Blackmail

Sphinx carefully examined Tia’s eyes, then followed her gaze.

Suddenly, Sphinx thought of something.

If the reason behind his sister’s sense of betrayal wasn’t so pure, and after taking a hidden turn, the real emotion might actually be jealousy.

His sister was jealous of the girl beside Collins.

Of course, it wasn’t that Tia wanted to replace Victoria and become the woman by Collins’ side.

Rather, it was that Collins, who had always been single, suddenly had a woman accompanying him.

For Tia, who had spent her entire life immersed in rune research, this was a shock.

He found a girlfriend, chatted with her, wasted so much time that could have been used for experiments, and yet still managed to earn the title of chief.

Meanwhile, Tia didn’t even have time to find a boyfriend, sacrificing almost everything for experiments—yet still couldn’t compare to someone who wasted so much time on a partner.

However, this was only Sphinx’s preliminary judgment.

In truth, the human heart is extremely complex.

Even the person overwhelmed by emotions may not clearly understand what feelings they truly have.

As for the correct interpretation, even Sphinx could only make simple deductions and guesses based on the situation.

And then comes the most important tool of a psychological master: the ability to guide emotions and even distort true feelings.

To make rationality misjudge one’s own emotions, thereby gaining control over a person.

Sphinx’s sarcastic words brought Tia back to her own table.

Naturally, when Tia heard the word “jealousy,” an indescribable expression appeared on her face.

“I’ve seen that girl before. She’s the deputy in alchemy at Rustek Academy.

Like Collins, she was admitted early to the magic university and graduated early because her talents surpassed her peers.

A genius.”

“And this genius seems to have met Collins somewhere.

She was very sure of Collins’ ability, so she went to great lengths to come to this school, investing large sums of money to get Collins’ help with her magical experiments.”

Tia’s face showed a relaxed expression.

Sphinx immediately changed his tone.

“But this interest isn’t just about ability.”

Tia’s grip on her utensils tightened, and a strange emotion appeared on her face.

Sphinx shook his head inwardly.

His sister was terrible at controlling her emotions, practically writing all her thoughts on her face.

If she encountered a gentleman, that would be fine.

But if she met a playboy who liked to toy with women, Tia being played like a fool would only be a matter of time.

Should I take the chance while there’s still time to properly train my sister?

That thought stayed in his mind, but on the surface, Sphinx still wore a look of disdain.

He needed his sister to be angry so that her powerful intellect would be suppressed.

But he also revealed information about Collins while speaking, so the anger couldn’t fully manifest yet.

Making someone want to act but not daring to act—the first step in emotional control was achieved.

Next was gaining control of the conversation.

As for how to do that, it was actually very simple.

Different people required different methods, but Sphinx’s favorite was using rhetorical questions.

“Do you like Collins?”

“Eh?”

Tia froze.

Not because Sphinx had hit the core of the issue, but because he had asked a question she had never considered before, instantly twisting her train of thought.

A brief distortion caused brief confusion, which was the perfect moment to strike.

Sphinx’s eyes grew deeper and more penetrating.

“I’ve never seen you pay so much attention to a man before.

In my memory, you’ve never been interested in men.

There was even a time when I thought my sister liked girls, because you didn’t want to interact with men and deliberately used experiments to numb yourself.”

“No way, brother, you’re overthinking.”

“Mm, when I saw you looking at Collins, I realized I really was overthinking.”

Tia suddenly didn’t know how to explain.

She was certain she absolutely did not like Collins.

But in this environment, if she didn’t go along with her brother’s words, Sphinx might really think she was into girls.

If Sphinx were a stranger, a misunderstanding would just be a misunderstanding.

Tia wouldn’t bother explaining to a mere mortal.

But this mortal happened to be closely related to her by blood—and his opinion could even influence other relatives.

This is tricky.

Sphinx felt that the time had come.

His sister was already hesitating.

If nothing went wrong, with a little manipulation of the environment next, he had no doubt this little girl would eventually submit to him.