Lord Preston's Secret Tutor (47 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 24
“I will be filing a complaint against James Hammington for attempted fraud. The punishment may be light since it was only an attempt, but still.”
Jacqueline met Windsor’s clear gray eyes, unwavering in their gaze. At some point, she had thought he must possess an exceptionally strong will.
Just as she had anticipated, Windsor feared neither the rumors swirling around him nor the notoriety he would inevitably gain. He simply did what he believed was right.
Calmly and silently.
“…”
Jacqueline couldn’t recklessly speak. She’d been called the “impoverished young lady,” and everyone assumed she’d abandoned all pride as a noble.
Yet it seemed that wasn’t true after all. The last shred of her pride tightly choked her throat.
Thud… thud…
She heard footsteps gradually drawing closer. It wasn’t just one person—it was the clamor of a crowd approaching.
James cried out urgently, “Lord Preston! There must be some misunderstanding! Let’s talk this through—no, better yet, I’ll compensate you…!”
Sweat poured down his face as he rambled incoherently. Jacqueline stared at James with an unreadable expression.
This man, who once sweet-talked her father into deceit, now pleaded desperately to Windsor with a terrified look on his face. It was both absurd and deeply hollow.
James Hammington was no great man—he was merely a contemptible, cowardly swindler, bullying the weak and submitting to the strong.
Amid the fragile silence, a knock sounded. The door slowly opened, revealing William.
“Sir, the officers have arrived. They say they have a prior appointment—what should we do?”
Behind him appeared plainclothes detectives and uniformed constables. A stout, stocky man stepped forward.
“Pleased to meet you, Lord Preston. I’m Inspector Gale Baldwin. I heard someone wished to file a report?”
Gale scanned the room as he spoke. His indifferent gaze abruptly stopped on James.
Instinct told him James was suspicious—the only one among composed individuals, his face ashen and drenched in cold sweat.
Gale shot Windsor a questioning look, as if asking what James had done.
A detached voice slipped through Windsor’s lips.
“That man…”
“He defrauded me.”
Windsor slowly turned his head. Jacqueline lifted her chin high and glared at James. Gale looked at her.
“You were defrauded, you say?”
“My father was scammed by that man. Desperate to pay for his ailing wife’s medical expenses, he agreed to sell a family heirloom mine below market value. Only after handing over the deposit did my father realize he’d been swindled—but by then, the man had already vanished. And now, Inspector, I’ve encountered him again here.”
“I see.”
Gale signaled his subordinates behind him. Uniformed officers rushed toward James, who instinctively stepped back.
But the officers swiftly restrained him and roughly slapped on handcuffs.
“No, I… there’s been a misunderstanding—a terrible misunderstanding! Lord Preston!”
James thrashed and called out to Windsor, who regarded him with cold indifference.
Gale turned back to Jacqueline and asked, “So your father was defrauded by that man. If I may be so bold, miss, what was your father’s name?”
“My father has passed away. His name was Baron Somerset. I am his daughter, Jacqueline Somerset.”
“Jacqueline Somers—ah…”
Gale, unintentionally echoing her words, let out a vague exclamation. He, too, must have heard the name Jacqueline Somerset before.
“The impoverished young lady.”
Perhaps even her nickname was more famous than her name itself.
While Gale hesitated, Windsor calmly added, “He approached me to sell the mine as well. Thanks to Miss Somerset here, I avoided being defrauded myself—but for the sake of preventing future innocent victims, I intend to press charges against him.”
“Here are the land deed and mineral resource report James Hammington brought with him. They’re clearly forgeries at first glance. Let’s add forgery of official documents to the charges while we’re at it.”
Roman handed the documents to Gale. Seeing even the evidence handed over so willingly, James wore an expression of utter despair and covered his face with both hands.
Gale glanced sideways at Windsor, eyes alone shifting. Generally, nobles never reported crimes.
Even when officers caught the culprit and requested testimony, nobles refused. Or rather—what was ‘permission’ to them? They’d often deny having been victimized at all and even grew angry.
It was a matter of their honor. Thus, officers frequently had to release firmly caught criminals. Each time, they felt the bitter futility of their efforts.
—”What good is it to chase down villains until you’re bone-tired, only to watch them strut smugly out of the precinct? And then the high and mighty ask what exactly the police are good for—might as well quit in disgust.”
Gale remembered a remark once made by a subordinate. He fully agreed with that sentiment.
Yet instead of nodding, he could only reprimand his man: “Enough of that nonsense.”
Gale removed his hat and bowed slightly to Windsor.
“Thank you, my lord. This must have been a difficult decision—I deeply respect your judgment.”
“You should direct your thanks not to me, but to Miss Somerset.”
“Of course. I sincerely respect Miss Somerset’s noble resolve.”
“Not at all.”
Jacqueline replied with dignified aloofness, lips tightly pressed. Gale, adjusting his hat back on his head, cautiously asked her,
“If your testimony is needed, would you be willing to appear in court?”
“Certainly, Inspector.”
“Thank you.”
Jacqueline lifted her chin slightly and gave an elegant nod. Watching James being led away by the officers, she bit her lower lip softly.
At that moment, she heard something inside her crumble loudly. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.
Was it her last shred of pride? Or perhaps her honor as a noble? Or maybe lingering attachment to her father?
But one thing was certain—her heart felt considerably lighter. Jacqueline relaxed her stiff shoulders and quietly exhaled.
Windsor’s gaze was fixed on her rounded forehead—but only one person noticed: Roman.
***
“Hurry up, Emma!”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“What are you dawdling for, Betty!”
“Yes, I’m coming right now!”
The Preston estate was unusually noisy from early morning, unlike its usual self. Yet no one complained about the racket—not even Windsor, who typically preferred quiet.
The commotion lasted all day until the first carriage arrived at the front door at dusk, after which the noise vanished without a trace.
More carriages soon followed one after another—most bearing familiar crests. Occasionally, a gleaming automobile parked itself at one side of the garden.
Jacqueline, watching from above, sighed lightly and stepped away from the window.
“Well, I suppose it’s time I went down too?”
She checked her attire once more before leaving her room. She’d chosen this dress hoping it wouldn’t cause offense, yet fashion changed so often she couldn’t be sure.
After all, her wardrobe had stopped updating three years ago.
“I won’t stay long for the banquet, so it should be fine… I must greet Uncle Walter, though—I wonder if he could slip away briefly.”
Murmuring to herself, she walked down the corridor, so familiar now she could find her way with her eyes closed.
Knock knock.
“It’s me, Benjamin.”
“You may come in, Miss Somerset.”
She opened Benjamin’s door and stepped inside. The boy, always picture-perfect in his appearance, looked even more splendid than usual as he stared at her.
His jacket, shorts, and red bowtie clearly declared him the evening’s guest of honor.
His fluffy hair, neatly slicked back with pomade, instantly brought Windsor Preston to mind.
Jacqueline looked at him with more tenderness than ever before.
“Happy birthday, Benjamin.”
“Thank you.”
Benjamin dipped his head slightly, looking shy. His fingers, hidden in his sleeves, wiggled ever so slightly—only she would notice.
“Ta-da!”
Jacqueline brought her hands from behind her back. Instantly, Benjamin’s eyes widened in astonishment. His lively brown eyes looked up at her in wonder.
“It’s your birthday present.”
“Oh…”
The boy looked genuinely bewildered. His eyelids blinked slowly, trembling faintly.
Jacqueline spoke casually, as if it were nothing special.
“I once told you about him, remember? His name is Colin. Since my fifteenth birthday, he’s been my closest friend—and family. Starting today, he’ll be your friend too.”
She gently shook the bear plush she was holding.
Benjamin stared quietly at Colin, who wore a red ribbon around his neck just like him. He didn’t know what expression to make—he’d never owned a stuffed toy before.
He was the heir of the Preston family, living a life of perfect privilege. Yet oddly, there were things others had that he never did.
One of those was a stuffed toy. He’d always thought such things were only for girls—or weak children, or commoners’ kids.
Certainly not for the heir of House Preston.
Seeing the boy hesitate, only staring without reaching out, Jacqueline smiled gently. As if she understood his thoughts completely, she added calmly,
“This isn’t just any ordinary stuffed toy.”
“Oh!”
Suddenly remembering she was a fairy, Benjamin’s eyes sparkled. Now that he looked closely, Colin seemed clever enough to speak at any moment.
“When I faced hardship or felt lonely,” she said, “I told Colin everything. He’s a patient friend—he’d listen to me, no matter how long or boring my stories got. And—”
She winked one eye and grinned playfully. Benjamin perked up his ears, eager for her next astonishing words.
“He’s also just as tight-lipped as I am. And now, he says he’d like to become your friend.”
“Hmm… Thank you, Miss Somerset.”
The boy accepted the toy with solemn determination, silently vowing that even if the plush suddenly spoke, he wouldn’t be startled.
“Oh?”
The soft texture felt unfamiliar. Without realizing it, Benjamin pulled the plush close and stared, mesmerized, into its shiny black eyes.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (99)
Ohh ~ I think he’s starting to get worried for our FL😌 .. A worthy of governess
Nice one FL😆… But still it hurts me reading it as they mocked her as the impoverish noble girl.. I felt the range of windsor😭
best gift ever😁😁😁 way to go Windsor, good thing you listened to Jacqueline.
Inline Comments (1312)
“I haven’t yet discovered the appeal of cigars.”
Oh, i love man who doesn’t smoke ❤️ our ML looks even hotter because of that
“I haven’t yet discovered the appeal of cigars.”
Now that’s what I call a diplomatic way of putting it. What a smooth talker.
“Thank you, Miss Somerset. ……I’m glad to have met you too.”
That’s sweet. Truly sweet. Deeply kind. Utterly charming. ಥ‿ಥ
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Ashiel_26
Why did she suddenly gave Collin to him?🤧 .. I wanted colling to stay with her (٥↼_↼)