Chapter 25
“Miss Daniel is very smart. Teaching her is so rewarding.”
“Isn’t she? I knew it!”
I beamed at Miss Renold’s compliment. At first, she seemed a bit taken aback when I mentioned that Daniel had only just started learning her letters. It seemed that children from noble families here typically began their education at a very young age.
But Daniel, who had grown up almost entirely neglected, had received no education whatsoever. Even learning the alphabet was something I had started teaching her after I arrived here.
Despite our concerns that it might be too late, Daniel, our brilliant girl, absorbed knowledge like a sponge soaks up water.
Ah… she’s pretty, she’s adorable, and on top of that, she’s smart! That’s our Daniel! She’s definitely heroine material!
“There’s no issue with her academic progress, so I believe we can start teaching her cultural subjects now.”
“Cultural subjects?”
“Oh! The Countess might not be familiar with them. These days, due to increased interest in education among noble ladies, children Daniel’s age are often introduced to arts and physical education.”
“Really? What do they usually learn?”
“It depends on what the child is interested in. Physical activities like horseback riding or fencing are good, and the arts—such as music or painting—are excellent for emotional development. Oh! Lately, dance lessons have been popular with girls. I suppose it’s because they get to wear pretty dresses.”
“I see…”
I nodded at Miss Renold’s explanation. While I was half-worried that introducing too many subjects at once might be too much for Daniel, the other half of me was concerned that she might fall behind other children.
“…That’s what Miss Renold, the tutor, said. What do you think, Lord Winchester?”
As usual, Lord Winchester came home late. So, discussing Daniel’s academic progress and her future in cultural education had to take place in our bedroom.
“What are you talking about?”
He responded with a question, seated by the window table, one leg crossed over the other, calmly sipping tea.
“I’m asking what you’d like Daniel to learn in the future.”
“Is that something I’m supposed to decide?”
Instead, he turned the question back to me, catching me off guard. Wasn’t this a bit too indifferent?
“Well, you are Daniel’s father. If I don’t discuss it with you, who else would I talk to?”
I found myself snapping at him, a bit more sharply than I’d intended.
“With Daniel.”
But Lord Winchester answered nonchalantly, unaffected by my tone. It was his reply that left me speechless.
“Shouldn’t we ask Daniel what she wants to do?”
Oh. Was that what he meant? That it wasn’t about his opinion, but that Daniel’s own opinion was the most important?
“Y-You’re right.”
Realizing what he meant, I nodded. This man really had no talent for words.
“I’ll speak with Daniel directly tomorrow.”
He gave a slight nod in response. Then, turning his head away, he returned to enjoying his relaxed late-night tea time. This midnight tea had practically become part of Lord Winchester’s daily routine.
The glasses in the cabinet hadn’t come out since that night, and his drinking hadn’t increased—or decreased, for that matter.
The days were getting hotter, but nights were still cool enough that when the windows were open, a chilly breeze would sometimes drift in. When that happened, his still-damp hair would occasionally flutter in the wind.
The way he sat silently, sipping tea, looked so elegant from the side that I found myself staring at him without even realizing it.
Just like now.
“…Huh?”
Did I just see something?
“Lord Winchester?”
He turned his head silently at my call, a look that asked whether I still had more to say.
“Are you hurt?”
His hand moved to his forehead in response. It was the very injury I had just glimpsed. Hidden beneath his hair, it hadn’t been visible, but when the wind blew, I saw a clear wound on his forehead.
“Did you apply any ointment?”
“It’s not serious enough to need any.”
“There’s no such thing as a wound that does or doesn’t need ointment. If you’re hurt, you treat it.”
I leaned forward to take a closer look at the wound. It didn’t seem like just a scratch.
Not that it looked serious enough to require a doctor or stitches, but still, wouldn’t some ointment help it heal faster?
“Shall I call someone?”
“No need.”
Maybe it was a matter of pride, but Lord Winchester refused treatment.
“Wounds heal with time, but they heal faster with medicine. You have a handsome face—it’d be a shame if it scarred.”
“…”
At my words, Lord Winchester stared at me silently.
Did I say something wrong?
“W-What is it?”
“Is the reason you said you liked me… because of my looks?”
“What?”
“Did you fall for me at first sight because I’m good-looking?”
It was a brazen question—too bold for someone to ask about themselves—but Lord Winchester’s face was perfectly serious. And, somehow, it didn’t even feel out of place coming from someone like him.
“Yes. I suppose you could say that.”
I nodded naturally. I was the one who’d lied about falling in love at first sight, after all. If he assumed it was because of his looks, that made things easier for me.
It should have been a relief, but…
“Do I sound really shallow?”
The question slipped out of my mouth, and my gaze dropped instinctively. I was suddenly nervous—worried he’d see me as superficial.
Maybe it was my pride not wanting to be seen as someone who judges others solely by their appearance.
“Not really.”
Thud. Lord Winchester’s reply landed on the floor and rolled over to my feet. My lips, which had been chewing nervously, were now freed.
“No one ever really knows how people feel, anyway.”
His next words made me lift my head. He said it casually, tea cup in hand like it was nothing, but something about it felt deeper.
“Does he have some kind of emotional wound?”
It was the first time I had that thought. I’d assumed he was just naturally stoic and quiet, but maybe there was a reason for it—something that had happened in his past.
“With Daniel’s birth mother?”
This wasn’t idle gossip—I genuinely started to feel curious.
“Who is Lord Winchester, really?”
Who is the man I married?
“You really have to get this kind of information from other moms!”
That’s what Sophia said when I asked for advice about hiring a new maid and what cultural subjects would be good for a young child to learn. When I subtly asked Aisha’s stepmother what she was learning, she said her daughter was too energetic for lessons right now.
In the end, I went back to the social group of noblewomen who were enthusiastic about education.
“Needlework is perfect for girls! It sharpens fine motor skills and teaches patience and perseverance.”
“But isn’t that too difficult for a six-year-old? The needles could be dangerous.”
“An instrument is the best choice. Music is the ultimate form of refinement.”
“At that age, physical activity is best. It helps them sleep better at night and builds stamina, which makes everything easier later.”
I nodded at the flood of advice, taking careful notes this time in a memo pad I had brought just for this.
“Could you maybe suggest specific instruments or activities?”
“For instruments, piano is the foundation. Once they learn piano, it’s easier to pick up any other instrument.”
“I recommend the violin. My child loved it the most. Oh, and since it’s not too loud, even messy playing at the start is bearable.”
“The flute has a lovely sound too. But it’s really hard to get a proper tone out of it, so maybe not ideal for little kids.”
“Everyone’s talking about instruments, but ballet is all the rage for young ladies! They all go crazy about wearing cute tutus!”
“I think swimming is a must, regardless of gender. You never know when an accident could happen—it’s essential for survival.”
Hmm… so, piano, violin, flute, ballet, and swimming?
Could Daniel really learn all that? No way—that would be way too much. What if I introduced her to all of them and let her choose?
No… how could she choose if she didn’t know what any of them were? It’d be better if she could try a bit of each. Is there a trial class or something like that?
“You must be quite the ambitious Countess of Winchester.”
As I was deep in thought, a twisted voice reached my ear. When I looked up, an unfamiliar woman with a crooked expression was glaring at me.
