Teresia first began teaching Helmut by introducing the letters A through Z and giving examples of words that began with each letter.
The child’s handwriting as he copied the letters was unmistakably that of a young child.
Teresia chuckled at how adorable it was but was relieved to see that at least he knew how to hold a pencil properly.
“Let’s try to memorize all these letters by the end of this week.”
“By this week?”
“Uh… in seven nights.”
“I’ll try.”
The child responded earnestly and began filling the paper with letters.
After the alphabet, we’ll move on to spelling, grammar… and numbers too. He should at least know basic arithmetic. I guess I’ll just teach him step by step.
Teresia wondered if she should prepare some kind of curriculum.
Surprisingly, Helmut picked up the alphabet quickly.
She had initially thought that a week might be cutting it close, but within five days, Helmut had mastered writing all the letters. At first, he confused “b” and “d”, but now he could even distinguish those perfectly.
Today, she decided to teach him spelling and numbers. She sent Helmut outside to play in the garden while she made preparations.
At that moment, Anna entered.
“Miss, I’ve uncovered some information about that child, Helmut.”
“Oh, really? That didn’t take as long as I thought.”
“Yes, I asked around at the shops, and everyone told a consistent story. It matches the identity we’ve investigated. Here, take a look at this document.”
As Teresia read the document Anna handed her, she muttered in disbelief.
“This child is the Helmut von Leppel?”
“The Leppel count family completely collapsed during the war, and the count and countess committed suicide with pistols. Only the young child was left, wandering around the city. It seems the relatives, who were also in dire situations, completely abandoned him. They weren’t in a position to help the boy at all.”
The name “von” was supposed to signify nobility, but what a pitiful end it was.
“Helmut seems unable to remember his personal information properly, likely because witnessing the suicide—or perhaps due to the trauma—caused him to lose his memories. The Leppel couple’s death occurred about two or three years ago, and according to the shopkeepers, he survived by begging on the streets. He’s ten years old.”
Unbelievable. She had taken in the very child of the person who had ordered her death?
Teresia couldn’t help but laugh incredulously at the absurdity of such a fate.
I already thought Helmut’s pretty looks would be a disadvantage in his situation.
It really had been a curse.
Teresia vividly remembered her last conversation with the foreign ladies in her previous life, during which Helmut had been a subject of gossip as the Prime Minister’s wife’s lover.
The Prime Minister who had upended Devarn’s current system. His wife’s lover.
It was likely Helmut’s striking appearance that had made him the Prime Minister’s wife’s lover.
Helmut’s looks were so renowned that even foreign ladies used him as a topic of conversation.
When Teresia first saw him in the newspaper, she couldn’t understand why someone with such a face wasn’t an actor but instead a soldier.
That was how exceptional his appearance was. He had even appeared in various propaganda campaigns for Devarn.
To think that cute little child is destined to grow into that…
At present, there was no sign of such beauty.
In any case, having him on her side would be advantageous.
It was even said that the Prime Minister had stolen credit for Helmut von Leppel’s achievements. He was undoubtedly a capable individual.
The problem was simply that the country where he had demonstrated his capabilities was, by Teresia’s standards, an insane one.
However, Teresia didn’t know exactly what Helmut had done in Devarn.
She had intentionally avoided any news from Devarn during her time living abroad in a lonely, unhappy marriage with no one to rely on. The news of her family’s execution had driven her to rely on antidepressants, and she had deliberately distanced herself from Devarn-related matters.
If I’d known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have ignored reality.
She wondered if there was someone else who also knew the future, like her. It seemed absurd that she alone would possess such a privilege.
But in a world this vast, the chances of finding such a person were slim.
It didn’t matter.
In any case, now that the boy was under her care, Teresia had no intention of allowing him to become a critical asset to a deranged nation.
A nation constantly biding its time to start a war—never.
“Helmut! Stop running around!”
Hearing the young maid’s voice echoing from the hallway, Teresia realized the door was left ajar.
It seemed to be the youngest maid working in the mansion.
She had been assigned to Helmut, who wasn’t much older than the maid, so he could play with her. This had been Teresia’s idea.
Then, the sound of quick, clumsy footsteps grew louder, approaching her room.
Teresia assumed the child was about to enter her room.
Fearing that the child might see the documents she was reviewing, Teresia quickly opened a drawer and stashed them away. She then rose from her seat and walked toward the desk facing the door.
As expected, the child entered Teresia’s room.
With shorter hair now and dressed neatly, the child smiled brightly and buried their small frame into Teresia’s skirt.
“Done playing already, Helmut?”
“I wanted to give this to you, big sister.”
Helmut stepped back a little and held out what was in his hands in response to Teresia’s gentle inquiry.
Only then did Teresia notice the flower petals scattered slightly on the floor.
Helmut was holding five flowers—daisies, anemones, and a few others she couldn’t identify.
The sight of Helmut wanting to give her something so precious was endearing, and Teresia accepted the flowers with a wide smile.
…How on earth did this adorable child’s life turn out that way?
Unable to comprehend, Teresia shook her head at the cruelty of the world.
“Do… do you not like it?”
“Hm? No, not at all. I love it!”
Was it because she had shaken her head? Teresia decided to be more careful, even with small gestures, in front of the child. She reached out and gently patted Helmut’s hair.
“How thoughtful of you. What letter does ‘flower’ start with?”
“Uh… F?”
“Good job! You’re so clever. ‘Flower’ is spelled F-L-O-W-E-R.”
Even though he wasn’t her child, Teresia felt oddly proud of how smart he was.
As she comforted the child, who seemed ready to cling to her skirt, Teresia thought about pressing the flowers between book pages to preserve them.
“But listen, Helmut. You should call me ‘Miss’ or ‘Lady’ instead of ‘big sister,’ all right?”
Although “big sister” wasn’t unpleasant to hear, Teresia spoke with the intention of teaching him proper etiquette.
It seemed like he wasn’t yet fully capable of using formal speech, so she’d have to teach him everything.
Smiling, she gently pinched Helmut’s soft cheek without hurting him and gave him a fond look.
***
A few days later, Teresia suddenly remembered that today was her cousin Berthold Rosenthal’s birthday party. She panicked, quickly bought a gift, and headed to his estate.
“You seem flustered,” her cousin remarked, walking up to her as she stood absentmindedly by the fountain.
“I’ve been like that lately. My head’s starting to hurt…”
“If it’s too much, let’s meet another time, just the two of us.”
“All right, let’s do that. Besides, I’ve got a topic worth discussing with you. Well, I’ll be going now. Happy birthday.”
After saying her goodbyes and lightly hugging her cousin, Teresia left the Rosenthal estate much earlier than expected.
Since she’d left ahead of schedule, she would need to call for her driver if she wanted to use her car.
But it seemed more convenient to take a taxi, so Teresia hailed one near the estate and headed home.
She stared blankly out the window at the brightly lit cityscape, illuminated by streetlights and neon signs. Before she knew it, she was home.
After paying the fare and stepping out in front of the gate, Teresia adjusted her shawl against the early spring chill.
Taking the key out of her handbag, she opened the gate, entered the estate, and passed through the garden toward the entrance.
It was then that she noticed a small child squatting down with their head bowed low.
***
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