CHAPTER 56……………………………….
I Can’t Be Your Personal Teacher! (6)
“Can a student start to resemble their teacher?”
I leaned against the wall and asked Ella with a serious expression.
“Well… I’m not sure.”
A nonchalant answer came back.
I was genuinely worried!
Even after returning to the mansion, I kept mulling over the conversation I had with the Emperor.
But no matter how much I thought about it…
‘Isn’t this almost the same as the conversation I had with Enrie?’
Unless the Emperor had eavesdropped on that conversation, could it be…
Am I starting to resemble Enrie?
“No—think about it seriously.”
If that’s the case, it’s a huge problem.
I poked my head further into the dining room where Ella was, complaining, and she, arranging the tableware, scolded me.
“How would I know? It probably depends on the person.”
“…Hmm.”
True enough.
I crossed my arms and leaned heavily against the wall.
Ella finally looked up, seemingly concerned.
“Aren’t you busy?”
“Oh, I’m resting.”
I need breaks too. Lately, I’ve been working nonstop.
Ella straightened her back and nodded.
“Good thinking. You should rest a bit. The last time, palace knights barged in… You’re already overworking yourself, Miss…”
She clenched her small fists tightly.
“….”
Her tiny fists trembled. She must have been really angry.
It would be scary if palace knights barged in at dawn when it was still dark, yet Ella had stood guard in front of my door until the very end.
I guess I’m lucky with people around me. Thank goodness.
“Oh, I almost forgot to say thanks. Thank you, Ella.”
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
“But what if I really had done something wrong and was being taken away? Why would you block them?”
“Because I believed you wouldn’t do anything wrong, Miss.”
Ella put down the cloth and scratched her head.
“Though recently, you declared war on Diserno Academy with the workbook, turned away the academy director at the doorstep, and even said you’d teach the Foreign Minister’s illegitimate child…”
As she continued speaking, Ella’s eyes grew wide.
“…Yeah. What was I thinking, blocking them?”
“Next time, don’t stop them…”
Next time, I might actually be taken away for some crime.
After I clear my family’s debts, my goal is to live comfortably, teaching the powerful and wealthy—but somehow, life has become so rough.
Still, the True Teacher skill is helping me, so it should be okay, right?
The skill window flickered blue immediately.
[(●ㅍ▾ㅍ●)=3]
…Are you mocking me? You’re helping me, right?
Just as I was staring at the blue window with a troubled expression, Ella suddenly asked:
“Miss, are you thinking of keeping an animal?”
“Huh?”
An animal?
I thought about it briefly, but the answer was obvious.
I don’t have time to walk it, or train it. No.
I shook my head lightly.
“I can’t take responsibility. Why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing. That’s fine. But I’ll keep cleaning—how long will you follow me?”
“Come to think of it, you… how many servants did I hire for you to be my manager, and yet you’re still cleaning…”
“It’s just sometimes. Really… now you’re telling me not to work.”
Ignoring me neatly, Ella picked up a basket from the corner.
I hadn’t seen that before.
“What’s that?”
“Oh, this.”
When I showed interest, she tilted the basket toward me.
Inside…
“You know the cats that live in the stables, right? One of them had several kittens. I thought they were all healthy, but one couldn’t open its eyes.”
As Ella said, a tiny kitten, eyes still closed, curled up inside the basket.
“…What should I do?”
“I thought the mother would care for it, but she’s neglected it for 10 days now. So I was just going to leave it outside. People say it will die soon anyway.”
“I’ll take it.”
“Pardon?”
“I said I’ll take it.”
Ella looked dumbfounded as I lightly took the basket from her hands.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t keeping animals?”
“One is fine.”
I couldn’t just stand by and watch it thrown away.
When I brought my finger close, the kitten wriggled and started sucking on it. It seemed to think I was its mother.
So cute.
“Lilian. Are you worried about something?”
“Huh?”
I looked up to see Kaishen watching me with a concerned expression. I quickly waved my hand.
“Oh, no… it’s nothing.”
“We decided to speak casually, remember?”
“…Oh, right.”
I had forgotten for a moment.
After a few more lessons with Kaishen, I faced a big problem.
‘…A friend? There’s no way.’
There weren’t any peers around Kaishen to practice etiquette with.
It was obvious, really.
In the end, the only person who could be Kaishen’s companion was me, which went against my teaching principle of keeping a proper distance from students.
Still, we grew closer in a short time. We were the same age, after all.
So in the end, it was the right choice.
I was so absent-minded I almost forgot this. No way my excuse of “nothing happened” would work.
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
“Um…”
Lately, I’d realized just how monumental it was to nurture a living being.
…In short, raising a kitten had been a struggle.
I didn’t expect it would become such a headache that it affected my lessons.
“….”
On the desk, Kaishen’s submitted test paper was still stuck at the third question.
“….”
Kaishen tilted his head slightly toward me and blinked his green eyes as we looked at the desk together.
“You know, Lilian… I’m not trying to brag, but I’m good at reading people’s expressions.”
“…You’re not reading my mood, are you?”
He quickly shook his head.
“No, but I can tell something’s bothering you. Your expression hasn’t been good all lesson.”
Kaishen blinked kindly.
Ever since I confronted the marquis and made him stop his abuse, Kaishen’s complexion had noticeably improved. He even started putting on weight.
How could someone leave him in that state?
Anger toward the Marlot Marquis bubbled up again.
He no longer avoided eye contact or pushed people away violently.
At least, he could now converse comfortably with me.
He had probably been in extreme tension before.
And then…
“Meow.”
A fluffy kitten on Kaishen’s lap meowed.
Another positive change.
The cat I had hidden under the sofa, Cheese, officially became Kaishen’s cat.
“Meowww.”
Kaishen gently stroked Cheese’s forehead, and the kitten purred happily.
“….”
Maybe Kaishen could help me solve my problem.
With today’s lesson nearly over, I cautiously spoke to him.
“Kaishen.”
“Yes?”
He answered eagerly.
“I ended up raising a three-week-old kitten… but it keeps vomiting after meals. Did Cheese ever have this?”
Cheese always seemed healthy.
His fur was glossy, ears clean, eyes bright.
Kaishen lowered his eyes thoughtfully, then asked carefully:
“…Is the food coming out undigested?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“And the amount? Do you know what’s appropriate?”
“The vet told me, but it keeps vomiting anyway.”
“Then… it might be eating too fast. Try putting the food in a bumpy dish to slow it down, or give smaller portions. Frequent vomiting can cause other problems too.”
“…Wow.”
He sounds like a real expert.
The few animal hospitals in the capital would just tell me to “change the food until it stops vomiting.”
How does he know this?
It’s too specialized to just pick up naturally.
Kaishen looked a bit embarrassed.
“My mother was a veterinarian. I wanted to be one too, so I picked up some things. She’s retired now, though…”
…Huh? Retired?
“Wait. She’s not dead?”
“Huh? She’s fine back home. She was healthy when I left…”
Kaishen blinked at my sudden question, clearly confused.
“….”
That bastard marquis. He lied about his mother being dead to manipulate me.
“No matter. Forget it.”
Judging by how the marquis is starting to flatter me again, he probably thinks he can improve our relationship over time.
Now, my resentment increases even more.
“Hmm.”
I started organizing the papers I had just been holding and put them in my bag.
“I’ll stop here for today. Sorry, I keep thinking about the kitten.”
“That’s fine. Go ahead. Let me know if there’s any improvement.”
How polite.
I reached over and ran my hand through Kaishen’s soft, light brown hair.
“I’ll grade the rest of the test by next lesson. You’re progressing fast and will reach the final chapter soon. Everything’s okay at the marquis’s residence?”
“Yes, everything’s fine.”
Kaishen nodded with a gentle smile. As the bruises faded and healthy color returned, he looked every bit the young nobleman.
He murmured softly:
“Ever since you became my teacher, everything has gotten better.”
