Chapter 24
Serena and Marcelo looked at each other.
As the unfamiliar way of addressing each other left their lips, silence filled the space between them.
“…Miss Serena.”
The wall between them—as teacher and parent—crumbled.
Solphy’s ears perked up immediately. The maid had once told her—
[If the way people address each other changes, it means their relationship has changed. It’s a special event!]
[Someone take those romance novels away from her.]
The maid had read over a hundred romance novels, so Solphy trusted her completely.
‘As expected, meeting outside the kindergarten was the right choice!’
Solphy, who had been worried earlier when they avoided each other’s gaze, felt relieved.
“Teacher! Let’s take a walk in your new clothes!”
“Ah, shall we? It’ll help with digestion.”
“And we can show them off too!”
After Marcelo paid for the clothes, they went out onto the street together.
Fresh green plants and beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere. The feeling of late spring, with summer approaching, was lovely.
Solphy decided to push their relationship a little further.
Yes… now was the time to ask—
“Teacher Serena! What’s your ideal type? What kind of person do you like?”
The bold question added new tension to the calm atmosphere.
Marcelo’s steps slowed—just a little.
“My ideal type…”
Serena trailed off as if thinking, then spoke.
“A kind person?”
The answer came quicker than expected. Maybe she had thought about it before—or maybe she just answered simply because Solphy was a child.
Solphy didn’t consider the second possibility at all.
“My dad is kind! Even though he’s busy, he came with me today because I wanted to go out. And he even bought me boots even though I already have some!”
Solphy tried her best to praise Marcelo.
Serena laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly.
“So you really like your boots? I guess it needs to rain soon.”
“Teacher, did you see my boots? They have bunny ears!”
Meanwhile, Marcelo felt a little uneasy.
‘She likes kind people?’
What does “kind” even mean? Someone warm? Gentle? Calm?
To Marcelo, a kind person was someone like Serena.
Maybe people prefer someone similar to themselves.
‘Am I a kind person?’
The thought suddenly came to him.
Of course, it wasn’t like he saw Serena romantically. She was Solphy’s teacher.
He was just… curious.
After convincing himself, he continued thinking.
‘I’m not kind. I’m more… rough.’
Marcelo was someone whose fists acted faster than his words.
Honestly, earlier, he had tried very hard not to fight the count’s daughter.
‘Solphy was there. I had to hold back.’
Not long ago, he punched the Finance Bureau director—Angela’s father—and got scolded endlessly by his aide.
‘Wait… Serena saw that too, didn’t she?’
Luckily, he had held back because Solphy was there. Otherwise…
A human has twenty-eight teeth.
He would have knocked out half—fourteen at least.
‘I need to control myself.’
Before taking care of Solphy, Marcelo had lived wildly.
If someone provoked him, he never let it go.
People used to whisper—
[If you mess with Marcelo, you’ll lose your teeth.]
[That’s why they call him a threshing machine.]
[Not just teeth—he tears monsters apart with his bare hands!]
Back then, he worked on the border where monsters were everywhere.
Weapons often broke.
So how did he fight?
Simple.
With his bare hands.
To survive.
To protect people.
…That sounded noble, but in truth, he just fought to calm his boiling blood.
‘Since coming to the capital and taking care of Solphy, I’ve been living quietly.’
People who saw him again were shocked at how much he had changed.
‘Well… if I stay quiet, no one will know.’
And punching the Finance director was self-defense anyway.
After thinking that far, Marcelo returned to the present.
‘Why am I even thinking about her ideal type?’
‘Because she’s Solphy’s teacher.’
That’s all.
He convinced himself and quietly watched Solphy and Serena chatting ahead.
Just then—
“Brother! Long time no see!”
A man approached Marcelo.
A scar across his face. Thick arms covered in tattoos.
He didn’t look like a decent man.
“…Who are you?”
Marcelo frowned.
“Ah, come on! You don’t remember me? I’m Sust, we fought together on the border!”
The man laughed and threw an arm over Marcelo’s shoulder.
Serena and Solphy turned back.
“You tore monsters apart, that’s why I’m still alive!”
“I… don’t remember that…”
Marcelo avoided eye contact.
Why now of all times?
“What are you saying? Everyone called you ‘Mad Marcelo’ because you ripped monsters apart with your hands—and even your teeth! Hahaha!”
“That’s… exaggerated…”
Read the situation!
He wanted to say that—but held back.
“So these days, are you tearing apart criminals in the capital? Must be scary for them!”
“Go.”
“Huh?”
“Go…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say “get lost,” but his cold glare was enough.
The man quickly straightened up.
“Haha! Then I’ll see you next time!”
As he left, Marcelo wiped cold sweat.
“Teacheeer… can monsters really be torn apart by hand?”
“…I don’t think so…”
Solphy and Serena whispered.
Maybe it was just his imagination, but Marcelo felt like Serena had taken a few steps farther away from him.
If that were all, it would’ve been fine.
“Gasp!”
In the middle of the street, another man saw Marcelo and froze.
His face turned pale like he’d seen a ghost.
“Y-you… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to get in your way! I’ll leave right now! Please, just spare my teeth!”
The man practically crawled away.
Marcelo was drenched in cold sweat.
Normally, no one recognized him. Why today of all days?
‘No matter how you look at it… I’m not a kind person, right?’
Kind? Not at all.
The complete opposite.
He couldn’t even look at Serena.
Just then—
Something fell on his cheek.
“Hm?”
Drip… drip…
Then—
Rain poured down heavily.
There had been a chance of rain today, but no one expected it.
People hurried to find shelter.
“Wow! I can finally wear my boots!”
Solphy happily put on her boots and raincoat, spinning in the rain.
“W-we should take shelter too.”
“I have an umbrella.”
Marcelo quickly opened it.
Luckily, it was big enough for both him and Serena.
“It’s getting dark. I’ll walk you home.”
“Ah… thank you.”
Sharing an umbrella meant being alone together in a small, separated world.
They had to walk close.
Their shoulders occasionally brushed.
“……”
Neither of them spoke.
The silence only made them more aware of each other.
“This way?”
“Yes. Ah, from there there’s a roof, so it’s fine. You can just walk me that far.”
“Your things are heavy. I’ll take you all the way.”
“Oh—no, it’s really okay.”
Serena waved her hands, refusing.
Marcelo thought about insisting but stopped.
They were just parent and teacher.
She probably didn’t want to reveal too much of her private life.
Step by step, they walked through the heavy rain until they reached her home—a modest, old shared building.
“Take care.”
“Teacheeer! See you Monday!”
Serena smiled as she waved back.
“Thank you. Today… was really fun.”
Solphy whined about not wanting to part, but Marcelo quickly carried her away.
‘She’s really cute.’
Watching Solphy dangling from her father’s hand made Serena quietly laugh.
Then her eyes widened.
‘Huh?’
She was completely dry.
But one of Marcelo’s shoulders was soaked.
That meant—
He had taken the rain on himself to shield her.
“…He really is a kind person.”
