Lord Preston's Secret Tutor (47 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 36
Jacqueline paused with her teacup halfway to her lips and stared at her. A mischievous smile had already formed on Samantha’s lips.
Chatting so leisurely like this felt as if they had been transported back to their school days.
“You don’t have any plans this Sunday, right?”
“Hmm, I don’t have anything scheduled yet.”
She mostly never had anything scheduled, but she didn’t bother adding that. After all, a popular young lady always pretended to be busy, even when she wasn’t.
“Then come to the café ‘Tiamo’ at noon that day. It’s the one in the square—you shouldn’t have trouble finding it.”
Samantha’s lips tensed visibly. It was her distinctive expression whenever she tried to suppress a laugh.
“Hmm.”
Jacqueline eyed her suspiciously. It had been the same during school. Samantha, whenever plotting a prank behind Jacqueline’s back, always gave herself away with that very expression.
“Just tell me honestly.”
“Tell you what?”
Though Samantha feigned innocence under Jacqueline’s sharp gaze, she was already in Jacqueline’s palm.
“Samantha.”
When Jacqueline lowered her voice ominously, Samantha pouted. Unable to hold out any longer, she reluctantly opened her mouth.
“It’s all because I care about you, Jackie. Can’t you just come?”
“That’s exactly what I’m asking—what does ‘caring about me’ mean in this case?”
“Actually… Mr. Evan Knox wants to see you.”
“Samantha…”
Jacqueline faintly furrowed her brow. Anticipating her refusal, Samantha quickly added.
“Mr. Evan Knox still loves you. The broken engagement wasn’t his decision. He came to me personally and asked me to arrange this after learning I’d be meeting you. There’s no man like him.”
“Love? He was my fiancé, true, but we barely saw each other more than a few times.”
“But Mr. Knox truly loves you! Jackie, as your friend, I’m telling you—he’s a good man. You’ll surely regret it if you let him go.”
Looking at Samantha’s innocent face, Jacqueline let out a bitter smile. Samantha knew Jacqueline’s family had fallen, but she didn’t truly grasp what that meant.
That she had no place to live and had to leave her mother with relatives, that she needed to work to earn her daily bread, that she had to stand in front of something she wanted to buy and agonize before finally walking away—
To Samantha, “bankruptcy” was nothing more than a word she’d read in books, nothing more, nothing less.
It wasn’t that Jacqueline felt resentful or disappointed. After all, just three years ago, she herself hadn’t been much different from Samantha.
Perhaps humans simply couldn’t fully understand another person until they’d walked in their shoes.
“I know Mr. Evan Knox is a good man, Samantha.”
Jacqueline spoke calmly. Samantha grinned and leaned forward eagerly, her posture more like a student than a proper young lady.
“Right? So this Sunday, just meet with Mr. Knox and…”
“But he’s not someone meant for me anymore.”
“…”
Samantha fell silent, caught off guard, and hesitated as she noticed the bitter smile lingering on Jacqueline’s lips.
Jacqueline met her startled gaze directly and continued matter-of-factly. Harsh reality slipped through her words.
“He’ll soon inherit the earldom and become the head of the Knox family. Meanwhile, I have to worry about what I’ll eat today and where I’ll sleep tomorrow.”
“But Jackie, Mr. Knox will surely help you. Isn’t that part of a fiancé’s duty?”
“Earl of Knox has no intention of accepting me—a woman who brings no benefit to his son, who’s nothing but a hindrance—as his daughter-in-law. You know as well as I do that marriage isn’t decided by just two people’s wishes, don’t you?”
She knew. No matter how naive Samantha might be, she wasn’t utterly ignorant of the world. After all, her own fiancé had been chosen by her parents as a suitable match from another noble family.
Until then, they’d only met a couple of times at social gatherings and never exchanged a single word.
“Earl of Knox will surely like you too. No one dislikes you, Jackie.”
Instead of answering, Jacqueline merely gave a faint smile. If she told Samantha about Lord Knox’s visit, what expression would cross her friend’s face?
Earl of Knox had come rushing, anxious and irritated, fearing she might somehow marry Evan and ruin his son’s future.
—“This is compensation for the broken engagement. Take this money and never appear before Evan again. My son has no further ties to the Somerset family.”
—“I don’t need the compensation. I’ll gladly agree to the annulment.”
—“Take it, unless you intend to extort even more later. Matters like these must be settled clearly. Once you’ve taken the compensation, you won’t have the face to show up before my son again.”
The humiliation of that moment came flooding back. She’d felt utterly wretched and ashamed.
Not because she loved Evan—but because of how Earl of Knox, who used to treat her kindly as “his family’s lucky charm,” had changed so completely.
Everyone who learned of her downfall had shifted their attitudes instantly. The meaning of ruin had sunk into her skin with painful clarity.
She no longer felt like the noble daughter of the Earl of Somerset—she felt utterly worthless. Watching Jacqueline’s dark expression carefully, Samantha asked hesitantly.
“Don’t tell me… Earl of Knox said something awful to you?”
“Samantha.”
“So it’s true! Good heavens! How… How could Earl of Knox possibly say such things to you? That’s outrageous!”
Samantha flared up as if she herself had been insulted. Her face flushed red, and her voice trembled with anger.
“How dare he treat you like that! I can’t believe it! This is absolutely unacceptable, Jackie! It’s utterly intolerable!”
“…”
“Surely Mr. Knox knows about this too, doesn’t he?”
Suddenly recalling something, Samantha asked cautiously. Jacqueline let out a long breath and answered calmly.
“There’s no need to tell him, Samantha. It wouldn’t do him any good to know. So please, don’t say a word to Mr. Knox either.”
“But then you’ll be the only one suffering injustice, Jackie!”
At those words, Jacqueline offered a faint smile. Too much time had passed to dwell on injustice now.
“Someone more suitable than me will appear for Mr. Knox. Earl of Knox might have already chosen someone for him.”
“How can you act like it doesn’t bother you at all?”
Samantha pouted—a habitual gesture whenever displeased. Jacqueline looked at her with gentle eyes,
at her friend who still held onto everything Jacqueline had lost.
It wasn’t that Jacqueline didn’t care. After enduring countless wounds, even a fresh cut felt relatively less painful.
Samantha clenched her fist tightly and snapped,
“Then meet Mr. Knox yourself this Sunday and reject him directly.”
“Samantha…”
Jacqueline chided her gently, as if scolding a child. But Samantha remained stubborn to the end.
“He said he’ll wait for you until you show up… If Mr. Knox doesn’t know the truth, then I believe he deserves a chance. He really does love you.”
“It’s a relationship already severed.”
“Severed only by you, just like you did with me, Jackie.”
Samantha’s eyes took on a sulky glint. Instead of apologizing, Jacqueline offered an awkward smile. Samantha reached for a cookie.
“If it’s truly severed, cut the ties yourself with your own hands. Otherwise, leave him waiting there all day. My part ends once I’ve delivered his message to you.”
Jacqueline sighed lightly. Samantha’s expression instantly brightened as she bit into the cookie.
“I noticed this even at the ball—the Preston household’s chef is quite excellent.”
“Right? I make sure to thank her every time I eat.”
“Now that I think of it… I met Lord Preston just a while ago, and he’s incredibly handsome—hm?”
Samantha, mid-chew, abruptly stopped speaking and gave Jacqueline a suspicious look. Jacqueline, who had just lifted her teacup to her lips, raised an eyebrow as if to ask why she was being stared at like that.
Samantha’s voice took on a meaningful tone.
“Rejecting Mr. Knox… It’s not because of Lord Preston, is it?”
“Samantha! Don’t say such nonsense!”
Jacqueline cried out in alarm, flustered as if scalded. Her overly startled reaction only deepened Samantha’s suspicion.
“If it’s nonsense, then why’s your face so red?”
“Samantha!”
“Hmm. If not, then never mind.”
Samantha lifted her teacup to her lips but kept her eyes fixed steadily on Jacqueline. Suddenly, as if recalling something, her brow furrowed.
“That article…”
At those words, Jacqueline’s composure faltered. She didn’t ask which article—she knew Samantha meant the scandalous piece about “the penniless noblewoman suing a conman.”
“I suppose high society must be buzzing about me by now.”
Jacqueline spoke as if it concerned someone else entirely. Samantha chewed her cookie silently, unable to deny it.
Jacqueline took a sip of tea and continued nonchalantly,
“And my father, too?”
Samantha slumped her shoulders and scolded her gently,
“Jackie… Why did you have to sue him? It’s been years already. That’s a truly severed past—why not just forget and move on?”
“If I hadn’t stepped forward, James Hammington would still be scamming innocent nobles who know nothing of the world.”
“So what if he is? It doesn’t concern you at all. No one cares about your noble intentions—they’re too busy chattering about the sensational article in the papers. You don’t need to worry about them.”
Samantha replied bluntly. She didn’t care who got scammed. She only cared that Jacqueline had to endure hurtful gossip she shouldn’t have to hear.
Blood was thicker than water, and to Samantha, Jacqueline mattered far more than any unrelated noble.
“I don’t need anyone to understand. I just couldn’t ignore my conscience.”
At that, Samantha sighed deeply, as if conceding defeat, then looked at Jacqueline with softened eyes.
“You haven’t changed at all, Jackie.”
“Me?”
Jacqueline’s eyes widened in genuine surprise. She thought she’d changed drastically—from a count’s daughter to a penniless noble girl was as dramatic a shift as could be.
She’d had to beg for letters of recommendation to earn money, couldn’t even properly complain about her shabby dresses, and had long since thrown away her pride as if it meant nothing.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
3 Comments
Chapter Comments (62)
I wonder what would be Lord Preston reaction if he knew that it was Evan Knoc he was meeting haha
…awww, Windsor – standing as the black knight of Jacqueline…
HAISHHHHHHH!!!! This Knox guy is so persistent 😑😑
Inline Comments (1229)
Perhaps he himself had driven her into a corner. Windsor’s eyes darkened with th
It also seemed that way to me, honestly, but good that he saw it. And decided to handle it himself from there
It was Samantha who had remained unchanged. She was still as innocent as ever, u
Sweet, charming, and naive. It’s even impossible to be angry with her.
“I’m merely curious how skilled the King’s lawyer truly is. If I can land a deci
But to be fair, that’s a pretty good excuse, hahaha
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
Ashiel_26
HUHU I feel sad for her situation being penniless noblelady and endure such gossip and hardships(;ŏ﹏ŏ)
Jane
Jacqueline faced injustice and disrespect but remain kind towards other people. She’s truly a fairy
TehShy
…oh my Jacqueline…hugs for all the things that happened to you and your family…