Failed to Train the Beast Male Lead

While resting briefly in the receiving room, Mrs. Wells came to inspect Noah’s appearance.

Only after he stood and twirled around like a doll did Mrs. Wells allow him to sit again.

“Hmm. A marked improvement.”

At her assessment, more muted than he expected, Noah pursed his lips.

“But I changed clothes all day…”

Slam!

“You must have worked so hard all day, have some sna– Huh?”

But Norman, who had brought snacks, goggled in surprise. Setting the cookie tray on the table, he fussily scooped up Noah with his large frame. Noah’s hand, reaching for a cookie, grasped at air.

“You really resemble the Duke when he was little!”

Noah, about to ask to be put down so he could eat the cookies, paused.

“I resemble him?”

“Yes.”

Noah shyly asked, his face flushing. While being compared was usually undesirable, Noah welcomed it, admiring the Duke as he did.

“Was the Duke this small like me when young too?”

“Yes. But he quickly shot up in height.”

Noah wanted to know more about the Duke than knowing nothing.

No one spoke of the Duke, especially those who directly saw him – they were extremely tight-lipped.

But he couldn’t trust the gossip from the annex either – none of it seemed accurate.

‘Carol also seems kind.’

So Noah wanted to learn a bit more.

But before he could ask further, Mrs. Wells stopped Norman.

“Norman, no unnecessary chatter.”

“But…”

“And don’t just pick up the child without permission either.”

At Mrs. Wells’ words, Norman obediently set Noah down.

While he didn’t mind Norman picking him up, being constantly held would likely become bothersome.

“I enjoyed hearing about the Duke.”

Noah whispered into Norman’s dejected ear.

“Sure, next time I’ll be sure to ask and hug you plenty.”

He didn’t know Norman well but sensed his affection.

“Yes.”

Noah nodded. Come to think of it, he hadn’t eaten properly from preparing all day.

Nibbling the crisply baked cookies, he hoped time would pass quickly.

The adults were very kind today but seemed somewhat stiff.

After blankly eating about three cookies, he noticed Mrs. Wells and Norman glancing this way with dark expressions while conversing at a distance.

‘Is everyone acting like this because I…wanted to meet him?’

Noah shrank from the heavy atmosphere around him.

Perhaps the answer was predetermined – that it was better not to meet for now?

Feigning nonchalance, Noah strained to catch their low conversation, able to follow the gist if not the details.

“I still don’t know if this is the right thing.”

Mrs. Wells sighed heavily, hand on her cheek.

“But the Duke has permitted it.”

“Even now, it may be better to say this is too reckless a challenge.”

“I don’t think so. This is a good opportunity.”

“Norman, I don’t want to unnecessarily reopen the Duke’s wounds when he has barely recovered.”

“You’re the one who brought Carol.”

“A child is unpredictable, which makes me even more uneasy!”

“If he cannot accept it, it won’t be too late to be careful afterwards.”

What if he made the wrong choice, resulting in being kicked out?

No one welcomed him. He may have been deceived by Carol’s kind lie.

“Hick.”

The gazes of the two conversing simultaneously turned to Noah. For a moment he thought his eyes were burning, then tears instantly welled up and streamed down his cheeks.

“Good heavens. Why is that?”

“Were the ginger cookies I made for Founding Day so bad that you cried?”

Mrs. Wells wiped Noah’s tears with a handkerchief while glancing at Norman.

“…Sniff. The cookies were really delicious.”

Even while crying, Noah said the cookies were really delicious to reassure Norman.

“Can I ask why you suddenly started crying?”

At Mrs. Wells’ question, Noah could only ask in response.

“Was there a predetermined correct answer to my response?”

“What do you mean a predetermined answer?”

“Everyone reacted strangely when I said I wanted to see the Duke.”

They must have thought he wouldn’t understand because he is young, but he keenly read the atmosphere. Mrs. Wells sat next to Noah.

“Oh my. It’s not like that.”

“Really?”

She had watched over the Duke since he was young, but he was such a mature child, unlike an adult, that Noah’s childlike crying was a bit disconcerting.

At the same time, she felt sorry for him. She thought he was doing well in the annex, but it seemed he had gone through a lot despite outward appearances.

She should have paid more attention. She thought age would allow her to handle anything wisely, but she had only become more stubborn without much change.

“Norman, Carol will be here soon, so could you wait in the servants’ lounge and bring her this way?”

“Certainly. It may take some time since I have to prepare food.”

Norman readily agreed to go first since he had a lot to do and left the reception room.

“It’s unpleasant to cry in front of many people.”

“…Yes.”

Mrs. Wells gently patted Noah’s back and explained.

“How should I explain this?”

Mrs. Wells carefully chose her words to make him understand the situation.

Until yesterday, she worried about whether to tell him about the curse before seeing the Duke since that would likely cause less trouble.

Since the child is clever, she thought of letting him live in the main house on the condition that he doesn’t show discomfort even if accepting it is difficult.

But Mrs. Wells soon shook her head.

‘The Duke is sure to notice.’

And she knew such behind-the-scenes efforts would only make things more miserable for the Duke.

So she didn’t tell Noah anything at all, afraid he would think negatively from hearing words like “curse” and “monster” first.

It was her selfish desire for him to see the Duke as he really is.

‘And here I am acting unsettled in front of the child.’

She felt ashamed, her face flushing.

“Is there perhaps a precious item that you cherish, but others don’t understand why it’s so valuable?”

Though it was an abrupt question, Noah pondered for a moment before nodding slightly.

It was Carol’s scarf. He hadn’t had it for long, but it was one of his most cherished possessions that he even wore to sleep.

However, because he fidgeted with it too often, the yarn became loose, and the servants tried to throw it away several times.

Nod.

“I have a scarf. It’s a bit worn though.”

No one ever worried if he might be cold. In the annex, he was just told to stay inside if he was cold, rather than someone caring about him.

Noah himself thought the scarf was unnecessary, but the moment he received it, the scarf took on special meaning.

“I see. Then let’s think about that scarf.”

“Yes.”

“What if someone said they wanted to see that scarf? How would you feel?”

At the annex, the servants said to quickly throw out the loosened scarf and get a better one.

[Whoever gave it probably didn’t do so out of pure kindness, but as a bribe.]

[A bribe?]

[Yes, expecting a big reward for a small gift.]

No one asked how happy he was to receive this gift or how much he’s been using it.

“…I’d worry they’d throw away the scarf.”

“Right. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was someone who understood how precious that scarf is to you, and told you it’s pretty?”

Noah nodded as if he understood.

“But there are more people likely to throw it away than appreciate it, so I don’t want to show it.”

“Though it’s not an object but a person, I have a similar worry, you know.”

Noah wanted to protest – that he wasn’t such a bad person.

But he only moved his lips silently, unable to say anything in the end.

There were certainly servants who would call his scarf pretty, but he didn’t want to risk showing it to them.

‘I have a scarf, but Mrs. Wells is talking about the Duke, not a scarf.’

Noah was a clever child. He quickly understood what Mrs. Wells was trying to convey through this conversation.

So he could refrain from saying he was different, even momentarily.

“Do you also cherish the Duke greatly, Mrs. Wells?”

It was a question she had never heard before, so Mrs. Wells carefully chose her words. A servant could never say they cherished the noble Duke anywhere else.

But she wanted to respond sincerely since this young child was being sincere.

“Yes.”

After Mrs. Wells’ answer, Noah fell silent as if deep in thought. But soon the young child tried to reassure the elderly woman with a resolute voice.

“I’ll do my best.”

“Hmm?”

“The scarf is precious, but nowhere near as precious as your person, right?”

Seeing Noah’s solemn face and clenched fist, as if he had made a great resolution, the elderly woman relaxed her highly raised eyebrows in tension and smiled.

“Yes. I’d appreciate if you do.”