The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

Once they exchanged their vows to never again get acquainted with each other, Aisha no longer stayed in the hall.

She didn’t bother greeting the remaining Novalis family, who scrambled to approach her as if they wanted her to say something to the emperor about their parents.

But what can she possibly say or do? The emperor wasn’t a stupid man. For the Novalis family to deceive him, he needed to be certain of what they did to get this result.

Naturally, since Aisha was very young back then when she was adopted by the Novalis family, the emperor didn’t try to hold her accountable. What could a baby who could barely crawl and talk have any idea of what was happening?

Thus, even if the Novalis family wanted her to take half of the blame and responsibility because she was the one who replaced Irene in the engagement with the prince, they were unable to do so when the most powerful man in the empire didn’t say anything.

They could only watch as she stepped down the stairs leading to the throne and walked down the aisle.

”Aisha!”

Theon came to stand on the aisle as well. He stared at her back as she paused to turn around.

With her looking at him with the same disinterested look on her face, Theon found himself unable to utter the words he wanted to say.

”What is it, Theon?”

Aisha patiently waited for him to speak.

”You...”

He began to speak as if he had something urgent to say, but then he seemed to sputter as if he was at a loss for words.

”D-don’t... don’t you have a-anything to say?”

”Oh... Sorry.”

Seeing him looking worn out, she couldn’t help but apologize. That spectacle earlier must have been quite upsetting for him.

”The consort will find a way to get your parents out soon. I’m sure she won’t let anything happen to them.”

She moved her gaze to Irene, who had been staring in a daze and didn’t react even after the ceremony was over.

”Y-your parents? That’s our—”

”Theon, shut up. I’d be uncomfortable if you keep spouting nonsense even after what has been said to everyone. Or perhaps, do you wish to still play house with me?”

Theon’s expression twisted as if he had swallowed flies in his mouth. But Aisha didn’t care.

”Unfortunately, I do not have any desire to play along with any of you. So, let this be the end of our sibling relationship. Like I said before... don’t treat me as your sister anymore. I don’t have a brother like you, nor do I want to have one.”

”How... how can you say that?”

He sounded incredulous. When he first heard Aisha say that on the night Irene’s bracelet went missing, he didn’t believe it. He thought that she was just saying it out of anger and would eventually return to how they usually acted with each other later.

”Mm... What’s wrong with saying the truth?” She smiled gently, the same way an elder sister would to her younger brother. ”Theon, Irene’s still not in her right state of mind. When she snaps out of it, can you pass a word from me?”

Theon didn’t reply or indicate he would pass it.

But Aisha didn’t care either way. ”Tell her that treating people like toys isn’t something a human should do. In the future, she’ll pay greatly if she still doesn’t know her place.”

”W-what do you mean?!”

Theon shouted as Aisha turned around and didn’t even stop to listen to him anymore.

Irene had gotten everything she wanted from Aisha. Some of them Aisha could give because it wasn’t her own in the beginning. However, if Irene thought that the matter between them was over...

I’ll make her regret ever crossing me.

What Irene didn’t know was that she had been so lucky that Aisha held back several times. If Aisha hadn’t been trying to adapt herself into this world first, Irene’s corpse would’ve been a perfect place to grow the seeds in her grandmother’s room.

She didn’t know if they could actually grow, but it wouldn’t hurt to try.

As she continued down the aisle, Aisha heard steady footsteps behind her.

Step, step.

She didn’t need to turn around to find out who it belonged to.

”Are you going back to the residence I told you about before?”

Aisha didn’t stop walking ahead of him and replied, ”No. I have to go back to the Novalis’s house to get all of my things.”

She didn’t have much, just a couple of things that she bought before that didn’t have any ties to the Novalis family. Besides, she left her spiritual beasts alone with Daisy.

Having already made up her mind to leave the house she’d been living in for a long time, Aisha didn’t feel much different. She had initially thought that this body would react once again, but it seemed that it held no sentimental feelings towards that house.

They passed the huge doors and the herald, who gawked at them leaving before anyone else could. Even the guards didn’t expect the Admiral to leave so soon right after the ceremony ended.

”Y—your Excellency, where are you going?” The herald was startled to see the Admiral leave so soon. Wasn’t he here for an audience with the emperor? Why did it look like he just came to watch the ceremony?

Zeke didn’t even turn around to glance at him or tell him anything. He followed after Aisha as if he had decided his next destination.

Aisha didn’t mind walking with her. But why was he following her?

She turned her head slightly to glance at him and asked, ”Are you going to follow me all the way to my house again?”

Without changing his expression, he met her gaze and said, ”Am I not allowed to?”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t, but shouldn’t he be worried about the rumors that would spread around if he was seen leaving with the prince’s ex-fiancé? There was also the matter of him escorting her down the aisle in front of everyone. Was he so bored of his spotless reputation that he was actively chasing a scandal now?

”I can go back by myself. There’s no need to follow me.”

”You could.” She heard him say. ”But I happen to be heading the same direction. Convenient.”

Aisha stared at him silently for a few seconds before facing in front of her, walking ahead of him.

”I’ll take that as acceptance.”

Her footsteps almost faltered when she heard him.

Seeing them leave without even turning, the herald was thrown into a dilemma. He turned his head to look at the emperor who sat on the throne in the distance. One look from him almost brought his knees to the ground.

He knew from just that look that the emperor’s patience and mood were not good.

At the same time, he received an order from his light brain.

”Escort Lady Aisha into the palace. I want to speak to her.”

The order had come from the emperor himself. Even though the herald didn’t know why the emperor wanted to speak to Lady Aisha, he didn’t question it and immediately strode towards her.

”Lady Aisha! Wait!”

The herald shouted at the top of his lungs.

”His Majesty wishes to speak to you.”

This should have been enough to make her stop. Anyone who heard that the emperor wanted to speak to them would feel delighted at the opportunity of meeting the ruler of their planet.

Yet she didn’t even stop, continuing to walk down the hall with the same unhurried pace.

”Please do not disobey His Majesty’s order, or you will be punished!”

Afraid that she wouldn’t listen, the herald called the imperial guards to stop her. They moved instantly the moment they were instructed to get her.

They were closing in quickly, and Aisha could sense Zeke moving quickly to stand beside her protectively.

Just as they surrounded them, a deafening boom slammed across the palace wall near them. The wall exploded into jagged debris while a shockwave of white dust swept across them.

It took a long time before the dust settled. Aisha had already raised her arms to block anything from coming toward her, but someone taller was already standing right in front of her, blocking most of the dust and pulverized stone with his own body.

”Are you alright?”

The dust was still settling when Zeke turned around to check on her. Aisha shook her head and told him she was fine. Aside from being startled by the explosion, she was completely unharmed.

Zeke turned to look at the state of the imperial guards next.

The guards and the herald, on the other hand, weren’t fine. They wheezed and coughed; some had already fallen to the ground from the stones that struck them.

A tingling sensation suddenly entered her body.

She turned her head to where the explosion had come from.

While the guards and Zeke were still assessing the situation, Aisha saw a silhouette form from the dust; a reddish glow cut through all the white.

The silhouette transformed into a man.

He approached Aisha with unhurried, confident steps and stood in front of her until he was close enough that she could feel the residual heat from the blast.

Brushing debris from her shoulder like it was nothing, a faint smirk appeared on his lips. ”Didn’t take you long to get into trouble.”

Nykos tilted his head as his gaze flickered to meet hers. ”Couldn’t even wait for me to miss you.”