Noah must have told them to let Carol leave as soon as she came out when he went to the bathroom, as Carol was able to leave the Duke’s townhouse right away.
She managed to leave like that, but she knew she couldn’t run away anymore.
‘It’s only a matter of time before the Duke finds out I work at the tutoring center.’
She needed to decide clearly what to do until then. Carol recalled their last kiss again and clutched her head.
‘How on earth did he recognize me?’
And why was he such a good kisser?
She was overloaded with too many thoughts. She didn’t want to run away again.
Because he hadn’t forgotten and had come looking for her.
‘No, wait.’
Then what about the news of his marriage?
‘What do I tell Noah?’
Just imagining explaining to Noah what had happened when he wasn’t there made her face flush with embarrassment.
Carol’s face alternated between turning pale and red. Bianca, who had sent almost all the students home, asked with a concerned face.
“Teacher, is something wrong?”
Carol snapped back to reality at Bianca’s concern. She couldn’t let it affect her work, especially after taking a vacation.
“No, I’m fine. Is something the matter?”
“No, I was just worried.”
“Thanks for your concern. But it’s nothing.”
Instead of agreeing right away with Carol’s words, Bianca lowered her voice and said,
“It’s because of Mr. Bain, isn’t it?”
Looking over Bianca’s shoulder, Benjamin was still there. Benjamin sat quietly, as if used to being alone.
“…Has Benjamin’s father still not come?”
“He could call someone. Always coming late.”
“I know, right?”
“I knew he had ulterior motives towards Carol, but this is really rude!”
Carol had told Bianca that Mr. Bain had made advances when she wasn’t around, after Bianca said it was suspicious how he kept asking where Carol was when she was gone.
Since then, Bianca had been criticizing Mr. Bain harshly, saying only the child was pitiful.
The sound of a carriage clattering was heard from beyond the door.
“Seems he came as if knowing we were talking about him.”
Bianca said she would go out instead, holding Benjamin’s hand and approaching the door.
“Thank you.”
Though her mind was preoccupied with other reasons, Carol smiled slightly thanks to Bianca’s fuming on her behalf.
However, contrary to expectations, Bianca stood frozen in front of the door, unable to move.
“Ms. Bianca, are you alright?”
When Carol called out to Bianca in a puzzled voice, Bianca replied with a dazed expression.
“Teacher? There’s a carriage outside…”
It seemed odd that she was surprised about a carriage arriving when she had just said she’d go out after hearing the carriage sound.
“Isn’t it Benjamin’s father?”
Bianca shook her head at Carol’s question.
“No… um… the emblem on the carriage… it looks like an emblem I’ve seen a lot in the news…”
“An emblem you’ve seen a lot in the news?”
Carol approached the door, puzzled by Bianca’s stammering.
Bianca was still exclaiming “Uh, uh…!” in surprise at the carriage. The carriage at the door was clearly different from the one Benjamin’s father usually rode in.
On the black carriage, twice the size of a normal one, elaborate silver patterns were engraved.
“…Oh.”
Carol also wore a dumbfounded expression, equally surprised.
It was a familiar emblem.
But it was also an emblem that shouldn’t be here.
Click.
The carriage door opened, and a bouquet of blooming yellow flowers emerged.
“I hope the flowers are delivered safely this time,” the Duke said as he stepped out of the carriage. He seemed to have been bothered by not properly delivering flowers during the previous sick visit.
“…How did you come here…?”
Carol felt it pointless to pretend not to know.
The Duke handed the bouquet to Carol, who stood frozen.
As Carol briefly inhaled the scent of the bouquet, Bianca, who had been standing behind holding Benjamin’s hand, asked.
“…What’s going on?”
Carol turned around, furrowing her brows and smiling awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, but could I leave work early today?”
****
Left alone with Benjamin, Bianca internally screamed as she recalled the recent situation.
‘That was definitely the Duke’s emblem, right?’
Unlike herself, who had been overwhelmed by the carriage’s grandeur, Carol had boarded it as if familiar.
Even though it was a carriage bearing the emblem of the prestigious Duke’s family, seen countless times in newspapers spread on the streets!
Knock knock.
Bianca, lost in thought, straightened up abruptly at the sound of knocking.
“Yes!”
This time, the only person who could be coming was Benjamin’s father. Bianca hurriedly opened the door.
“Benjamin, I think your father’s here.”
But once again, it wasn’t Benjamin’s father who had knocked.
It was a young man.
“…Who…?”
“Hello. Is Teacher Carol here by any chance?”
Sweat beaded on his forehead, as if he had come in a hurry. If not for the shockingly handsome man she had seen earlier, the man before her would have been considered quite good-looking.
“Teacher Carol left work a bit early today.”
“…Sigh.”
The man roughly ran his hand through his hair. Golden eyes gleamed beneath his auburn hair.
“Would you like me to pass on a message?”
“…I’d appreciate it if you could, as I need to go back.”
Louis smiled with his eyes. While the earlier man was like a flower on a cliff, this man had a warm face that should be common but never seen.
“Alright.”
“Please tell her Louis came by.”
Louis had intended to just briefly check if Carol had safely finished her work at the Duke’s townhouse.
But contrary to her saying she would stay quiet and leave, he had heard news that she had found an item for the Duke’s guest and, in return, had served the Duke’s meal on the last day.
Up to here was fine.
But when he heard that the Duke had unilaterally canceled their appointment today, the very next day, Louis had no choice but to come directly to where Carol worked.
Though he wasn’t too keen on coming to her workplace, he felt he needed to check on her immediately.
He had let her go when she said she would give up on the Duke.
“Oh, I think I heard about you from Teacher Carol.”
“Do you know where she might have gone?”
Bianca hesitated for a moment, looking at the man’s desperate face. She had heard his name a few times from Carol.
‘To call him just a close friend…’
It was clear at a glance that he had different feelings.
“I think she said she had other business to attend to.”
Bianca gave a vague answer instead of telling the truth.
Only after Louis had left did the third visitor arrive. It was finally Benjamin’s father, whom Bianca had been waiting for.
Bianca closed the door after sending Benjamin to his dazed-looking father.
“What kind of vacation did Teacher Carol have…!”
How could two handsome men, not just one, come looking for Carol right after her vacation ended?
Bianca decided to casually ask about it next time, marveling at the situation.
Then she hurriedly packed her things to leave work.
“Hah…Pretending to be innocent, there was a reason she even seduced me.”
So she failed to hear the chilling muttering from beyond the door.
****
Seated in the carriage, Carol set the bouquet down beside her. Perhaps her thoughts throughout the day had paid off, as she managed not to look as dumbfounded as yesterday.
“Why did you come?”
And in contrast to her earlier excitement, she asked in a cold voice.
Despite pondering all day about what to do, she couldn’t envision a future together for them.
She liked the Duke. She knew how foolish it had been to try to forget him.
Still, she had to think realistically.
“You speak so coldly.”
The Duke said, exaggeratedly pressing one hand to his chest as if wounded.
“…I like my life as it is.”
“I like the teaching Carol too.”
She was angry. She wanted to snap at him that for nobles, emotions and marriage seem to be separate things. But Carol suppressed such emotions and spoke, pretending to be rational.
“It’s better to end it now when we can end it as a mistake.”
“After kissing me so passionately yesterday.”
“That was…”
Carol’s eyes widened, not expecting him to bring up yesterday’s events so bluntly. Her carefully maintained composure crumbled in an instant.
“It was my first time, you know.”
“…Pardon?”
Carol blinked, mulling over the Duke’s words. His first time? That couldn’t be possible. He had been too skillful for that to be true.
“Is the teacher the kind of shameless person who kisses unmarried men without any meaning?”
The Duke sent a look as if condemning her, asking if that’s the kind of person she was.
Carol felt wronged.
Anyone listening would think she went around kissing just anyone.
“No, what are you saying…”
“If there’s anything incorrect, please correct me. I’ll gladly accept it.”
The Duke spoke like a tragic protagonist.
“I’m not that kind of person!”
“Perhaps I over-interpreted things, as this is my first time with such matters.”
“…It was my first time too! And I like you too!”
She felt she couldn’t help but refute out of indignation. Carol realized that her outburst was tantamount to a confession and covered her face with both hands.
