Chapter 17
“Uh…”
I stood frozen, unable to grasp the situation.
Edmund’s face was twisted in anger as he strode toward me.
Why is he suddenly like this again?
He brushed past me, and then—
Click.
The sound of the door locking came from behind.
There was nothing strange about it, really.
Our lessons had to be secret, and his presence in the library was something no one could know.
We always made sure the door was locked.
But today, that sound carried a weight it normally didn’t.
I slowly turned around.
Edmund was standing by the door, blocking the only exit like a hunter cornering prey.
And then he blurted out—
“…It’s not true.”
“Hm? What isn’t?”
His usually pale face had turned scarlet again.
So red, even a strawberry or tomato would say, “Isn’t that a bit too much?”
I began to worry.
“Hey, if this is too hard, we can always delay lessons…”
After all, he was still struggling with trauma. Forcing him to study when he was overwhelmed didn’t feel right.
But Edmund shook his head violently.
“That’s not it! I’m not scared of you!”
“You’re not…?”
But hadn’t he said that just the other day?
He seemed to read the doubt on my face.
He bit his lip, eyes dropping to the floor, and mumbled—
“I’m not afraid of you. You’ve never done anything to deserve that.”
“Well… that’s true.”
Still, trauma doesn’t always attach itself only to the abuser.
Sometimes even someone with a few similarities can trigger it.
And there were similarities between me and Moretti.
I was older than him, managing the villa, teaching him lessons…
“So even if you didn’t mean to, it wouldn’t be strange if you hated lessons with an older woman like me. It could remind you of Moretti.”
I thought he’d accept my explanation—that I only wanted to spare him.
But instead, Edmund snapped angrily. His delicate features scrunched up.
“That’s not it! I was never afraid of Moretti either!”
“Ah, of course. Our brave Edmund.”
Right. What 13-year-old boy would admit he’d ever been scared?
So I switched into ‘aww, you poor little thing, yes yes’ mode.
Unfortunately, that only made him angrier.
He tugged at his bowtie, loosening it in frustration.
“I’m telling the truth! I only said that because it’s true!”
“Okay, okay. Whatever you say…”
Then his next words cut me deep.
“You’re the same age as me! Why would I be scared of a girl my age?!”
“…”
Ah, right. I kept forgetting.
Cassia is only fourteen.
I wasn’t much older than Edmund at all.
I pouted, lips jutting out like a sulky duck.
“Excuse you. I’m a year older, actually.”
Edmund snorted, stepping closer.
“In two months, I’ll catch up.”
“What?”
“My birthday. Once it passes, I’ll be fourteen too. Same as you.”
“Oh… I see.”
“And you’re nothing like Moretti. I hated her, I despised her—but I was never afraid of her.”
He emphasized it again: he wasn’t afraid.
That made me curious. The question slipped out before I could stop myself.
“Then what about me?”
“…What?”
“You said you hated and despised Moretti. What about me?”
Edmund froze.
It was as if he’d forgotten how to breathe.
Then, without realizing it, he whispered—
“…I li—”
“Li—?”
Too short. Did I hear that right?
I tilted my head.
Edmund flinched like he’d stepped on hot coals.
He seemed more shocked at his own words than I was.
Wait, he wasn’t about to say something terrible, was he?
He slapped a hand over his burning face, stammering—
“I don’t like you!”
Hmm. But compared to when I first met him, suspicious and hostile… this was a big improvement.
I grinned.
“So you don’t hate or despise me then?”
He didn’t answer.
His lips moved, but no sound came out.
I nodded anyway.
“That’s enough for me.”
Then a thought struck me.
“Wait. Then why did you say I looked like I was about to grab you by the collar? Do I really look like the kind of person who’d bully you?”
I planted my hand on my hip and jabbed a finger at his nose.
Edmund’s face twisted in embarrassment.
“T-that was just…!”
I crossed my arms, glaring.
This is character education time!
I waited silently.
Finally, Edmund muttered in a mosquito’s voice—
“I was just embarrassed… so I said something mean.”
I tilted my chin up.
“That’s all?”
“That’s everything! I swear—!”
“No, it isn’t!”
“Huh?”
I stomped my foot. Bang!
His shoulders flinched.
“If that’s all, then what should you say now?”
“What… should I say?”
Of course. His lack of education wasn’t only in academics—it was in basic manners too.
No wonder he grows up to be a broken person. This is my last chance to fix that.
I explained slowly, like during a lesson.
“You knew I’d never hurt you, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“And you admitted you said those words out of spite. So what comes next?”
He grimaced, but finally admitted it.
“…An apology.”
“Correct.”
I relaxed my arms and smiled.
Then I waited for what he owed me.
Like it was the first time in his life, Edmund’s face turned crimson with embarrassment.
But he still managed to force the words out.
“…I’m sorry.”
“You’re welcome.”
I smiled back warmly.
From that day on, Edmund no longer hid behind the curtain for lessons.
He sat in front of me, with pen and notebook in hand, studying seriously.
And I could see his expressions clearly as I taught. It made me happy.
It would have been a perfect day—
If not for what happened next.
The afternoon sun streamed through the dusty windows.
The light stabbed at my eyes.
So bright…
The world went white.
A ringing filled my ears.
There was a crash—my chair toppling over.
Footsteps rushing toward me.
And—
“Cassia!!!”
Edmund’s desperate voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a ceiling.
Huh? My room ceiling.
That’s right—I was in my bedroom.
Wait… wasn’t I teaching Edmund in the library just now?
I tried to sit up.
“Eh?”
Thud. I collapsed back down immediately.
The room spun around me.
What… what’s happening?
Voices reached me.
“Are you okay, Cassia?”
“You’re awake, my lady?!”
The teary one was definitely my nurse.
And the other voice—
I lifted my head weakly. Edmund was there, holding me up with a strange mix of relief, worry, and…
Why does he look like he’s angry?
The reason became clear a moment later.
“…Malnutrition? That’s why I fainted?”
The cause of my collapse was so absurd, I almost laughed—
but Edmund’s blazing red eyes glared down at me, burning like fire.
