ITMLWKM 26

Chapter 26

Ciel quietly watched Latia.

What a strange young lady.

Ciel had already heard the whole story from Celtron.

“Miss Latia Gladellis is incredibly intelligent! But all the adults around her seem determined to hold her back.”

Looking at Latia, Ciel saw her younger self.

The version of herself who had been expelled after her research paper was stolen by her lover because people insisted that someone so young couldn’t possibly have written such an outstanding thesis.

That was why she had personally accompanied Celtron today, although Latia hadn’t known she was coming.

Even after hearing the entire situation, Ciel still found Latia unusually mature.

She and Karsian were about the same age, yet Latia spoke confidently to him—even though he was three years older—clearly expressing her own thoughts and what she believed was the right course of action.

So that’s why the young master…

She finally understood why Karsian had refused to leave with her.

But no matter how intelligent and mature she is, she’s still only seven years old.

It was difficult to entrust Karsian entirely to Latia when Latia herself wasn’t in a very good situation.

The fact that Karsian was still working in the stables, despite everything Latia had done for him, proved that.

But I don’t want to ignore the young master’s feelings, either.

Ciel wanted to repay the kindness she had received. She wasn’t interested in becoming intoxicated by her own sense of gratitude.

As she pondered the problem, an idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

“What about this?”

She looked back and forth between Karsian and Latia.

“The reason for today’s luncheon was because news of Lord Gruan’s partnership with my company, the Yeriel General Trading Company, had spread everywhere, right?”

“That’s right.”

Latia immediately showed interest.

“Since the marquis’s goal is me and my company, what if I were to get directly involved?”

“You mean, personally?”

“Yes. For example, I could visit regularly.”

At Ciel’s suggestion, a bright smile spread across Latia’s face.

“Then Karsian won’t have to leave! The Yeriel General Trading Company is enormous, and even the marquis has been trying to find an opportunity to establish a partnership with it!”

And not just an employee, but the owner herself would be visiting!

Once rumors spread that the owner of the Yeriel General Trading Company was personally coming and going, people’s fading interest would immediately reignite.

Naturally, that attention would extend to Karsian, who was living there under their care.

Father won’t be able to mistreat Karsian however he wants anymore!

If that happened, the original reason for trying to drive Karsian out of the estate would disappear.

“Wow, that’s great, Karsian. Don’t you think so?”

Latia asked cheerfully, but Karsian still looked bewildered.

Unlike him, Latia possessed memories of both reincarnation and regression, so she had immediately understood Ciel’s plan.

Karsian, however, needed Latia to explain everything before he finally realized that the problem had been solved.

“But wouldn’t that be troublesome… for you?”

He awkwardly corrected himself and switched to polite speech.

Apparently, he’d only just realized that he’d been speaking informally to her the entire time.

Ciel smiled gently.

“It wouldn’t be troublesome at all. I’m simply happy that we’ve found a compromise.”

If it hadn’t been for Karsian’s small act of kindness, Ciel would have become a complete wreck.

There had even been times when she had considered giving up on life.

That’s why she was genuinely happy to finally have the chance to repay him.

This time, Karsian didn’t reject her kindness.

When Father returns, I’ll make sure to repay everything I’ve received.

Even Karsian had begun to lose faith in his father’s return, but Latia had encouraged him.

Thanks to her, he could once again believe that Claude would come back.

Having made up his mind, Karsian decided that, since he’d already shamelessly accepted help once, he might as well ask for one more favor.

He looked at Ciel.

“I have a request.”

“Of course, Young Master. Please tell me anything. Should I build the annex first? Or perhaps—”

“It’s not for me.”

He shook his head and glanced at Latia.

“I want you… to teach Latia.”

Everyone was stunned by the unexpected request.

With the tips of his ears turning red, Karsian continued.

“Latia is smart. Smart enough to build the Gruan Trading Company from nothing. So I think she’s capable of accomplishing much greater things.”

Although he was clearly embarrassed, he expressed exactly what he wanted to say.

Latia had never expected him to say something like that.

She stared at him in shock.

Karsian glanced at her before turning back to Ciel.

“If she had an adult to guide her, I think Latia could grow even more. Since she’s helping me so much, I want you to help her, too.”

But perhaps he felt he was asking for too much because his voice gradually became quieter.

Ciel looked at Karsian, whose fists were tightly clenched, and then smiled warmly.

Her crimson lips looked both alluring and kind.

“Very well. If the young lady doesn’t mind, may I become your temporary teacher?”

“Ah, I…”

Latia was about to refuse but suddenly closed her mouth.

This is definitely separate from our business partnership.

Karsian was right.

There wasn’t a single adult around her who could truly guide her.

Susan loved her like a parent, while Celtron was a business partner who was growing alongside her.

But neither of them could become a mentor.

In that sense, Ciel, who’s already a successful merchant, would be the perfect teacher for me.

With that thought, instead of refusing, Latia stood up and gracefully spread the hem of her dress.

“If you’re willing to teach me, I’ll study diligently.”

Her actions spoke just as loudly as her words.

At that moment, Ciel realized that Latia was someone who would never let an opportunity slip away.

Ciel also rose from her seat, placed a hand over her chest, and bowed.

“I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes. I look forward to it as well.”

Sharing a few similarities with each other, Ciel and Latia exchanged warm smiles.

* * *

“Then I’ll be on my way. I’ll visit again very soon, bringing both the partnership contract and the report regarding the request you entrusted to me.”

At Ciel’s words, Latia and Karsian nodded together.

After Ciel and Celtron left, Karsian returned to his room.

Calling it a room was a bit of a stretch.

It was merely a small structure beside the food storage room.

But somehow, it had started to feel like home.

He should have been exhausted after working in the stables, yet he immediately sat down in his chair.

Then he took out the letter paper he had completely forgotten about.

At the top, the words “To Father” were written.

“Ah, right.”

After dipping his pen into the ink, Karsian unconsciously muttered,

“I was going to send this letter, but I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I put it away for a while.”

After that, so many things had happened that he’d completely forgotten about it.

Holding the ink-stained pen, he hesitated.

He suddenly remembered why he hadn’t been able to write anything in the first place.

“If I’m going to talk about how I’ve been doing…”

He couldn’t avoid mentioning the marquis’s estate.

Which meant he would inevitably have to talk about Latia as well.

I’m worried about how Father will see her.

It was ridiculous.

He had been worried that the person who used to torment him might be viewed negatively.

Because of that, he hadn’t been able to write a single word.

The truth was that Karsian had never intended to forgive Latia.

Not her, and certainly not anyone else who had bullied him.

Although he hadn’t wanted to say anything before because it might interfere with Claude’s work, he had planned to tell him everything as soon as he returned.

I thought that even if it didn’t happen immediately, Father would eventually take revenge for me.

But then Latia had changed.

At first, he hadn’t believed it.

Yet somehow, he kept finding himself lingering around her.

Was it because those transparent violet eyes were once again filled with intelligence?

Or was it because she didn’t have much time left to live?

She had changed so much that she seemed like a completely different person.

He couldn’t stop watching her.

When he discovered that she had been starving, his mind had gone completely blank.

Before he realized what he was doing, he had stolen bread and rushed to her side.

Bread.

The very thing he had never stolen, even when he himself had been hungry.

I was confused.

Even while giving her the bread, he couldn’t stop doubting.

What if I trust her and she betrays me again?

What if she stabs me in the back?

His thoughts were a tangled mess.

But then Latia had sincerely apologized.

And she promised that she would make him happy, no matter what.

At that moment, everything suddenly became clear.

I’d already forgiven her.

Once he realized that, he began to see Latia’s true worth.

She was an incredibly proactive person.

Even in difficult circumstances, she fought to reclaim her rights.

She vowed revenge against those who had hurt her and followed through.

And even so, she never lost her kindness.

Thinking about the warmth she had shown Celtron, Ppirori, and himself made his heart feel strangely ticklish.

Looking at her, Karsian found himself thinking about many things.

I… never made any effort at all.

When Claude told him that the sea was too dangerous, he simply complained and stayed inland instead of trying harder.

He couldn’t even stand up for himself against the people at the marquis’s estate after they changed their attitude toward him.

Instead, he only grumbled behind their backs.

I was even planning to ask Father to punish the people who had treated me unfairly.

Compared to himself, Latia seemed extraordinary.

Despite being in a situation not much different from his own, she had remained steadfast.

She fought.

She sought revenge.

And in the end, she found powerful allies.

Latia was amazing.

She shone so brilliantly that he couldn’t help but envy her.

And naturally, that admiration grew into something deeper.

Could I become like Latia?

No.

He wanted to become like her.

Before he realized it, she had stopped being his enemy.

She had become his goal.

And because of that, he couldn’t write about her in his letter to Claude.

He was afraid his intentions would be misunderstood.

Afraid that he might lose the chance to see Latia in the future.

But that’s all in the past now.

The once-empty letter was now completely filled with dark ink.

One line subtly described his current situation, just as Latia had advised.

And more than ten lines described what kind of person Latia was to him.

After reading through the letter one final time, Karsian carefully added a postscript.

P.S. Latia is terminally ill. We still don’t know what illness she has, but I’ll definitely find out. So when you return, please call a doctor immediately. Latia is my benefactor. I want to save her no matter what.