Isabel felt some regret.
This time, she had unusually brought Aiwass and Lily with her... but perhaps because they had arrived a bit early, there weren't many students in the cafeteria. Most people didn't even notice that the princess had arrived.
And even among the few students who saw them, they only gave them a curious glance.
At most, some pointed at them from a distance with a bit of surprise, chatting briefly with their friends.
No one had a particularly large reaction, and no one came over to chat with either herself or Aiwass.
It was completely different from the last time.
This time, Isabel had secretly prepared in her heart answers for all kinds of questions in advance. In the end, she didn't use any of them.
Until they had finished eating and left, not even one person sat beside them or struck up a conversation.
That left Isabel somewhat dazed for a moment.
"...Is it really that simple?"
"It has always been uncomplicated."
Aiwass, feeling a bit sleepy after eating, squinted his eyes and lay on the wheelchair, basking in the sun, and answered in a light, tired voice: "You're just scaring yourself.
"Plus, there's a completely different situation when someone approaches you when you are alone versus when you have someone with you. And even if someone does ask, you can simply choose to ignore them.
"Think about it—if a commoner sent a letter to Her Majesty the Queen, would the Queen respond?"
"...Grandmother seems like she actually would,"
Aiwass was a bit surprised and sat up, opening his eyes to look at Isabel: "Really?"
Isn't that old lady too busy then? How many letters does she have to reply to regularly?
Isabel quickly added, "But she doesn't respond to all the letters..."
"Ah, that's the same thing."
Aiwass continued, "Just think of those who strike up a conversation as letters the Queen doesn't wish to reply to. If the Queen responded to all letters, then she wouldn't get anything done. She would receive an endless stream of letters... Wouldn't that make the Queen a letter-replying machine?"
Isabel thought that made sense as well.
But she was still unsure: "Should I kindly advise them with politeness or rebuke them outright?"
"That depends on whether you sense goodwill or malice from that person. If it's goodwill, just answer his questions frankly and directly, don't be afraid. Saying the wrong thing won't kill you,"
Aiwass added thoughtfully: "Of course, even if the other party has no ill intentions, if you can't reason with them or simply dislike them, you can rebuke them outright.
"Even if you don't have the adaptability to the Path of Authority, would he dare to have the adaptability to transcendence?
"So you see, from the beginning, you didn't need to have the Force of Authority. The rules of Avalon are already established; you just need to follow them. In the end, you are a princess; whoever disrespects you is disrespecting the Royal Family. Would those rude individuals dare to be more arrogant than the ministers?"
He coaxed like a fox, "You need to learn to be a bit more capricious, Isabel. The Queen will be pleased with that. Even if those on the Path of Authority wish to recognize and assist you, you must give them a target, right? If you don't let them do anything, naturally they will feel lost.
"They are not afraid to flatter you; they are afraid of not knowing what you wish to be flattered about."
"...I think I understand," Isabel mused for a long time, "but I'm still not quite sure. I don't know what degree of 'capriciousness' is appropriate, what degree would annoy people, and what would make them hate you."
"These things, you'll understand with experience," Aiwass casually replied.
"Can I come and ask you then?"
Isabel suddenly said, "You decide for me how I should treat them. I believe you won't deceive me."
Upon hearing this, he suddenly thought of Sherlock's evaluation of him at the last progression ceremony.
—Seducing the master with fox-like charm.
Well, I'm not actually going to seduce the master, am I?
It feels as if I am some sort of powerful courtier or eunuch...
Isabel's excessive trust in him even made Aiwass feel a bit soft-hearted, almost sorry to deceive her further.
Experience tales with mvl
At the same time, he was somewhat afraid...
After all, his lies were not few. Whether it's the identity of Mr. Fox or the adaptability to Transcendence, he might not cease lying in the future.
If she believed in his honesty, and his lies were exposed...
Aiwass's expression was subtle, a mix of kindness and guilt as he reminded her, "It's best not to say things like 'only you wouldn't deceive me,' which can add pressure to people. Plus, you should never 100% trust anyone.
"Maybe I have also deceived you. I do like to lie—rather, a lie is my tool. Sometimes, it can be as sharp as the truth.
"Remember, never trust anyone absolutely. Always keep your deepest secrets to yourself."
Aiwass's words were filled with sincerity.
But Isabel clearly felt Aiwass's goodwill and sincerity, completely lacking the sense of "his enjoyment of lying." Yet if his words were true, then he indeed was a master of deceit...
It was like some sort of mathematical paradox...
The strange sense of contradiction left Isabel feeling somewhat confused and unsure of what to do.
Yet, the vague speculation in Isabel's heart became increasingly real.
...It really seemed like Mr. Fox.
When she was dreaming... as he held her hand, pointing to the terrible half-faced corpse hanging in Execution Square, Isabel felt this sensation.
He had an enviable freedom and an easy-going nature, as well as a bad side that wasn't really hateful.
—Dangerous but not lethal, and even beneficial to one's health.
Isabel had never felt this strange sensation with anyone else.
Thus, a somewhat impulsive idea suddenly surfaced in her mind.
If Aiwass told me not to trust him, then I'm going to do just the opposite—I'll trust him.
This wasn't a little girl's rebellion—it was a realization that suddenly came to her.
Were those ministers truly absolutely loyal to Grandma? Did they never lie?
Isabel had heard too many lies and seen too many filthy betrayals and conspiracies from her childhood. Maybe other girls of the Royal Capital would obsess over the purity of friendships, but to her, such trifles no longer mattered.
She could feel that Aiwass's heart was kind, and she was sure that what he did ultimately was for her benefit.
—Since both the "motive" and the "action" were good, that was enough. The rest was Aiwass's secret, and she wouldn't pry.
After all, she had her own little secrets!
She hoped no one would discover them. She would even lie to keep them hidden from those close to her.
...like the existence of "Mr. Fox," for instance.
With this thought, Isabel's lips curved into a slight smile, and her mood visibly lightened.
The group quickly returned to No. 14 Roning Street.
Before Lily could open the door, Isabel stopped her.
"Wait, let me do it!"
Isabel flashed a triumphant smile, took out the key from her bosom, and spun it nimbly on her right index finger while humming a tune and briskly walking past the two to the front.
"...You really did keep a copy of the key," Aiwass said without surprise.
Her deliberate display with the key appeared almost like a boast.
"After all, this is my house," Isabel opened the door and said with a grin, "Maybe one night I'll suddenly attack to see if you and Miss Lily have been up to no good."
As if explaining something, she added, "I mean to see if you've dirtied my bed or something like that!"
Aiwass raised an eyebrow but didn't respond, simply flicking his fingers unconsciously on the armrest of his wheelchair.
—She obviously remembered what Master Yanis had said before.
But Lily noticed a detail: "Your Highness's bed?"
"...Ah, I haven't actually slept here; it's a clean bed," Isabel quickly explained to Lily in a low voice, "It just belongs to me in name..."
As a Transcendent of the Path of Beauty, Isabel was certainly somewhat of an aesthete.
Isabel always felt that Aiwass's personal maid seemed a bit like her—at least they shared a sense of politeness, silence, and restraint. She felt they might be kindred spirits, so she was quite fond of the gentle and beautiful Lily and didn't want the latter to have any misunderstandings about her.
But Isabel actually thought Lily was quite impressive.
Despite often standing quietly behind Aiwass like a shadow... she could still divert her attention to everything around her. When Aiwass wanted to stop or move, he didn't even have to tell her specifically what to do; Lily understood his intentions directly and executed them with composure.
Lily was beautiful, whether it was her figure, her physique, or her appearance, and no different from girls from the Knight Family. Yet when standing behind Aiwass, it was easy not to notice her.
It was almost as if the wheelchair moved on its own.
This made Isabel envious.
What she lacked most was the ability to gauge the situation—knowing what she should do was the hardest part for her.
From this perspective, she quite envied Lily.
Isabel deftly turned on the record player in the living room, leaving Aiwass in the living room to listen to music since it was inconvenient for him to move. Then she took Lily on a tour of the entire residence under the pretext of "showing you around the dorm."
While the University of Law was in the Red Queen District, not all buildings were red—for example, the exterior walls of this villa were silver-white, evoking the Hall of Silver and Tin.
The overall color scheme of the villa was champagne, matched with light brown furniture and light gray floor tiles, while the bedroom featured brown tiles and wood-colored furniture. From the second floor upward, there were transparent floor-to-ceiling windows. These types of windows were almost a must for significant figures in Avalon, mainly for the convenience of Gryphon transport.
The two young ladies chatted as they walked through this three-story villa, spanning over 140 square meters with a total of twenty-two rooms. From time to time, their silvery, bell-like laughter could be heard in the distance.
Meanwhile, Aiwass closed his eyes, tranquilly lying in his wheelchair and resting while listening to the melodious music, quickly slipping into sleep.