Chapter 14

Though Cael tried to soothe him with a “It was pretty fine. I’ll just consider it a workout,” seeing as he looked a bit pitiable, those words were rather better left unsaid.

Knowing that there were individuals who could use magic among the demonic beasts subjugated this time around, Cael’s answer was nothing short of absurd to Rousseau.

‘Please don’t talk like you just went and caught a wild boar in the mountains.’

As someone who had served as the Grand Duke’s chief aide for a long time, he tried his absolute best not to let anything show on his face.

Unfortunately, the result of all his hard work crumbled completely with Cael’s next words.

“Thanks to that, I can now sit back and watch the little war between my nephew and the tutor with peace of mind. I’m exceptionally satisfied.” “I keep telling you, this isn’t something to just watch for entertainment.”

At his sigh-filled remark, Cael gave a soft chuckle and leaned deeply back into his chair.

“Rousseau.” “Yes, Your Grace.” “Wanna make a bet?” “Pardon?”

The eyes looking at Rousseau sparkled brilliantly.

Just what was he supposed to do with this spiteful boss of his?

Realizing that his master’s bad habit was flaring up again, Rousseau let out a low groan. Calling the young prince childish was rich coming from him—this one was just as bad.

Heredity never lied. As if proving they were uncle and nephew, the two of them were raising hell as a pair.

“On who wins this battle of wits.” “You’re going to do it even if I say no, aren’t you?”

Cael grinned back instead of giving a verbal answer.

“I’m betting on Lady Libro.” “Then the bet doesn’t even work.”

Rousseau, who shared the exact same opinion, grumbled out his response.

“Then let’s change the topic to ‘how many days it will take for our nephew to throw in the towel.’ How many days do you think it’ll take?” “Umm, a week?” “I give it three days.” “…” “I just have a feeling.”

Looking at Cael answering so confidently, Rousseau felt that he was destined to lose this bet as well.

Just like always.

Ten days of doing nothing but reading books without uttering a single word. Evelyn was spending a far more satisfying time than she had expected.

For the first two days, she was bothered by the little squirt who kept casting discontented glares her way. Sitting around doing nothing while the clock ticked away weighed a bit on her conscience as well.

However, on the third day, when the head butler Harold personally brought in a cushioned chair and a tea table, Evelyn gained complete confidence.

‘I’m doing great.’

On the fourth day, fragrant black tea and pastries were provided. She could practically feel a strange kind of passionate enthusiasm emanating from the elaborately prepared tea food.

On the fifth day, the black cat made its appearance. Its main duty was to sit demurely at her feet and guard her side; occasionally, it accepted the treats she fed it, took catnaps, and wore the single happiest expression in the entire world.

Shortly after the rumor spread that the new private tutor and Damian were engaged in a battle of wits, Evelyn’s world rapidly grew lavish.

The daily multiplying tea treats, the plush chair, the soft blanket, and the charming cat snacks were proof that there were many people cheering her on.

‘They must have suffered a lot because of that little squirt.’

It gave off the feeling that while everyone knew his nasty temper needed to be corrected, they couldn’t handle it themselves and desperately wished for someone else to take up the mantle.

Though she wasn’t entirely thrilled about it, since educating Prince Damian’s character was her official job anyway, she decided to let it slide.

And finally, today—the tenth day.

Slam!

The sound of a book being shut with sharp irritation tore through the quiet air inside the study.

Evelyn lifted her gaze to look at the source of the noise. Damian was glaring at her with eyes brimming with resentment.

“Just how long are you going to act like such a salary thief?”

Look at the mouth on this kid. Where on earth did he even learn a phrase like that?

At the sharp remark that was unthinkable coming from an eight-year-old, her expression turned peculiar.

After steadying her breathing, Evelyn asked in a soft voice,

“Are those words directed at me?” “Yes. What, is it wrong to call a thief a thief?” “…”

When she fell silent out of sheer absurdity, Damian continued his accusations with a triumphant face.

“You call yourself a tutor, yet you aren’t teaching me a single thing. You’re taking a salary without even doing your job properly, so of course you’re a thief.” “Without doing my job properly, you say…”

Slowly repeating the child’s words under her breath, Evelyn rose from her seat. The closer she approached, the stiffer the child’s face became.

“Your Highness.”

Her voice was kind and her expression was gentle. Her graceful demeanor was the very picture of a perfect, beautiful noble lady.

Yet why did this woman’s smile feel so spine-chilling?

Damian instinctively jerked his body back.

From gender to appearance and build, she was completely different from his uncle. Yet that intimidating aura of hers was strikingly similar to his uncle, the Grand Duke of Alphereon.

“I believe I mentioned to you before, Your Highness, that the weight of your words and actions carries a different gravity compared to others. Do you remember? It seems my explanation back then was a bit lacking, so allow me to elaborate.” “…” “If you declare someone a thief, even an innocent person will be viewed with suspicion. And if you declare something beautiful, even the hideous will be deemed lovely.” “W-What does that have to do with any of this?!”

You just called me a thief, you cursed little brat.

She forcefully suppressed the words boiling up inside her chest.

“Right? I wonder why I am trying to have such a profound conversation with you, Your Highness. With a mere little child who doesn’t even know his own place.” “What? Have you lost your mind?”

Damian flared up and tried to spring out of his seat. Or rather, he attempted to.

If only Evelyn hadn’t placed her hand on his shoulder and pressed down firmly.

“Very well said, Your Highness. I wasn’t finished speaking yet.” “Hey!” “I was planning to set aside some time for a talk eventually, so I’m glad you brought it up first. Thank you for taking the initiative.” “I never did that! L-Let go of me!” “You called me a thief, but my dear Prince, who made me out to be a thief in the first place—just what about me displeases you so much that you refuse to take your lessons?”

Evelyn asked with a smile full of deceitful sweetness—the very smile her twin siblings always claimed was an ill omen.

“Y-You too!”

Sensing the ominous threat behind that smile, Damian blurted out in an uncontainable surge of emotion.

“You didn’t come here to teach me anyway! You just came here to seduce my uncle!”

Damian bolted upright from his seat with a violent movement.

The chair overturned with a loud clatter, but he didn’t care.

His vision kept blurring rapidly, and his voice trembled. Even though he clenched his fists tightly to keep from crying, it didn’t hurt at all.

“Why don’t you just go cling to Uncle instead! Stop wasting time pretending you care about me!”

Having screamed out the words hidden deep in his heart, the child sprinted out the door—leaving behind Evelyn, who could only stare at the child’s retreating back with a dazed expression.

“What on earth…”

After a long pause, Evelyn muttered in utter disbelief.

“He’s just an affection-starved, jealousy-filled little brat.”

Where do I even begin to tackle this?

Evelyn let out a deep, heavy sigh that surged from the bottom of her heart.

In the end, it had come to this.

Evelyn walked with brisk, un-ladylike strides, followed closely by a single black cat trotting right behind her.

Where on earth was she supposed to find that troublemaking little squirt?

“I should have chased after him right away.”

Her moment of staring off in dumbfounded laughter had lasted only a second.

She had regained her senses and dashed out immediately, but the child had already vanished downstairs with his golden hair fluttering in the wind.

Anyone who hadn’t tried chasing after kids that age would never understand how exhausting it was.

“He’s insanely fast, that cursed little squirt.”

Meooow.

Muttering the words she had repeated the most in recent memory, Evelyn stared at the maze garden in front of her.

If the gardener was to be believed, the child was definitely inside here. He had said the boy charged straight in like an angry bull without the slightest hesitation.

“Haah, here again.”

While she had entered by mistake last time, this time she had to dive in voluntarily—and with the full conviction that she would end up getting lost.

‘If I knew this would happen, I should have drawn up a map of the maze beforehand.’

A bitter smile played on Evelyn’s lips.

But what choice did she have? What was done was done.

Her mind made up, Evelyn picked up the cat. Let’s go together, kitty.

“Alright! I am settling this once and for all today.”

Muttering out loud to reinforce her own determination, Evelyn took her first step forward with a confident stride.

“That’s the same tree we saw earlier, isn’t it?”

Evelyn asked the cat sitting blankly beside her. She couldn’t believe that less than ten minutes had passed since she set foot into the garden.

To her denial of reality, the cat declared the cold truth with an innocent, merciless cry.

Meow.

“You don’t have to answer so firmly, you know.”

Nyah.

“I know.”

She was lost.

No matter how intentionally designed as a maze this garden was, to end up going around in the exact same circle every single time…

She had never thought of herself as bad with directions, but now she felt she really needed to question herself.

Letting out a series of heavy sighs, Evelyn grumbled in a complaining tone.

“Should I just wait until someone comes to find us? You aren’t going to show me the way, are you?”

Meoooow.

“Liar. Last time you didn’t take me outside, you took me to the gazebo.”

Nya-nya-nyah!

As if asking her to trust it just this once, the cat gave a long cry with a grinning face, then darted straight forward.

“Are you really going to show me?”

The cat, which had been excitedly running ahead, stopped in its tracks when Evelyn didn’t move, turning around to let out a long cry toward her as if telling her to hurry up and follow.

Spurred by the cat’s urging, Evelyn hastily began chasing after it.

Chasing, waiting, chasing again, and waiting once more. How many times had they repeated that cycle?

Catching sight of a familiar gazebo, Evelyn froze dead in her tracks.

She had thought no way, but seeing the exact same person sitting in the exact same spot just like that time brought a hollow laugh to her lips.

I got tricked again…