"What's this I hear about you assaulting a maid?"

Toji tries to maintain his composure under Naobito's look, but it's evident that his confident facade is cracking. He has no excuses, no clever words to sway the clan chief's disapproval.

Helia almost thought that he looked like he feared his father, but she recovers, reminding herself that we're talking about Toji here and she's sure that nothing and no one frightens him.

When she turns back to look at Naobito's disappointed glare, she knows Toji won't get away with it this time and he will face the consequences for his actions.

Naobito's eyes remain fixed on Toji, his expression hardening further.

"Well? Care to explain yourself?"

Toji remains silent for a moment, his eyes darting around as if trying to come up with a viable excuse. But it's clear there's none. He's been caught red handed, and there's no bullshitting his way out of it.

Naobito lets out a huff of annoyance, his patience running thin.

"I won't ask again, Toji." He says coldly. "You'd better have a damn good explanation for this."

But Toji remains silent. It was surprising not to see him with his usual confident look and smug smirk. Right now, he almost looked vulnerable.

Naobito's jaw tightens at Toji's silence. It's clear that the clan chief's disappointment in him runs deep.

The elder beside him shoots Toji a look that is a mix of anger and disgust, clearly agreeing with Naobito's disapproval.

The room falls silent, the tension so thick Helia could slice through it with a knife. Everyone waits for Naobito to speak, to pass judgment on Toji's actions.

Naobito sighs, his mind apparently made up on how to deal with the situation.

"You have disgraced not only yourself but the entire Zenin clan with this act and all of your precedent ones too." He says sternly. "I can no longer turn a blind eye to your behavior, Toji."

He turns to the elder.

"Take him away. Lock him up for now. I'll deal with this later."

Helia's eyes widen slightly, this punishment was better than what she had expected. She thought Toji would have just been humiliated, but him being locked up is better than anything she could have wished for.

The elder nods, his face a mix of grim determination and satisfaction. He steps towards Toji, quickly grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to his feet.

Toji struggles for a moment, clearly not happy about his fate, but he knows that resisting would only make things worse. Helia is surprised to see that he finally decides to follow the old man.

The elder begins to drag him out of the room. Toji shots a final angry glance at his father, before his gaze locks a second with Helia's.

A shiver runs down her spine when she sees the enraged look in his eyes.

They all watch as Toji is escorted out of the room. Naobito's expression is stern but there is a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. He turns to Anna, who is still trembling in Helia's arms, and his face softens a fraction.

"Are you alright, my dear?" He asks, his voice surprisingly gentle. He then glanced over at Helia, his gaze assessing.

Naobito regards Helia for a moment, taking in her expression and body language. He can tell she's not as shaken as Anna, possibly because she knew this incident would happen eventually.

He gives Helia a small nod, before turning his attention back to Anna, still addressing her with softness in his voice.

"Come now, my dear. You've had quite a fright. Let's get you something to drink."

Naobito leads Anna away, a comforting hand on her back, murmuring soft reassurances as they go.

Now, Helia is left alone in the room, the silence feeling almost strange after the incident. They did it. They successfully managed to get Toji into trouble.

She exits the room, and a sense of accomplishment courses through her. As she walks away, she can't help but feel a little pride.

This is likely just the beginning of Toji's reckoning. And she will be there to see it unfold.

As she walks into the corridors, she knows she's only supposed to feel satisfaction. So why does she have a bad feeling that won't leave her stomach?

[...]

As the day passes by, Helia continues her duties as a maid, but the events of the morning are never far from her mind.

She can't help but wonder what will happen to Toji now that Naobito is involved.

Will he finally be punished for his actions, or will his status as the clan heir shield him from consequences once again?

Helia is also concerned about Anna. She remembers the frighten look in her eyes, when she was with Toji and Helia can only hope that Anna is fine and was only acting scared.

[...]

As the evening approaches, she makes her way to the head of the clan's quarters, a sense of anticipation mixed with curiosity building inside her.

Today she has nothing to report to him considering that Toji was locked up this morning, but she still has to go to his office every night as her arrangement states.

She reaches the door to his room and takes a deep breath before knocking.

"Come in."

Naobito's voice rings out, strong and authoritative as always.

As she enters, she spots Naobito seated behind his large desk, his expression calm and composed. He gestures for her to sit down across from him.

"Ah, there you are. Have a seat, Helia."

When she sits down, questions are burning Helia's lips. What happened to Toji? Did they really lock him up? If they did, how long will he stay in his cell?

Naobito leans back in his chair, his eyes studying her intently. He knows that she must be eager for information, and he nods in acknowledgement.

"I assume you want to know about Toji." He states, his voice calm. "Well, he's where he deserves to be. Locked up, unable to cause any more trouble for now."

Helia feels a strange sense of happiness when she thinks of Toji locked up in a cell. But another question remains in her mind, she asks politely.

"And is Anna okay sir?"

Naobito nods, a soft smile on his face.

"Yes, dear. Anna is quite alright. No thanks to Toji, of course. But she's being taken care of, don't you worry."

Helia feels relieved, yes, she wanted to take revenge on Toji, but she never meant for Anna to end up traumatized because of that asshole.

There is one last question she would like to ask. She hesitates for a few seconds, not sure that she really has the right to ask that.

"I hope I'm not crossing any line here, sir, but how long will Toji be locked up?"

Naobito smiles before answering.

"For now, he'll be in confinement until I decide on a more permanent solution. Toji has always been a troublemaker, and I fear it's time someone taught him a harsher lesson. Perhaps now, he will finally learn his place."

Helia nods satisfied of his answer. She hopes that this time in his cell will be very long and very uncomfortable for Toji.

Naobito gives a dismissive wave of his hand and leans back on his chair to indicate that her business with him is done.

"Thank you, Helia, you'll be free of your mission for as long as he is locked up." He says with a nod. "You may go now."

[...]

As she walks back to the maid quarters, her mind is buzzing with thoughts. Toji is locked up, finally facing consequences for his actions.

It feels good to have a hand in that, especially after having endured a whipping because of him.

When she reaches the maid compound, she's greeted with sounds of laughter and cheering.

Some maids are gathered, their voices animated and full of excitement. They see Helia coming and immediately burst into cheers and applause.

It's obvious that word of Toji's confinement has made rounds in the maid quarters.

"We did it!" One of the maids exclaims. "Toji finally got what he deserves!"

Helia is happy with the atmosphere in the maid compound, but she quickly scans the room, searching for Anna.

She soon spots her among the gathered maids. She's standing there, her face very bright as if nothing had happened and a proud smile on her lips.

Helia walks towards her and asks rapidly. "Are you alright Anna?"

Anna nods, her smile growing a little wider.

"I'm doing okay don't worry about me! I had to act scared for the sake of the plan but I wasn't really afraid because Toji stopped trying to do anything to me the moment I asked him to. So, I'm just happy that I was able help!"

Helia sighs, relieved. Their plan had worked, and no one had been hurt, except for Toji of course. Their revenge was a success.

[...]

As the maids continue to chatter and celebrate, Helia's mind drifts back to Toji in confinement. The thought of him being locked up makes her smile.

She silently hopes that he'll be kept away for quite some time, long enough to truly make an impact and teach him a lesson.

But a small pang of worry crosses her mind. She remembers the look in Toji's eyes as they landed on her, before he was escorted away to confinement.

What if he knew or at least suspected that Helia was involved in his predicament? What if he came after her once he broke free of confinement? The thought makes her shudder, a chill running down her spine.

She forces herself to shake off the worries and tries to focus on the celebrations. She joins in the conversations and laughter, doing her best to put her fears at bay at least for now.

She hopes that he won't seek retribution against her once he's free. But deep down, she knows it's likely a vain hope.

Toji is not someone who forgets and forgives easily.

•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•

Hello! How are you doing?

I don't have much to say about this chapter I just hoped that it wasn't too boring to read! Let me know if you have any comments on this chapter!

See you in the next chapter!

Sarah ☆