22 - Another Grueling Day for the Aristocratic Kindergarten Teacher
==========
."..Pardon?"
Was I hearing things?
I was sure I'd just heard the word "honey." And coming from that icy face, even a whiny complaint.
"What did you just say...?"
Ephna asked, dumbfounded. In contrast, the man's handsome face remained perfectly calm.
Only the slave trader, who had been abruptly accused of being presumptuous, was jumping up and down.
"What? Presumptuous? Hey, have you lost your mind? These young punks don't know to fear their elders these days! And what do you mean, 'ogling'!"
He ranted wildly, launching into a lengthy tirade.
"Just because you're wearing rags and talking back doesn't mean I can't look! Are you two a con artist couple?"
A con artist couple? This guy was really something.
Ephna's expression changed in an instant, despite having been flustered by Kaiden's "honey."
She poked Kaiden's arm with her index finger.
"My father bought me this dress... Honey, I'm upset."
"These days, young peop—uh, huh?"
When dealing with an authoritarian person, it's best to repay them in kind.
Ephna didn't hesitate to use Count Windister. With her fair hand, she dabbed at her eyes as if deeply wounded.
"My father dragged his sick body all the way to the market for my birthday present... sniffle."
"N-n-no, that's not what I meant...!"
Of course, it was a lie. Count Windister had gone out to eat for Ephna's birthday, without her.
She was so engrossed in her performance that she naturally nestled into Kaiden's arms.
"So, I usually keep it locked away in the closet and never look at it, but I wore it today for the first time in a while."
From "usually" to "look at it," she spoke so quietly and quickly that others couldn't hear.
Kaiden gently wrapped his arm around Ephna's shoulders.
"Shall I shoot him?"
"...Huh? What did you say?"
"I brought it."
He gestured casually to his waist. There was a holster there.
So, he brought a gun and was going to shoot that slave trader?
"No! Please! I can't bear to see someone as delicate as you use a g-gun. I just can't."
"Not even with my bare hands?"
"No punching either!"
"...Alright. Don't cry. You're upsetting me."
His hand, wiping away her tears with his thumb, was gentle. The tears she had squeezed out with all her might had long since dried.
And what was with that expression, genuinely regretting not being able to punch him?
The man who had almost become a target narrowed his brow fiercely.
"What 'beat'? What 'shoot'? Are you crazy?"
"Curious about what I'll shoot? Keep talking. I like fearless and stupid people like you."
"Wh-what...!"
"What's wrong? Keep talking."
Kaiden's hand moved towards his holster. Just then.
"Hey! What are you doing there! Come down quickly. The crackdown's here!"
"What? Aw, crap! You, you're lucky today!"
Someone shouted from below the building. The man, who had been waving his club while trembling, contorted his face and ran away.
The man, holding Ephna tightly, scanned the fleeing man with a cold gaze.
"Guess we'll have to move the hideout again."
Was this really the same man who had been calling her "honey" in a sweet voice just moments ago?
Even as she regained her composure, Ephna couldn't help but wonder.
The man, who had returned to being Duke Hildebon, gathered Ephna's belongings and asked.
"Are you hurt anywhere? I've shown you an unsightly scene."
"No, I was the one who wandered off to look around. Rather, I caused trouble for you, Grand Duke. I'm sorry."
It was hard to believe that they were the same people who had been putting on such a sweet and lovey-dovey act. Where had the saccharine "honey" and "darling" gone?
Ephna glanced at the firmly closed wooden door.
"Do they really buy and sell people in there?"
"What do you mean?"
"That man was talking about slave trading and the constabulary..."
Why was he feigning ignorance?
'He looks different when he pretends not to know with that handsome face.'
She looked around and whispered to Kaiden, getting close. She had to tiptoe to make up for their height difference.
Kaiden stared down at her as if watching an interesting play.
"Is it some kind of confidential matter? If so, I won't pry. Please feel free to tell me."
"Usually, if it's confidential, wouldn't you just pretend not to know?"
"...The reason it's confidential is because people are curious about it."
Besides, slave trading in the middle of such a bustling area, well, not exactly the middle, but still a bustling area.
It wasn't good for education or safety. Since the kindergarten wasn't far from here, she needed to find out.
"Was that ugly man really a slave trader?"
Seeing Ephna's unwavering attitude, he loosened his cravat. He must have felt a little stuffy pretending to be a respectable citizen.
"Yes. Slave trading is taking place here."
"These crazy people."
"Not only that."
"Not only that...?"
She swallowed hard. Her curiosity-filled eyes sparkled.
Kaiden looked down at her askance.
"I heard they use Cubid Mana Stone as currency for slave trading."
"What? That Cubid Mana Stone that's used as a material in magical engineering?"
Ephna's brow furrowed.
"That's a mineral that can only be found in the Grand Duchy Territory of Hildebon, isn't it?"
It was too high-grade to be freely distributed.
"Are you saying it's being used for slave trading here?"
"Yes. I have never allowed it to be distributed for such unpleasant business."
Thump, thump. There was force in the hand knocking on the wooden door. She understood. Duke Hildebon was annoyed.
"How did they get it...? I'm so curious I can't sleep."
"That's strange. That ugly man didn't seem capable enough to get his hands on the Grand Duchy's Cubid Mana Stone."
"I think so too."
So, that man was just a small-time lackey? In dramas, there was always someone behind the scenes.
He naturally supported the belongings that kept slipping from Ephna's arms.
"I won't feel at ease until I catch them and throw them in jail before rumors spread that I'm funding the slave trade."
"That's true. People might misunderstand that the Grand Duchy Territory of Hildebon is involved in the slave trade... But where are you going to throw them in jail..."
Instead of answering, the man smiled wryly. She felt a chilling bloodlust in his indifferent gray eyes.
It was better not to know. Ephna quickly changed the subject.
"Is it okay for me to know about something this big?"
"You were the one who said that the reason it's confidential is because people are curious about it, teacher."
Kaiden's eyes narrowed slightly. If he furrowed his brow just a little more, that would be it. The expression of, "What's wrong with this person?"
"...I guess so."
She didn't expect him to tell her everything so willingly.
"Curiosity is the problem. Curiosity is the problem."
She muttered, holding her belongings. Kaiden chuckled at Ephna.
He didn't know what she was thinking, but her thoughts were written all over her face.
His younger sister's kindergarten teacher was an interesting person in many ways.
Monday dawned.
Ephna chuckled as she watched the parents rushing in from the early morning. Regardless of their status, they never changed.
She stood at the podium and opened her mouth. The reason why the parents had rushed here. It was because of.
"The first semester..."
