CH 19

There is a saying in the world where I lived.

I hate my sister-in-law who tries to stop my mother-in-law more than my mother-in-law who beats me. (t/n: the person who pretends to be nice to you on the outside but slanders you on the inside is more hateful.)

And this is the action I will take from now on.

Shortly after Olivia headed to Cedric’s office, the door swung open.

“Ellia!”

“Elliaaaaaa!”

Cedric and Calib ran side by side, shouting my name first.

Was he with Calib?

Then that’s surprising.

In the original story, the brothers were very affectionate. However, it is said that they only had lunch together because they respect each other so much. 

It’s a strong will not to interfere with each other’s time and not to be hated.

If those two were together, well, it’s good.

“You’re here…” I said in a weak voice and got up stumbling.

After Olivia went out, I sprayed water on my face with a sprayer.

I’m trying to pretend I’m sweating moderately.

Tears welled up in Calib’s red eyes at my appearance.

This, I thought you’re just playing along with the rhythm… Calib, you.

…Don’t you know?

I glanced at Cedric with that gaze.

He was also looking at my feet with a puzzled look, and when he felt my gaze, he looked at me.

Then he shook his head lightly.

‘Calib knows it, I know it too.’

It seemed to mean something like that.

Eh, he’s still this worried even though he knows everything?

I looked at Calib, hiding my surprise.

After all, is it because he’s a future villain that deceives the Empire and strikes the back of the head?

It seems that those qualities are already starting to show.

Calib shouted, staring fiercely at the servants who were bowing their heads.

“Call the doctor again right now! I need to know what kind of situation this is!”

“Yes, yes!” Olivia, fascinated by my performance, quickly ran out.

Cedric gently stroked Calib’s hair. It was as if he was comforting that child, saying, “It won’t be a big deal.”

Yet unlike the caring touch, he said in a cold voice.

“Please bring Lady Jeryl Babillon.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Edwin, who was looking at us with a serious face, bowed briefly and stepped forward.

Soon after, the doctor and Jeryl arrived.

The doctor had a face that showed he didn’t understand, and Jeryl’s face was already burning red.

‘It’s such a sudden summon, to think that it’s not an invitation, and is a summon!’

As if she was saying so.

I pretended to be as pitiful as possible, shivering my shoulders, acting like I was afraid of Jeryl.

Cedric gently wrapped his arms around my shoulder and said to Jeryl.

“The lady of the Marquis of Babillon. I heard that starting today, you’re teaching my fiancée  in etiquette class.”

“…Yes. I’m in charge as the Grand Young Lord’s orders.”

Jeryl answered, straightening her upper body. Her gaze fell for a moment on Cedric’s hand that wrapped around my shoulder.

“There is one thing I want to check about the class.”

“What is it?”

“Is it true that you made Ellia walk around in high heels?”

For a moment, Jeryl’s mouth opened briefly, and then she shut up.

She seemed to realize why she was suddenly called to the Grand Duke’s Castle. Her gaze naturally turned to me.

I shrugged and leaned towards Cedric. As if running away from Jeryl’s fearless gaze.

Calib noticed this and quickly stood up as if protecting me.

Jeryl distorted her expression as if she had chewed a bug, but that was only for a while.

“Yes, it’s true. Sir Cedric. But the curriculum was absolutely necessary.”

She replied with a calm expression, as if she had never been agitated.

“Actually, I know I was premature. But… In my opinion, Miss Ellia was very relaxed when she took my class, so I thought it would be okay if I went a little faster.”

That’s right in my bad judgment.

Jeryl raised her eyebrows as if she was reflecting on it and touched her chest.

Seeing her acting like she was about to apologize, I said with a voice that seemed to squeeze my neck.

“That’s right, Sir Cedric. Everything Teacher Jeryl said is correct. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.”

Cedric turned to me.

I said to him with the most pitiful expression on my face.

“I was relaxed. After all, she told me, ‘It’s not a pretty step.’”

Jeryl’s body stiffened as she shook her head, thinking that I was on her side.

“So Teacher Jeryl said she would show me, and she walked very gracefully and comfortably. So, without realizing it, I shed an ‘admirable-child-like laugh’.”

“That’s right, Brother. Teacher Jeryl’s gait posture was so beautiful that everyone who saw it enjoyed it.”

Calib supplemented my words as he has good sense.

“I also wanted to walk like Teacher Jeryl. So I was happy when Teacher Jeryl gave me ‘hard and high heels that don’t take a little way’.”

I naively lowered my eyes as if it were true.

Fluffy, long eyelashes fluttered.

“If I practice wearing these shoes, will I be able to walk as pretty as Teacher Jeryl? Will I be able to walk gracefully by throwing away my unpretty steps as a ‘low born’? With that in mind…”

I secretly inserted the word ‘low born’.

To make it feel as if Jeryl insulted me because I was a commoner.

Then I opened my eyes and glanced at Jeryl.

I left the impression that I couldn’t even make eye contact because I was afraid, and then looked up at Cedric quietly again.

“I couldn’t refuse the class of ‘walking for nearly three hours’ in ‘high heels that are thinner than my pinky finger and higher than my palm’.”

Suddenly, I heard Jeryl taking a deep breath.

“Ah, no. Sir Cedric, this is… ”

Jeryl tried to explain something urgently, but it was too late.

“Ha.”

Cedric looked back at her, bursting with his cool sneer.

I don’t know what Cedric’s expression would look like, but Jeryl, who had stiffened in a hurry, was utterly terrified.

“You must already know that Ellia never wore shoes, but I can’t believe she was taking a class like this…” Cedric shook his head in disbelief.

“I can’t think of it as the teaching method of an etiquette teacher who graduated from the academy with the highest grade.”

Jeryl pursed her lips.

But Cedric didn’t give her a break.

“Even so, I’m concerned that Calib’s academic level is too high.”

“Yes, yes?”

“I wonder if the class of the lady of the Marquis of Babillon is appropriate. I was also told by Calib that you sometimes use a rod.”

“Well, that is sometimes necessary in the educational process…!”

“Yes. Calib told me it was an ‘appropriate corporal punishment’, but well.”

Cedric snapped his finger, and Edwin quickly brought a crystal ball.

He skillfully shot the images stored in the water beads on the wall. Acting like a beam projector, it was an image sphere commonly found in romance-fantasies.

Then, Jeryl’s shrill voice was heard.

[You can’t be this stupid, by any means, to be a great Grand Young Lord!]

Slap, slap!

Jeryl smashed Calib’s calf as hard as she could.

[You can’t even solve a problem like this!]

[You’re not supposed to go anywhere and talk about this. You are a student who tries to insult his teacher, is there anything more pathetic than this?]

And the verbal abuse that followed.

Without realizing it, I quickly embraced Calib and covered his ears.

[It’s all for the Grand Young Lord. Do you think I’ll feel comfortable with this?]

[If you remain ignorant like this, you will only become an obstacle to Sir Cedric’s future. Do you want to be like that? So you want to be abandoned even by Cedric?]

What was contained in the video was none other than the abuse Jeryl inflicted on Calib!

Cedric blinked and Edwin paused the video.

Jeryl was shocked by just looking at the screen as she had no idea that she was being recorded.

Cedric spoke to Jeryl in a voice that suppressed his anger.

“Do you still think that corporal punishment is fair?”

“R-Recording classes carelessly… ”

“It has no legal effect, but it’s enough evidence to understand my brother’s situation.”

Cedric deliberately looked down at my legs once.

“Teaching a class that doesn’t suit the other party is like you don’t have the qualities of a teacher.”

I let out one painful groan just in time.

“You, who have committed such a vicious thing as necrosis of a student’s feet, are not worthy of being called a teacher.”

“N-Necrosis?”

Boom, Jeryl turned to Cedric with a shocked expression on his face.

“I will fire you from today.”

“Sir Cedric!”

“There will be no letters of recommendation, and the reason for the dismissal is… ‘excessive punishment’.”

“W-Wait a minute. I’m from the family of the Marquis of Babillon. You can’t be like this!” Jeryl said very boldly.

This made it easy to guess that the Marquis Babillon must have rode the Grand Duke Indigentia everywhere in this way.

And now that Jeryl’s remarks have given Cedric a chance to give her a blow of conversion.

“That’s right. The Marquis of Babillon is very reputable and the first vassal of the Grand Duke’s family.”

However, being so taken aback, she seemed to have no idea what she had done.

“So, shouldn’t you be a model for the local people?”

“…Yes?”

“For 30 days, I will post the outline and conclusion of this case in every room of the Grand Duchy of Indigentia and the main gate of the townhouse in the capital.”

Jeryl’s eyes widened in shock and her mouth widened. She stood stunned and let out a shriek.

“Trap, this is a trap!”