CH 22

Vincent’s eyes widened at Livia’s words. 

Then he shouted in a loud voice, “No!”

“Really? Then what is it? Ah, I get it.”

This time, Vincent’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

Livia snapped her fingers and pointed to the duvet. 

“Did you change the color of the duvet?” 

“Oooh!” Vincent pouted his lips in unspoken protest at his tutor’s deliberate misstatement.

She let out a small giggle at how cute it was. 

‘I think that’s enough to break the ice.’

Feeling like a really mean adult if the teasing went any further, Livia gave Vincent the answer he wanted. 

“Your room is cleaner and tidier than usual, and it’s so shiny it’s almost dazzling,” she said with a satisfied smile. 

Then Vincent’s shoulders lifted. 

Stealing a sidelong glance at him, she rubbed her jaw pensively. 

“Who could have cleaned it so well? Perhaps a maid……..” 

As she finished her comment, she suddenly felt a tug on her sleeve and looked down in surprise. 

Vincent said shyly with a slightly flushed face.

“It was me.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted it to look good for the tutor…..so I tried my best.” 

Vincent’s gaze darted downward, obviously embarrassed. 

Livia stared at him and thought to herself, ‘Vincent, you……. 

You’re so cute……..’ 

She was momentarily stunned by the overwhelming cuteness, but it was so adorable that Vincent was honestly trying to look good that she couldn’t let him down! 

“I’m glad you did,” Livia said with a softer smile. 

“Really…..?” 

“Of course. You made an effort because you wanted to get along with me.”

“Yes, that’s right!” Vincent exclaimed with a bright, blushed face.

A rush of relief washed over her, knowing that he had definitely opened up. She picked up Vincent, who was still clinging to her sleeve, and moved to his desk.

The desk was neatly organized. 

“Now, today is the young master’s first lesson, so we’re going to keep it simple and see where you’re at. So let’s start with these problems–” 

It was then.

“Tutor?” 

“Yes?”

Livia looked up at Vincent’s call and was inwardly surprised. Vincent was looking at her, more serious than ever.

‘What is it?’

Vincent slowly opened his mouth to speak.

“Tutor……”

“………?”

“What do you think of me?” 

Huh?

Wait, what was he talking about?

Livia was stunned speechless for a moment. All she could do was stare, dumbfounded, at the words that were difficult for anyone to immediately understand. 

Then she saw the sadness gradually spread across Vincent’s face at the silence that stretched between them. 

No, no. 

“What do you mean exactly? How do I feel about you? Of course I feel good about you.”

“Then why……” 

“Why……?” 

“Why do you keep calling me young master?” 

“Huh?” 

Livia blinked at the unexpected words.

‘Did I?’

Livia ruminated on her past memories. 

Surely…… 

‘I remember being friendly and then being formal when I came to my senses.’

Mostly when there were other people in the room, or when there was a vacancy.

Did Vincent get confused by her changing demeanor? 

Livia nodded, having sorted out the issue. Vincent was still young so it was understandable that he didn’t like her confusingly switching back and forth.

It was her fault. She would have to make it clear from now on. 

She bowed her head towards Vincent. 

“I apologize for the confusion, young master.” 

Then she looked up and–

‘Huh?’

“Heuk……”

“……?!” 

Vincent’s eyes were filled with tears. 

‘Oh, no.’

Suddenly, Livia realized what was happening. 

She looked at Vincent, who looked like he was going to burst into tears at any moment, with confusion in his eyes, and spoke urgently. 

“I know…….” 

“I don’t like it,” Vincent mumbled something incomprehensible and grabbed her again by the sleeve of her shirt. 

“Huh?” said Livia.

He looked up at her with watery eyes and struggled to say each word. 

“I don’t like it when the tutor calls me that.” 

“Uh…….” 

Only then did she realize why Vincent was so desperate. 

‘Are you really upset because I called you young Master?’

Not only that, but Livia inferred that her formal attitude may have hurt his feelings.

She didn’t realize Vincent liked her that much.

She was so focused on not causing him any confusion with her breach of etiquette that she failed to consider his feelings.

‘Vincent likes me more than I thought.’

She looked at him as he clutched at her shirtsleeve, fighting back his tears. 

‘When you look at him like this, you see that he is just an ordinary child.’

She still couldn’t believe that this was the boy who would later become the man who would kill his own father. 

However……

That was still in the future.

And now that she was here, maybe Vincent’s future would change.

‘Whoa.’

Thinking about it like that, this relationship suddenly felt heavier than Livia thought it would. But…..

She didn’t start this relationship lightly either.

She was the one who had to be most sincere in this relationship. Because for her, this was a life-and-death matter in many ways. 

‘And…..’

At first, Vincent was just a means to approach Cardien, but now he had a special place in her heart.

She wanted Vincent to break free from the darkness of his past and grow up to become a proper man. 

In other words– 

“I’m sorry I hurt you.” 

At her words, Vincent slowly raised his head.

‘Let’s really commit to it.’

“Vincent.” 

Vincent’s eyes widened at the words he desperately wanted to hear. Then he smiled and nodded. 

“It’s okay.”

That made Livia smile, too.

But there was something she needed to clarify. 

She locked eyes with Vincent and gave him a serious look.

“But Vincent, let’s only call each other like that when it’s just the two of us.”

Vincent blinked at her words. 

“Why?” 

“Well, because it might not look very respectful to other people.”

After all, she and Vincent were tutor and student.

The fact that they were two people who were very open with each other might not look good to someone else.

For example, 

‘Winston.’

If he were to see this, he might question Livia’s qualifications as a tutor.

‘I don’t really want to create a situation in which I have to explain myself for this breach of etiquette.’

Livia wondered for a moment if Vincent understood her situation, and then he nodded. 

“Okay.”

“Good……”

“But I have a condition!” 

Livia thought she was hearing the word “condition” a lot today. 

She broke out in a cold sweat, not expecting such a word to come out of Vincent’s mouth, and asked with a curious smile.

“What’s that?” 

“Tutor Via!” 

“Eh?” 

“When we’re alone, I’m going to call you Tutor Via.”

Livia widened her eyes.

Vincent may not have realized it, but “Via” was her nickname. 

But no one had called her that since childhood. 

She was stunned for a moment, hearing a nickname she hadn’t heard in so long, but then she snapped back to reality and asked, “Is there a reason you want to call me that?” 

Vincent blushed shyly and answered, “Because you’re special.” 

“……..”

“I don’t want to call my tutor the same as everyone else.”

Vincent’s eyes were filled with pure affection as he looked up at me. 

Feeling unnecessarily stuffy, she was silent for a moment, but soon smiled faintly and nodded.

“Okay.”

“Really?” 

Vincent asked, his expression visibly brightening, as if he was feeling nervous.

She nodded again.

“Yeah, but only when it’s just the two of us.”

“Yeah!” Vincent exclaimed loudly, swinging his legs and humming. 

She wondered if he liked it that much. 

“Tutor Via.” 

“Mmm?”

“Hehe, Tutor Via.”

“Yes, Vincent.”

After that, Vincent would call me by her nickname, and she answered him every time.

*** 

‘You’re better than I thought,’ Livia thought as she was grading Vincent’s paper. 

As far as she knew, the number of times he’d been taking classes properly could be counted on one hand.

Nevertheless, Vincent was able to solve questions beyond his peers’ level with ease. 

He was still a bit lacking in application, but what she had seen so far was all good.

Livia smiled with satisfaction. 

Then she turned to Vincent, who was nervously awaiting the results.

“Well, I’m surprised. You did better than I thought you would.”

“Me, really?”

Vincent asked, looking surprised.

She nodded. 

“Hehe……”

Vincent smiled broadly, obviously pleased.

Livia looked at him with pride.

Knock, knock.

The door opened with a knock and a maid carrying a tray entered. 

“I’ve brought you tea and cookies.” 

The smell of fragrant tea and sweet cookies softened the studious atmosphere of the class.

Livia couldn’t take her eyes off the cookies set down in front of her.

And neither could he.

‘……I’m hungry.’

Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten properly since last night. 

And with all the running around this morning, her stomach had every right to protest.

‘But I don’t want to interrupt the flow of the lesson.’

Vincent’s concentration was currently at its best.

As Livia contemplated her options, she was suddenly greeted with an array of delicious cookies. 

She narrowed her eyes in surprise and looked at Vincent, who held the cookie out to her. 

” Tutor Via, ah~”