The Villain Wants to Live

Chapter 123: The Hearing (3)

“Kagan Luna, your father.”

The Chairman’s words quieted the hall, causing all sound to die out as everyone turned to stare at Deculein.Sophien was no different; this situation was unexpected for her as well.

What do you mean by a co-author?

Wasn’t that opposite to Deculein’s personality?

“We’ve been together for more than a hundred years… yet the more you open him up, the newer he becomes.”

Sophien rested her chin on her hand, watching Epherene’s face. The emotions crossing over her face were hard to describe. Ihelm was dumbfounded.

“Deculein, you? You, what… what? Co-author?”

The broken and choppy voice proved his bewilderment.

“Still, I think we need an explanation about the co-author! Professor Deculein?!”

Deculein nodded and replied with indifference. His tone was of narration rather than defense.

“The base idea is from Kagan. It was a creative and genius idea that no one else could think of.”

Deculein looked to Epherene, whose eyes were now sunken and teary.

“Kagan Luna established the framework for this thesis, and my share was its development and completion. Therefore, it was only right to mark both of us as authors.”

“I see! Continue your questions then, Ihelm!”

Ihelm spoke as if his spirit had fled him entirely.

“…Hmm! I’ll do it instead! I don’t think Ihelm is in a good situation right now!”

Adrienne stepped up instead of Ihelm with a smile.

“This isn’t the first time Professor Deculein has harassed his assistants, right? There are a lot of people that have been ruined! Some people committed suicide! So why in the world are you considerate of your past assistant now?!”

“It’s not just now. I slowly realized something, and I now acknowledge my past mistakes.”

“Is that so! Does Epherene have something more to say?”

Epherene flinched under Adrienne’s bright smile.

Epherene swallowed.

Then, she looked to Deculein, Adrienne, and Ihelm one after another.

She was confused. She didn’t know Deculein would do this, but she couldn’t limit what she felt to a one-dimensional feeling like that.The fact that Deculein honestly admitted her father was his co-author, that he would be remembered forever in the magic world, gave rise to certain complex concerns.

She felt like… a stone-headed fool.

“…No. I have nothing more to say.”

Clang—! Clang—! Clang—!

The Chairman swung her gavel.

“Let’s have a short break! Take a rest!”

There was a terrace in the high-level area near the meeting hall. Standing at the guardrail decorated like trees, one could see the entire university spreading out below them.

Right now, that whole world was soaked in the light of the full moon.Not long after, there was the sound of someone approaching, stepping so as to be heard. Their greasy blonde hair fluttered in the wind, and the thick scent of cologne wafting from them tormented my nose.

“…I don’t know what your ulterior motive is.”

Ihelm. He walked slowly and spoke while looking over the same scenery as me.

“Did you know? Whether there was hidden magic in the thesis or not?”

I nodded. I had found out while I was developing it; it was a very clever trap. josei

“What did you do?”

“I left it as it is.”