CH 16

Eleanor’s brain was momentarily overloaded. Her heart sank with a crash.

It’s harmful. It’s a face that is harmful to her cardiovascular health. If she hadn’t gotten used to it over 20 years, she probably would have grabbed her heart and awkwardly blushed.

Eleanor, who managed to control her startled heart, cleared her throat.

“I’ll get it to the kids.”

Adrian, who casually took out a tray from the cupboard, placed a cup of moderately cooled cocoa on it. He didn’t look like a guest to anyone, but it was a very natural sight.

Eleanor followed Adrian to the drawing room. Then, at the doorway, Adrian’s steps stopped abruptly.

“Your Grace Duke Valentine.”

Meanwhile, Kaidel had arrived.

“Young Marquis Blake.”

“Ah, did you come to pick up Demian yourself?”

At Adrian’s words, Kaidel slightly nodded his head in affirmation.

“The Duke dropped Demian ‘in person’ ‘just before’.”

Sienna, who had been watching the two of them quietly, interrupted and added a word.

‘Uncle, so what should Uncle do from now on?’

Lucas and Demian’s eyes sharpened at the remark that the message contained was very clear. It was the same with Adrian.

“You may not be close, but your feeling for your brother is special. Seeing you walk so close to each other even in the midst of being busy, it’s easy to guess how strong your relationship is.”

In summary, it meant, I know all your bullshit.

To Sienna’s stance, Adrian reacted immediately. Unlike his polite and soft tone, his smile was cool.

‘Who dares to keep an eye on who? I’m going to wield the sword as I normally do, get married, and live.’

Kaidel answered while staring at Adrian calmly.

“Since he’s my only blood relative, it’s inevitable for me to be affectionate with him.”

“I will follow Your Grace’s example and pay more attention to my one and only niece.”

A satisfied smile appeared on Sienna’s face as she got the answer she wanted.

“Young Marquis must have a lot to learn and take care of in order to inherit the family, yet you seem to be quite relaxed.”

To put it a little more bluntly, he said, how dare you, a guy who’s too busy studying, hang around here.

Adrian holding the tray and Eleanor standing next to him looked like newlyweds. Kaidel looked alternately at the two standing next to each other.

When Adrian naturally blocked Eleanor’s gaze, Kaidel’s aura instantly became ferocious.

‘It’s annoying.’

To Kaidel, this was the sight of a sly wolf salivating over a nice, innocent, cute sheep. It could be said to be even worse as he was wearing the mask of a good friend.

He’s unpleasant in everything. A guy like that deserved to be stuck in the fence of a marquis for the rest of his life. A smooth, sly, gutless smile, and even a flamboyant tongue that made fun of everything as if oil had been poured on it.

Come to think of it, not too long ago, the two of them had dinner together. He’s also very showy.

When he thought about that, Kaidel even felt bad for the fact that Adrian had a mouth that could eat.

However, there was no justification to get rid of that intrusive bastard right away. Kaidel, who calmed down his breath, turned to look at Eleanor and changed the subject.

“I heard they took some tests today.”

“Ah, that’s right. Even so, I had something to tell you, but I almost forgot.”

Eleanor said, tidying up the wads of paper on her desk.

“Rian, can you watch the kids for a minute? If the carriage arrives to pick up Lucas, tell me.”

“…If you wish so.”

Adrian, who quickly erased his bitter look, nodded calmly. Inside, he constantly imagined where the damn Imperial carriage would be running by now.

***

Kaidel and Eleanor sat side by side on a small sofa in the living room. Unlike Eleanor, who was preoccupied with flipping through the papers in her hand, Kaidel tensed up at a closer distance than expected.

Every time Eleanor swept her hair, as was her habit, the sweet, soft scent wafting filled Kaidel’s nose.

The hem of her wide-brimmed dress draped slightly over Kaidel’s legs. Even at the weakest stimulus, Kaidel flinched and stiffened.

He knows it’s funny, but to Kaidel, who isn’t immune to contact with the opposite sex, her first glance at this distance of her arm strikes her as terribly disrespectful.

“I had a brief diagnostic evaluation today. I need to know what level the children are at so that I can create a future curriculum. And this is Demian’s report card.”

Eleanor handed the Duke a piece of paper with Demian’s grades written on it.

“From here, in order, the sections are Imperial language, mathematics, foreign language, and history.”

Eleanor, leaning slightly towards him, ran her finger through the numbers, adding an explanation.

“It’s great, isn’t it? There were basic problems, but there were also a lot of fairly difficult problems. If he takes the test right now, it’s enough for him to pass. He’s a very smart kid.”

Kaidel nodded her head. It was something he already knew. The tutor who had previously taught Demian had also praised him for his excellent learning ability.

“…I think he’s a bit weak in foreign language.”

Kaidel stiffly pointed out with an awkward face. It was his first time as a student’s guardian, that’s why he had no idea what to say. Eleanor smiled and shook her head.

“It looks like it because the other grades are so high, but it’s not enough to worry about. Rather, look at the mathematics section.”

‘100 points’.

Eleanor pointed at the number 100, her eyes twinkling and staring at Kaidel. Looking as if there was nothing to say. Kaidel, who furrowed his eyebrows, opened his mouth slowly.

“100 points.”

“Yes, 100 points.”

Eleanor’s gaze was still on Kaidel. It seems like that wasn’t the answer she was looking for. Kaidel stared back at Eleanor’s face, feeling his brain was sweating.

Eleanor realized that at this rate, she wouldn’t have the answer she wanted until the sun went down.

“Isn’t this amazing? Don’t you feel wonderful or proud?”

“Very, impressive…?”

Kaidel sneaked a glance at Eleanor.

Still not satisfied, Eleanor nodded slowly. Her expression showed that it seemed unreasonable for a stranger to ask for too much at once.

“That’s right. Please praise Demian a lot. It’s more helpful to motivate him by praising what he does well rather than pointing out what he lacks.”

“I’ll try.”

Realizing what Eleanor meant, Kaidel nodded heavily.

Compliment… It wasn’t something he was used to, yet it wasn’t something he couldn’t do.

“Doesn’t the Duke care for Demian a lot?”

Eleanor, who was staring at Kaidel, suddenly asked a question. He didn’t answer right away, but Eleanor smiled as if she already knew.

“You care so much that you ask me over and over again. You also come and pick him up like this.”

“That…”

Kaidel, who was trying to deny it, shut his mouth tightly.

He honestly had no other thoughts. He was glad to see a familiar name in the newspaper, and when he heard that nobles eager to educate their children were scrambling to send her letters, he thought it was an opportunity. The reason he dared to accompany him on long distances was because he was curious about her.

However, he was sincere in thinking that Eleanor would make a good teacher for Demian.

Eleanor, who gave Kaidel a moment to think, continued her soft voice.

“Sometimes, if you don’t express it, nothing gets conveyed. If it’s not delivered, nothing will change.”

Kaidel involuntarily nodded his head at the soft voice, as if she was addressing her student.

“If you reverse that remark a little bit, you can think of it like this. A sincere, properly expressed and conveyed truth, can change a lot.”

Kaidel, caught in a strange emotion, slowly clenched his fists.

The words she uttered in her calm voice caused a small stir inside him. It’s not that special, yet for some reason he was seized by the feeling of being hit in the head.

“If you have any further questions, you can always ask for a face-to-face talk. I know very well that being a student’s guardian isn’t an ordinary thing.”

“A face-to-face talk.”

Kaidel’s eyes widened. His vision, which had been blurry and stuffy the whole time, felt clear. As if he was carefully crafting a strategy before going to war, countless cases passed quickly through Kaidel’s mind.

“I don’t know the answer either, but let us think about it together.”

Kaidel, who was alone in deep thought, came to his senses at the word ‘us’ that came out of Eleanor’s mouth. After ‘us’, the word ‘together’ also appeared.

Us together.

The more he thinks about it, the more he likes it. The arrangement of letters, her pronunciation, nothing else is more perfect. Kaidel’s lips relaxed slowly.

Knock, knock.

Then a light tapping on the wall was heard. Eleanor and Kaidel turned their heads.

“The Imperial carriage has arrived.”

Adrian glanced at the two as he announced the carriage’s arrival. He saw Kaidel, who seemed half-fazed, preoccupied with something. Adrian made a sullen expression.

Eleanor prepared Lucas, put him in the carriage, reminded him of the note, and sent him off.

When Demian and Sienna were all gone, Eleanor collapsed on the bed like a soldier who had just fought a battle. She must have been nervous, the muscles of her whole body were tight.

“I only did it once, but is it this hard?”

The energy of eight-year-olds… It’s good to be young, how nice.

Eleanor sighed heavily and touched her throbbing forehead. But now it was unavoidable. You have to finish what you started, and you have to take responsibility for what you have done.

“I’m crazy, very crazy.”

She forgot about it for a while, but making money wasn’t easy. Few would know as well as her that opening someone else’s wallet isn’t so easy. Eleanor gave up and let out a dejected laugh.

Whether in this world or the other one, living life was, after all, tiring.

***

“…I have something to discuss, so I would like to meet you for a while. Please let me know when and where it is convenient for you. I hope you have a day as enjoyable as the good weather.”

Sincerely, Eleanor Everett.

After reading her short letter over and over again, Izmel quietly raised the corner of his lips. Even the round letters resembled her.

“If the Lady asks for a meeting, I will gladly go out.”

Flutter. Izmel opened a stiff new piece of paper and picked up his quill.

[Dear Miss Eleanor Everett.]

A crackling sound echoed lightly across the desk. In the place where the quill tip passed, the elegant handwriting was left to admire. Izmel put his sincerity into each letter more carefully than usual.

[This is written on a beautiful afternoon. Are you fully enjoying the perfect weather? The letter you sent was delivered promptly and safely.]

The face of Lucas, who jumped open the door of his office with a flushed face and proudly handed out a letter, came to his mind. Izmel smiled and finished writing the letter.

[I gladly accept your request. I am also fully willing to meet the schedule at your convenient time and place, but I thought that it would put more pressure on you.

Friday at 2 p.m., Cafe Amikidia.

If it’s not possible to meet at the time and place above, I ask that you send a reply through Lucas.

I hope you have a peaceful and friendly day until we meet. May the blessings of the Goddess stay with you.

With pleasure,

Yours truly.]