“Thank you for the meal, I’m full.”
Aitin set down his chopsticks, clasped his hands together, and gave Cerise a slight nod, a satisfied expression on his face.
There was no denying it—Cerise’s cooking was quite good.
Using simple ingredients, she had created dishes that were warm and delicious, each perfectly balanced.
Such skill surely came from practicing from a young age and frequently helping with the household chores.
“I’m glad you liked it, Aitin.”
Seeing Aitin so content, Cerise herself felt pleased.
A faint smile spread at the corners of her lips as she responded softly.
“I’ll help with the dishes.”
After the meal, Aitin almost instinctively stood up, habitually offering to help.
“No need, I can handle it myself.”
Cerise’s face showed a peculiar expression.
She blinked and looked at him in puzzlement.
With a delicate flick of her slender fingers, a faint blue glow of Water Magic shimmered at her fingertips.
She could have cleaned everything instantly with cleansing Water Magic.
“Alright…”
Only then did Aitin suddenly realize he had forgotten this was a world of magic, where daily chores were solved more simply and conveniently than with a dishwasher.
Since he lacked any magic himself and was used to washing dishes by hand at home, this had become his fixed mindset.
Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head.
When Cerise came out of the kitchen, she was carrying a plate of carefully cut, colorful fruits.
She walked to the living room and naturally took a seat on the sofa beside Aitin, placing the fruit plate on the coffee table before them.
By then, Aitin was already lost in thought, planning for tomorrow.
His hands were clasped, fingertips resting against his chin, elbows propped on his knees as he leaned forward slightly, bent over in deep concentration.
His brow was furrowed as he mentally ran through various steps and possibilities.
Cerise didn’t disturb him, quietly sitting nearby, but her gaze inevitably drifted to Aitin’s serious profile.
The soft light from the Magic Chandelier outlined Aitin’s delicate features.
As she looked, Cerise found herself momentarily distracted.
She suddenly realized that when Aitin was deep in thought, shedding his usual casual demeanor, he actually looked… quite handsome.
That thought made her heart skip a beat, and she hurriedly averted her eyes.
“That should do it.”
Aitin finished mentally running through the last step of his plan and confirmed everything was in order.
His tightly furrowed brow finally relaxed.
A confident, relieved smile appeared on his face as he exhaled, leaning back into the sofa.
“Did you come up with a good plan?”
Cerise, who had been quietly watching him, softly asked after noticing the change in his expression.
“Yes, I’ve figured out how to turn things around tomorrow.”
Startled by the sudden voice, Aitin snapped out of his concentration and realized Cerise was sitting right next to him.
He quickly composed himself, sat upright, and nodded.
“What exactly are you planning?”
Cerise leaned forward with genuine concern.
It was clear she was very uneasy about the developments for tomorrow.
“All of this, in the end, was a trap set by Rufus to force you into a corner. I suspect that altered video will likely be widely spread across the academy tomorrow. The teachers might hear about it and start investigating you. In other words, tomorrow your reputation and situation could hit rock bottom, making you the target of everyone’s blame.”
Aitin’s expression grew serious as he explained.
“Then… what should I do?”
Cerise’s face paled slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, her expression becoming extremely complicated.
What Aitin said was true—this was almost an inevitable scenario.
At the thought of facing a crowd of accusations tomorrow, she even felt an urge to avoid the academy altogether.
“Don’t worry, Cerise. What you need to do tomorrow is—pretend you haven’t slept all night and have been deeply shocked and troubled by everything that happened.”
Seeing Cerise’s expression, Aitin’s tone softened as he offered reassurance, as if his words carried a comforting strength.
“No matter who asks if you’re a witch, or challenges you with that video, just act very flustered and at a loss, desperately waving your hands to deny it. Keep insisting, ‘I really am not a witch,’ and ‘I don’t know how that happened.’”
“That… sounds like I wouldn’t even need to act. It would be just me playing myself.”
Cerise couldn’t help but show a bitter, helpless smile.
“If it weren’t for you, Aitin, supporting me and giving me strength, I’m afraid tomorrow’s reaction would really be just that…”
“That’s exactly it. Your ‘expected’ fragile reaction will definitely be reported back to Rufus through his planted spies. Then he’ll think the time has come; you’ve been pushed to the brink, making it the perfect moment for him to step in and ‘rescue’ you.”
Aitin nodded, affirming Cerise’s thoughts.
Though it seemed like a hopeless situation, this was exactly the best time to counterattack.
“At that point, he will inevitably step forward and, in some way, ‘help’ you clear the rumors, playing the role of savior. According to his script, in such despair, you’ll naturally feel grateful to him and end up falling in love.”
“Even if I really did fall into that kind of despair… I would never, ever fall for such a hypocrite!”
Cerise’s face immediately displayed a fitting look of disgust, not hiding it at all.
She clenched her teeth, her voice squeezed out through gritted teeth as her fists trembled from the effort.
“I completely understand how you feel. But that’s precisely why we have to show weakness first. With Rufus’s arrogant, controlling personality, only by seeing you ‘broken and helpless’ will he let his guard down, even getting cocky and exposing a weakness.”
Aitin understood Cerise’s feelings.
If it were him, he would feel disgusted too, but to bring someone down, you first have to let their ego swell.
“If you were to invite him somewhere secluded under your name, saying… you wanted to talk to him alone and seek his help, what do you think would happen?”
“Wouldn’t he be utterly smug?”
Cerise considered briefly.
“That’s exactly the effect we want.”
Aitin smiled and nodded.
“So after I get there… what should I do?”
Cerise frowned with worry.
“Of course, you don’t need to actually face him. You just need to lure him to the agreed location. After that, leave everything to me.”
Aitin shook his head, a knowing smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
With that, the stage was set, and only this actor was needed to stir things up.
“But…”
Cerise blinked, curious about what Aitin planned to do.
“I can’t tell you the details yet. It’s not that I’m purposely keeping secrets, but if I told you the whole plan in advance, you might not be able to naturally show that genuine, helpless, deeply shocked expression tomorrow. Even the slightest hint of insincerity might let Rufus’s cunning eyes spot the flaw.”
Aitin raised a finger to his lips, signaling secrecy.
“So, Cerise, tomorrow you’ll truly be ‘shocked’ and ‘helpless.’ That way, no matter what, Rufus will never suspect someone is tricking him with a ‘real’ reaction.”
“Alright… I’ll trust you.”
Though still harboring some doubts and unease, Cerise saw how confident Aitin was and ultimately chose to trust him, nodding gently.
After discussing the initial plan, they glanced at the time—it was indeed late.
The night outside had deepened; it was time to rest.
Cerise stood and returned to her room, while Aitin planned to make do with the sofa in the living room for the night.
“Sorry to trouble you, Aitin…”
Cerise came out holding a pillow and a thin blanket, a hint of apology on her face.
“It’s no problem. I’m not picky about where I sleep, as long as I can lie down.”
Aitin accepted the bedding and smiled casually.
Cerise said no more, softly wishing him good night before returning to her room, a quiet door closing behind her.
Aitin lay back on the sofa, hands clasped behind his head, eyes open in the darkness, staring at the vague outline of the ceiling.
Everything hinges on tomorrow.
If he can’t get through this critical juncture, how can he complete the tasks ahead?
Aitin stretched out a hand toward the ceiling, a determined expression on his face.
He would complete the mission, return to the previous world, and then…
Take his revenge on everything.