A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

"Yes, I am fine now," Aecilia said, taking a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts.

She resolved to lean on both her mind and heart when necessary, but for now, she would prioritize her heart and use her mind to sift through whatever he had to say.

"Hm, let me begin with the origin of your abilities," Avendial observed as he noted that her demeanor had shifted to a calmer state.

He surmised that her emotional turmoil was likely a blend of conflicting decisions, which could only stem from the battle between her heart and mind.

It was a simple deduction—one that anyone in his position could make.

Unlike Aria, Aecilia had been raised within the confines of nobility, receiving a well-structured education that emphasized emotional control and etiquette.

Losing control over one's emotions was a rare occurrence for someone of her stature.

Furthermore, the impressive array of martial arts skills she displayed while confronting Baldy only reinforced his theory.

The only time one might feel frustration not rooted in anger but rather in the annoyance of clashing mental dialogues would be when they are anxiously awaiting a decision related to love.

Looking at her, Avendial guessed that she was on high alert.

She appeared to be wary not of him personally, but of the potential threat to her family—as if she feared they might be treated as mere pawns, especially after he had just disclosed his foresight into future events.

He planned to share details that would keep her mind occupied while ultimately connecting to her heart.

This was rooted in the understanding that love is transient.

No matter how deeply one feels for a partner, miscommunications and personal changes can arise over time, causing relationships to falter.

Thus, it was crucial to continually align those changes with shared understanding, ensuring that neither partner turns their gaze toward someone else.

'Is he referring to Synergy?' Aecilia thought, narrowing her gaze.

Many individuals knew about the imperials and their distinctive energy known as Synergy—so that information wasn't exactly a secret.

It was plausible that he simply wanted to convey this to Aria, prompting her to take notice of Aecilia, who now appeared relaxed.

Though somewhat mundane, the information was far from critical; most people were already aware of it.

"Aria, have you ever read fictional stories?"

Avendial directed his question toward Aria, noting that Aecilia seemed to remain nonchalant, as if she were already aware of what was forthcoming.

This prompted him to tread carefully; he needed to ensure that the information he imparted was precise and valuable, allowing both women to communicate it effectively in the future without requiring him to revisit the same discussions.

The primary motive for sharing this information in their current setting was to safeguard himself from potential repercussions if the royal family were to catch wind of his insights—something that could easily attract the attention of those lurking within the royal family.

He knew he could rely on the Sertsul family as a shield if necessary.

For example, if he received a letter from the royal family asking him for the source of the origin story, in case whatever he was going to tell in this room leaked, he would just say it was the Sertsul family who provided this information.

He was clearly strong enough to keep the royal family in check even in the present time—given his wealth.

However, it was unwise to waste his time dealing with them this year, which is why using the Sertsuls as a meat shield would be reliable—of course, only if this information were to leak.

"Fictional? Yes, out of curiosity and due to this ability, I sought out these stories," Aria reflected.

Despite undergoing a series of scans and procedures without finding any scientific explanations for her situation, she had turned her full attention to reading fictional narratives that spoke of special abilities, awakened individuals, elves, and more.

It wasn't mere habit that drove her; it was desperation—a desperate quest for any theory that could illuminate her circumstances.

From her readings, Aria concluded that regardless of her efforts, with the label of "Villainess" attached to her, her fate seemed predetermined: she would inevitably become an enemy to others, existing merely as a stepping stone for their ambitions.

"Okay, let me explain to you why these concepts of heroines and villainesses, much like those found in fictional tales, exist," Avendial began, nodding as he slowly rose from his seat.

He had noticed that Aecilia was about to ask what he meant by those terms, so he deliberately stood to redirect her attention, urging her to pause as he prepared to share his story in full.

"Aria, are you aware that in philosophy there's a saying which posits that the human brain doesn't create new ideas but rather processes various existing ones, combining them to generate what seems like something new?"

Avendial started to elaborate on Hume's Empiricism, a theory that sparked widespread discussion in philosophical circles yet remained a subject of debate.

It essentially argued that the mind merely combines, alters, or rearranges sensory impressions to forge novel ideas.

"But..." Aria interjected, eager to contest his assertion.

She wanted to argue that this idea didn't capture the entirety of human ingenuity; after all, didn't early civilizations discover fundamental concepts, like fire or the wheel, without any prior reference?

However, she hesitated, realizing that these discoveries were rooted in pre-existing phenomena.

According to Avendial's point of view, fire existed long before its discovery, and one innovation naturally led to the next, shaping the modern world where ignition was now commonplace.

So, his words were to some extent true, considering the human mind really processes those things which already exist, not invents something originally out of nowhere.

"It's hard to believe, but the stories didn't originally come out of nowhere; they already existed somewhere before, and then the brain, due to cosmic waves, started to merge them together, evolving and making it seem as if it's some fantasy..... just listen, Me," Avendial noticed hesitation in her voice but didn't delve further, even though there were hundreds of philosophical books where this fact was mentioned; he ignored explaining further given that Aecilia seemed calm, considering she had a Ph.D. in philosophy.

Indeed, due to the efficient use of AI and learning tools, though not everyone, most noblemen were provided with advanced education.

However, not all were interested in studying—only the heirs of prominent families truly pursued it seriously.

For instance, he had completed a Ph.D. in Business Management.

Now, when people hear someone has a Ph.D., they often assume that person must be an expert in their field.

But humans are naturally prone to errors.

The basic eligibility criteria for earning a Ph.D. are not about being perfect or knowing everything.

Instead, it's about creating or discovering something new in that subject.

For example, if someone pursued a Ph.D. in Philosophy, they would need to present an original project or research that added something unique to the field, which would determine their final result.

Of course, to find something new or achieve breakthroughs, one must have a thorough understanding of their subject.

This leads many common folks to think that having a Ph.D. means having complete mastery over the field.

But in truth, it's impossible for anyone to know absolutely everything.

The focus of a Ph.D. lies in meeting the criteria of contributing something unprecedented to the subject, not memorizing every piece of knowledge in it.

Thus, having a Ph.D. doesn't mean someone is a walking encyclopedia in their field.

Instead, it signifies that they've made a significant contribution.

At the same time, achieving such a contribution requires a strong grip and deep understanding of the subject.

So, calling someone who has a Ph.D. an expert in their field is correct from the perspective of normal people since degree holders are already much more advanced in their fields.

But from the degree holder's perspective, they are still learning.