Chapter 30
30
“He’s a good person.”
Winston, feeling frustrated by Chelsea's excessively bland answer, pounded his chest and raised his voice.
“Who doesn’t know that? What I’m asking is, isn’t there something more specific you can say about what kind of person he is!”
“Specifically, you mean?”
“Yes!”
Chelsea wore a thoughtful expression at Winston's words.
Soon, a faint smile formed on her lips.
Winston, seeing Chelsea with such an expression for the first time, was inwardly surprised.
“The teacher is… a warm person. He doesn’t flaunt his noble authority, nor does he try to lecture and teach others. He treats everyone as an equal, regardless of their status, and he knows how to say thank you when he receives help.”
“…I see.”
Winston felt strangely moved, seeing Chelsea evaluate someone like this and speak with such a warm smile for the first time.
‘Indeed.’
Winston's upper body leaned toward Chelsea.
Like someone about to share a secret.
“Then, in your opinion…”
Winston’s eyes flashed for a moment.
“The teacher and the master, what do you think?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t you think they look good together?”
Chelsea couldn't answer, faced with his strangely crazed gaze.
But Winston didn't seem to expect an answer, as he simply chuckled.
Chelsea suddenly began to worry about Livia.
* * *
I don’t know how I managed to get through the lesson.
Vincent was simply thrilled that I would be teaching him from now on, and he enthusiastically solved the problems with sparkling eyes.
Vincent was so adorable that I seemed to forget my worries for a while.
Naturally, I ended up having lunch with Vincent as well.
The weather was nice, so we had lunch in the garden.
Early autumn was the perfect season for an outing.
Although calling it an outing might be a bit of an exaggeration.
‘Still, it’s nice.’
After finishing our meal, I sipped my black tea and enjoyed the cool breeze.
My stomach was full, the breeze was refreshing, and the tea was fragrant.
Everything was perfect.
‘And Anna, the original tutor, is gone.’
I lowered my gaze.
Anna, the tutor from the original story.
Anna, who wanted to swallow the Mercedes Ducal Family whole, drove a wedge between Vincent and Khadien with her schemes and manipulations.
‘But Anna is gone.’
I rested my chin on my hand and watched Vincent, engrossed in eating his cake.
Our eyes met, and I smiled and asked.
“Is it good?”
Vincent nodded vigorously.
“Yes!”
Vincent, who had completely opened his heart to me, was just like any other ten-year-old, without a trace of his initial wariness.
“Via, have some too.”
“I am. I’m full just watching Vincent eat.”
Vincent’s cheeks flushed red.
Hehe, how cute.
Vincent, completely free of his guard, was so lovable.
I can’t believe that this child will commit the patricidal act of killing Khadien in the future, no matter how I think about it.
‘Even if he’s not his biological father.’
Come to think of it, I suddenly became curious about Vincent’s biological parents.
Officially, he’s known as Khadien's biological son, but…
‘That’s not the truth.’
Vincent’s biological father is Khadien’s older brother, who is currently missing.
So, in fact, Khadien is Vincent’s uncle.
‘Khadien’s older brother…’
I recalled Khadien’s story in <Everyone Loves the Saintess>.
Khadien Mercedes, born as a bastard.
Everyone despised and scorned him because he also suffered from Insanity. Even the parents who gave birth to him.
But only his half-brother didn’t hate him and accepted him as a brother, as family.
It was his brother who got him the Magic Pipe and Sedation Herb.
As the legitimate son, the eldest son, and a man of great popularity, it seemed as natural as the moon rising at night that he would become the next Mercedes Duke.
However, the day after inheriting the title, he suddenly left a document abdicating the dukedom to Khadien and disappeared.
It was a notarized document with the Duke’s seal, and since the position of Duke couldn’t be left vacant, Khadien eventually became the Mercedes Duke after a meeting of the elders.
Khadien was nineteen years old at the time, and the child he brought with him as soon as he inherited the title was Vincent Mercedes, who was three years old at the time.
That’s all I know.
‘Does Vincent know anything more?’
I wanted to ask, but when I thought of Vincent crying in his dreams as he remembered his mother, it became difficult to ask.
It must be a painful memory for Vincent, the separation from his biological parents.
‘Biological parents.’
Thinking about it that way, Vincent and I were in a similar situation.
In that we both lost our parents.
‘Well, if you think about it, Khadien is the same, too, I guess.’
I doubt he even had people he could call parents in the first place.
Anyway, back to the main point, now that the obstacle called Anna is gone, the existence that could drive a wedge between Khadien and Vincent has also disappeared.
I looked at Vincent, who was happily eating his cake, and carefully parted my lips.
“Hey, Vincent.”
“Yes?”
Vincent looked at me with a fork in his mouth.
He had white cream on his cheek, so I wiped it off with a handkerchief.
Vincent’s bright red eyes rolled around before turning back to me.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes!”
Vincent answered immediately, making my cautious question seem unnecessary.
I took a small breath and asked.
“You know, what do you think of His Grace, the Duke?”
“….”
At my question, Vincent, who seemed ready to answer anything, flinched.
He twisted his fingers and couldn’t answer easily, so I waited quietly.
Finally, Vincent’s lips slowly parted.
“The Duke is…”
Vincent was still calling Khadien “Duke.”
I could feel the distance between the two of them from that title alone.
But the answer that came back was quite unexpected.
“He’s a good person.”
“Huh?”
I blinked, expecting an answer along the lines of difficult or scary.
But Vincent’s expression was more serious than ever.
And soon, I was able to understand what Vincent meant.
“Because he took me in.”
“……”
“I’m grateful. So I want to do well, but it’s not easy…”
Vincent trailed off.
He wanted to do well, but it wasn’t easy.
I think I know what that means. Does Vincent want to refuse lessons and hide?
His reputation is directly linked to Khadien’s reputation. Although he is still young, Vincent knew that fact better than anyone.
But reality wasn’t as easy as he wanted it to be, and Vincent was still too young to overcome the fierce storms.
So,
“It’s okay.”
Vincent looked at me at my quiet voice.
Clear and pure ruby-colored eyes.
I recalled the description of Vincent when he killed Khadien in the original story.
[The son’s bright red eyes, looking down at the corpse of the man who was once his father, were as deep and dark as the abyss.]
“I’ll help you.”
“Via?”
Vincent looked at me with wide eyes.
I nodded vigorously.
“Yes!”
I honestly don’t know what I’m going to help him with specifically.
But that doesn’t matter.
I just hope that the Vincent in front of me now doesn’t become like the Vincent in the original story.
‘And my life is also at stake.’
Anyway, the conclusion is one.
‘Khadien, I’ll start by targeting you.’
The time of the decisive battle is not far off.
* * *
After finishing the afternoon lessons, I headed to Khadien’s room with energetic steps.
Because Winston told me to report the lessons directly to Khadien from now on.
I was flustered at first, but when I thought about it, there was no better opportunity than this.
I can be alone with Khadien and bring up the heirloom story when the time is right!
I must have built up some trust by revealing Anna’s crimes.
And when I recalled the conversation I had with Vincent at lunch, my motivation soared.
But that motivation faded slightly the moment I arrived in front of Khadien’s door.
It’s not because I’m a coward.
Anyone would shrink back when faced with Khadien’s cold purple eyes.
And all of this is something I’m doing with my life on the line.
Every word I utter feels like walking a tightrope.
“Hoo-ha.”
After taking a deep breath, I put my hand on the thick door.
Knock knock.
A heavy vibration spread through the back of my hand.
I waited for Khadien’s answer to come in.
But no matter how long I waited, there was no answer to come in.
“What’s wrong?”
Is he out?
But Winston clearly said that from today, I should report to Khadien after the lessons are over.
There’s no way Winston, the head butler, wouldn’t know Khadien’s schedule.
And reporting directly to Khadien is not something that Winston can decide on his own.
Khadien’s influence must be involved. Did he leave without knowing I was coming?
‘Did he not hear me well because he was concentrating on work?’
That was much more likely.
I knocked on the door harder.
Knock knock!
It was almost like pounding.
Unless he was deaf, there was no way he couldn’t hear this.
…….
But again, there was no answer.
What’s wrong? Did he really go somewhere?
At this point, it would be better to come back next time.
Just as I was about to turn around.
I suddenly recalled a passage from the original story.
[His magic power exploded at an unexpected moment, swallowing everything around him.
After suffering endlessly in a nightmare that no one could save him from, when he barely woke up, his world had become even more hellish.]
