Chapter 16

The knight had visible concern on his face as he followed Elvin.

“Are you definitely meeting them tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“It won’t be a straightforward conversation.”

“I didn’t intend to just talk to them like so from the start.”

The knight gazed at Elvin and appeared to place a hand over his forehead for a moment.

“My God, Your Highness. You’re serious.”

“I’m always serious.Every time.”

He smiled cheerfully and entered the prepared carriage.

When he arrived at the library, Elvin received quite the surprising news. The book he left behind had been properly returned.

Perhaps it was the friendly and smart Irene Webber returning the book for him.

‘How strange did I look?’

I left the book and ran away.

I must have looked quite pathetic.

I hope she’ll forget.

Elvin retreated with a sigh as he thought that.

“Ah?”

An unpleasant voice was heard. Their eyes met as he glanced towards the sound.

“…Roger Blake.”

Elvin mumbled his name. It seemed he didn’t even enjoy books, so it was a mystery why he endlessly entered and exited the library.

“Who’s this? Aren’t you the country bumpkin?”

Roger approached Elvin, his face filled with derision.

“How’s life in the capital? I heard Benjamin couldn’t even acquire a teacher these days, so he won’t be able to take classes. Is that true?”

“Why do you ask me that?”

Elvin interrogated, his face openly presenting his displeasure.

“That’s because you’re Benjamin Webber’s butt.”

What’s wrong with being a butt anyway.

“As I said before, it’s really important who you trust and follow in the capital. You’d better keep this in mind if you wish to hold an important position in the future.”

“You’re the one I should follow?”

“Well… if you ask, then I don’t see a reason not to look after you. As far as I’m concerned.”

Roger lowered his voice.

He glanced around to check that no one was listening to their conversation.

“I’m allowed to see the Prince of Wales.”

“…”

“Don’t you know what that means?”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s going to be crazy. That’s why I don’t want to be seen talking to a country bumpkin. Listen carefully.”

By all means, Roger Blake seemed to be overly excited to be allowed to meet him.

Unbearable happiness reflected the face as he explained bit by bit.

Elvin finally realized the reason Roger Blake had been hanging around the library for no reason.

This was an easy place to ‘accidentally’ encounter acquaintances, and Roger couldn’t stand the excitement and eagerly wished to brag about himself to someone he met ‘accidentally.’

“The Crown Prince must be fed up with Benjamin Webber.”

“Is that so?”

“If not, then why would he suddenly allow me an audience at such a time? From now on, you should want to have a deep friendship with me, Roger Blake. Gosh, really.”

“Deep friendship?”

“Yes, a deep friendship! Don’t you think that if you get along with me, I might be able to tell his Majesty about you as well?”

“You’ll talk about me to His Majesty the Crown Prince?”

“Of course, if you trust and follow me. I’m very generous to my people.”

“That’s… “

Elvin glanced at Roger Blake with veiled emotions in his eyes and patted him on the shoulder.

“Thanks very much.”

Yeah, well, I think you should stay happy for a day or so.

“Now do you understand my generosity? Uh-huh, maybe his Highness will also praise me for that?”

“Well, I guess so. Then, have a safe trip tomorrow.”

“Hoohoo, if you’re curious about the conversation we’ll have at the palace, come to the library anytime. I’ll tell you if I’m in a good mood… but did I tell you that it’d be tomorrow?”

“I think you said so earlier. I’ll go then.”

Elvin shrugged his shoulders and turned around.

“This country bumpkin doesn’t even know how well I’m treating him!”

Roger shouted hysterically, yet Elvin didn’t look back.

“Hey, aren’t you coming back? I’m calling you, as the successor to Duke Blake’s fortune! Hey, country bumpkin!”

Elvin laughed bitterly.

‘…What the hell is he going to do tomorrow?’

***

Meanwhile, Count Webber faced a problem.

“Whoo…”

Count Webber, who could no longer turn a blind eye to this problem, sighed dejectedly.

Still unaware of the situation, Irene constructed a castle made out of thick encyclopedias inside her father’s office.

She stared at her father, placing a new brick (encyclopedia) above a wall as wide as her waist.

I wonder if he is worried about something.

Count Webber, noticing her gaze, smiled and waved his hand.

“It’s okay, nothing’s wrong.”

That made her even more worried. Moreover, the ‘It’s okay’ tone reminded her of a past moment.

「Are you alright? Inform me right away if you’re facing problems.」

When she said this to a new employee who had familiarised themself with the work to a certain degree, the new employee smiled and answered.

「It’s all right! There’s no problem!」

Behind the forced smile, a huge problem had occurred.

If they had shared a conversation at that time, it might have turned out to be a simple matter.

Of course, it was her fault that she didn’t take initiative to check it out.

In any case, it eventually grew bigger to the point that everyone suffered a loss.

Thus, Irene decided not to believe the words ‘it’s okay’ that her father had replied.

She might be able to help him now.

Before things get too bad.

“But I think you’re worried about something.”

“Well, actually.”

He must have been quite apprehensive when he explained to her his worries.

“I’m worried about you and Benjamin.”

“Us?”

“Yes.”

“What… Did we do something wrong? I’m sorry, Father.”

Irene apologized briskly.

She had developed the habit of apologizing unnecessarily during her past life, and she couldn’t seem to be able to get rid of it.

“You don’t have to apologize, sweetheart. It’s not your fault.”

“Then?”

“That’s… “

Father sighed and stood up.

He pulled a thick dictionary from the bookshelf and handed it to Irene.

“I’ve been searching for a teacher to tutor you for quite a while, yet it hasn’t been easy.”

Irene added a brick to the wall, using the dictionary her father handed her.

Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since the teacher who tutored Benjamin resigned.

Long before I ran into Roger Blake at the library…

From then until now, Benjamin must have been studying alone while using books.

“Benjamin says it’s alright, but I’m looking into it as I believe it’s better to have a teacher who he can talk to. If possible, it would be good if you could also be taught.”

“Have you posted job openings?”

“Of course.”

The two built the wall together. It was now even taller, as tall as Irene’s chest.

Irene brought another brick and placed it in front of the wall. She still wished to build it higher.

“But somehow I couldn’t get a single resume…”

Not one?

That’s a bit of a problem.

Irene recalled Roger Blake. A boy who liked to gossip about Benjamin.

Of course, it didn’t make sense for Blake to be the cause of the rumours, since he talks without thinking.

There must be another cause.

For example, when Irene suffered an unfair accusation in the library, an adult such as Duke Blake could have taken part in the gossip.

「And the Duke of Blake can use his powers easily with words. Especially in a bad way.」

My benefactor even warned me about this.

“Perhaps…”

Irene attempted to inform her father, but he spoke faster.

“The job announcement was also carefully written. The advertisement even contains the phrase ‘the best treatment in the industry’.”

“…”

Irene kept quiet about the gossip she had heard in the library. It didn’t seem to be relevant either.

The ‘best treatment in the industry’ part.

There couldn’t be many people applying for jobs after seeing such a phrase.

Wouldn’t it seem too ambiguous?

Especially ‘the industry’ and the ‘best treatment’ part.

“Well… What else did you write?”

Irene ceased building her wall and stared at her father.

“Nothing special. ‘Count Webber. Searching for exceptional teachers, regardless of gender, accommodations available, meals provided, high-income guarantees, best treatment in the industry, including backing from the position.’ Isn’t that enough?”

“….”

“But no one has contacted me, so I plan to add another phrase.”

“What… phrase?”

“Prepaid available.”

High-income guarantees, the best treatment in the industry, including backing from the position, and prepaid available.

How should she say this.

If Irene and Benjamin were to take classes from a teacher who sent a resume after seeing these phrases, they would be unhappy.

Oh, that’s probably why Benjamin’s last teacher was like that.

Irene thought it was a good thing that her father did this before she grew up.

Under these circumstances, if ‘prepaid’ were attached, very strange people would surely flock to the count.

“So I was thinking about where to place the phrase ‘prepaid available.’ There’s a limit to the number of characters…”