Chapter 16
16
“I, I’m stupid, an idiot, so I’m afraid I’ll d, disappoint the Flingtern Teacher.”
“What?”
Having heard that, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.
Of course, I had expected that tutoring would be difficult for Vincent, who suffered from social phobia, but…
‘This is a little different than I thought.’
I frowned slightly.
Vincent, misunderstanding it, shrank his shoulders.
‘Something’s wrong.’
I decided to dig a little deeper.
“I’m Vincent, someone who wants to help you. But me being disappointed in you? Why would you think that?”
At my question, Vincent hesitated and quietly answered.
“…Because Flingtern Teacher is a genius.”
“Huh?”
“I, I heard.”
“…Can you tell me more?”
What on earth did he hear?
An ominous feeling washed over me.
And usually, those feelings,
“Flingtern Teacher, you’ve been a genius since you were little… and you don’t even bother with idiots. You’ll definitely be very disappointed in me…”
Never turn out to be wrong.
‘Damn it.’
I immediately realized who was behind this mess.
‘Is it you again?’
Anna Lever.
Actually, it wasn’t surprising.
Isolating people through discord was her long-standing tactic, dating back to our Academy days.
‘I expected her to make a move, but.’
I didn’t expect her to pull something like this on the first day of tutoring.
“Haa.”
I took a deep breath to suppress my anger.
Seeing that, Vincent drooped his shoulders like a scolded puppy and looked at me cautiously.
“First of all…”
I struggled to get the first words out, wondering where to even begin correcting things.
“The thing about me being a genius is a misunderstanding.”
It was a somewhat embarrassing explanation, but I spoke with sincerity because I couldn’t let Vincent’s misunderstanding deepen.
Vincent’s ears perked up slightly.
“Of course, it’s true that my grades at the Academy were good, but that’s because I worked hard.”
Wherever I went, the rumors Anna spread followed me, and the only place I could breathe was the library.
Thanks to that, I was forced to focus on studying.
More than anything, I didn’t want to lose to Anna when it came to studying.
“B, but you didn’t even bother with kids who weren’t good at studying.”
“That’s…”
Bad memories surfaced, and I frowned slightly.
But, in order to open someone’s heart, I needed to open my own first.
Yes, this is actually a good thing.
Now I have an opportunity to have a sincere conversation, even if it’s like this.
“I was a loner during my Academy days.”
“A loner…?”
Vincent widened his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it.
He looked like a startled rabbit, and I smiled slightly.
“Why, don’t you believe me?”
Vincent nodded his head vigorously.
“Flingtern Teacher is good at studying and also…”
“Also?”
“….”
Vincent didn’t continue, but his cheeks were slightly flushed.
“Hmm, what were you going to say?”
When I asked teasingly, Vincent shut his mouth tightly and shook his head wildly.
He was so cute that a mischievous desire to tease him more welled up, but this wasn’t the time.
“It’s true, even if you don’t believe it. No one wanted to hang out with me.”
Vincent looked at me.
When our eyes met, I smiled brightly. Vincent’s face turned even redder.
“Someone spread bad rumors about me.”
I didn’t bother mentioning that the ‘someone’ was Anna.
If I told the truth, Vincent would naturally try to distance himself from Anna, but I didn’t want to instill prejudice in Vincent in that way.
I didn’t want to involve him in the affairs of adults either.
“The kids who used to be my friends started to distance themselves from me at some point, and whispers followed me wherever I went. It was so hard that I naturally started avoiding people too.”
“……”
“There’s no such thing as not hanging out with people who are dumber than me. That’s a false story. And more than anything.”
I suddenly made eye contact with Vincent.
Vincent’s eyes widened.
I smiled and said.
“I will never be disappointed in you, Vincent.”
“…Why…”
“I’m your Flingtern Teacher. If you trust me, I will respond to your trust. If it’s too difficult to follow, tell me then. I’ll wait.”
“……”
Vincent, who was just a means to ease the black villain’s wariness and get closer.
But at this moment, I wanted to be a support for this child.
Someone he could rely on when things got tough, without having to run all the way to the Giant Tree on Western Hill.
Vincent didn’t answer right away, but I didn’t wait for an answer.
It wasn’t like I was trying to get an answer right away, and Vincent needed time to adjust.
Instead.
I stood up and held out my hand to Vincent.
Vincent stared blankly at my hand.
“Shall we go now?”
At my words, Vincent hesitated and took my hand.
Like that day in the Western Hill after the rain stopped.
But a little faster than that.
However, I didn’t know.
That it wasn’t just Vincent and I there.
* * *
It was when I arrived in front of the main building, holding Vincent’s hand.
“Flingtern Teacher!”
Someone called out to me and approached quickly.
“Winston?”
It was Winston.
He approached quickly and looked at us with strange eyes. More precisely, at our hands clasped together.
He quickly averted his gaze and spoke to me.
“I was looking for the Young master because he wasn’t visible. But why are you with the Young master at this hour…”
Winston still didn’t know that Vincent had disappeared.
I was a little embarrassed.
It was difficult to explain this situation to Winston.
At that moment, Vincent, who was holding my hand tightly, took a step forward.
Surprised by his sudden action, I looked at Vincent with surprised eyes.
“I said I wanted to go outside.”
“Yes…? Young master, what are you saying…”
“Flingtern Teacher was just granting my request!”
Only then did I realize Vincent’s intention and covered my mouth.
‘Is he protecting me right now?’
His small back was blocking me like a shield.
Emotion washed over me like a tide.
Winston was the one who was flustered.
As if he hadn’t expected Vincent to defend me, Winston looked back and forth between Vincent and me.
His gaze was strange. It seemed a little sharp…?
“I see. Then there’s nothing I can do. But please tell me next time if you suddenly disappear, as it’s alarming.”
“Yeah, sorry for making you worry.”
At Vincent’s innocent apology, Winston’s eyes widened.
His gaze soon shifted to me.
His gaze seemed to be asking, ‘What kind of magic did you use?’ and I gave him an awkward smile.
It was then.
Grumble.
At the sound of a rumbling stomach coming from somewhere, Winston and I turned our gazes at the same time.
“Ah…”
Vincent covered his stomach tightly, stammering with a flushed face.
Winston and I burst into laughter at the sight.
Winston said.
“You must be hungry since you skipped dinner. I will tell the chef to prepare something that is not too heavy.”
Vincent nodded slightly and looked at me.
“What about Flingtern Teacher?”
I could feel Winston staring at me in surprise, but I pretended not to notice and shook my head.
“I’m fine, so please go in.”
Then, for some reason, Vincent’s eyes widened for a moment, but soon became dejected and nodded.
“If you get hungry later, please tell Chelsea.”
I nodded at Winston’s words.
Soon, Vincent and Winston went inside. I watched the two of them walk away.
It was then.
Vincent, who had suddenly stopped walking, ran towards me.
“……?”
Surprised by his unexpected action, I stared at Vincent, who was running towards me, with wide eyes.
Winston was also startled and turned around.
He ran so fast that Vincent, who soon reached me, put his hands on his knees and gasped for breath.
What is it?
I was about to call Vincent with a mixture of worry and bewilderment.
“Vin…”
“Tomorrow…!”
Vincent’s eyes, which he had raised sharply, were clearly directed at me.
I couldn’t say anything more and just stared blankly at Vincent.
Vincent took a deep breath, straightened his back, and looked straight at me.
“I’ll listen to the lesson properly tomorrow.”
“……”
“I’ll be waiting, Flingtern Teacher.”
“Ah, uh…”
At Vincent’s sudden words, I couldn’t answer right away and just blinked.
I soon came to my senses, gave a relaxed smile, and nodded.
“Yeah, I’ll be looking forward to it. See you tomorrow.”
At the words ‘see you tomorrow,’ Vincent’s eyes sparkled.
“Yes!”
Vincent shouted loudly and turned around again, running towards Winston.
His back looked very refreshed.
Winston looked back and forth between Vincent and me with a strange expression, and then went inside with him.
I watched Vincent’s receding figure with a proud heart.
But that was only for a moment.
My expression froze coldly.
‘Anna Lever.’
This made it certain.
‘I can’t let this go on.’
In the original story, Anna, the tutor, drives a wedge between Vincent and Cadienne.
‘That must have been how it was back then too.’
In the original story where I wasn’t there, you could do as you pleased.
‘I won’t be taken advantage of like I was at the Academy.’
With a firm resolve, I turned to go back to my room.
At that moment.
Stagger-
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, my vision blurred and my body staggered.
Before I knew it, my body was falling to the ground.
‘I’m falling…!’
I squeezed my eyes shut.
But.
Thud-
Just before I hit the ground, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up.
After safely placing both feet on the ground, I looked at the person who had grabbed me.
The moment I identified that person, it became difficult to breathe.
Silver hair that seemed to have melted moonlight and pale purple eyes.
A man who was unreal and beautiful, as if he were from a dream.
‘Cadienne Mercedes…’
How could you be?
It was at that moment that I was looking at him with bewildered eyes as he suddenly appeared.
Suddenly, the tip of my nose tingled,
Thud, thud.
“……”
I had a nosebleed.
