The Duke had spent years focusing solely on work to gain power from the Council of Elders, avoiding any romantic relationships.
“What if the person you like is seeing someone else?”
“If that’s the case, I’d have to make an effort…”
The Duke narrowed his eyes. Elisha’s eyes widened at his momentarily cold expression.
But it was just for an instant. The Duke’s face relaxed as if nothing had happened.
He knew what she, despite her timidity, had done for him. It might not have been everything, but it was enough.
Her love, strong enough to make her timid self courageous, wasn’t something that would disappear in just two years.
“There must have been many people pursuing her.”
After all, wasn’t she the woman who had stolen even the Duke’s heart? At Elisha’s words, he shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.
His nonchalance made her wonder if he really did look as intimidating as he claimed.
“There’s quite an excellent guard dog by her side.”
“What do you mean…?”
Elisha tilted her head at his puzzling words. The Duke, as if thinking she didn’t need to know, offered no further explanation and instead said something equally cryptic.
“Though it seems he still doesn’t acknowledge that he’s a dog.”
The Duke smiled lightly and then moved away from her as if his business was done.
She wanted to ask more, but he was already surrounded by people.
****
“That’s all for today.”
Carol closed the book and stood up.
“Already?”
The children buried their faces in their desks, looking disappointed.
“Yes, it’s time to go.”
It was almost time for her siblings to finish work too. Carol stretched. It was nearly evening. Despite that, the lingering summer heat made sweat trickle down.
“But we won’t see you tomorrow since it’s a day off, teacher.”
As the children clung to her skirt, reluctant to leave, there was a knock at the door.
Another teacher went to open it first.
Click.
“Good evening.”
“Good evening, teacher! We’re here to pick up the children.”
The parents seemed to have become friends while attending the tutoring center, as they arrived together. After collecting their children, the parents lingered, chatting while holding their kids’ hands.
“Did you hear? Riel’s mom, who didn’t come this time. She went on a trip to Cardiff.”
Riel’s mom was a parent who worked as a maid in a marquis household.
“Ah. I heard she was going on a trip, so it must have been to the North.”
Until last year, talk of the North would have made her freeze, but now she could handle it calmly.
“I ran into her on her way back, and she was bragging so much.”
“Yeah, yeah. And she said she heard some credible rumor in the North?”
“You’ve got to give it to Riel’s mom for her loose lips!”
“She was boasting about how she found out some rumor about the Duke.”
Usually, Carol didn’t participate much in gossip, but this time she couldn’t help but join in.
Even though more people were traveling to the North now, it was still rare to hear anything about the Duke.
“Can you tell me what the rumor is?”
At Carol’s eager voice, the woman who brought up the topic began to recount what she had heard with a triumphant expression.
“Well, you know that Duke who was so active? They say he’s coming up to the capital this time.”
“The one who was rumored to be dead! Why, why is he coming?”
“I guess he has some business to attend to!”
It was just another baseless rumor after all. Carol felt deflated after getting her hopes up for nothing.
The others seemed to feel the same way, patting the woman’s back and laughing it off.
“No, I really heard it! They said his health improved, so he’s coming up!”
“Sure, sure.”
What followed happened in an instant.
“Goodbye, teacher!”
“Alright, children. See you on Monday.”
Like an ebbing tide, the parents quickly disappeared with their children.
Only when one child was left could Carol finally take a breather, sipping her cold tea.
“Phew…”
After kissing the Duke and running away, the Langer family moved to Sertborough, a city next to the capital.
Not long after moving, Carol became able to transform into human form at will.
She felt resentful, wondering why only now, but it was already too late.
Carol rented a commercial space near their new home and opened a small tutoring center, while her siblings took the Imperial Knights entrance exam to be recognized as official knights.
With a graduation certificate from the Northern Academy, they could easily find work in most noble houses, but her siblings decided to aim higher.
The reason was that if they could endure just one year in the Imperial Knights, their future earnings would be on a different level.
Fortunately, things went well for both her siblings and Carol. Her siblings were accepted into the Royal Knights, and Carol’s student numbers grew enough that she could afford to hire another teacher.
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“I’m sleepy.”
“Let’s hang on a little longer. They’ll be here soon.”
Carol got up and opened the window, letting in the evening breeze.
“You can go ahead if you’d like, teacher.”
Carol said to Bianca, the other teacher who was cleaning up.
“Alright. Have a good weekend, Carol.”
Bianca quickly finished tidying up as if she had been waiting for this.
“You too, Bianca.”
After saying goodbye to Bianca, Carol returned to her seat. Benjamin rested his face on her lap. Carol stroked the round back of his head.
Suddenly, she thought of her old friend.
‘Benjamin is nine now, and Noah must be twelve after his birthday, so they must be quite different…’
In Carol’s imagination, Noah was still nine years old.
Knock knock.
At the sound, Carol stood up.
Carol, who used to live in the North, easily got tired under the heat. Today had been hot, and Carol was already exhausted.
She wanted to wash up and get to bed as soon as possible.
“Looks like your father has finally arrived.”
The children were cute, and the work was rewarding, but going home was always a pleasure.
And while the children were adorable, dealing with parents was tiring.
‘Especially Benjamin’s father…’
He was among the most troublesome.
Just thinking about it gave her a headache. Should she have asked Bianca to stay a little longer?
Though tired, she forced a smile, thinking the weekend would start once she sent Benjamin off. She opened the door.
Click.
“Good evening, sir!”
As soon as Carol opened the door with a cheerful voice, the man stepped inside.
“Good evening.”
“Oh.”
As Carol instinctively stepped back, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward.
“Miss Langer, you leap out joyfully but step back when I come close.”
“No, that’s not…”
The joy was from the thought of going home, and she stepped back because he suddenly pushed in. She tried to explain, but the man continued as if he knew her thoughts.
“You’re still so shy today.”
“…Pardon?”
Even though she showed her discomfort plainly, Benjamin’s father ignored it and murmured while gazing at Carol intently.
“But I like that about you.”
He muttered as if to himself, but loud enough for Carol to hear clearly.
To pretend she hadn’t heard, Carol lowered her head and said goodbye to Benjamin.
“Benjamin, let’s see each other on Monday.”
“Yes, teacher!”
Normally, he would have left at this point, but Benjamin’s father seemed determined to stay. Even after taking his child’s hand, he didn’t leave.
The man looked around, confirming no other children were present, then grinned.
“Looks like I’m the last one here?”
You’re the only inconsiderate parent who’s over 30 minutes late.
Carol suppressed the words that threatened to spill out.
“Yes. My siblings will be here soon, so I was planning to go home right away.”
“Your siblings have just finished, so wouldn’t it take quite some time for them to get to Sertborough?”
Apparently, being a merchant who supplied to the imperial court allowed him to check the Imperial Knights’ schedule.
Carol lowered her head to hide her furrowed brow.
“…Then I’ll see you on Monday.”
She decided it was best to avoid any further conversation.
But the man was persistent.
“How about having dinner with me?”
“…I’ll have to decline.”
As if he hadn’t expected Carol’s refusal, the man gripped Benjamin’s hand tightly.
“…It hurts.”
Benjamin whined, but the man paid no attention.
“As you know, I lost my wife, and I’m raising a child who can’t see.”
She knew that if Benjamin had been a normal child, he would have paid a large donation to enroll him in the academy.
Even without sending him to the academy, he had the means to hire a private tutor.
But the fact that he didn’t hire a home tutor and came to the tutoring center wasn’t just because Benjamin couldn’t see.
“Yes, that’s why I’m understanding when you’re late.”
“Have dinner with me once.”
He was overflowing with confidence that he wouldn’t be rejected.
Although he had been married once and had a child, Carol was a commoner woman past the usual marriage age.
“…I don’t have personal meetings with parents.”
“You’ll have to quit the tutoring center when you get married anyway, so isn’t it a waste of time to focus only on work?”
“…”
“You’re working to find a good husband, aren’t you?”
“…”
“But if you’re too picky, good suitors won’t wait long.”
Creak.
“How long are you going to listen to this nonsense?”
Louis, who had been leaning against the door, straightened up. The man, upset at the sudden interruption, turned around with an ugly scowl.
Bringing the man into the tutoring center! Carol’s face flushed hot with embarrassment.
“What…!”
“It’s been a while, Mr. Bain.”
“Young Viscount?”
The man’s expression turned foolish as he recognized Louis, who had called him by name.
