However, I interrupted his words once again. Deliberately stretching the corners of my mouth into a long smile, I continued speaking.
“I think it would be proper etiquette for me to introduce Lord Joseph here first.”
“Introduce Count Alperon? What do you mean?”
That’s it.
“Count Alperon here, Lord Joseph, has also expressed his desire to guide the children of Daiern in their studies from now on.”
The eyes of everyone gathered in the office widened all at once.
“W-wait. Duchess, what is all this about? Wasn’t I supposed to find the tutor?”
The one who regained his senses first was Baron Baden.
After all, now that his plan had gone awry, he couldn’t just remain dazed indefinitely.
“Indeed, you were. But as I thought about it carefully, I couldn’t help but feel concerned about how uncomfortable you seemed at the time, Baron Baden.”
“That was…!”
I know, it must have been a slip of the tongue.
“So I too was contemplating various ways to ease Baron Baden’s burden. And then, as it happened, Lord Joseph here, who came earlier regarding business matters…”
At this precise moment, I used my gaze and gestures to draw attention to Count Alperon.
The calculation was that if Baron Baden recognized he was in front of someone he wanted to impress, he wouldn’t be able to protest too strongly.
“…possesses just the qualifications needed as a tutor for the young duke.”
“As it happens, I was already planning to direct my next business venture towards education.”
“To be honest, I was half in doubt, but when the people here mentioned just now that Lord Joseph currently enjoys high recognition in the imperial capital’s social circles, I felt reassured.”
“…”
As expected, Baron Baden held his tongue in front of Count Alperon.
But seeing his complexion turn ashen and his lips rising sharply, I could tell how he felt even without him saying anything.
Well then, shall I make him a bit more uncomfortable?
“Baron Baden? Are you alright? Your expression looks quite unwell.”
“Ah, aah. Um. I-I’m fine.”
“If by chance Lord Joseph is not to Baron Baden’s liking…”
“Ah, was that it? My, how inconsiderate of me. I thought I had built quite a friendly relationship with Baron Baden at social gatherings thus far, so I never imagined he might find me uncomfortable…”
“Ah, no! That’s not it!”
The timely support from Lord Joseph was perfect as well. Baron Baden now waved his hands frantically.
“I just… I was only concerned because the Count has never done any education-related work before. It’s absolutely not that I find Count Alperon uncomfortable!”
“If that’s the issue…”
The resonant male voice stretched out gently. Lord Joseph gazed at Baron Baden with that seductive smile that captivates people.
“Wouldn’t I rather be able to receive help from the capable teachers that Baron Baden has found?”
“Uh, uhh…?”
To be honest.
I didn’t think that Lord Joseph’s beauty would work on Baron Baden too, no matter how outstanding it was.
“Dear. Since Count Alperon is going so far as to say that, I think it would be good if we could help him as much as possible.”
“Ah, ahem. You think so too?”
“Of course. Besides, isn’t it fate that we’ve met Count Alperon like this outside of social circles? Hohoho, isn’t that right, Count Alperon?”
“If you think of it that way, it would be a great honor for me as well, Baroness. Then, what about the others?”
“Ah, it’s such an honor for me to meet Count Alperon…!”
“Well then, I look forward to working with you.”
But now that I look at it, it was a misjudgment gone terribly wrong.
It seems that Lord Joseph’s beauty strategy worked not only on Baron Baden, but also on Baroness Baden and the other two tutors.
But before that.
“Well then, taking Baron Baden’s agreement as given, let’s start the tutor interview right away.”
“Hm?”
“W-what did you say?”
“…Eh?”
“…?”
What’s this.
I couldn’t understand why they were all looking at me with such bewildered faces.
I asked for a tutor to be found, not that I would hire one unconditionally.
[This is the timeline separator]Meanwhile.
The three siblings of the Daiern ducal family gathered in the study room for a strategy meeting.
Euphemina’s mud-stained dress and gloves had been changed for clean new clothes.
Until yesterday, when visits from outsiders were blocked, the children had to wear mourning clothes, but from today, they could wear whatever they wanted freely.
Of course, it’s still polite to wear dark colors, but.
Euphemina doesn’t care about such things.
“Still, white seems too much, Euphemina.”
“It’s fine. This time I’ll be careful not to get anything on it when I wear it.”
…That wasn’t what I meant.
But once again, Kardiel didn’t pursue his sister’s eccentricity to the end.
He had learned over the past decade or so that it never gets through to her anyway.
Rather than tirelessly continuing a fruitless conversation, it’s better not to engage from the start.
“I heard our new mother went into the office with a guest just now.”
“A suitor?”
“No, Lord Joseph.”
“Who’s that? Someone proposing to Mom?”
“…Euphemina, our new mother said she wouldn’t be meeting any suitors today. The butler said she’s interviewing Lord Joseph as a tutor. In my opinion, they’re more likely discussing business.”
“But what if he proposes while talking about business?”
“…”
“What if he pretends to be a tutor and then proposes?”
“…I told you, that’s not it.”
“Then are we going to kill Lord Joseph?”
“Enough, let’s stop. I was a fool for trying to convince you.”
As expected, the conversation was going nowhere.
Tired, Kardiel decided to blame his foolish self for engaging in even a little conversation with Euphemina.
“I just went to the teacher and said, ‘Can you let us do self-study todaaay?’ and they said okay.”
“Well done, Chersion.”
“Hehe.”
Unable to hide his joy at his brother’s praise, Chersion wriggled his whole body.
Originally, this time is for the children’s study. A quiet time to build the tower of knowledge with their tutor.
In a typical noble household, the children would be scattered in their individual study rooms, receiving guidance from their assigned tutors.
Or they might be attending an academy.
However, the Daiern ducal family is a bit different. It was because of the recently deceased duke, the children’s father.
The duke was against sending the children to an academy.
If asked whether he provided them with skilled tutors instead, that wasn’t the case either.
Thus, currently, there is only one tutor teaching the Daiern children.
And that too is just an old person who has been over seventy for several years now.
Even that tutor came through the introduction of the duchess, Lieselotte.
In any case, given this educational environment, the children always studied together in a designated space at a set time.
Although inconvenient, there were good points to it, like now.
Occasionally, when self-study time was given like this, the siblings could enjoy free time together.
“Alright, everyone come a bit closer.”
Kardiel, the eldest, led the strategy meeting.
Chersion immediately sat down on a chair near Kardiel, and Euphemina…
Thump thump thump thump.
Grabbing the chair she was sitting on, she approached while stamping on the carpeted floor. It was truly an extraordinary method of movement.
“…”
“Sister, the floor is shaking.”
“But if I do this, my dress won’t touch the floor and get dirty.”
Yes, you chair monster. Do as you please.
There’s no one downstairs anyway. Swallowing his nagging words, Kardiel threw out the main topic.
“We’ve already discussed our new mother’s suitors, but I think it would be good to confirm once again that we all have the same thoughts.”
Kardiel’s gaze first rested on Euphemina.
“Euphemina, state your opinion.”
“Absolutely against Mother remarrying! Mother is ours. We won’t give her to anyone.”
Though lacking in logic and evidence, Euphemina’s conclusion was more firm than anyone else’s.
One could tell by the wrinkles that had formed between her brows, which usually bore a vacant, screw-loose expression like a fool.
That level of conviction is satisfactory. Kardiel now turned his gaze to the angelic youngest, Chersion.
“Chersion, what’s your opinion?”
“I…”
The hesitating youngest answered.
“If Mother is happy, then that’s all fine…”
“…”
As if startled by something, Chersion suddenly flinched.
“I, I think Mother will never be happy through remarriage!”
“And so?”
“I think if we tell Mother that we can make her happier than anyone she might marry…”
Glance, Chersion’s amber eyes scanned Kardiel’s expression.
Of course, there was no change in Kardiel’s face.
“…She won’t do it, right?”
“Good.”
Finally, Kardiel’s head nodded.
The brief sigh of relief from Chersion probably doesn’t hold much significance.
What’s important is that all the siblings are of the same mind.
Especially Kardiel, who was very satisfied with Chersion’s attitude in suggesting a way to prevent Lieselotte’s remarriage.
Indeed, a praiseworthy and excellent younger sibling.
__________
“Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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