“No, Bonita. Dad hasn’t said anything bad…”

“It’s not good!”

Bonita shouted again.

‘I haven’t said anything bad…’

He wanted to make excuses like that.

Even though his gaze was sharp, he maintained a certain courtesy in front of Bonita.

If there were no child, he might have been more probing.

Thinking like that, Bonita’s exclamation of not saying anything bad was quite sharp. Since it was just before she stopped.

“…”

Bonita looked up at him with a determined expression.

Luke crouched down.

It would be ridiculous to just lower his height, but Aria bit her lip tightly inside her mouth.

Bonita remained serious.

“Please be kind to Aria as she is still not feeling well.”

“…Fine. That’s better.”

Luke, who adjusted his height to Bonita’s eye level, smoothly admitted his mistake of not having said anything bad.

“Sorry, Bonita.”

“I’m not the one who should be sorry.”

“Well, yes.”

Luke mumbled absentmindedly.

Aria chuckled while suppressing her laughter.

“You don’t need to apologize. Your Grace.”

“…”

He felt like he was being teased. If you look at those twisted eyes, you’ll probably be right about my guess.

Though he was annoyed, Luke swallowed it like an adult.

‘It’s better to change the subject.’

After all, there was something to say.

Luke called Bonita, who was smiling after his apology.

“Bonita.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to tell you.”

Pink eyes looked up at him.

How cute she was.

His eyes soon changed as if he were looking at the most adorable being in the world.

He felt irritated, but Luke forcibly kept his smiling lips from loosening.

“Well, I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

“No, Bonita.”
In the past, it was heard that the children of quite wealthy merchants often had private tutors. Even the three boys of the viscount’s family, including Bentley, would occasionally bring up stories about ‘private tutors’ during conversations.

Bonita muttered with a somewhat uncertain tone.

“I don’t know if I can do well.”

“It will be okay.”

Luke smiled slyly.

“Even if you’re not good, I’ll teach you step by step. Let’s start by meeting the teacher first.”

“Okay.”

After seeing Bonita nodding, Luke’s hand twitched.

It seemed like he wanted to pat her head.

Aria, who was watching the conversation between the two women, noticed this movement and whispered to Luke’s ear.

“Why don’t you do that?”

Although Luke briefly glared at Aria for her suggestion, his body was honest.

His hand awkwardly moved up Bonita’s head.

Just in case Bonita might recoil from his rough touch, Luke didn’t pat her but instead lightly touched and smoothed her head with a tapping motion.

He praised her with a lifted corner of his mouth.

“Good, good.”

“?”

Bonita made a puzzled expression.

‘What did I do that’s considered good…?’

Anyway, this Duke couldn’t control his actions every time.

It’s not that he didn’t like it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Is this the house?”

Hindley Lotern, 28 years old.

He was the second son of the Lotern Viscount.

It was difficult for many sons other than the eldest son, who inherited the family, to find a way to make a living.

The lower the nobility, the more difficult it was.

To prevent the family’s status from falling, all the property, including titles, land, and cash, was given to the eldest son.

The dowry given when a daughter married was even larger than the property given to sons below the second son.

His house was not much different.

Since his parents had always said they would let Hindley become independent when he became an adult and had even mentioned giving him a small independence fund, he had to figure out how to make a living by doing business or becoming a knight.

In that situation, what Hindley chose was the path of learning.

Fortunately, he was able to enter the Royal University.

Although his parents considered preserving the family important, they were not very strict. As long as he didn’t fail, they generously covered the expensive university tuition even for nobles.

After studying at the Royal University for four years, he had to choose one of two paths after graduation.

First, become a royal official.

Second, become a teacher.

Among them, Hindley chose the second. It wasn’t entirely by choice. To become a royal official, he had to pass another exam, and studying was already torture for him.

‘I’d rather teach kids.’

Most nobles preferred having a noble-born male who graduated from the Royal University as a private tutor for their children.
Hindley, who fit the ideal conditions, was able to find his first job right away. He was the son of a somewhat wealthy noble family similar to the Hans and the Viscount’s family.

As he began teaching him, introductions followed from the surrounding people. Unexpectedly, Hindley had a talent for education.

However, as such a life repeated, it somehow felt leisurely and empty.

‘How long do I have to live teaching these brats like this?’

The salary of a private tutor is not very high.