Inside the classroom, Aeris picked up his bag and went to the back.
Noticing the missing bag, Leo's face fell in utter disappointment. He couldn't believe that Aeris would abandon their friendship so easily—and so decisively.
He was confused and began to question his own morals.
Was I wrong? Was it wrong to sympathize with the weak?
What neither of the two friends expected was that this moment would become a turning point in their lives in the near future.
Aeris listened absentmindedly to the professor's chant-like lecture. His gaze passed over Freya's seat, and without a doubt, it was empty.
Some students noticed that the two friends—who had always been together since the start of college—were acting strangely and sitting in separate seats.
They whispered among themselves, but Aeris pretended not to notice. In any case, it had no negative effect on him.
If it were anyone else, it would have gone unnoticed. But Aeris was the male god of the university, and his every action was under the scrutiny of countless eyes.
---
After class ended, Aeris was picked up at the gate as usual.
At home, he was surprised to see Amara sitting in the living room.
Didn't she go to school?
Whatever. It was none of his business.
"Elder Brother!" A call came from behind.
Aeris turned to meet Amara's sad and aggrieved face.
"Are you still mad at me, Elder Brother?" Seeing that his face was devoid of the affection and warmth it once held for her, Amara grew panicked and anxious.
Even though she didn't know what she had done wrong, she still apologized.
"I'm sorry, Elder Brother. I was spoiled and bad-tempered. Please don't ignore me anymore. Your indifference really hurt my heart."
Her reddened eyes and choking, trembling voice were far more lethal than loud sobs.
What a waste of talent.
She was a natural-born actress. If he didn't know her true motives, even an old fox like himself would have been fooled.
Honestly, Aeris was too lazy to compete with her in acting.
"Come," he said calmly. "Walk with me to the stairs."
Amara's eyes lit up. He must have forgiven me.
She was certain her brother's love could not be taken away so easily.
She happily caught up to him and walked at his side.
"When Mom left, you were only one year old," Aeris said, his voice tinged with nostalgia.
"Father was as busy then as he is now. You were afraid to sleep alone, so I let you sleep with me until you were seven. From kindergarten to high school—from infancy to adolescence—I was always there."
Those memories—along with many other warm moments—flashed through Amara's mind.
She lowered her head to hide the complicated emotions swirling within her. After swallowing guilt, sadness, and self-blame, she raised her head again, wearing the same nostalgic expression as her brother.
"I remember everything, Elder Brother. I'll change my willfulness and spoiled temper. Just don't abandon me. You're the only family I have."
As she spoke, they reached the third floor.
Aeris stopped. He stood straight, one hand in his pocket, facing the long staircase and the vast, empty living room.
"I'm not reminiscing about the past," he said calmly. "I'm making you face the truth."
He turned to her.
"After raising you all these years, do you really think I couldn't see the heartlessness and ambition behind your cheerful façade?"
His dark eyes locked onto hers, as cold as the harshest winter.
"There's nothing wrong with having ambition," he continued. "But if you plan to use my past affection as a stepping stone, then you're mistaken."
Ignoring the shocked and panicked Amara, he stated his ambition frankly, openly.
"I will cut down every tree that blocks my path—whether it's you or anyone else. So if you want to climb that ladder, be prepared to face me."
Amara stood frozen, shaken to her core. Her back was drenched with sweat. A sudden realization hit her.
Why did I think Aeris—who had always been sharp from a young age—could be fooled by my disguise?
Her face twisted with shame and humiliation as she imagined how Aeris might have watched her stumble like a clown.
Being pointed at and having all your calculations and pretense laid bare was like being stripped naked and dragged through the streets, mocked and jeered by everyone.
She stormed to her room, and the more she thought about it, the more rage built up in her chest. She began smashing things, venting all her emotions before finally calming down.
"So what if he knew? Do I have to grovel at his feet for his affection? I am Amara. I can succeed on my own. One day, I will make all those who looked down on me kneel at my mercy." Her eyes and voice were full of resentment and malice.
In his room, Aeris had no idea that he had only strengthened Amara's determination.
But even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. Each to their own. Let the most capable emerge victorious.
Right now, he was deep inside the core data of Moni's father's company.
In his second life, he had learned hacking skills from Mykel. He had already been at the top of the game when he died at sixty.
Those skills were finally coming in handy. He had been searching for evidence for the past few days to bring down Moni's backer.
"Gotcha." He copied all the evidence before logging off, disappearing without a trace.
He compiled all the evidence and autonomously sent the files to the higher ups.
Without a strong backer, let's see how our spoiled and spiteful princess can survive.