Im'the son of the Villainess's at the Academy

Silence fell over the hall, whose bustle began to fade as midnight approached. The sounds gradually died down, and the soft lights danced above the hanging crystals, as if bidding farewell to a party that had long since gone beyond the bounds of civility.

Rena was the first to fall asleep, her head resting on Leona's shoulder, who was also fast asleep, her breathing soft as if she didn't know the world around her was on fire.

At the far end of the table sat Naoko Rochi, silent, drinking from her glass as if she didn't care at all about what had happened. Her face was expressionless, her body limp, but she was observing everything.

As for Gene, he remained silent for a moment, looking at the remains of the plates, as if weighing something in his head. Then he calmly stood up, pulled his chair out, and slowly approached the other end of the table where Amelia sat alone, her back straight, her golden eyes still shining with defiance.

Jin smiled.

He sat in front of her, stretched his arms out on the table, and leaned forward slightly.

"Round four, Mrs. Amberhart."

She did not reply.

"No one is here to interrupt us now, not your daughter, not her sleeping little daughter, not even any remaining traditions."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You think I'd run away from you, Jane?"

He laughed lightly, then looked at his mother. Naoko didn't move. She just sipped silently from her cup, as if she were thousands of miles away from here.

Jin looked back at Amelia. His crimson eyes glinted with a mischievous glint.

"I asked you before if you had ever loved a man other than your husband, but now I have a more… private question."

He moved closer, his voice lowering to a whisper that only Amelia could hear... and Naoko, who picked it up with her trained ear despite deliberately ignoring it.

"Have you ever had a crush on a woman? Not a passing crush, but a desire. Have you ever wanted to... kiss a girl?"

He raised his head and smiled defiantly. His tone wasn't lewd so much as provocative, as if he were trying to lift the veil not on a scandal, but on a game.

Amelia didn't get angry. On the contrary, she leaned forward slightly, her red hair rippling in the light.

"And did you expect me to be embarrassed by that question?" she asked calmly, the wine still swirling in her blood like a quiet flame.

"Maybe not," said Gene. "But I wanted to know if you had lived beyond the image everyone painted of you."

"And you?" I asked suddenly. "Have you ever seen anything more controversial in a woman?"

"Always," he said confidently. "But the fun isn't in arriving… it's in playing."

Amelia smiled, then replied, "So we're more alike than you think."

Jin smiled amusedly. "I don't mind."

Then he interlocked his fingers and resumed the attack.

"Have you ever cheated on anyone... even if it was just mental? Have you given someone other than your husband dreams that the other didn't have?"

Amelia answered without hesitation, "Every woman has cheated on a man in her mind. Only some have the courage to admit it."

He laughed softly. "God, if Rena were awake right now… she would bury her head in the ground."

Amelia gave him a sideways glance. "And you? Is there a single woman in your life you truly respect? Without testing her endurance?"

He was silent for a moment. He looked at his mother, then back at Amelia.

"I haven't decided yet," he said.

"Trust me, you will respect a woman one day. But you won't know until you lose her."

Silence remained between them for a few moments.

. Jin remembers his sister Estelle. 

Then Jin said in a deeper tone, "Have you ever regretted being a mother?"

Amelia looked at him for a long time, then drank the last drop from her cup and said:

"Yes... but I also don't regret it."

Jin smiled.

"A very Amberhartian answer."

Then he stood up calmly, held out an empty glass, and began pouring himself pomegranate juice again.

From a distance, Naoko was still drinking, her features impassive. But, for some reason she didn't understand, she felt something inside stir as she saw her son smile like that. It wasn't sadness. It wasn't pride. It wasn't anything specific. Just... a strange sensation. A feeling that had no name.

She was watching them.

But she didn't interfere.

not yet.