123 Infiltration 10

The noise wasn't too close to them but also not too far. Nana instantly retracted her wings and scooted closer to Lia. Who was it at this time, scurrying around in a hidden place like this?

Lia had a bad feeling, was someone following them? Could Timo have found out and sent someone to keep tabs on them? But at the same time, if it was someone scouting, they wouldn't be so careless, no?

Lia held her finger to her mouth and Nana nodded. Silence overtook the place and only the wind rustling the leaves could be heard.

Yet there were other sounds carried to them faintly but distinct. Lia turned to Nana and whispered, "Go, we'll talk about it later."

Lia still found it concerning that Timo was talented enough to raise Nana's level in such a short time. There was also this other undesired feeling crawling up Lia.

It was jealousy. Lia had to admit she was slightly jealous of Timo and his skills.

The sound got louder. As if someone repeatedly hit the ground. Lia lightly swept across the place. The closer she got to the source of the thumping noise, light panting followed.

A tiny area covered by bushes revealed itself before Lia pried the branches away and saw a figure shrouded in the darkness moving up and down.

Lia was confident in her own skills and circled around the pace until she was positioned behind the figure.

Sneaking up on them from his back, Lia saw who the person was and what they were doing.

For a few seconds, Lia watched them continuing their act before she actually crouched on the ground. Her head in her hand, she continued to silently enjoy the sight of the person's quiet cursing and their thin arms holding on to the shovel, repeatedly digging into the ground.

After the hole was big enough the person stopped, still not noticing Lia bored crouching behind them literally less than a metre away.

The person put the shovel on the ground and from their clothes took out a few shiny objects. Then they were thrown into the hole. The shovel was picked up again and dirt was mounted on top of the objects until the earth was smooth and looked unharmed.

The whole process was accompanied by an abundance of cursing. After the person was done, they put their foot on the shovel stuck on the ground and while looking at the sky, they wiped their forehead.

A heavy sigh followed afterwards.

"So you're done?" Lia's voice scared the person silly as they slipped on the shovel and fell on the ground. In their fright of being discovered, their shaking foot kicked the shovel towards Lia.

With ease, Lia caught the shovel with one hand before it hit her face. The other hand still supported her tilted head and her eyes bored watched the cowering person of her.

"I asked if you're finished?"

The person didn't answer, instead they backed away before crawling on the ground. Lia silently stood up. She trailed after the desperate and panicked person.

Then stuck the shovel into the ground with such a force that the dirty earth flew into the person's face, only an inch away from the sharp, metallic weapon.

"I don't like it when I'm ignored, Zero."

At the mention of this name, Zero shook and he held his hand before his face. Lia coldly smiled and crouched before him. Her eyes were that of a predator as she mockingly pried Zero's fingers away and made him look at her.

"You pretend to be such a good boy. An angel loved by everyone. Surely they would've never guessed such an innocent youth like you has a heart blacker and dirtier than the waters in the sewers, no?"

Zero shook his head and scrambled to put a brave front, "I- I was force-"

"Surely, you won't think you can fool me with those simple words? You're still wet behind your ears. You could fall into an ocean and you would be still wetter than the water itself, that's how stupid you are," Lia walked away from Zero and took the shovel.

"No one would think the beloved angel everyone trusted was the bad, little thief taking others precious belongings to bury them behind the dorm. How vicious of you."

"Teacher, I really-" Zero backed away fearfully at the sight of Lia dragging the shovel behind her as she approached him.

"You really what? As a model student, you must have learnt how to finish your sentences, no?" Lia showed Zero no mercy.

Lia caught him right in the act but he still didn't admit his misdeeds. Instead, he insisted on being innocent. For people like him, if they didn't learn the hard way, if there were no consequences, if they thought they could get away with a white lotus face and pretty lies, then they would never change their ways.

"Teacher, please believe me! I'm innocent! I was forced! I'm being bullied," tears formed in Zero's eyes and his pitiful crying really moved people's hearts.

Lia stopped for a second, if she didn't see Zero's true nature, then she would've believed him, that was why it was even more-

"Despicable. Don't use such topics to lie to others. Do you know the severity of what you're saying?"

Lia finally caught up to Zero who still hoped his crying could achieve something. Ungently she picked him up by the ears.

"For everything you say, for everything you do, there are consequences. If I really believe your crap and let you go, do you think you will learn? You know yourself how absurd these words are, no? I shall give you a proper punishment," Lia dragged Zero to the spot he buried the objects in.

"Save your tears for tomorrow when you try to protect your innocence and keep acting like the good boy you are. Maybe you can melt the heart of the others."

Zero's face paled when he heard those words. He immediately understood that Lia was going to reveal him as the thief tomorrow.

"Teacher! Please no! Please don't do that!" Zero, like a little aggrieved puppy, knelt on the ground and wiped his tears.

"Zero do you know what I feel when I hear you speak or see your face like this?" Lia got up close to him and whispered a word that froze Zero's blood in his veins.

His body trembled and his ears heated up. It was a harsh slap across his face but he quietened down. With his red eyes and red nose, he looked at the ground, not trying to justify himself anymore.

"It doesn't feel too good to hear that, no?" Lia was long not finished merciless striking him down.

"There's a way for you to redeem yourself, so you'll be more pleasant in my eyes," Lia's words were hard and cold but each of them perfectly stabbed into Zero's heart.

He was an angel in everyone's mind. There wasn't a single person who disliked him. There couldn't be. But now there was an evil monster before him who saw through everything he did. If he was already discovered, he wasn't going to shy away and futile try to hide it.

With angry and stubborn eyes, Zero's innocent face became hateful, "I did it! So what? It's their fault anyway! Who asked them to annoy me and touch me with their filthy hands?"

"So, you resorted to stealing their belongings?" Lia was amused at his outburst.

"They deserve it! I take their things and bury them so they can look for them forever and then leave me alone!"

"That's stupid," Lia didn't think Zero was this petty and bratty. Zero pursed his lips but then next words reaching his ears caused him to become even paler.