated individual. This is definitely Anna’s mansion, which means she succeeded in convincing her father not to let Albion take me. But it seems her story wasn’t entirely convincing... he wants to test me himself.
It would be rational for a fool to try escaping a complicated situation he couldn’t understand, and it was for this reason the individual would be a fool-acting without understanding the situation. If I had done that, there was a chance that That would have complicated or even destroyed any chances of reaching Vermillion Academy. I have no idea what exact story Anna fabricated to save me. I might have planted certain ideas in her head during our time together in that Legacy world, but that was my limit. I can’t read the future, so I have no clue what Anna actually told her father. There’s a significant chance that trying to escape would complicate my situation, going against whatever story Anna must have told about my ’personality.’