Translator: Nox

Chapter 16

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I had hoped to see Benjamin truly joyful, but things hadn’t gone perfectly. Still, the boy’s uncle had agreed to respect my approach to his education, which was no small feat. I suppose progress often comes in fits and starts.

As Jacqueline tried to find silver linings, Windsor paused at the threshold. He gripped the door handle, twisting his torso back toward her.

His voice drifted across the dining table, cool and detached.

“Kindly provide me with the specific date and time. My schedule requires adjustment, so I would appreciate at least forty-eight hours’ notice.”

“…Of course, Lord Preston!”

Jacqueline, who had been watching him in stunned silence, nodded vigorously. She answered quickly, terrified that he might revoke the offer if she hesitated.

Windsor stepped out, leaving the dining room behind. Jacqueline lingered, her gaze fixed on the closed door for a long moment before a soft, satisfied smile touched her lips.

“Benjamin!”

The door to the study swung open as she called out in high spirits. Benjamin, who had been occupied with his reading, looked up with wide, startled eyes at her sudden intrusion.

“Greetings, Miss Somerset.”

The young boy blinked his light brown eyes, staring curiously at Jacqueline. She was dressed quite differently than her usual self. She marched over to him and unceremoniously plopped a wide-brimmed hat onto his head.

The hat was far too large for a child; it immediately slipped down, obscuring his forehead. Benjamin reached up to lift the brim, tilting his head in sheer confusion.

“It belongs to me, but it really is a bit oversized for you, isn’t it?”

Jacqueline took a step back to inspect him. She gave him a quick appraisal and shrugged—it clearly didn’t bother her in the slightest.

“Shall we be off?”

“…To where?”

Jacqueline rattled a small bucket hanging from her arm. When Benjamin spotted the garden trowel resting inside, his expression became even more bewildered.

Jacqueline flashed a brilliant smile, one that felt like a burst of spring sunshine, illuminating the entire room.

“To hunt for ants.”

Caught between her radiant expression and her baffling proposal, Benjamin struggled to process the words. He stood there, momentarily dazed.

“Come along!”

Jacqueline began to march away with confidence, but Benjamin remained rooted to the spot. After a few paces, she realized he wasn’t following and turned back.

Benjamin had his chin tucked, his legs pressed together, and his hands clasped firmly behind his back. He looked like a miniature version of Windsor—a tiny, rigid soldier.

His voice was remarkably poised when he spoke.

“The heir to the House of Preston does not engage in catching ants, Miss Somerset.”

“I am going to show you how to find the queen. I spent the entire night researching their habits—your library has a book for everything. Once the queen is captured, the workers and soldiers will follow her anywhere. We’ll build a brand-new empire inside this bucket.”

Jacqueline’s voice was melodic and enticing, like a tempting whisper. Benjamin flinched despite himself, shaking his head until his soft hair swayed.

“I gave my word never to fail my uncle again, Miss Somerset.”

“I see.”

Jacqueline looked at the boy with genuine surprise; his resolve had hardened significantly in just a single day. Then, tilting her head back with a triumphant air, she made her move.

“And what if Lord Preston himself has granted us his permission?”

Benjamin’s eyes went wide with shock—so much so that the oversized hat slid down over his eyes once more.

As he pushed the brim back up, a flicker of doubt crossed his face. Benjamin was a bright child, and he remembered all too well that following Jacqueline’s lead usually resulted in a lecture from his uncle.

“That is impossible. Uncle would never permit such a thing…”

“It turns out Lord Preston is just as logical and fair-minded as I am. We spoke last night and came to an understanding—he has agreed to honor my methods of instruction.”

Benjamin looked utterly floored.

A moment later, his eyes began to dance with excitement. He gazed up at her with newfound reverence, as if she were a legendary general returning from a victorious campaign.

“Shall we?”

Jacqueline squared her shoulders proudly and led the way. After a heartbeat of hesitation, Benjamin adjusted his slipping hat and hurried after her.

He quickly caught up to her side, his voice vibrating with an excitement he couldn’t suppress.

“Did Uncle truly say it was alright?”

“He did indeed.”

“And if we only catch the queen, will the whole kingdom follow?”

“According to my reading, yes. If we prepare a glass enclosure with soil and introduce the queen along with her subjects, we can watch exactly how they construct their world.”

“But how will we find her? She lives deep in the earth.”

“I have a secret technique.”

“A secret?”

The boy was suddenly full of questions, more talkative than Jacqueline had ever known him to be. She smiled warmly and reached out to straighten his crooked hat.

“The sun is quite fierce today. It’s a good thing we have our hats.”

Standing at the manor’s entrance, Jacqueline scanned the grounds before pointing toward the left with her trowel. With the commanding air of a leader rallying troops, she announced:

“That way! I have a strong suspicion we’ll find a colony near the greenhouse.”

“Yes, Miss Somerset!”

Benjamin nodded with solemn determination. Together, they set off into the unknown, looking for all the world like a captain and first mate embarking on a voyage to a new continent.

Benjamin clutched his hat as a gust of wind tried to steal it, then broke into a light jog to stay by her side.

Betty, who was busy cleaning the windows, paused to watch them with a look of pure confusion, though neither of them noticed her.

“The moment has arrived to reveal my secret method.”

Upon reaching an almond tree near the greenhouse, Jacqueline whispered with great importance. She reached into her bucket.

“Behold! Do you recognize this?”

“Is it… a biscuit?”

Benjamin’s answer was tentative. It certainly looked like a common cookie.

However, seeing Jacqueline’s smug expression, he began to doubt his eyes. She wouldn’t look that proud over a simple snack. Perhaps it was some sort of cookie-shaped explosive designed to blast open the ant tunnels.

“This is no ordinary biscuit. This is our scout into the heart of the kingdom.”

“Now, observe.”

Jacqueline knelt down with care, ensuring her skirts didn’t touch the dirt.

Benjamin crouched down opposite her, straining his neck forward so far that his hat actually fell off the back of his head.

“If we crumble the biscuit right here…”

The boy watched the dark earth with rapt attention.

“Crumbs… I see.”

“Nothing is happening, Miss Somerset.”

Disappointment colored Benjamin’s voice. Jacqueline bit her lip, looking slightly flustered.

“That’s odd. The text was quite specific… Wait! Look there, Benjamin.”

She dropped her voice to a whisper and pointed. Benjamin’s eyes followed her lead.

A lone ant emerged from the grass. It paused, sensed the air, and marched straight for the crumbs.

Benjamin leaned in closer, his fingers twitching with the urge to snatch it up.

Jacqueline shook her head firmly.

“Patience. We aren’t after a single ant—we want the whole colony. To achieve a grand goal, one must learn to wait.”

“Yes, Miss Somerset.”

Benjamin squeezed his tiny hands into fists, the very picture of disciplined restraint.

The ant struggled to hoist a crumb many times its size. After failing several times, it turned and scurried back the way it came.

Benjamin’s shoulders slumped.

“It gave up and went home. Should we make the pieces smaller?”

“Did it give up? Let’s stay a moment longer.”

“…Very well.”

Benjamin shifted restlessly on his haunches. He was terrified of losing the trail, but he forced himself to remain still, trusting Jacqueline’s word.

His fists were beginning to unclench as his patience wore thin, when suddenly—

“Oh!”

A line of ants appeared from the nearby brush. They marched in a perfect, purposeful row.

“Look!”

Benjamin let out a soft, breathless gasp. Though they were identical to the naked eye, it was clear the leader was their original scout.

The ants worked together, hoisting the heavy crumb with ease. Others followed behind, picking up smaller fragments to carry back.

“It brought help, Miss Somerset!”

“So it did.”

Jacqueline’s own eyes were bright. The ant hadn’t surrendered; it had simply gone to fetch reinforcements.

With their prize held high, the ants began a dignified march back to their home.

“Choosing the right allies is a vital duty for a future Marquess. There are many burdens in life that cannot be carried alone.”

Jacqueline paused, thinking of Windsor’s philosophy, and a small smile played on her lips.

A few ants wouldn’t protect Benjamin’s future, but perhaps the lesson would stay with him.

“Yes, Miss Somerset,” Benjamin murmured, though he was clearly entranced, following the ants as if under a spell. Jacqueline followed at a distance, bucket in hand.

The trail led to the base of a cherry tree. Benjamin knelt there, staring at the perforated earth for a long time.

“Now, it’s my turn to work.”

Jacqueline pushed up her sleeves and gripped the trowel.

Like a pioneer at the edge of a new frontier, she drove the blade into the soil. She looked at the boy with confidence.

“The colony is right beneath us. At the center, we will find the queen. Once we have her, we can start our own empire.”

Benjamin remained silent, his eyes fixed on the ground. Several tunnels opened into the dirt. He watched as one ant peeked out, checked the coast, and hurried off, while another dragged a tiny insect carcass into the depths.

“I think… I would like to leave them be.”

His soft voice carried easily on the breeze.

Jacqueline, who had been about to offer him the trowel, paused. Benjamin was watching the bustling life of the colony with wide, thoughtful eyes.

“You don’t want to take them with us?”

“No. I just want to watch them here.”

Jacqueline’s expression softened instantly. The boy didn’t want to destroy the home the ants had built together.

She found herself admiring this trait—a gentle empathy that was perhaps uncharacteristic of the Preston line, yet perfect for the heir.

Benjamin might just become the most compassionate master the estate had ever seen, fulfilling Windsor’s hopes in a way no one expected. She was sure of it.

Looking down at the boy’s small, hunched back, Jacqueline spoke softly.

“If we kept them in a glass case in your room, you could see them whenever you liked. It would be quite a sight.”