CH 28

Eleanor smiled as she put the letters from Izmel in a drawer. Before she knew it, there were quite a few letters piled up in the drawer.

A pen pal that happened to be the Crown Prince? It’s a burdensome opponent, but the conversation was comfortable and enjoyable. When she woke up in the morning and saw his letter lying on her desk, she felt good.

“He’s a weirdo, really.”

Although she liked that aspect quite a bit.

After a light face wash, Eleanor left the room humming. These days, every day is filled with only pleasant things. She was so busy that she couldn’t open her eyes, but even the stiff shoulders and strained eyes were extremely satisfying.

“Did you sleep well?”

When she went down to the first floor, Adrian, who was looking through the documents, greeted her. It was a familiar sight by now. Adrian sipped a strong brew, looking more like the homeowner than the homeowner herself, Eleanor.

“Why are you here so early?”

Rubbing her slightly swollen eyes, Eleanor asked out of habit. Now, this question seemed to have become a routine.

“That…”

Thus, she was able to fully guess the answer that would come back without having to listen to it anymore. Embarrassed by her imagination, Eleanor quickly shook her head and covered Adrian’s mouth with the palm of her hand.

“Stop! I can understand without you saying more.”

Adrian’s eyes curved like crescent moons. He took a step back from Eleanor and asked in a playful voice.

“Really? What was I going to say?”

“You want to see me even a minute earlier…?”

Eleanor, who managed to answer in a creeping voice, shuddered with embarrassment. Adrian smiled at her. He answered skillfully.

“I came early because I have a lot of work today. Turns out you thought so.”

Hot. Eleanor’s face slowly turned red.

“Hey!”

In the end, Eleanor, who couldn’t stand the embarrassment, shouted loudly, and Adrian burst into laughter.

When they were young, he couldn’t possibly know what was inside her, but now it was strange to see what Eleanor was thinking and feeling. She still sometimes acted like an eighty-year-old elder woman, but now it dawned on her that he was at eye level with Eleanor.

‘There was a time when my wish was to defeat you just once.’

Adrian’s lips curled as he looked down at Eleanor, who was huffing up, as if she was resentful of being teased. It was cute and made him laugh without knowing it, but in Eleanor’s eyes, he just looked nasty.

“Wow, your face is really red now. It will explode.”

“Y-You… You’re fired!”

Eleanor snapped. Adrian didn’t panic in the slightest and responded shamelessly.

“This is an unfair dismissal, Boss.”

“Your existence is more unfair.”

“What the hell does it mean for an existence to be unfair?”

“Literally.”

Adrian, who had an absurd expression on his face for a moment, picked up the papers he was looking at and waved it.

“If you see this, you won’t want to fire me.”

Eleanor gave him a small snort.

“It can’t be.”

“Are you sure?”

Adrian tilted his head. Eleanor’s thin ears began to flutter busily. Eleanor asked, pretending to be calm, trying as little as possible to show off her tempted side.

“So what is it?”

It’s not a big deal, but let’s see.

“Sales and paid subscription conversion rates during the early bird sale.”

That’s a big deal.

Eleanor, her eyes widening, yanked the papers out of Adrian’s hands. He grinned.

“You still want to fire me, Boss?”

Eleanor opened her eyes and meticulously ran through the neatly arranged numbers on her paper. Her heart skipped a beat as the long line of numbers, large and small, continued.

Eleanor, who had been staring at the paper that was only the size of her two palms, murmured softly.

“…I will forgive you once.”

In fact, I think I can forgive you a hundred times, no, even a thousand times.

The response to the textbook was more enthusiastic than expected. Eleanor looked at Adrian with a puzzled face and blinked her eyes.

Of course, there were those who expressed skepticism and distrust of the completely different approach. But overall, it was well-received. A review was published in a women’s magazine saying that the curriculum systematically tailored to the level of children was innovative. Needless to say, the fact that the names of the Imperial Family, Valentine, and Blake were attached to them shook the hearts of the picky parents.

“It’s better than expected.”

“Yeah, the trend is good too.”

“I was really worried that I would go bankrupt, but I let go only for an hour…”

A gentle, spring breeze blew in the bubbling atmosphere a while ago. Is that all? Adrian, who was so mean that she wanted to pinch him, looked so lovable. To the extent that she wanted to give him a kiss like when they were young.

The corners of Eleanor’s lips rose slowly, not knowing that they were high in the sky. The relaxed Eleanor sat down on the couch. Adrian asked, looking at Eleanor who was smiling brightly, unable to take her eyes off her paper.

“So where are you going to spend all that money? You don’t seem to have time to spend money these days.”

“That…”

Eleanor, who inadvertently tried to answer honestly, shrugged her shoulders.

It’s like preparing for the rest of her life lying on a warm island sipping a cocktail of pretty colors, watching handsome men running on the beach, and falling asleep to the sound of waves. The life she always longed for: no work, no duties, much less responsibility.

Even though they are close friends, it was a little embarrassing to even talk about such things. Eleanor slipped away from Adrian’s gaze, blurring her words.

“It’s kind of a retirement fund.”

“Retirement fund?”

Adrian laughed as if he had heard something really strange.

“Don’t laugh. Securing a retirement fund is a serious matter. Do you know how much freedom it gives a person to have their own money to spend as they please?”

Eleanor poked Adrian’s side with her elbow and fired a sharp shot.

“In any case, because I’m grateful. Tell me. How much incentive do you want?”

Eleanor was willing to accept whatever Adrian asked for. She didn’t know anything else, but the money given to him wasn’t a bit wasted.

Adrian’s help was great for the business to run smoothly. He stepped up as if it was his own job and helped Eleanor focus on developing textbooks. Eleanor was determined to reward him properly somehow.

“For get the incentive, let’s have dinner with me. Only the two of us.”

However, Adrian’s answer that came back was trivial. Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows and opened her eyes.

“I really meant to give you a lot, you’ll regret it later, you know?”

“I have no regrets. That’s what I want most.”

Adrian turned his eyes and smiled.

“There is no one who sticks with me as long as you. In business, and now in piano lessons…”

Eleanor, counting the time spent with Adrian, opened her eyes wide. She saw him five days out of the week. These days, she seemed to see his face much more often than her brother, Dwight.

“You still want to play with me? Aren’t you bored?”

“Mm.”

Adrian, who was staring at Eleanor with his arms crossed, added quietly.

“I don’t think I will ever get bored.”

***

Eleanor touched her ponytail again and headed for the front door. Today was the first day Kaidel decided to take charge of the children’s physical education.

“Eleanor.”

“Are you here early? Hello, Demi.”

Demian greeted her with a bashful smile and quickly ran inside. Now he seemed like he was comfortable as if it was his own home. As Demian briskly walked away, Eleanor and Kaidel were left alone on the porch in an instant.

“Now he feels really comfortable here. He can answer quickly…”

“Thanks to you.”

“Is he still not good at talking at home?”

“Not yet. He will gradually get better.”

Kaidel, who was staring at Demian’s direction, slowly tilted his head. Eleanor, who was watching the scene, involuntarily opened her mouth a little.

‘Anyway, he’s very handsome today.’

Kaidel, dressed in training clothes, gave off a different atmosphere from the neatly dressed uniform. Eleanor swallowed her saliva in the presence of muscles that could be felt through the thin fabric and shoulders that were wide enough to pull his baggy shirt tight.

At that moment, Kaidel turned his head towards her. Eleanor, who felt guilty, lowered her lashes as if she had been caught doing something bad.

‘Was the sound of swallowing too loud? Did he hear that?’

Eleanor wiggled her fingers, feeling Kaidel’s gaze on her.

“Do you enjoy horseback riding?”

Kaidel asked. Only then did Eleanor realize that he was wearing riding clothes. She responded, shaking her hand quickly.

“No. I tried to learn it before, but it didn’t work out. Whether it’s because Dwight doesn’t have a talent for teaching or I’m a terrible student, I don’t seem to be improving at all…”

“I can teach you if you want.”

As soon as Eleanor finished speaking, Kaidel suddenly proposed. A subtle tension appeared on his face as he looked down at Eleanor. Clearly he was doing her favor, yet he seemed to put her on hold, fearing that she might refuse. His eyes were like a puppy waiting for her to go for a walk.

“I-I’d love to.”

Eleanor nodded absently, and Kaidel’s face brightened noticeably. He quickly lowered his head, and the corner of his mouth drew a very fine arc.

Kaidel couldn’t take his eyes off her, probably because Eleanor’s unusual outfit was strange. Eleanor, a little embarrassed, opened her mouth as if making an excuse for gibberish.

“Anyway, since it’s a physical education class, I thought I need to have a variety… Is it strange that I wore the most comfortable clothes?”

“Not at all.”

Kaidel shook his head.

“It matches you well. Very much.”

Eleanor’s face heated up at his answer without the slightest hesitation. His subtle directness of expression often puzzled her.

“I’d like to look around before the kids arrive.”

Fortunately, Kaidel turned his head in a timely manner. Eleanor strode past him to hide her flushed right cheek.

“Is it over there?”

Kaidel asked, pointing to the open lawn.

“Yes, there is no separate training ground… But wouldn’t an empty space like that be enough for children?”

Looking around, he gave a small nod of his head. Kaidel, who had been bending over for a moment to examine the condition of the grass, suddenly raised his gaze. When their eyes met, Kaidel’s blue eyes narrowed.

“There is a training ground at the Duke’s residence.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened at the sudden remark.

‘Yes, of course. There’s an order of knights.’

Eleanor gave a vague nod, and Kaidel quickly added.

“The soil is good and the training facilities are well equipped.”

“Whoa…?”

What answer do you want? Eleanor lingered on the end, and she replied in a timid voice. Even at that moment, her mind was busy.

– Which of the following is closest to the inner meaning of Kaidel’s words? (3 points)

“There is also a place where you can sit comfortably. And also a large awning.”

Eleanor’s mind, which had slipped to number two, stopped for a moment. At the same time, another option popped into her mind.