Failed to Train the Beast Male Lead

Carol spent several nights searching for anything she could do.

But the more she learned, the more she realized she couldn’t do anything.

The hardest part was having to send Benjamin back every time.

Today too, Benjamin stayed the latest.

Carol approached Benjamin, who was sitting quietly in the corner.

“Benjamin.”

“…Yes?”

“When is your father coming?”

She couldn’t even figure out what she could do. There was nothing she could say carelessly.

If she clumsily showed her concern to Benjamin, and he started to hide things more cleverly, it was clear the situation would become even more hopeless.

Benjamin fidgeted at Carol’s question.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know.”

“I didn’t ask for an apology.”

“But you need to go home too, Teacher.”

“No, I like being here with you, Benjamin.”

Benjamin’s clear cheeks turned red at Carol’s words.

“…Really?”

“Of course.”

Benjamin let out an obvious sigh of relief at Carol’s cheerful answer.

“I like being with you too, Teacher.”

His shy response was heartbreaking. But Carol didn’t show it and spoke in a playful voice.

“Oh? I thought you didn’t like being with me since you kept asking about big brother Noah.”

Benjamin was visibly flustered.

“That’s not it!”

“Okay, okay.”

“It’s true…”

Benjamin only calmed down after Carol repeated that she was joking.

She didn’t want to show it, but it wasn’t easy to control her condition after several sleepless nights.

The method the Duke suggested was the most feasible, but the other party was difficult.

The Bain family was wealthier than most nobles.

It was clear they wouldn’t give up the child for just a bit of money.

Lost in thought, Carol didn’t notice Bianca approaching. Only when Bianca tapped her shoulder did Carol snap back to reality.

“Teacher Carol.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a visitor for you.”

Carol’s gaze shifted towards the door at Bianca’s words.

“Good evening.”

It was the Duke. As their eyes met, he greeted her with a gentle smile.

Weren’t they supposed to meet tomorrow? Carol hurriedly checked the calendar on the wall.

“I’m sorry. I must have forgotten our appointment.”

Carol rushed towards the Duke, flustered.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Carol looked back and forth between the Duke and Bianca with a troubled expression. She wanted to keep her appointment with the Duke, but it seemed Benjamin’s father would take more time to arrive.

“I might keep you waiting…”

“I’ll stay here.”

Bianca quickly cut in. She smiled at Carol as if to say not to worry.

“But I feel like I’ve been asking you for favors too often lately…”

“I’ll let you know if I think it’s too much. Go ahead.”

Bianca pushed Carol from behind, saying she’d finish up after hours.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept your kindness, Teacher Bianca.”

The Duke calmly thanked her and took Carol’s hand. Before she knew it, Carol was already in a carriage with the Duke.

Clatter.

The words she heard before leaving kept repeating in Carol’s mind.

The Duke looked at Carol, seemingly unaware of anything.

“Why are you making that expression?”

“What expression am I making?”

“You look somewhat disgruntled.”

Carol touched her face. She had meant to act as if nothing was wrong.

Carol cupped her cheeks, feeling her face.

The Duke kissed the back of Carol’s hand that was holding her cheek. When Carol still showed little reaction, the Duke pulled her hand and placed it on his cheek. He nuzzled her hand with his face.

“I think it’s because I’m tired.”

“I guess you haven’t missed me these past few days?”

Carol had thought of herself as a very calm person. She believed that while they might have been anxious before dating due to uncertainty, things would be different after they started dating.

Carol looked at the Duke. The setting sun streaming through the window made his silver hair appear reddish at a glance, beautiful like a painting.

She wondered why he had dressed up so nicely.

She had been pulling all-nighters and rushing to work for days, wearing a plain green dress without any decorations.

‘If I had remembered it was a date, I would have dressed up more.’

She felt regretful, remembering the dress she had carefully hung by the door to wear for their appointment.

Then suddenly, Carol shook her head at a fleeting thought.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

“You look… especially handsome today, Duke.”

“I was worried you might not have wanted to see me.”

The Duke grinned. It was an obvious smile meant to impress, and its intention was so perfectly conveyed that Carol murmured in admiration.

“…There’s no way I wouldn’t want to see you.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“…Are you insecure too, Duke?”

“You don’t realize how amazing you are, my dear.”

“…You’re just seeing me in a good light.”

Carol lowered her head, feeling embarrassed for no reason.

“Saying that means you must have had some unpleasant thoughts earlier.”

The Duke naturally returned to the topic of Carol’s disgruntled expression from before. Carol had no choice but to confess.

“…You called Teacher Bianca by her name earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did.”

“How did you know her name?”

“I’ve memorized the names of my lover’s coworkers, of course.”

“Is that all?”

“Was there supposed to be something more?”

“…”

Carol’s face flushed bright red. After a moment of silence, the Duke quickly realized.

“It was a jealous face, wasn’t it?”

Carol jumped at the Duke’s words.

“…No, it wasn’t!”

Since they were in a carriage, the Duke guided Carol, who was about to sit back down immediately, to sit next to him.

“Alright.”

At the Duke’s easy agreement, Carol bit her lower lip hard. Seeing how unconsciously she tried to maintain her pride seemed rather foolish, so Carol honestly admitted it.

“Am I being too childish?”

Carol leaned her head on the Duke’s shoulder.

“Even if it’s childish, I rather like it.”

“I keep trying to act like nothing’s wrong without realizing it.”

It took great courage for Carol to say this. Her hands were drenched in sweat.

“Maybe you sweat a lot because you’re from the North.”

“…Were you always this smooth-talking?”

“Haha.”

The Duke laughed out loud. Carol then realized that the atmosphere, which was about to become heavy with detailed explanations, had been refreshed.

“…By the way, where are we going?”

Carol willingly changed the subject to go along with the flow the Duke had created.

“I heard a new multi-purpose cultural space opened in the heart of the city, and they sell amazing desserts there.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“You should be.”

The Duke said confidently.

Although it was the city right next to them, the capital was different. As a planned city, the capital had no small streets at all. With a huge statue symbolizing the royal family at its center, the road split into six directions, and where the carriage stopped was the center of the largest road.

“We’ve arrived.”

Just as the Duke had asserted, the inside of the multi-purpose cultural space was very beautiful.

“Your Excellency!”

The manager came running to greet the Duke and Carol. It was impressive how he had perfectly styled his hair and beard, parting them exactly in half.

“It’s been a while.”

“We’ve been waiting for the opportunity to serve you, Your Grace. Please allow me to guide you.”

“Shall we go?”

At the Duke’s words, Carol was about to suggest just having tea, but she couldn’t help but nod at the manager’s sparkling eyes.

“Alright.”

They were the only ones being guided by the manager.

Even the regular customers entering and exiting seemed to exude refinement and dignity, making Carol conscious of her attire.

‘Even if I had worn that dress, I probably would have felt inadequate.’

The manager, seemingly never running out of breath, kept explaining how special this place was.

The basement was a musical theater, the first floor an art gallery showcasing works by renowned painters, the second floor a restaurant, and the third floor a cafe.

Carol naturally expected to stop at the third floor.

“If you come in the evening, the musical actors even sing live in the restaurant.”

“I see.”

Carol replied like a parrot, looking up at the chandelier said to be studded with diamonds.

But the manager went up one more floor. Only after reaching their destination did the Duke stop the manager.

“That’s enough explanation for now.”

“Yes. I’ll have the desserts you mentioned brought to you right away.”

“Some light snacks would be nice too.”

“Yes. The chef will be delighted to have the opportunity to serve Your Grace.”

It was as if his mouth was oiled.

The manager left the room, telling them to enjoy their time.

“…Playboy.”

That was the first thing Carol said after the manager left.

“My, it’s been a while since I heard that.”

“You said we were going to eat dessert.”

When someone suggests eating dessert, one naturally thinks of going to a cafe.

“Yes. They’ll bring it up here.”

“But this is…!”

It was a hotel room.

Carol couldn’t take her eyes off the bed in the center of the room, which was even larger than the one in the Duke’s room.

“Is there a problem? The dessert will be here soon, and we can comfortably eat it here.”

But as if Carol was the only one surprised, the Duke asked with a puzzled expression.