Ariante stared at Ash with eyes that seemed to be exploring for a moment. Then, Ash tilted his head and suddenly spoke.

“I heard she’s a very clever young lady, but it doesn’t seem so.”

Both Meiana and Ariante’s eyes widened simultaneously. As Ariante furrowed her brows and Meiana was about to say something… Ash, between Ariante’s flowing curls, gently ruffled her hair with his fingers.

Between his withdrawn fingers, there was a caramel stuck. It had a playful illustration on the wrapper.

“How did you do that?”

Just as Ariante was about to get angry, she shouted with her mouth wide open. Even though it was a loud voice that could make ears tingle, Ash didn’t change his expression. This time, he pretended to put his finger into Ariante’s mouth, then took out another caramel.

He put the two caramels into Ariante’s pocket and said, “Ariante, you’ll study with me starting tomorrow. Do you like reading books?”

Only then did Ariante, who just found out his identity, widen her eyes even more.

“You’re the teacher?”

“Yeah, that’s right. How about studying together?”

“I can! I love reading books!”

“Very well. I look forward to having a student with great potential. Want to share a cookie?”

Without hesitation, Ariante handed Ash one of the cookies she was holding. He crunched on the almond-filled cookie and stood up. Then, with a faint smile, he turned to Meiana. The satisfaction reflected in his brown eyes…

‘Is he really not bipolar?’

Meiana thought.

Ash said, “Well, Ariante, see you tomorrow. The class will start in the morning. Is that okay?”

Holding the only remaining cookie in both hands and making a crumpled expression, Ariante looked up at him.

“Do I have to study all day long?”

Ash burst into laughter.

“No, not at all. If you study all day long, you’ll end up becoming a fool. I have no intention of making you a fool, Ariante. We’ll study for three hours a day. We’ll decide what to learn each day.”

“Three hours only? Will there be homework?”

“Well, do you like homework?”

Ariante instantly raised her head. Then, as if Ash had expected it, he laughed softly and lightly stroked the small head of the child.

“Then let’s do homework only when necessary. Ariante, if you can remember everything you learned for three hours without forgetting, there won’t be any homework for that day. But it might be difficult to remember on some days. How about doing a little homework on those days?”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“Right, that’s good. See you tomorrow morning. Call me Ash when you call me.”

Ariante, looking puzzled and expectant, asked again, “Not Teacher Ash, just Ash?”

“I don’t really like being called a teacher. So, if you’re okay with it, just call me Ash.”

“Okay, Ash.”

Ariante happily stomped her foot. Ash’s expression as he watched her was so kind that Meiana found it hard to believe. There was not a hint of contempt or disdain…

As he left, holding the cookie and mumbling to himself, Ariante grabbed Meiana’s hand and jumped in place.

“Meiana, did you see that? Ash took out a caramel from my hair! How did he do that? Huh? How did he do it?”

Meiana, still with a drained expression, held Ariante’s hand tightly and said, “That’s right, my lady. I have no idea what kind of person he is.”
Meiana’s hands, which were sewing at Sediloi’s words, abruptly stopped.

“Did you just say ‘a bit unique friend’?”

‘Not a lunatic, is he?’ Meiana swallowed the words that were about to burst out of her lips.

The two were sitting facing each other in Sediloi’s reception room. Arianthe had long fallen asleep, immersed in “The Story of the Fire-breathing Dragon and the Pig.” It was a time when everyone in the mansion had returned to their rooms.

When Jemero brought the news that the Duke was calling, Meiana followed him with a small basket containing her sewing materials.

Although Jemero had a look as if asking why she brought that, to avoid getting too excited by thinking about the bizarre incidents that had happened today, she needed something to distract her thoughts…

“That person… was a professor at the Royal University, right?”

Sediloi, tilting his head, sipped a sip of light Moore wine.

Meiana continued to ask, “But now, has he quit?”

“Yeah. He gave up the professorship during the divorce. Well… he never liked his job much in the first place.”

Meiana saw something hidden in Sediloi’s words.

“What does it mean that he didn’t like his job?”

“Well, there’s room for interpretation… In his own words, he said, ‘It’s better to teach ants.'”

I see. Meiana thought as she cut the thread. She didn’t want to admit it, but Ash Lauren was undoubtedly an intelligent person. Sediloi had called him a ‘genius’ in passing, and whether it was true or not—she didn’t really want to know—but he seemed exceptionally extraordinary.

‘There was always one professor like that. Professors who were amazed at the stupidity of undergraduate students…’