Chapter 15 …
A “Daughter of the Mad Heir”!
Crobi quickly stood up and returned to his seat. With one hand, he carefully held the hand he had shaken with me, as if it were something precious.
I cleared my throat once and, pretending to eat soup, brought up the main topic.
“Abudi. Acha kongson baekjakga-eseo saram on geon ana? (Father, do you know someone came from the Count Collson’s house?)”
“Pardon?”
“Do I need to know that?”
Crobi asked back, clearly not understanding, and Leo, as usual, reacted in an annoying way.
He didn’t care at all, even though Duke Shablien and I had been running around busily cleaning up the mess he caused.
Forcing a smile, I clapped my hands cheerfully.
“Gyeyak gyesokhanda! Harabeodi gippeuda! (The contract with Count Collson’s family will continue!)”
“……I see.”
“…….”
As expected of my father’s indifferent attitude, my eyes slightly dimmed. With that same expression, I continued as if making a point.
“Ersha, nabe e halabeodi to gachi Kongson baekjakga gat-eossda (Ersha went to Count Collson’s house with Grandfather during the day).”
“You met my father?”
“Un.”
I nodded once. Leo didn’t seem pleased that I had met the Duke.
I let out a small sigh as if I were disappointed.
“Ersha, maeum apda. Harabeodi gyesok meori sukyeotta. Baekjakga-e mianhae, mianhae hamyeo jjukkuri dwaetta (Ersha feels sad. Grandfather kept bowing his head, saying sorry to the count’s house, all hunched over).”
“…….”
“Ersha ttokdanda (Ersha is upset).”
How about that?
Don’t you feel even a little guilty?
All because of that useless son, the mighty Duke Shablien had to go bow his head at a powerless count’s house!
When I slightly lifted my head to check his expression, the one who reacted was not Leo—but Crobi.
“This time he only bowed his head?”
“Un?”
“Reminds me of when he knelt at the Great Temple.”
“…….”
“There was no greater humiliation than that. At least it was in front of the High Priest, so His Grace the Duke was less embarrassed. After all, in front of the High Priest, we all become pathetic weaklings.”
“…….”
So something like that happened back then…
What exactly did he do at the temple?
I looked at Leo with even heavier eyes than before. He calmly continued his elegant meal as if nothing had happened.
Seeing that, I sharpened my tiny, dumpling-like hand under the table as much as I could. My fingernails, like grains of rice, glimmered.
Filled with the desire to scratch him!
2. “The Mad Heir’s Daughter, Mangdungi”
After a few days, I had somewhat adapted to this world, and on a bright afternoon—
I finally met the person I had been waiting for and sat across from him with the happiest expression in the world.
‘Hehehehe…….’
Messy blond hair and orange eyes.
A fairly handsome man in his mid-twenties sat in front of me, wearing thick-rimmed glasses that covered more than half his face.
The thick lenses made his eyes look as small as buttons.
“‘He can see properly through those, right?’”
Blond hair was one of the symbols of foolishness, and orange eyes were also considered a sign of stupidity—but so what?
A teacher.
‘Finally, a teacher!’
Today was the historic day Ersha got her first private tutor.
Of course, I didn’t really need to learn anything, but if I wanted to avoid death by getting into my grandfather’s favor, I had to at least pretend to study hard.
What should I say I want to learn?
The quadratic formula? Finding the diameter of a circle? “Among the two roots of x(x―7)=18, the smaller root is blah blah…”
The man nervously adjusted his thick glasses and spoke.
“G-go, good to meet you. My name is Limerick Braine. I will be your tutor starting today.”
“Hehehe… nice to meet chu (nice to meet you).”
I smiled as brightly as I possibly could. However, Limerick averted his gaze, avoiding my eyes.
“Since it’s your first day, let’s do an introduction session. Have you heard of ‘100 Questions, 100 Answers’?”
“Huh?”
“It’s answering one hundred questions about yourself.”
“Ersha study what?”
“Understanding yourself is also an important part of learning.”
“…….”
Hmm, is this right?
This was completely different from what I expected.
I was in a situation where I could be kicked out any moment. I couldn’t afford to waste a single day, so how would doing something like “100 questions” help me show my genius to my grandfather?
Carefully reading the mood, I spoke.
“I already know a lot about me. Not ten or a hundred, but a thousand or ten thousand too. So can we do something harder?”
“P-pardon?”
“Other Shablins all memorize multiplication tables, right? I can try that too!”
“T-that… today’s lesson is self-introduction…”
“Then can we change it?”
“That’s difficult. For today, please just complete the 100 Questions I prepared. If you do, I’ll prepare a more difficult lesson next time.”
“…….”
Hmph.
Something smells suspicious.
I stared at Limerick with doubt, swinging my short legs under the desk. He wiped sweat with a handkerchief.
Well, I’m only five years old.
And this is my first time meeting a tutor, so maybe he just needs time to assess me.
“Okay then. Tomorrow, teach me something really hard.”
“T-tomorrow? The next lesson is next week.”
“WHAT?”
I couldn’t hide my shock.
Once a week?
I have to waste time on something this useless only once a week?
I forced myself to stay calm.
“Teacher, I actually have my life on the line for studying. Ersha will study with her life on the line. Can’t you teach me every day?”
“Pardon?”
I sent him a desperate gaze.
Limerick looked away even more awkwardly.
“T-that would need to be discussed with the Marquis Shablien—”
“…….”
That useless Marquis Shablien.
In the end, I shrank my shoulders and made a pitiful expression.
“Limerick. Ersha promised Grandfather she would study very hard.”
It wasn’t really a promise—it was more like my one-sided declaration of war—but I continued pitifully.
“Ersha has no mother, and father is a scoundrel. I’m basically an orphan. I have to study hard at least… please help me, teacher……”
I clasped my hands together and made my eyes tremble with tears. I was completely sincere—so sincere my eyes almost really teared up.
Limerick looked flustered. His small eyes wavered.
“A-ah… I can’t really…”
“Please……”
It was like a staring contest. I didn’t even blink, my eyes wet and pleading.
In the end, Limerick looked away helplessly.
“Cough… alright. I will come again tomorrow for now. I will slowly discuss it with the Marquis.”
“Really? Thank you!”
And so, the lesson somehow ended.
I spent the rest of the day eagerly waiting for tomorrow.
I was so excited at the thought of finally learning something properly difficult that my heart felt full.
The next day arrived.
Strangely, Limerick kept looking around nervously.
“Have you ever played hide-and-seek?”
“Huh?”
What is he doing?
He looked extremely uneasy, as if he absolutely must not be seen by someone.
“You, Ersha young lady, will be the seeker and find me. It’s just a light warm-up before class.”
“Oh… really?”
At that moment, a bad feeling flashed through my mind.
He’s going to run away from me.
“I’ll begin class once you find me. Then… start!”
“W-wait, teacher!”
Limerick ran off in a hurry.
I chased after him, but there was no way a child’s body could keep up with an adult man’s speed. Still, I sprinted with all my strength until I saw his coat in the distance.
I shouted.
“Teacher, found you! (Seonsaengnim chajatta!)”
“Gasp!”
Limerick turned around in shock—and immediately ran again.
‘Hey, you little—!’
