Chapter 3
3
‘Th-this is……!’
Winston doubted his own eyes.
But no matter how much he rubbed his eyes and looked, what Livia Plington had dropped was definitely the Ruby Certificate, awarded only to the most outstanding students among the graduates of the Imperial Academy.
The ultra-elite among the elite.
A genius among geniuses.
What the Ruby Certificate meant was clear.
And it had fallen out of Livia Plington's bag.
‘Is it a fake?’
However, the certificate, inlaid with a specially crafted ruby, was undoubtedly stamped with the Academy's seal.
The seal held a special power, impossible to imitate.
And there was no doubting that it belonged to her, as the name ‘Livia Plington’ was clearly written at the bottom of the certificate.
Winston, who had always carefully selected only the elite as tutors, was seeing a Ruby Certificate for the first time.
That was because,
‘Those who have received the Ruby Certificate in the past have all become professors or been scouted by the Imperial Family.’
Something was wrong.
Winston, barely managing to pick up the certificate and hand it to Livia, asked with a forced smile.
“If, if it’s not too much to ask, may I inquire about your future plans?”
In response to his question, Livia replied with a slightly regretful expression.
“I’m planning to go to the Imperial Palace.”
“……! T-the Imperial Palace, you say?”
“Yes.”
Livia covered her lips, as if slightly embarrassed, and continued.
“Actually, before coming here, I received an offer to become a tutor for His Highness the Prince.”
“H-His Highness the Prince……!!”
Winston was practically breathless.
Winston suddenly felt as if a halo was shining behind Livia.
But before that halo could disappear, Livia said as she left the drawing room.
“Now that it’s come to this, I should go to the Imperial Palace before it gets any later.”
With those words, Livia left the drawing room without a trace of regret.
Tap, tap.
The sound of her shoes gradually faded away.
And…….
“W-wait a moment!!”
Winston, belatedly regaining his senses, shot out like an arrow.
Rushing out in an instant, Winston blocked Livia's path with his body.
Livia looked at Winston with a surprised expression.
He had rushed out so hastily that his usual neatness was nowhere to be found, and he was panting with a flushed face.
Not losing Livia was more important than maintaining his composure right now.
“J-just a moment…….”
Winston barely managed to say to Livia, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
After catching his breath for a moment, Winston immediately got to the point.
“I-if, huff, if Livia Plington-nim is willing, I would like to have Plington-nim as a tutor.”
Winston thought Livia would accept the offer immediately.
But instead of accepting the offer, Livia tilted her head and asked.
“Didn’t you say you had already found a new teacher?”
Worried that Livia’s mind might have changed in the meantime, Winston rambled on, sweating profusely.
“W-well, I did say that, but with the authority to oversee Young master Vincent’s education, I think we can bring in one more person.”
“Ah.”
It was nothing more than an excuse, but Livia nodded obediently, as if she understood.
Then, she smiled brightly and retorted.
“You made that decision in a very short moment.”
Winston could only sweat profusely at her pointed words.
Even he thought he was being shameless.
Livia paused for a moment to think.
Winston realized that this was his last chance and quickly lowered his head.
“If, if you were offended by my attitude, I apologize here and now.”
“Ah.”
Livia’s eyes widened at Winston’s sudden action.
Even if Livia rejected the offer now, he couldn’t help it.
It was clear that his attitude had changed after seeing her certificate.
Then, Livia’s calm voice was heard above his head.
“If you put it that way, I can’t refuse.”
Winston cautiously raised his head.
Livia was looking at him with a gentle smile.
For a moment, Winston saw a halo behind Livia.
“I’ll accept the offer.”
Ah.
At that moment, regret washed over him.
Why hadn’t he recognized her value sooner?
Despite his rudeness, Livia had overlooked his mistake with great generosity.
Winston, feeling overwhelmed with emotion, shouted loudly.
“I’ll prepare the contract right away!”
Winston brought the contract with lightning speed.
I sipped the freshly brewed tea and scanned the contract he had presented.
And inwardly, I exclaimed in admiration.
‘Perfect.’
If there was a standard for contracts, this would be it.
However.
“Here, Article 3, Clause 1. If the employee causes harm to the education subject or the family in question, the contract will be immediately terminated along with legal action and appropriate compensation.”
“Yes.”
“The scope of judging ‘harm’ seems ambiguous.”
If Vincent shouted, ‘I’ve been harmed!’ that would be the end of it, wouldn’t it?
Winston smiled as if to tell me not to worry.
“It applies when, from an objective point of view, Young master or the Mercedes Ducal Family’s honor is tarnished or harmed. It’s a clause to protect Young master and the Ducal Family, so there’s no need to worry.”
“I see.”
Certainly, it was a necessary clause. Even if they were a tutor, they couldn’t know what kind of person they were.
The rest of the clauses were also flawless.
‘Normally, I would sign the contract here, but.’
“One more thing, can we add a special clause?”
“Excuse me? A special clause, you say?”
Winston’s eyes widened.
It seemed that no one had ever made such a request before.
‘It’s understandable.’
Who would try to negotiate with ‘the Mercedes Ducal Family’?
Becoming a tutor here would be glorious enough.
‘But.’
I met his gaze with a confident expression.
Winston flinched slightly when our eyes met.
Winston, already indebted to me, would not be able to easily refuse my request.
“The condition I desire is…….”
Winston’s expression became strange after hearing my condition.
I confidently met Winston’s gaze.
After the contract was completed, Winston led me to my room.
Walking behind Winston, I asked about something that had suddenly come to mind.
“Come to think of it, who is the other teacher?”
Winston replied in a gentle tone to my question.
“Plington-nim, no, I should call you Teacher now. She graduated from the Imperial Academy with excellent grades, just like Flingtern Teacher. She’s a woman, and come to think of it, she’s the same age as you. Perhaps you might be friends.”
I gave a bitter smile at his casually added words.
“……Perhaps.”
Unfortunately, that won’t happen.
I don’t have anyone I can call a friend in this life or the previous one.
Anyway-
‘A tutor, huh.’
I stroked my chin.
‘Tutors’ did appear in the original story.
I thought of Cadienne’s adopted son, Vincent Mercedes, in my mind.
‘And it was from then that Vincent began to truly close his heart to Cadienne.’
I recalled the words Vincent had said to Cadienne in the original story.
[“She said so. That you don’t think of me as a son. That she’s the only one who cares about me…….”]
There were many reasons why Cadienne and Vincent grew apart, but the tutor also had a significant impact on their relationship.
‘My goal is to go back.’
To do that, I need to approach Cadienne.
Currently, the only bridge I have to get closer to Cadienne is Vincent.
While I was thinking, we arrived at the room.
“This is the room where Flingtern Teacher will be staying from now on.”
Winston opened the door.
I gaped at the sight of the room that was revealed.
‘This is a tutor’s room?’
It was common for tutors to be given a guest room.
That meant that this splendid and dazzling room in front of me was one of the many guest rooms.
‘This mansion keeps surprising me.’
“Your luggage has already been unpacked. A bath has also been prepared, so please feel free to use it. If you need anything, please ring the bell. Is there anything else you need?”
Of course not.
This is the most luxurious room I’ve ever had in my life.
I tried to remain calm and smiled as I shook my head.
“No, thank you for your consideration.”
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After Winston left, I looked around the room and remembered that I hadn’t had a proper shower in days, so I headed to the bathroom.
As soon as I took off my clothes and stepped inside, warm steam greeted me.
“The bathroom is as big as the room I used to live in.”
I chuckled at the sight of the bathtub, which was too large to use alone, and dipped my toes into the warm water.
“Ugh.”
The warm temperature melted my tired body like a marshmallow on cocoa.
“I’m finally alive…….”
I submerged myself in the hot water up to just below my nose and tilted my head back.
I stared blankly at the ceiling of the bathroom, which was filled with fluffy steam.
‘I’ve come this far.’
At least I’ve followed the villain to her doorstep.
I submerged myself in the bathtub up to my chin and murmured.
“Demon Flower Disease…….”
A disease where black flowers bloom on the body and cause death.
It’s an incurable disease that’s unnecessarily romantic.
But death is still just death. There’s no such thing as a romantic death.
“I can’t die again.”
I absolutely hate facing a lonely death like in my previous life.
To do that,
“Cadienne Mercedes.”
I need you.
After a long shower, I roughly dried my hair with a towel and changed into the new clothes I had brought.
I was about to sit down at the desk to organize my future plans when.
Swish-
I stood up from my seat and headed to the window at the sudden noise.
I pulled back the curtains and saw that it was pouring rain outside.
It didn’t look like a passing shower.
‘It was cloudy all day, and now it’s finally pouring.’
I neither liked nor disliked rain, but it was the first rain I was experiencing at the Mercedes Manor, so I was briefly lost in thought.
“Wait.”
Suddenly, a passage flashed through my mind.
[On rainy days, Vincent would climb up Western Hill.
Leaning against the Giant Tree standing forlornly, he longed for someone who would never come.
And on those nights, he would always suffer from a terrible fever.
Alone, without telling anyone.
That long wait came to an end when Vincent was 12 years old.]
