Chapter 47…………………………………………..
A Teacher Who Suits You (3)
Inside a room in the Crown Prince’s palace.
I was beginning to vaguely understand the reason why Enrique had been pushing me away.
But somehow, his reaction was unusual.
He asked me again.
“…You mean, continuously?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“I will believe you.”
“Continuously…”
“Yes, continuously.”
Like a child pestering for the answer they want to hear, Enrique repeated the same question, and I kept giving him the same answer.
“…You mean, you’ll stay by my side continuously.”
“Yes.”
Finally, he seemed satisfied. He chuckled lightly and stopped speaking, but he looked strangely excited.
“……Lilian. I…”
With dazed eyes, he brushed his face several times, then slowly lowered his head toward me and whispered my name.
“Perhaps… you…”
“…Your Highness?”
What?
Enrique’s face was drawing closer.
I could feel his breath.
Wait, could this be…?
And at that moment—
Ding!
*+: “You’re a student, and I’m the teacher” activated! *+:
▶ Activation condition: Detection of inappropriate tension in a teacher-student relationship
Huh? What?
“……Alright…”
Enrique, unable to finish his words, let his heavy eyelids droop and collapsed onto me.
“Ah!”
I was pinned under his weight.
…What is this?
His warm, heavy body pressed down as I blankly rubbed my cheek.
“…….”
His lips had barely brushed past my cheek.
But more than that…
“Ugh.”
Heavy!
If this continues, I’ll be crushed to death.
I struggled and managed to push him off me.
Had the True Teacher skill made Enrique faint?
But the activation condition was…
“…Really…?”
Thunk!
After dropping Enrique to the floor, I quickly looked up at the blue notification window. I couldn’t believe it.
The window still glowed brighter than usual, as if emphasizing its message.
▶ Activation condition: Detection of inappropriate tension in a teacher-student relationship
“…My goodness.”
I groaned softly as I heaved Enrique’s heavy body onto the sofa.
“…….”
Looking down at him, my head slowly cleared.
The words he was about to say before passing out… that is…
“I… like you… huh!”
I instinctively covered my mouth in surprise.
“…….”
Good heavens.
The man with the statue-like face still had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly.
To think he could make someone so flustered and yet sleep so well.
If it weren’t for the True Teacher skill, I might have ended up kissing him.
“No, no… can’t….”
I muttered while touching my lips.
Having seen tutors start relationships with their students when they became college-aged, I knew dating a student was a high-speed train to disaster.
No matter how I felt about Enrique, I couldn’t board that train to catastrophe.
‘Then what should I do?’
…Pretend I don’t know.
*+: “You’re a student, and I’m the teacher” activated! *+:
▶ Detail: To prevent similar incidents, a 1-minute memory deletion service is provided before skill activation.
Well, good thing the memory is erased.
I clenched my fists while keeping the skill’s detail window in view.
He probably wasn’t that serious.
Maybe he had never experienced a proper teacher before, so he mistook his fondness for me as romantic interest.
Or maybe these days, a kiss could just be a playful act.
‘…But why would he try that with me?!’
No, no. Stop overthinking.
Anyway, it’s not going to happen.
As I firmly shook my head, determined, someone knocked on the door. A familiar voice followed.
“Your Highness. Dietrich Carlson.”
“……!”
I quickly got up and opened the door wide.
Dietrich, standing there, looked surprised to see me.
“…You’re still here together?”
Yes!
“Yes. It seems Your Highness got sleepy during the conversation and suddenly fell asleep.”
In other words, handle this for me.
I stepped aside slightly and glanced at Enrique, who was lying asleep on the sofa.
He was so tall that even on the wide sofa, his feet stuck out past the armrest.
Dietrich paused, observing Enrique sprawled across the sofa.
“…….”
Hmm.
Then, with a serious expression, he grabbed my shoulder and asked:
“…Miss Crimson.”
“Yes?”
“Please answer honestly.”
“…About what?”
Startled by his sudden intensity, I shivered.
Dietrich asked seriously,
“Did Your Highness misbehave again, and you struck him on the head?”
“…That could not be.”
Technically, it was half my fault due to the True Teacher skill.
I waved my hand with shameless confidence, and Dietrich’s gaze fell on my wrist, just bones and skin.
“Ah.”
He then seemed to understand, releasing my shoulder.
“This wouldn’t make sense…”
“…….”
…This annoys me, for some reason. Why?
While I wondered why I was irritated, Dietrich examined the teacup on the table.
But of course, there were no suspicious marks.
‘The True Teacher skill just did its job…’
[ //^ o ^/// ]
The blue notification window flashed proudly.
Well done, True Teacher.
Dietrich muttered while watching me, detached.
“If you didn’t make him faint yourself, that’s curious. Your Highness wouldn’t have fallen asleep on his own.”
“Why? Maybe he just fell asleep.”
“Today, he has a schedule afterward.”
I noticed his ceremonial armor was more ornate than usual.
Was there an event today?
“What schedule?”
I asked without thinking, and Dietrich answered straightforwardly.
“Apparently, Your Highness did not mention it. Today is a memorial for Sir Ken Epsilon, Your Highness’s former swordsmanship instructor. Therefore, all palace servants were dismissed.”
“……Ah, I see.”
The swordsmanship instructor—the one who allegedly abused Enrique.
If, as Enrique said, the Epsilon knights helped dispose of him, then Dietrich Carlson was complicit in his death.
‘And yet, they hold a memorial.’
Seeing Dietrich’s usual expression made my feelings complicated.
…Perhaps, as Enrique said, others might think I am not a suitable teacher for him.
To Dietrich, I may feel similar to Enrique’s swordsmanship teacher, just hidden.
Considering he spoke about the memorial calmly, despite personally handling the aftermath, there might be a possibility.
While I was imagining Dietrich as a psychopath, he cleared his throat.
“Hm. Ah, by the way, you left your teaching materials behind, so I brought them to the Crimson residence.”
Right. My materials. He said he had them.
“Ah! That’s why you came back for them.”
“Fortunately. Here they are.”
Dietrich smiled kindly and handed the materials to me.
I took them and made a request.
“Please take good care of Your Highness. When he wakes, tell him our lesson ended well and that we’ll continue next class as scheduled.”
“Understood, teacher.”
Dietrich escorted me down the hall.
I was about to leave when I suddenly turned back.
“Sir Carlson, I have one question.”
“To me? Ask anything.”
Dietrich opened his eyes wide, then nodded calmly.
I asked without hesitation.
“Sir Ken Epsilon, Your Highness’s swordsmanship instructor… what kind of teacher was he?”
“…….”
For the first time, Dietrich’s expression stiffened slightly.
After a moment, he slowly replied.
“…I hesitate to comment, but one thing is certain.”
And he said with conviction:
“He was completely different from you.”
Thank goodness.
“I see. Thank you for telling me.”
I smiled faintly and bowed to Dietrich.
Dietrich must have closely observed Enrique’s swordsmanship teacher throughout his exile.
Hearing from Dietrich that he was different gave me confidence in the path I must take.
I must proceed just like this.
Feeling lighter, I left the Crown Prince’s palace.
A leisurely afternoon.
The weather was perfect for a picnic, yet I stood in front of the Foreign Minister’s mansion instead of a park.
“…Hmm.”
Looking at the grand mansion, similar to the Crown Prince’s residence, I adjusted my briefcase.
After splitting my schedule, I found I had time to teach one more person.
“Miss Crimson! You’re here.”
“Greetings, Your Grace.”
Ah, the illegitimate child of the Foreign Minister who apparently resembled Enrique.
The Marlot Marquis, who had rushed to meet me, guided me to the child’s room and explained:
“His name is Kaishien. Kaishien Marlot.”
“I see. Is there anything I should know?”
“Well… it’s a minor family matter. Kaishien wasn’t born to his wife but was taken in after his mother passed away. Also, there was no heir.”
It wasn’t uncommon among nobles.
Sometimes, illegitimate children by commoners were made heirs.
“If possible, I hope you can continue teaching him, especially academic studies… but first, etiquette is urgent.”
“Yes. Miss Crimson, you’re the etiquette tutor for His Highness.”
It started the same as with Enrique.
I nodded, and the Marquis smiled lightly and stopped in front of a large brown door.
This must be the child’s room.
The Marquis handed an item to a servant nearby.
“This is…?”
It was a small box, slightly bigger than a palm and somewhat heavy.
A soft voice whispered:
“It will be helpful. Open it when needed.”
“…Understood.”
I couldn’t open it right now.
“Hahaha.”
The Marquis laughed warmly.
“Please take good care of Kaishien.”
“…Yes.”
I turned my gaze from the box, though unease lingered.
…If I had known what was inside, I would have thrown it at the Marquis’s face.
