CH 9

“If this is also a gift for the madam, please leave it over there. I will make sure to deliver it along with the marriage proposal you brought to the lady.”

“That’s not what I meant… My goodness, ridiculous.”

Dieren’s clever butler was quite upright.

It was useless even if someone from the marriage proposal group tried to hang on by performing some kind of cheap trick. Even in his attitude towards the nobility, he was never pushed back.

In particular, the butler checked the time like a knife and prevented a certain marriage proposal group from staying in the mansion for more than a certain period of time. This is because time distribution is important in order to somehow process the endless line quickly.

The problem is that even if you do that, there is no sign of the line shrinking…

It was the time when the sun, which had risen high in the sky, tilted its head.

The old butler swallowed a sigh of concern as he saw the main hall, where the piled up mountains of gifts and marriage proposals were. This was not something that could be done in a day or two.

“I suppose I came at a busy time.”

It was just when another group of marriage proposals left the mansion. A low and soft voice entered the mansion’s entrance with light steps.

Of course, the butler thought it was a marriage proposal this time as well, but his eyes soon widened.

A handsome man with white-silver hair, as if sprinkled with pearl powder, with red eyes that were brighter than ruby, and eyes that crinkled and created a kind expression.

For the butler, today was the second time he saw the person. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that he would ever get used to the heart-stopping beauty.

The same man, able to enervate even an old man, stepped forward.

“I am Count Yuzef Overeem Alperon. I have an appointment with the Duchess of Dieren today, so should I wait in the drawing room?”

The butler, who lost his bearings, soon came to his senses at the words and looked puzzled.

A guest’s visit was definitely scheduled. But if that was not Count Alperon…

“Isn’t today the day the Duchess meets the newly acquired tutors?”

“That is right.”

He knew that the tutors Viscount Baden had promised to find was coming.

“Yes. I am one of those tutors. I’ve already spoken to the Duchess about employment. So please deliver this.”

The count, as he said that, pulled out a silver envelope from the inside of his coat.

The letter, sealed with red candle wax, was rather thick, with a coat of arms that seemed to be similar to a set of scales (Libra), but it was difficult to determine exactly what it was.

“It’s a resume and letters of recommendation.”

Count Alperon’s beautiful smile made the butler freeze before receiving the letter.

“Could you deliver it?”

“…I understand. Please wait.”

It’s no big deal that it’s been talked about beforehand.

The butler eventually had no choice but to take the count’s letter up the stairs.

Knock, knock.

“Madam, it looks like the tutor has arrived.”

Even though he entered the office and reported the news, Lizelotte did not take her eyes off the book she was reading. Her expression did not hide her feelings of tiredness at all.

“I expected it, but it’s sooner than I thought. Viscount Baden has a bad temper. Just pretend that I’m busy right now and have them wait in the drawing room.”

“Here, he brought his resume and letters of recommendation. But, madam, I did not know that Count Alperon was among the tutors that Viscount Baden found.”

“Lord Yuzef?”

“The one who has just arrived is Count Alperon.”

“…?”

Upon hearing those words, Lizelotte took her eyes off the book at once and stood up. Her light purple eyes were wide with surprise.

As soon as she snatched the envelope from the butler, she burst into laughter.

After calming down the burst of laughter, I wiped the tears from my eyes first.

“Please call Lord Yuzef to my office. Serve refreshments right away.”

“You mean right now, madam? Wouldn’t it be better to wait a little longer?”

“It’s all right. He is not a tutor introduced by Viscount Baden.”

“Ah, that’s what it was!”

Comfortable wrinkles soon stretched across the old butler’s worried face.

Even after the butler left, I looked at Lord Yuzef’s resume and letters of recommendation for a long while.

‘Anyhow, he is truly an incredible person.’

At this point, it dawned on me that it was not a matter of much importance whether Lord Yuzef was a prophet or not. No, didn’t he say he was a regressor, not a prophet?

In any case, I focused on the fact that he was far more capable and resourceful than I expected.

‘I didn’t expect to find someone so perfectly qualified as a private tutor in just one month.’

Where should I start?

Yes, it should be from the funeral. Lord Yuzef, who said he would prove to me that he was a trustworthy person.

Certainly, it was undeniable that the advice that day made it easy to deal with my older brother and Viscount Baden.

In particular, he said this about Viscount Baden.

〈Viscount Baden will offer to recommend a tutor to the madam under the pretext of educating the successor after a private  meeting with the little duke. Of course, the intention is to plant an informant in the Dieren Duchy.〉

It was also he who told me what would happen if I refused.

In addition, he even let me know how to reverse this crisis.

〈Duchess, hire one more tutor who can keep an eye on them, and who can detect and prevent dangerous schemes. The madam’s person, who will never be bought.〉

〈That way, it will be advantageous to deal with Viscount Baden’s plot.〉

〈It’s also good for catching weaknesses and kicking them out just in case.〉

It’s easy to say, but finding someone like that is, of course, difficult. In the meantime, the restriction of the one-month mansion disengagement was quite fatal.

Lord Yuzef said in a soft voice, as if he had read my mind.

〈It is not difficult. It is right in front of the Duchess right now.〉

Honestly, when I first heard that, I thought he was joking.

Don’t you think so?

In order to guide the ducal family’s successor, one must have artistic knowledge as well as high-ranking aristocratic knowledge, including imperial history, laws, and etiquette.

Of course, Lord Yuzef was from a noble background, but he was a foreigner who first came to the empire’s capital a few days ago.

Of course, everything about the empire would be unfamiliar, especially history and culture, which would be almost alien.

It was impossible to have such a person as my son’s teacher unless I was bewitched by that face.

But to this point, Lord Yuzef replied nonchalantly with a breathless smile.

〈After a month when the doors to the Dieren mansion are reopened, shall I prove to the madam that I am qualified to teach the duke’s children?〉

I didn’t even bother to ask how, ‘How?’ Because I was sure it wouldn’t be possible.

Knock, knock.

“Madam. I have brought Count Alperon.”

“Bring him in.”

Then, with a knock, Lord Yuzef arrived.

I got out of my office chair and moved to a tea table to greet the guest. Soon Lord Yuzef, guided by the butler, came in, and he casually kissed my fingertips, asking how I was doing.

“It has been a while, Duchess Dieren. How have you been for one month?”

“It was a bit stuffy, but as you can see, I am healthy. Lord Yuzef seems to have had a lot going on in the capital’s society.”

“Ahaha.”

His face, which had a dry look at the funeral, now had a heart-wrenching smile as deep as it was when I first saw it. Honestly, I think my heart would have been pounding if I saw that face ten years ago.

I offered him a seat first. While exchanging greetings lightly, the refreshments that were ordered were served.

“How did you do it?”

Having sent the servants out of the office, I asked, putting his resume and letters of recommendation on the tea table.

“Noble families with a reputation in the empire, the principal of the Imperial Academy, and even a Tower of Honor scholar… It wouldn’t have been easy to get a letter of recommendation.”

Having experienced imperial society for decades, I know the families and people who wrote the letters of recommendation. That they were frustratingly upright people who were never tempted by materialistic things.

You shouldn’t be so good at getting recommendations from such people. It should be at the level of a scholar who can enter the Tower of Honor.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t forge a recommendation letter.”

“…I don’t believe I ever said that.”

“But the Duchess’s expression full of distrust toward me is enough.”

This man is very quick-witted.

I was going to ask anyway, so I decided not to deny it any more.

“Well. I know that Lord Yuzef has only been staying in the capital for about a month.”

To be honest with my suspicions, I opened my fan halfway and covered my mouth.

“However, it is a wonder that Lord Yuzef, a foreigner, has a high level of learning that even nobles born in the empire would need to accumulate over several decades.”

Then, the red eyes that were fixed on me crinkled slowly, creating a charming curve.