21 - Another Grueling Day for the Aristocratic Kindergarten Teacher
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Ephna had cocoa-colored hair. Tall with a muscular body. Despite having run, he didn't even take a breath, showcasing his physical talent.
The man who called Ephna's name was the second son of the Windister family.
'Come to think of it, the second son was in the Imperial royal guard. After Hardness, now even the second son...'
After experiencing something similar once, it wasn't even surprising anymore.
He folded up the sleeves of his navy blue Imperial royal guard uniform and approached Ephna menacingly.
"Marquess Bilchen said he saw you, so it was true. How dare you show your face in front of me again?"
"Long time no see, oppa. But you should get your facts straight. It's not that I appeared, but that you appeared. I've been here all along."
"You?"
"Yeah, me."
Is there a problem? She shrugged. The man, who had been suppressing his anger, instantly turned ferocious.
"You've gotten a lot cheekier while I haven't seen you?"
"Why, are you going to hit me again like you did five years ago?"
"What?"
"Why are you asking? It's what you were best at."
At Ephna's sharp words, the second son narrowed his brows fiercely.
"When did I ever hit you? Don't talk nonsense."
"Sure, sure. Your brain must be made of muscle, so you can't even remember."
"Is she crazy?"
Swish. A thick palm is raised.
'I knew it.'
Then it stops abruptly. As if he was embarrassed by the instinctively raised hand. He gritted his teeth and lowered his hand.
"Come home right now. Father is waiting."
"He still hasn't kicked me out of the family register?"
"Cut it out while I'm being nice."
He easily threatened Ephna, using the difference in strength as a weapon.
In an instant, a dizzying fear enveloped Ephna. Old memories of the past resurfaced. The second son raising his hand, and her helplessly taking the hits...
"Huff...!"
The moment she felt breathless,
"Is it because it's a greenhouse? Bugs are gathering."
A soft, gentle voice was heard. She slowly turned her head to look beside her.
It was Yohan. Yohan Deisat. He was standing there, pointing a sword at the second son.
The second son shouted with a face that turned red and purple.
"What is this now!"
"......"
"......Sir Yohan?"
The face that had been raging became dumbfounded as soon as he confirmed the owner of the sword. It wasn't just the second son who was surprised. Ephna blinked in confusion.
'He hasn't left yet? No, he definitely wasn't here until just now?'
Then did he see everything, her sneering about having a brain made of muscle?
"Sir Yohan, isn't it? What brings you here... No, before that, the sword..."
"There's a bug here."
"Yes?"
"On your leg."
Yohan pressed the sword against the second son's leg.
"A bug."
"Agh! Sir Yohan, it hurts!"
He had no expression even as he watched the second son scream. As if he didn't know how to make an expression in the first place.
That appearance was even more chilling.
"I'll kill it for you."
The second son finally collapsed. It was a one-sided difference in power. Yohan nonchalantly shook off his sword.
"I've heard of the Windister family. They have some kind of talent..."
"Ugh!"
His face contorted as if he had been cut, even though he hadn't been. The second son gritted his teeth at the clear pain.
"But your talent doesn't seem like much."
He crushed the Windister family's 'talent' so easily. With one hand.
Looking at that scene, Yohan's appearance in the carriage a while ago came to mind. The chilling appearance he had shown for a moment.
As if sensing her gaze, Yohan turned his head towards Ephna.
"Ah, Teacher."
His act of putting away the sword without a care was natural. The expression of 'I don't know anything' was a bonus.
The blue eyes that had coldly crushed his opponent became docile, like a subdued beast.
"It seemed like you were being threatened."
It seems like that wasn't me, but that guy who was threatened. She smiled awkwardly at Yohan.
"It's okay. This is the first time you're seeing him. He's my, my, my, oppa, ugh... He's my oppa. Ah, I'm sorry. I felt a little nauseous when I tried to say oppa."
"Are you feeling unwell? Do it on my hands."
Then, without hesitation, he put his hands together and suddenly held them out.
"No! I'm okay. It's dirty."
"It's not dirty..."
His appearance as he trailed off was a little sulky. Like a beast rejected by its owner.
Ephna, unaware of that fact, turned her head towards the second son.
"Hey. Leave. Unless you want to suffer something worse."
Let's send him away. I can't show this foreign substance to the parents any longer.
"You, Ephna. You're going to regret this. Huh?"
"I know, so get lost."
Unlike her bold declaration, the second son ran away with his tail between his legs. Yohan's cold gaze must have been quite frightening.
Yohan, who had been staring at the second son's path as if he would kill even his footprints, smiled sweetly as if nothing had happened.
"Are you going back now, Teacher?"
"Yes. The Imperial family said they would take care of Kelpida's remains, so I'm going to check if the remaining children are okay."
"Let's go together. I want to escort you."
"Oh my... Then I won't refuse. Thank you."
It's been a while since I've been treated like a lady. Ephna, the salaried worker, left the greenhouse with the well-mannered parent.
* * *
Five days had passed since the spring field trip. Ephna came out to the big street for the first time in a while to buy materials needed to make teaching aids.
"Hmm, it's inconvenient because there's no felt here. I wonder if there's any paper with a similar texture."
Fumbling. A white hand meticulously scans the stall.
As she carefully touched the stiff paper, she suddenly heard a familiar voice from somewhere.
"I've been saying for the third time that I've been interested."
"Hey, don't lie! I can see it all. No, go back!"
Wasn't that Duke Hildebon? Why is he arguing there?
The moment the question arose, her feet were automatically moving towards the Grand Duke. She couldn't resist her curiosity.
"I can't hear well, um..."
A dark wooden door with no sign. An uncle who firmly blocked it raised his voice.
"You must be from the security forces or something! Huh? Do you think you're the only ones who pretend to be customers and sneak in these days? Our business has no problems. We don't do slave trading!"
Slave trading?
"Gasp."
Did Duke Hildebon come to do slave trading? Or is he cracking down on slave businesses?
She brought her ear closer. Then she heard Duke Hildebon's voice.
"I just came to see if I could give my wife a nice gift, but you're jumping to conclusions too much. Eardrums that can't even understand what I'm saying..."
He closed his mouth, managing his fierce eyes as if enduring it once.
The merchant babbled without even reading the changed atmosphere of the man.
"How can I believe that! You didn't even come with your wife. What, is that girl behind you your wife or something?"
The uncle frowned at his already dirty impression and pointed his finger. Towards Ephna.
"Huh."
What. When did I come all the way here?
Before she knew it, she was standing right behind Grand Duke Kaiden Hildebon. Yes, as if she had become his wife.
When she raised her head, she met his slowly rising gray-red eyes.
"Ahem."
Ephna coughed once and nodded slightly.
"Yes. That's right. I am this person's, no, this man's wife."
First, she cooperates with someone she knows well. He must have wanted to go in so badly that he didn't even leave the existence of his suddenly created wife alone.
But the uncle, who had a good eye, sneered as if it was impossible.
"Hey, miss. Look at your appearance. Do you think you match this man? The man is dressed so slickly, but the miss is!"
What am I? The mouth that was about to say that was shut at the merchant's next words.
"You look so shabby! Where are you lying?"
"Me? Shabby... shabby?"
"You're definitely not his wife! Maybe a maid at best."
I'm angry, but I can't argue because it's not wrong!
In fact, today she was dressed more comfortably to buy and carry a lot of teaching materials.
"I'm not a maid. I'm from a historically noble family?"
I'm estranged from my family, but I use it when it's good for me.
"My dad is a Count."
"Ha! If your dad is a Count, my dad is a Grand Duke."
The Grand Duke is right in front of the uncle...
She glanced up at her one-day husband. As if sensing her gaze, Kaiden swept up his hair with a carefree face.
The two people's eyes met. The man opened his lips, which he had been keeping closed all along.
"You're not only looking at you, but you're also talking presumptuously. Honey, I'm annoyed."
