Mushoku Tensei: The Mad Witch's Magical Redemption

This situation was quite alarming. It was something I didn't expect ever since I took control of Eris's body. It would be easy to resolve this if the evidence were in front of me.

Wait, I have an idea.

Shifting my focus to Philip, I recalled he'd mentioned something earlier that could shed some light on this situation.

"Father," I called out to him. "You said this place is where you keep the 'suspects', correct?"

He raised his brows, intrigued. "Yes, that's right. Why do you ask?"

"So, that means there were other people involved in this case, right?" I pressed.

Philip nodded, though he was slightly confused. "What exactly are you suggesting, Eris?"

"Well, I wondering where they are," I continued, asking another question.

Before he could answer the question, a low feminine voice chimed in from the corner of the room. "Over here, milady."

I turned toward the voice and saw a towering, muscular woman with cat ears and a swishing tail. Recognizing her appearance, I knew precisely who this person was—Ghislaine Dedoldia, known for being the Black Wolf sword king and the bodyguard of the Boreas family.

With that said, I quickly addressed her. "Really? Bring them here."

Responding to my command, Ghislaine dragged a stocky man out of the shadow and tossed them in front of me. His appearance looked familiar. I recalled watching the anime before and realized it was that one shady butler who orchestrated the kidnapping in the first place.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the mastermind behind this incident," I remarked slyly.

Philip seemed taken aback, clearly caught off guard by my accusation. "Are you quite sure he was accountable, Eris? I know he was a suspect, but was he behind the kidnapping?"

"Yes, father," I confirmed his suspicion. "This lousy traitor proudly declared his plans after his two goons captured me. He was all about selling me to a certain someone."

With that revelation, the butler's eyes widened, horror-stricken as his treachery was exposed in front of Eris' family.

Speaking of family, Sauros approached the traitor while cracking his knuckles. "So, you're the one responsible for all the trouble, huh?"

"M-milord, i-it's not what it looks like," the butler cried out, his face paled as he scrambled for an excuse. "The young lady was confused about who the real traitor was."

Sauros's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp with disdain. "Do you really take me for a fool who'd believe such lies? For that, I shall beat you to a bloody pulp!"

"No, Milord! Please, forgive me!" he wailed loudly, but the old man was already thrashing him mercilessly into the ground.

Well, that's comeuppance for the bad guy. Good grief.

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With the perpetrator exposed and punished, I turned my gaze back to Rudeus. He seemed to be quietly observing the scene while healing his wounds with magic. His expression revealed a hint of hesitation, as though he wanted to speak but wasn't sure how to start.

Taking the initiative, I approached him.

"Rudeus," I called out calmly. "How are you feeling?"

He flinched, clearly surprised by my question. For a brief moment, he averted his gaze before nodding, looking almost sheepish. "I'm fine, but… Lady Eris—"

"Just Eris," I interrupted gently. "No need for honorifics."

He paused, taken aback by my modesty, before giving another nod.

"Alright… Eris," he inhaled deeply, clearly anxious. "I wanted to say, I honestly didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Didn't you just say that earlier?" I reminded him, hoping he wouldn't dwell on it too much.

Rudeus lowered his head, regret written across his face. "I know, but it's my fault for staging a fake kidnapping just to get you to study. I never imagined it would turn into a real one and accidentally hurt you in the end."

His words made me pause, knowing that he only did it to motivate Eris to study—something that has been addressed in the novel. However, for him to admit it sincerely was unexpected, to say the least. How should I respond to this?

Without thinking too much, I placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"It's alright. I'll forgive you this once—just don't let it happen again, okay?"

Rudeus looked up, surprise flashing in his eyes before relief softened his expression, nodding gratefully. "Thank you, Eris. I promise I won't pull any more tricks like that."

Seeing him genuinely appreciative was refreshing—maybe I was already changing things for the better. Hopefully, Philip and Sauros would see it the same way.

"Ahem."

Speaking of which, Philip cleared his throat, bringing our attention to him. He stood close by, arms behind his back, his gaze focused yet questioning.

"What is it, Father?" I asked, encouraging him to speak.

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully, then finally addressed us. "It seems I must admit that this was all a great misunderstanding. To think that our own butler would sabotage the operation… I should have noticed sooner."

Oh right, Philip was also involved with the staging of the fake kidnapping. Yet, for him to not notice the betrayal of the perpetrator was understandable yet bothersome.

"Father, I thought you were smarter than this," I couldn't help but chide him.

He winced, offering a slight, sly smile. "Perhaps I underestimated the risk… or overestimated our butler's loyalty."

"Well, it can't be helped then," I sighed wearily before moving on. "So, what now? Is Rudeus going to help me study?"

Philip and Rudeus exchanged surprised glances, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion.

"If that's what you want, then I may consider hiring him as a tutor," Philip mused, entertaining the idea. "But before we discuss that, we should focus on your recovery."

Rudeus nodded in agreement, though he looked a bit tense. I sensed he was still wary after everything that happened.

"Fine, I'll rest," I complied, knowing it was for the best. "But don't forget—you both promised."

Philip nodded promptly, his expression unwinding. "We won't forget."

With that, the conversation eased into a calmer atmosphere. For the first time since taking control of Eris' body, I felt like I was steering her life in a better direction, one step at a time.