Click. Click-clack.

An ominous sound came from Jacqueline’s fingers. Elizabeth’s face turned red with anger.

“You, you, bit…!”

“As you know, I have no more honor to lose. If you really want, I can pull your hair out right now. How about it, shall we start?”

At those words, Elizabeth hesitated for the first time. She knew better than anyone that Jacqueline was the type to do as she said.

“One last piece of advice, Liz. Don’t make Uncle Walter sad.”

“Don’t interfere in my father’s business!”

Elizabeth snapped back coldly, taking a deep breath and swallowing the anger that had risen to her throat.

It was the same at Bristol Girls’ Boarding School. Jacqueline, thinking of Walter, pretended not to notice Elizabeth’s provocations and endured them.

When she reached her limit, she would issue a chilling warning. After that, she would inevitably extract surrender from Elizabeth.

Whether by pulling her hair or dueling in the gymnasium, there were many methods.

Yet Jacqueline was loved by her friends and teachers. Elizabeth greatly disliked how she received people’s attention without making any effort.

Samantha sneered, “I don’t know why she keeps challenging when she can’t win.” Elizabeth glared at her and said through gritted teeth,

“Just wait and see, Jacqueline. I won’t let this go.”

“Anyone watching would think I started it first, Liz.”

Elizabeth turned her back abruptly. Then, as if she had never been angry, she gracefully descended the stairs.

Victoria, who had been looking back and forth between the two, hurriedly followed her, saying, “I’ll go with you, Liz!” Samantha snorted.

“I can’t tell who’s whose maid anymore. Victoria graduated ages ago, but she’s still following Elizabeth around?”

Jacqueline turned her gaze from Elizabeth’s retreating figure, being escorted by her fiancé to the center of the hall, and looked at Samantha.

“I need to go to Benjamin. I’m not finished yet.”

Work.

At those words, Samantha’s smile awkwardly froze. Then she quickly nodded.

“Alright. Now that I know you’re here, I’ll come find you again. Don’t pretend you don’t know me because it’s bothersome.”

“How could I, Samantha? You’re my best friend.”

“Me too, Jackie. I’ve always missed you.”

Jacqueline gave a kind smile and left the place. Today, she felt particularly shabby.

The moment she left the banquet hall, the smile that had been barely clinging to the corners of her lips disappeared without a trace.

“Huu.”

A held-back sigh escaped. Her shoulders, which had been stiffly tensed, drooped like water-soaked cotton.

Recalling Elizabeth’s last words, Jacqueline shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“I’ve made a small enemy into a big one again. At this rate, I won’t be qualified to advise Lord Preston.”

With an embarrassed laugh, she headed straight for Benjamin’s playroom. Imagining the child’s face beaming with a bright smile at the birthday gift from Lord Preston.

At this moment, she needed a small comfort. And the child’s smile would surely provide her with sufficient solace.

“Huh?”

However, what was waiting for her there was Benjamin with a gloomy expression.

“Kyaaaah!”

“No, you shouldn’t run in the room…”

“What’s this? Ugh, it’s not fun!”

“No, that’s my book…”

“Hahaha, what’s this picture? It’s hilarious. Even my little sibling could draw better than this.”

“No, that’s Teacher Somerset’s…”

Bang! There was a loud noise. A dozen or so children were running around noisily, screaming and shouting. Like unbridled colts.

Benjamin stood still, watching helplessly as his room was turned into a mess. The children’s nannies were gathered in a corner, chattering away, showing no interest in this side.

Shuup.

Jacqueline took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air, and then shouted with all her might as she exhaled.

“Everyone, quiet!”

“!”

The children who had been flying around until just now suddenly stopped. With their eyes wide open, looking around, they finally noticed Jacqueline standing in front of the door.

The nannies’ gazes also fixed on Jacqueline. They seemed to realize belatedly who Jacqueline was, and made strange expressions.

The largest child among them pouted his lips.

“What, it’s just a tutor.”

“It’s Teacher Somerset, Oakley.”

Benjamin retorted as if to object. But Oakley put on an even more arrogant expression.

“Even so, she’s just a tutor. The tutor at our house doesn’t dare move an inch at my words.”

That was only natural. Oakley was the son of a viscount, and his tutor was one of the daughters of a baronial family in name only.

“!”

Benjamin bit his lower lip. The child clenched his fist and glared at Oakley as if he himself had been insulted. His tiny fist trembled.

Watching this, Jacqueline smiled resignedly. Even the child, unable to contain his anger, was a comfort to her.

Let’s make this a day for turning small enemies into big ones. And make it a commemoration.

As she had this absurd thought, she moved her steps slowly. Oakley curled one side of his lip as he watched Jacqueline approaching gradually. As if to say, what could she possibly do to him?

“Haah.”

I can’t fight with a child.

Jacqueline, barely holding onto her reason, placed one hand on Benjamin’s shoulder. The child’s shoulder, which seemed about to leap forward at any moment, flinched.

She patted Benjamin’s shoulder gently with an affectionate touch. As if to say, leave this to me.

Jacqueline passed by the child and took a few more steps. Oakley lifted his chin arrogantly. The child’s nanny still showed no intention of intervening.

“Hmph!”

Jacqueline suddenly stretched out her hand. Oakley flinched, but her hand was aimed not at the child but at the table next to him.

She slowly withdrew her hand, picking up a box of candies.

“It’s better not to think about luring with candy. We have much better candies at our house, and lots of them.”

Oakley sneered, putting on airs as if embarrassed that he had flinched.

Jacqueline looked around at the other children, not at Oakley. The children were looking up at her with bright eyes, wondering what was going to happen.

“Now, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“……”

“Everything here belongs to Benjamin. You must ask for permission before touching anything. I hope you young gentlemen and ladies won’t forget who the owner of this room is and will maintain your manners.”

“It’s not worth much. If I tell my father, he could buy me as many of these as I want.”

Oakley sneered again. Jacqueline continued speaking, pretending not to have heard him.

“From now on, I’ll give one candy to each child who behaves well.”

“There’s no need to listen to what a mere tutor says. I’ll give you better candy.”

“The candy I give you is not for eating, but for collecting.”

“Collecting?”

A girl holding a doll asked, her eyes sparkling. Jacqueline smiled kindly at the child.

“Yes. You need to collect them diligently.”

“Why?”

“Because the one who collects the most candies today will get an amazing gift when they go home.”

“First place?”

“What’s the amazing gift?”

A boy with a missing front tooth stepped forward, showing his curiosity. The children were already captivated by Jacqueline’s words.

After all, they’re just children.

Jacqueline enthralled the children before her with the skill she used to tempt the mature Benjamin. These children had much thinner patience than Benjamin.

“I’ll give you an even better gift!”

Oakley shouted with a flustered expression, but it no longer reached the children’s ears.

More important than the gift was the fact that they had to come first among the twelve children, and that precisely stimulated the children’s competitive spirit.

Clatter clatter, Jacqueline opened the bottle cap and took out a yellow candy, handing it to a girl standing quietly in the corner.

“I’m giving you this because you listened to me earnestly. You’re in first place for now.”

“…First place.”

The boy with the missing front tooth looked at her enviously and then raised his arm high. He was the child called Justin downstairs.

“What about me? I listened hard too!”

“Well, we’ll have to see about that a bit more.”

“But what kind of gift is it?”

“It’s a secret. But I’ll tell you just one thing. It’s one of Benjamin’s most treasured possessions.”

“Really?”

“Wow!”

Benjamin, who had been looking glum, reflexively nodded when Jacqueline secretly winked at him.

He was worried about what treasure she would give, but he couldn’t show it.

Surely it won’t be the birthday gift from Uncle? No, it can’t be.

While Benjamin was quietly shaking his head, the children approached Jacqueline and bombarded her with questions.

“How can we get candy?”

“I want candy too!”

“Give me just one! No, ten please!”

Jacqueline looked at the ten pairs of sparkling eyes and said firmly.

“First, why don’t you tidy up the things you messed up?”

“Yes!”

The children put back in place the objects they had been throwing around just moments ago. She walked around the room, handing out candies one by one to the children who were diligently tidying up.

“Good. Put that book over there.”

“I put away all the paints too! Please give me a candy.”

“Here you go.”

“Thank you!”

No matter how precocious, a child is still a child. Just as Benjamin is six years old no matter how mature he is.

Everyone except Oakley received one candy each. Oakley clenched his empty fist, his face turning red and blue as he grumbled.

Jacqueline spoke in a calm voice.

“Now I’m going to read you a fairy tale. I’ll give one candy to the child who listens most attentively.”

“Me, me!”

“No! I’ll listen!”

In the blink of an eye, the children formed a circle around Jacqueline. Jacqueline carefully pulled out a fairy tale book and sat down on a chair.

The children crouched down in front of her. Even Benjamin took a seat next to her, leaving Oakley standing alone awkwardly.

Jacqueline smiled kindly towards Oakley.

“You can get candy too if you listen attentively, Oakley.”

“!”

Oakley, who thought he was already out of Jacqueline’s favor, opened his eyes wide. Pretending to give in reluctantly, Oakley approached and pushed aside the gathered children to take the front seat.

“Once upon a time…”

Jacqueline’s voice resonated softly. The children listened to her voice without making even a breath sound.

The nannies looked surprised at the sudden quiet. Incredulous gazes turned towards Jacqueline.