Mom's Possessed - Chapter 57

Hindley’s brown eyes burned with desire.

His face showed he would do anything.

‘This is why lowlifes are so easy to handle.’

Wasn’t it much easier than when he previously hired Aria Hilton?

They didn’t even need to try to find weaknesses from the start.

Just throw them an appropriate carrot, and they’d willingly put on their own leash and hand over the lead.

“I’m curious about how my niece is doing. Could you tell me about her from time to time?”

“Pardon?”

Hindley asked, seemingly perplexed.

“Couldn’t you just visit her directly for that?”

“Is that a refusal? How unfortunate.”

“Ah, no, that’s not it!”

Hindley hastily explained, afraid the Viscount might change his mind.

“I was just surprised. It seemed too simple a condition for introducing me to the Duke’s family…”

“Haha, I see. You could have such doubts.”

Oliver soon flashed a charming smile.

“As you know, it hasn’t been long since my brother found his child. At such a time, it’s not good to visit the Duke’s residence carelessly, even for family. Isn’t it a time when father and daughter need their own space?”

“Ah, yes. I understand.”

It’s not good to visit a house with a young child too frequently.

Moreover, the Delphinium Viscounty and Lisianthus territory were at the northern and southern ends of the kingdom respectively.

It took a full day by carriage, so it wasn’t a distance easily traveled by the head of a family responsible for an entire house.

As Hindley was nodding in understanding, Oliver added casually like before.

“And, there’s a woman who brought my niece. Aria Hilton, daughter of Baron Hilton.”

“Is that so? It’s a name I’m hearing for the first time…”

“Well, they weren’t that famous a family. Anyway, my second request is to let me know in detail exactly what relationship that woman has with my niece, and how she gets along with my brother.”

“Ah, if it’s that.”

Just before finishing his answer, Hindley fell into brief contemplation.

He couldn’t understand the reason at all.

He and the Duke of Lisianthus are brothers. If curious, he could just ask him directly, so why bother requesting this from him?

Unless he was planning something nefarious.

“Lord Rothern?”

Hindley snapped back to attention at Oliver’s call.

Oliver was looking at him with a meaningful expression, his black eyes narrowed.

“Is there perhaps a problem with what I just said?”

“Ah, no. It’s just…”

“Go ahead and speak.”

“I was a bit puzzled.”

Hindley conveyed the thoughts he had just moments ago.

Hearing his words, Oliver burst into laughter.

“Nefarious plans, you say. What could I possibly gain from personally hearing about my niece’s nanny?”

“Well… nothing, I suppose.”

“Precisely.”

Snap.

Oliver flicked his index finger and spoke as if sighing.

“I’m simply curious if that woman might have entered the Duke’s residence with some ulterior motive. As you know, my brother is still a young and attractive bachelor even 6 years after losing his wife, isn’t he?”

“That’s true.”

Hindley agreed.

The current Duke, Luke Lisianthus, was still only thirty years old.

For a man, thirty was an age where there was no need to rush.

Though the Duke had a frightening appearance, he had plenty of manly charm, and was the sole owner of the wealthy southern territory.

Moreover, his only child was a daughter.

If he were to remarry and have a son, it would be a great opportunity to make a child of one’s own blood the future Duke. Even if not a first marriage, he was certainly a very desirable catch.

Oliver smiled ruefully, as if he had read Hindley’s thoughts.

“That’s why I’m worried about what schemes that woman might be using to approach my brother. She’s sticking around using the child as an excuse now, but later she might seduce my brother, take the position of mistress, and then abuse my niece… Couldn’t she commit such atrocities?”

“Ah, my thinking was shallow.”

Hindley nodded fervently. There were no logical flaws in Oliver’s words.

‘It’s certainly possible.’

Baron Hilton’s family.

He had never even heard the name before.

If someone who had memorized most noble genealogies didn’t know it, it meant they were truly an obscure family.

Or they were a fallen noble house in circumstances worse than wealthy commoners.

Couldn’t someone from such a background secretly approach the vacant position of Duchess with ulterior motives?

“Then, is that all you need me to do?”

“Of course. Ah, I’m just making the introduction. Whether you can remain as the young lady’s tutor depends entirely on your own abilities, Lord Rothern.”

“That’s only natural.”

…And so, 28-year-old Hindley Rothern found himself standing in front of the gates of the Lisianthus ducal residence.

The gatekeeper Dalton asked.

“What brings you here?”

“Ahem.”

Hindley deliberately adjusted his hat in a dignified manner and lifted his briefcase once before setting it down.

Dalton frowned.

“I’m sorry, but could you please state your business? I don’t have mind-reading abilities.”

Hindley also became irritated at that seemingly interrogative tone.

‘Just a gatekeeper, yet…’

Unlike the formal knights serving in the knightly orders, the soldiers guarding the gate were merely commoners who had learned a bit of swordsmanship.

Hindley introduced himself, showing slight discomfort.

“I’m here on the recommendation of Viscount Delphinium.”

“The Viscount’s recommendation, you say?”

Viscount Delphinium was the second son of this household – though a bit old to be called young master, but still.

“Do you perhaps have a letter of introduction?”

“Is a letter of introduction really necessary?”

“It’s not that we don’t trust you, sir, but it’s a necessary verification process. Please cooperate.”

Hindley slowly searched his person with a haughty attitude.

Dalton’s irritation surged.

Judging by the fact that he arrived in a public carriage rather than one bearing a family crest, he was neither a high-ranking noble nor the heir of a lower noble family.

At best, he was likely of the gentry class, and his swaggering wasn’t a pleasant sight. However, Dalton maintained his manners solely because of the mention of Viscount Delphinium’s recommendation.

‘Why on earth did Young Master Oliver recommend someone like this?’

Then again, come to think of it, Young Master Oliver had always had an oddly poor eye for people.

The people around him would invariably betray him, get involved in unsavory affairs, or try to pin their exposed wrongdoings on the kind Oliver.

Such ingratitude.

Perhaps this man was of the same ilk.

“Ahem! Here it is. Come and check it.”

“Yes, understood.”

Dalton, grinding his teeth inwardly, took the paper handed over by the young gentleman.

‘If this letter of introduction turns out to be fake, I won’t let it slide.’

He unfolded the paper.

It bore Oliver’s unmistakable handwriting, signature, and content recommending him as a tutor.

Dalton’s expression became subtle.

‘A tutor? Someone like this?’

Judging by his attitude, he had expected him to be a merchant or royal official, but a tutor? There was only one child in this household who needed a tutor.

“Is there a problem?”

Hindley asked in return as Dalton remained silent for a while.

Dalton quickly composed his expression.

“No, sir. Please enter.”

Even if he felt doubtful, the other party was still a tutor who came with Oliver’s recommendation.

It would be a clear overstepping of bounds for Dalton to comment on his qualifications.

‘Though he seems unpleasant in many ways.’

But then again, who knows?

If it was Oliver’s recommendation, he was probably teaching all the children of the Delphinium viscounty.

That would mean he certainly had the basic skills. It’s not like skill and character were inversely proportional.

‘Still, how could they assign such a dark-looking man as a tutor to a delicate young lady like her…’

Dalton scratched the back of his head as he watched the man walk into the garden.

“Well, His Grace will handle it properly, I’m sure.”

If he truly turned out to be an incompetent person, the Duke would mercilessly drive him out.

So Dalton had nothing to worry about. He closed the opened main gate and resumed guarding the front of the ducal residence with a bored expression.

“So, you’re the tutor Oliver recommended?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Hindley faced the Duke in a state of high tension.

Though he tried to appear calm on the outside, he was screaming internally.

‘Is, is he even human?!’

He had thought the rumors were exaggerated.

But this… was far more overwhelming than expected. An intimidating presence beyond imagination.

The ominous rumors about black magic and blood-crazed demons weren’t circulating for nothing.

‘How on earth did the Duchess live in the same house with a man like this…’

They were famous for being such a loving couple, but Hindley found it astonishing. The late Duchess must have been an incredibly strong-hearted person, or someone who lived alone in a flower garden.

“Hmm… What is your name?”

“I am Hindley, second son of Baron Rothern. I graduated from the Royal University at 20 and have been teaching children for 8 years.”

Luke muttered as if surprised.

“Your experience is sufficient.”

Nobles are sensitive about their children’s education.

If he had any serious flaws as a teacher, he wouldn’t have been able to maintain a foothold in the education field for such a long time of 8 years.

He flipped through the documents Hindley handed over. It was a list of children he had taught so far.

The list was quite long.

‘The fact that he’s a man is still bothersome, but…’

Still, this seemed enough to at least give him a trial lesson.

He rose from his seat.

The overwhelming difference in physique, which had been impressive even while seated, became even more pronounced.

“My daughter is in her room. We’ve prepared a separate study room for lessons, so I’ll guide you there.”

Hindley gulped.