Chapter 28: Interrogation

The competition continued.

Hutchinson, forcing herself to hold on, was drenched in sweat, her pupils beginning to dilate.

The glass shard with the inscription was clutched so tightly in her hand that it had embedded itself into her flesh, blood flowing freely.

‘I can’t lose. I absolutely cannot lose to her…’

‘I’ve worked so hard. I have a nobler birth than her, both my parents are employees of the Anomaly Bureau…’

‘I bribed former students to get leaked exam questions, spent a fortune to buy a “rune shard”…’

‘I’ve paid so much… how could I possibly lose to an outsider brat!?’

Seeing Dounia’s confident and composed appearance, Hutchinson knew that Dounia’s progress had far surpassed her own.

The test subject on the far right had already completely lost consciousness, which meant that in this round, the final victory would be decided between her and Dounia!

‘Once I lose, I’ll have to voluntarily withdraw from Violet’s treatment team… which means proving that the brat’s treatment is effective…!’

‘I absolutely cannot lose!!!’

Behind the fierce roar in her heart was not a firm belief, but the evasion and unwillingness of someone who knew she was about to die.

Hutchinson’s eyes were wide with fury.
Completely ignoring the worried gazes of the two instructors on the stage, she once again looked at the forbidden book amidst the intense dizziness.

She was completely unaware that the hairs on her arms were rapidly growing longer and thicker, and even her entire skeleton was beginning to slowly change…

On the other side,

Adelle’s gaze remained icy.
Having broken through the boundary for the first time and stepped toward corruption, she only felt an invisible barrier in her heart suddenly disappear.

Right now, she was exceptionally furious.

“Really… Adelle, slower… please~” Dounia teased.

“Shut up,” Adelle glared at her and said coldly, “I don’t want to hear you speak. Continue reading your forbidden book.”

Pain and sourness mixed together, turning into glistening liquid that dripped down.

“Wuwu… it hurts…! You don’t listen to what others say at all…” Clear teardrops streamed down Dounia’s youthful face.
Her pitiful appearance was like that of a saintess repenting and weeping in the sunlight, momentarily causing everyone to be lost in a daze.

Suddenly, Dounia grabbed Adelle’s arm, her nails digging deep into her skin.

“Wait… uii!”

Adelle returned a cold smile, a hint of satisfaction from releasing her hatred flashing in her gray eyes.

“Satisfied? I’m not satisfied yet.”

Dounia’s body leaned forward slightly, slumping onto the table.
Hutchinson, who was already on the verge of collapse, heard Dounia’s voice, and her tangled consciousness completely lost its final balance.

She saw Hutchinson’s hair sprouting in large clumps, coarse and thick, making her look like a wild man.

A guard immediately thrust his spear, piercing through her hand.
Two fully armed guards forcibly dragged her up and hauled her, screaming and biting indiscriminately, out of the classroom.

“…I won,” the weakened Dounia’s lips curled up slightly.

“Heehee.”

Lilith’s figure appeared in the air, the little demon’s heart-shaped tail wagging joyfully.

As long as the farce offered up was sufficiently joyous, she would come to laugh.

She laughed at Hutchinson, who had brought trouble upon herself only to fall into despair in the end.

She laughed at Adelle, who had broken the rules and sunk into the mire.

She laughed at Dounia, who was unwilling to join in the pleasure, yet ultimately offered up a gift of pleasure.

“There are twenty seconds remaining.”

Maeve announced with a complex expression.

With the talent Dounia had shown, there was no doubt she was the final winner.
This round of competition could have ended early.

Dounia silently absorbed the infusion of information, her ears picking up a fragmented description.

“The shadow contains the suppressed, denied, or unacknowledged parts of the personality. It contains our negative traits, impulses, and desires…”

“Everyone possesses a shadow, and the shadow is inevitable…”

A strange rune was pieced together in her eye, glowing with a deep purple light.

Even though Dounia still couldn’t understand it, she could directly comprehend its meaning—’Malice Perception.’

The illusory, strange rune flew straight to her forehead, and information about the related ability instantly appeared in her mind…

Plop.

The forbidden book in Dounia’s hand fell onto the desktop and automatically closed.

Her entire being was forced into a deep sleep.
Adelle silently withdrew her hand and gazed at Dounia for a moment.

At this moment, all she wanted to do was leave Dounia, who had dragged her down with her, right here.
But leaving her unattended would only cause more trouble.

Adelle silently helped the young girl straighten her skirt, then slipped an arm under the bend of her knees and gently lifted her up.

“The winner of the first group is… Dounia!” Maeve announced.

Enthusiastic and excited whistles rang out.
Someone happily threw their hat in the air in salute to Dounia.
The previously silent classroom erupted in thunderous applause.

They had all seen the pathetic state of the other test subjects, and only this small, delicate, seemingly fragile young girl was the final winner!

Adelle, slowly walking up the steps, was like a knight protecting a princess.

Step by step, she ascended the stairs, arriving at the last row, awaiting Violet’s interrogation.

Violet blinked intelligently and revealed a smile. “Why so unhappy?”

‘Miss Violet didn’t see…? Is it because her seat is too far back?’ Adelle thought to herself, her sense of guilt growing a little more.

With a heavy heart, she tried her best to compose her expression to be as placid as usual.

“I just feel that Dounia’s actions were too reckless. Forgive my bluntness, but you were also a bit…”

The guilt of lying, the shame of betraying her master and taking what she wanted, and the hint of sweet pleasure deep in her heart that she desperately denied, were all like sharp blades interrogating her heart, cutting one wound after another.

Adelle knew full well that she was not a knight returning victoriously with her master, but an accomplice colluding with a witch.

“My actions were not reckless. I believe Dounia has this ability. She has had a great effect on curing my Soul-Loss,” Violet said.

Adelle gently put Dounia down, letting her lean against Violet, while she herself silently sat at the very end.

Violet reached out and gently hugged Dounia, pecking her on the cheek.

‘Mmm, soft and bouncy, tastes like jelly.’

Violet was in a great mood.

“May the Mother of Darkness forgive my sins…” Adelle prayed silently.

Dounia’s long eyelashes fluttered.
She let out a soft moan and slowly woke up.

“Dounia-chan, you’re amazing…~ You didn’t disappoint my expectations, hmph hmph~” Violet gently rocked the girl in her arms, unable to resist taking another taste.

“Wha!?”

Dounia shrank her neck, her face flushing as she turned her head to the side.

‘I was, I was bitten by Miss Violet!’

She peeked at Adelle from the corner of her eye and noticed her stats had changed again.

[Adelle Favorability: -14%, Respect: -4%, Corruption: 18%.]

‘It seems my “sudden move” caused Adelle’s favorability to drop back a little, but it seems to be slowly recovering, and the same goes for her Respect.’

‘And after soaring by a large chunk, her Corruption is still slowly increasing.’

“As expected of a hidden route, Corruption is so useful… Its priority is probably even higher than Favorability. It’s practically Favorability’s hidden score!” Dounia grumbled inwardly.

“Now to announce the results of the first round of selection. Dounia’s test result is…” Maeve said.

Violet’s sea-blue eyes lit up slightly.

‘If Dounia can gain the appreciation of one of the three instructors and be taken on as an apprentice, she might be able to join the [Psychology] department of the Anomaly Bureau.’

‘Regardless of whether Dounia-chan is truly a Pleasure Follower or not, my sister probably won’t let her stay in the Anomaly Bureau after she cures my illness.’

‘Then only the importance of the [Psychology] department could make the Anomaly Bureau ignore her identity.’

“Dounia-chan… you have to be chosen!”

She prayed silently.