Chapter 9
“If you have nothing more to say, I’d appreciate it if you left. You’re disrupting the lesson.”
When I told her to leave for the second time, she pushed my shoulder with the closed end of her fan.
“Disrupting? Who do you think you are, talking back to me like that?”
“I wasn’t talking back — I was just saying what needed to be said.”
“As I thought, you really are stupid. And stupid people only understand when you spell things out for them. You— I don’t want some herbivore like you anywhere near my nephew.”
“…What?”
Enneia suddenly spat out her hostility toward me. My mood, already not great, sank straight into the mud.
“Can’t you understand what I’m saying?”
“I understand perfectly well. But it seems you don’t understand the young master’s condition.”
I had no reason to be polite to someone who was openly hostile to me.
“Shouldn’t you be happy about the young master’s great improvement, instead of picking a fight?”
“Disgusting little herbivore who eats grass.”
“Well, I’d say that’s still better than being a carnivore who can’t live without eating others’ flesh. After all, without herbivores, carnivores wouldn’t have anything to eat either, right?”
“What—what did you say?”
“And besides, I’m employed by the young master’s household, not by you, ma’am. I tend to say what I think.”
Her body trembled in fury. She gave a derisive laugh and shook her shoulders, unable to contain her anger.
“You’re nothing but a pathetic little insect, and yet your mouth just won’t stop running.”
“Unfortunately, I’m the type that eats insects for a living. And mouths exist to speak, not to stay shut. Anyway, you’re disrupting the lesson. This is the third time I’m asking — didn’t you hear me? Should I repeat it right into your ear?”
At the Academy of Beasts, I’d gotten used to this kind of contempt.
Because I was a herbivore. Because I was a sparrow — the weakest of herbivores. Because my kind was stupid and had even been driven to extinction.
I’d been looked down on not only by carnivores, but even by other herbivores.
That was why I’d learned to fight back harder against those who despised me.
Even if I had no physical quills like a hedgehog, I could still lace my words with thorns.
“I’m, as you can see, Louis’s aunt. And if I tell Asus about this rudeness, he won’t let it slide. Are you sure you’re not worried? You could lose that job you worked so hard to get.”
How does she know I barely managed to land this job?
‘No… she’s probably just assuming. It’s not easy for sparrows to find work anyway. I’m just overthinking it.’
I pushed the thought aside and turned to Louis.
“Well then, young master. What shall we learn today? How about studying the shapes of different objects?”
“Are you ignoring me right now?”
“Yes, I am.”
Without even glancing her way, I just moved my lips. She couldn’t take it anymore and screamed.
“You’ll regret this, you stupid herbivore! I won’t let you off!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, she stormed out.
“Enneia?”
Louis looked after his aunt with a hint of disappointment, but I immediately resumed the lesson. Thankfully, the young master had good concentration and followed along well.
But it wasn’t long before Enneia returned — bursting through the door just as loudly as she’d left.
I looked at her briefly. I half-expected her to come back with the master of the house, ready to make a scene, but that wasn’t it.
Instead, she wore an expression that was obviously foul — her anger practically radiating from her face.
Still glaring at me, she interrupted the lesson again and again, until I finally stopped ignoring her and looked up with a smirk.
“Let me guess — you ran off to whine, ‘That sparrow tutor ignored me, do something about it, boo-hoo!’ But things didn’t go the way you wanted, did they?”
Her flushed, twitching face told me I’d hit the mark.
“How on earth did you manage to charm Lord Asus? You must’ve seduced him with that pathetic little sparrow face of yours.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but no such thing happened.”
Honestly, how could a sparrow possibly seduce a black panther? The ridiculousness of it made me laugh.
Realizing my scornful look, Enneia ground her teeth furiously and snapped her head away.
“This isn’t over.”
“Sure. Have a nice day.”
I bowed politely.
“I don’t want your worthless politeness.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Louis, Auntie’s leaving.”
At that, the young master looked up from his book.
“Enneia… you’re leaving already?”
“Yes, Louis. This auntie doesn’t like your tutor.”
“Huh…?”
Now she was stooping low enough to manipulate a child. Pathetic.
“So, as long as that filthy herbivore is around you, I won’t be.”
It was honestly chilling. What difference was there between that and telling a five-year-old to choose between us?
I let out a short laugh of disbelief, and she smiled mockingly.
‘Why does she hate me so much?’
I couldn’t understand it. Was it really such a crime that her nephew’s tutor happened to be a sparrow, when he literally had allergies to carnivores?
If she truly loved her nephew, she should have been happy that someone could stay close and care for him safely.
‘It’s almost like she doesn’t want anyone but herself near him… How childish can she get?’
Enneia spoke coldly to Louis.
“You understand, right, Louis?”
“Mm. I understand.”
“Then go to your father and tell him to get rid of that beast.”
“Get rid of…?”
“Yes. I told you — if you want to spend time with me, that tutor has to go.”
But Louis just tilted his head with his big, innocent eyes.
“Mm. Right. She has to go. So… during lessons, I’ll be with Bbaepsae-ya, and after lessons, I’ll be with Enneia!”
“…What? Louis, that’s not what I meant!”
“It’s not? But if you don’t want to be around Bbaepsae, that should work, right?”
The young master truly couldn’t understand her logic. He just looked puzzled — and that pure confusion somehow made her look small and ridiculous.
“So what I’m saying is—!”
“What are you saying, Enneia?”
His eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky — innocent and harmless, filled only with sincerity.
“You’re really clever, young master.”
“Ugh… you—!”
Enneia’s lips trembled as if she couldn’t even find words.
“Enneia, are you mad?”
“…No. I’ll be going now. See you later, Louis.”
“Okay! Bye-bye, Enneia!”
Waving his little hand energetically, Louis beamed. Enneia only sighed deeply, then stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Only then did Louis glance up at me, a bit anxious.
“Bbaepsae-ya, did I do something wrong?”
“No, not at all. You did great, young master. You handled it very wisely. Like you said — if Enneia doesn’t want to see me, then you can just meet her at different times. Simple, right?”
“Right! I’m smart, huh? I hope Auntie praises me later.”
…She probably won’t.
But seeing how proud he looked, I couldn’t bear to tell him that. So I just smiled awkwardly.
“Shall we get back to our lesson then?”
“Yeah! This book is square-shaped, right? So how do you write that in letters?”
“This one goes like this…”
And so, just like any other day, our lesson continued.
