The Mansion Awaits Spring
Chapter 113
While Miller was lost in thought, Paul Sore, the Division Chief of Special Investigation Headquarters Division 1 who had gone with Fezin to search for the dye, walked in.
Miller smiled and spoke.
“Did you complete the investigation safely?”
“Yes, it went well thanks to you. Superintendent Dieus is in good health as well.”
After exchanging brief pleasantries, Paul continued.
“Now, I will report on the investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Headquarters regarding the methods to protect the citizens of the Grand Duchy from the fog.”
“How did it go?”
“I was told they failed to obtain any information.”
“……They failed to obtain information?”
“Yes. He informed me that nothing was discovered, so there was nothing in particular to report.”
At Paul’s words that nothing had been found, Miller frowned despite himself. It made no sense that they had discovered nothing after journeying to that distant and rugged place for an entire week.
With a hardened face, Miller confirmed once more.
“Is that what you will report to the Imperial Police Agency as well? That nothing was found?”
“Yes, he instructed me to report it exactly as such.”
Paul, too, looked skeptical, as if questioning whether this was the right way to convey the news.
Miller groaned and covered his forehead with his hand.
There was not much for Kayani to do while guarding the grand Lunos Mansion. This was thanks to the fact that, since the funeral, the number of people working here—even if irregularly—had increased.
He had received a request from April to keep a close eye on them, as she planned to gradually select and hire those who proved trustworthy.
Kayani could not even begin to imagine how April had spent her days when none of these people were around. Even though Kayani was on the introverted side and loved reading books at home more than anything, the mere thought of living here alone for seven years was agonizing.
For April’s sake, he dedicated himself most diligently to his duties as the acting head of the family. This included teaching math.
“Mr. Bauman, Grandmother. Have you seen where Hannah and Fred went?”
“Did those rascals run away again? Go and get ready, young master. Mr. Bauman and I will catch them and bring them to you.”
Fred’s grandmother said, rolling up her sleeves.
Hannah and Fred, who had been wary of Kayani at first, quickly tore down their walls around him. In fact, the speed of it made him wonder if it was alright for them to open up this quickly.
If there was a single busy moment in his day, it was catching Hannah and Fred whenever they ran away to avoid their math lessons.
Seeing them behave this way, it seemed April usually let them run quite free. Fortunately, Bauman and Fred’s grandmother, both passionate about the children’s education, caught the two for him. Dragged into the study, Hannah and Fred whined.
“I hate math!”
“Can’t you tell us an interesting story instead?”
Why do they hate math? It’s so much fun.
Feeling a twinge of disappointment as if he were the one being disliked, Kayani spoke to the two children, who were squirming the moment they were made to sit down.
“The head of the family specifically asked me to teach you math. If I can’t teach you a single thing, I won’t be able to face her.”
“Why did the lady tell us to learn this kind of stuff anyway?”
As Hannah grumbled, Kayani answered.
“She wants you to become familiar with numbers. Learning numbers will be of great help to you in life.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. Has unnie ever told you to do anything bad?”
“No. Never.”
Perhaps the last point hit home, because Hannah answered firmly. He thought he should have said that from the very beginning.
Having finally persuaded them to start the math lesson, Kayani’s eyes met Bauman’s, who was peeking inside from outside the door.
He had felt this since the first day, but Bauman showed even more interest in math than the children did. Then again, construction was a field where one could do nothing without calculations. During his time looking after the Lunos Mansion, Kayani taught the children the four basic arithmetic operations in order. And today, after giving them some mixed-operation problems, he walked over to Bauman.
“Mr. Bauman.”
“Yes, young master. I am keeping a close eye on things here so the little ones don’t run away.”
“In that case, would you like to come inside and join us?”
Kayani said, pulling out an algebra textbook and offering it to him.
“While the children are solving their problems, wouldn’t looking through this together make the time fly?”
“Oh my…….”
Bauman opened the textbook and traced the letters one by one with his hand.
Having lost his mother at an early age and with no one to look after him, Bauman had learned construction by following his father around; he had never had the opportunity to study.
Even while teaching construction to the children, Bauman had felt envious of Hannah and Fred’s knowledge, which expanded at an overwhelming rate day by day.
While Hannah and Fred solved their problems, Kayani began to explain algebra to Bauman.
He was a good teacher. Since Bauman was a craftsman himself, he understood better than anyone how vast one’s knowledge had to be to teach something simply.
Without even realizing that his hands were turning black with graphite, Bauman eagerly received Kayani’s instruction before speaking sheepishly.
“To think an old man like me would find… such enjoyment in this at my age, young master.”
“Don’t say that.”
Kayani shook his head vigorously and continued.
“If it’s fun, then it’s a hobby, isn’t it? Math is my hobby too.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, so whenever and about whatever, I would be delighted if you would talk about math with me.”
Kayani said, flashing a bright smile.
Bauman smiled back and nodded.
“The members of the Lunos family, honestly, sometimes surprise me by how mature they are.”
“You mean unnie, right?”
“You as well, young master… Yes, Lady April.”
Bauman continued with an affectionate expression.
“Every day, I only pray that she will be happy. Now that she has more people she can trust by her side, and people who will look after her even when this old man is gone.”
Bauman stopped mid-sentence at the sight of two heads suddenly thrusting forward.
Having overheard Bauman, the two children had run over and were peering up at his face.
“A day without Grandpa will never come.”
“That’s right…….”
Fred, chiming in with Hannah, was already shedding fat tears.
Rising from his seat, Kayani turned the two children around and sent them back to their spots.
“Don’t get up just to say things that are obvious. Sit down and finish solving those before you get up.”
“Can’t we just do this and then go outside to play together?”
“Let’s go fishing, young master.”
“Alright, alright. We’ll go once you finish solving all of these.”
While he was coaxing them, Kayani heard footsteps and looked back.
Discovering April, who had returned from her long journey and was watching them with narrowed eyes, the two children hastily pretended to study, and Bauman quickly stood up.
“Have you returned, My Lady?”
“Please keep studying that.”
April gestured for Bauman to sit back down before walking over to Hannah and Fred.
Kayani realized that the reason Hannah and Fred had felt exceptionally free was because April had been away.
The children, who had been squirming and complaining about not wanting to study, instantly became well-behaved the moment she appeared. However, April looked down at their worksheets and said,
“The subject isn’t the problem. Of course, the subject is a problem too, but this is a matter of perseverance.”
At her words, the children peeked up at April. She continued.
“Before you go to school, before you go out into the world to work, learn perseverance here.”
“I can do well when I go to school.”
“Me too, probably…….”
At the children’s replies, April took off her gloves and said,
“Perseverance isn’t done with the mind; it’s done with the body. It doesn’t change just because you suddenly resolve to work hard at some point. Keep your rear glued to that chair. Make perseverance a habit.”
Having said that, April gestured for Kayani to follow her outside. As she walked with him, she smiled.
“I made an unnecessary request of you. I didn’t know those two would be this disobedient.”
“It’s alright. It was actually quite fun.”
“And Mr. Bauman?”
“Ah, he likes math.”
At Kayani’s cheerful voice, April smiled and nodded.
She said,
“It seems Fezin has to leave, so I’ll go see him off. Please continue with the lesson.”
“Yes, unnie. I will do so.”
“It’s reassuring to have you here.”
Offering that compliment, April headed out toward the dining hall.
Since they had helped her retrieve the minerals, she had sent Shaefer and Fezin’s subordinates to the dining hall to eat whatever they wanted, only to find the two groups snarling at each other in separate clusters.
April crossed her arms and muttered.
“Wasting their energy on useless things again.”
Regardless, the leader of those groups was nowhere to be seen.
April asked Logan, who was leading the group in place of Paul, who had gone ahead to report to the Grand Duke’s Residence.
“Where are Fezin and Shaefer?”
“Ah, they are across from the mansion. They said they had something to discuss.”
“Is that so?”
April looked toward the mansion before hurrying her steps in that direction.
She recalled how Shaefer had consistently looked as though he wanted to say something to her. The thought that Fezin might be keeping his mouth shut crossed her mind.
