2

Monday morning had returned, and Connie was waiting for the children to arrive at the classroom.

The weekend felt too short to be a reward for the hectic week she had spent. However, the time she had alone in her staff residence room without the noisy yet lovable children was also quiet and boring to the point where she didn’t know what to do. Perhaps it was because she had no family or friends to spend the weekend with. At least she had Leonie’s new novel.

Indeed, Leonie was her only friend and hobby, and Ethan, who had given her the author’s book as a gift, was…

Having suddenly thought of Ethan, Connie tapped both her cheeks with her hands to shake off the thought. Children were entering the classroom. She needed to clear her mind of distractions and start another energetic week.

She felt both excited and nervous about the new week with the children. She was especially worried about how Sana had spent her weekend. Of course, that wasn’t her only concern.

In fact, there was another child in the classroom who concerned her more than Sana. Hopefully, things would get better starting this week…

“Good morning, teacher.”

Daniella greeted as she entered the classroom.

“Good morning, Daniella.”

Connie welcomed the child with a bright smile, instantly forgetting her previous worries at the appearance of Daniella, who had a good attitude in class and was as pretty as a doll.

In fact, when she was told that a princess had been assigned to her class, she asked the principal if she should use honorifics with the princess.

〈Teacher Connie, our school receives a pledge from parents when students enroll. It states that regardless of status, teachers are treated as teachers, and students as students. So no matter what kind of child enters your class, you don’t need to use different speech patterns or attitudes based on that child’s status. You shouldn’t do that either. If you speak casually to some children and formally to others, there would be no need for those children to come to school. They could just hire private tutors. The same applies to the princess. When His Highness the King and his spouse decided to enroll the princess in our school, they agreed to accept these conditions, and that’s why we accepted the princess.〉

However, he had said that outside of school, in external settings, she should treat them according to their status.

“Teacher, can I ask for a favor… please?”

The princess seemed to have difficulty using formal speech with her, perhaps because she had never spoken formally to anyone other than her parents.

“I should hear what it is first to see if I can grant it. What’s your request?”

“Change who sits next to me.”

She ended up speaking casually after all.

“Huh?”

“I hate him… please.”

“……”

She momentarily couldn’t find words to respond.

Yes, this was it. She had briefly forgotten when Daniella appeared, but following her concern about Sana, there was one more thing weighing on her mind.

So Daniella hated Callian Brightling, but the problem was that Callian liked the princess. Very, excessively much.

Callian, who had been late on the first day of school, had become well-behaved the moment he saw Daniella, and throughout the entire week, he had only looked at Daniella’s face. It almost seemed as if he came to school just to see her face.

She wondered, ‘Can a seven-year-old boy fall for a seven-year-old girl like that?’ but it was clearly love at first sight.

“Daniella, why do you hate Callian?”

“He keeps looking at me. He follows me around. He looks scary.”

“Huh?”

Connie almost immediately denied her words. Callian didn’t look scary at all. Scary! If anything, he looked really cute. His red curly hair contrasted with his fair face, making him look like a doll with red hair.

Just then, something red suddenly wedged itself between Connie and Daniella.

“Hello, Daniella.”

It was Callian, who had been the subject of Daniella and Connie’s conversation. He stood facing Daniella, with his back to Connie, not even greeting her.

Looking at the back of Callian’s red curly head right in front of her face, Connie realized that this situation was indeed a problem, regardless of whether Callian was cute or not. Not just because the princess hated it, but also for his sake.

Last week, Callian hadn’t listened to a word Connie said and had barely done any of his assigned tasks. He only watched Daniella, and when Daniella did something, he would scribble along, imitating her. His entire body was oriented toward Daniella as if her face were a blackboard.

“Hello, Callian?”

Connie greeted Callian’s back first.

“……Hello?”

Callian glanced back and answered halfheartedly.

Just from that attitude, it was clear that Callian needed to learn basic manners first.

“Callian, next time, please look at the teacher when you greet her.”

“……”

There was no response.

“Teacher, about the seat.”

Daniella, who had been silent for a moment, spoke again. Despite the person she hated standing right in front of her, Daniella emphasized her request once more.

Hmm…… what should I do……

She understood Daniella’s discomfort, and Callian’s fixation on Daniella was also a problem. But they had only been in school for a week, and if she changed seats now, the children would likely get confused about their places. Besides, she couldn’t change seats every time a child requested it.

“Daniella, we can’t do it right now, but how about changing in a few days?”

“……Okay.”

Though she looked displeased, fortunately, Daniella nodded and went to her seat. Callian, who seemed completely unaware that they had been talking about him, immediately followed her. After all, his seat was next to Daniella’s.

By the way, Sana is late. There’s not much time left until the start of class……

Connie’s gaze turned toward the door.

⁕⁕⁕

Even after the second period, Sana had not come to school. Connie wanted to check if Sana’s younger brother, who was supposedly in Class 2, had come to school, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the children for even a moment.

Daniella came out several times during breaks to report that Callian was bullying friends, but strangely, each time, Callian was at William’s desk, taking his book. Natalie came out during every break to ask endless questions like “Can I go to the bathroom?”, “Where do I throw this away?”, “What are we doing next period?” and so on. Nathan and Lorraine fought loudly whenever they had a chance, and Stuart wet his pants during the third period.

It was truly a chaotic Monday that resembled a battlefield. Finally, after the children had gone home, Connie sat in her chair, took deep breaths for ten minutes, then went to the bathroom she had been holding in all morning, and only then could she visit Class 2.

“Teacher, Sana Lancelot from our class was absent today. Did Scott Lancelot come?”

“Oh, really? Scott did come. He arrived on time and just went home a little while ago. If I had known earlier, I would have asked him what happened to Sana. Didn’t the family contact you about the absence?”

“No, there was no separate contact. What should I do in cases of unexcused absences like this?”

“For now, let’s leave it as is today, and if Scott comes tomorrow, we’ll ask him. Such cases are rare, but if there’s no contact for more than three days, you’ll need to visit Sana’s home.”

“Ah, I see.”

Even if Sana were sick, since Scott had come to school, the guardian or servant who brought him to school could have informed Connie about Sana’s situation. Why was she absent without any notice? Somehow, it kept making her anxious.

⁕⁕⁕

Sana didn’t come to school the next day either. According to Teacher Anna, Scott didn’t know the reason either. It was hard to understand how he wouldn’t know what was happening to his sister who lived in the same house, but there was no point in pressing a child who claimed not to know.

When Sana still hadn’t come by the third day, Connie decided to make a home visit. Home visits were supposed to be conducted during working hours, but her work simply couldn’t be finished in time, so she was only able to depart after work.

Nobles living in mansions often resided in the outskirts, quite far from Steen Elementary School, which was located in the center of Barfal, the capital. Fortunately, the Lancelot residence was in Sonak, an upscale residential area in the city.

“Who are you?”

The maid who opened the door looked Connie up and down as she asked.

“I’m Connie Clarence, Sana’s homeroom teacher from Steen Elementary School. Sana has been absent for three days, so I came to see if something happened.”

“……Please wait a moment.”

The maid, who hesitated very briefly, left Connie standing outside the entrance and closed the door. A few minutes later, when the door opened again, a woman with distinct features that gave her a glamorous appearance stood there.

“You’re Sana’s teacher? I’m Sana’s mother. Since you’ve come all the way here, please come in.”

At the finally granted permission, Connie carefully stepped inside the house.

The reception room visible upon entering, with olive green wallpaper and navy blue carpet, had an overall calm atmosphere. Somehow, Connie thought the interior decoration didn’t match the Countess who claimed to be Sana’s mother.

As soon as Connie sat in the seat offered by the lady, the maid who had opened the door came out with tea.

“Sana has been a bit sick for a few days. She’s still unwell and resting in my room. I think she’ll be able to go back to school after resting for a few more days.”

“Ah, I see. I came because we’re required to make home visits when a student is absent for three days without notice.”

Connie nodded at the lady’s words and explained the reason for her visit, when suddenly—

“Mom!”

A boy ran down from the second-floor stairs. Although Connie had never seen this child’s face at school, she could tell at a glance that he was Scott Lancelot. Unlike Sana, who looked completely different from the Countess, he clearly resembled his mother. While Sana had somewhat tanned skin and unremarkable features that didn’t stand out, Scott took after his mother and had a strikingly handsome face even for a child.

“Scott, you shouldn’t run, you might get hurt. Oh, and Sana’s teacher has come. Say hello.”

“Hello. But why did you come? Did you come because the rice bug didn’t go to school? Actually……”

Rice bug? What is that…… Oh!

Could it be…… that “rice bug” refers to Sana?

“Shh, Scott. Go to your room.”

The Countess stopped Scott’s words with a somewhat stern expression.

“Okay.”

He pouted and went back up the stairs.

“Scott is still young and clingy. He’s immature and simply innocent. But he has a tender and pure heart. He worries so much about his sister being sick. Even though his sister only ever envies her brother.”

“Ah, yes……”

Connie had come to check on Sana, but strangely, the lady was enthusiastically talking about Scott while openly disparaging Sana.

As Connie looked at the lady, the words “rice bug” kept circling in her mind.

Food parasite, meal bug…… were words she had heard constantly until four years ago.

And almost the same word, “rice bug.”

“Well, anyway, I’ll send Sana to school as soon as she gets better. Even if she’s absent again, you don’t need to come to the house like this. Sana has a weak constitution and gets sick often. She also finds it difficult to get up early in the morning, so she struggles with going to school. She’s a lazy child, and there’s not much I can do about it.”

Lazy? Is it normal for a mother to speak this way about her own child to the homeroom teacher?

Although it had only been a few days, the Sana that Connie had seen at school didn’t have a lazy image at all.

The puzzlement she had felt when reading the negative description of Sana in the student environment survey form came rushing back. In fact, it was closer to suspicion than puzzlement. A suspicion that Sana’s stepmother, the Countess, might be hating or mistreating Sana.

“Ah, yes…… But if something happens to Sana again, could you please let us know through Scott since he comes to school?”

“I’ll do that.”

With that answer from the lady, silence fell over the reception room.

Sana, who had been absent without notice for three days; a guardian who said she might be absent often in the future; Scott, who called Sana “rice bug” and showed an indifferent attitude—everything felt unsettling and worrisome. The most frustrating thing was that they had no intention of showing Sana’s face even though her homeroom teacher had visited the house. Was she really that sick?

“Um…… since I’ve come all the way here, could I see Sana’s face before I leave?”

“No.”

The lady’s firm and immediate rejection came in response to Connie’s careful but courageous request.

“Sana is asleep right now.”

The words she quickly added sounded like an excuse, but Connie couldn’t insist on seeing her if she was sleeping.

“Yes, I understand. Then I’ll be going now. Please send Sana to school as soon as she gets better.”

Barely containing her uneasy feelings, Connie rose from her seat, left the Count’s mansion, and after walking a few steps, stopped and looked back at the Lancelot family’s building.

Where would Sana’s room be?

The fairly large five-story mansion had many windows facing the main road.

As Connie’s gaze took in each window one by one, it eventually fixed on the leftmost room on the top floor. It was an unconscious action.

Surely that room couldn’t be it.

The fifth floor where servants lived, and among them, the rooms at both ends that were used by the lowest-ranking servants.

The hellish six years she had to spend in that place……

Before she knew it, memories from about ten years ago, when her uncle had barged into her home, were flooding Connie’s mind.

⁕⁕⁕

More than ten years ago, on a certain day when Connie was twelve years old, when she was “Connie Pleasure” instead of “Connie Clarence.”

Her father, who had wanted to give her all the beautiful and valuable things in the world, who had tried to show her only what was right and good, and who had treated Connie as more precious than anyone else in the world, had sunk forever to the bottom of the sea along with a ship full of spices imported from another continent.

Since her mother had died from puerperal fever a few days after giving birth to Connie, on the day the ship sank, Connie lost her only family and became an orphan.

However, she remained an orphan for only a few days. This was because her mother’s younger brother, Viscount Francis Clarence, who was Connie’s uncle and whom she had never seen until then, barged into the house where she was left alone. With all his family members.

In fact, her mother, who had noble status despite having lost the family’s territory long ago, had severed ties with her family who had strongly opposed her marriage to Connie’s father, a self-made wealthy businessman who had lost his parents early and grown up practically as an orphan. That’s why Connie had lived without even knowing about the existence of her uncle until then.

However, through adoption, her uncle and his family, who had become Connie’s legal guardians overnight, began living in her house from that day on.

The room at the center of the mansion, the largest in the street, where Connie had lived with her father, became her uncle and aunt’s room, and Connie’s room became the room of her cousin Elaina Clarence, who was the same age as Connie and her uncle’s daughter. Her cousin, Tyron Clarence, took over Connie’s playroom, which was right next to her room.

And Connie’s room was moved to the farthest room on the fifth floor, the highest level of the mansion, which had previously been used by the most junior maid.

When told to move rooms, Connie asked her uncle why she had to move to a maid’s room.

“You stupid fool, you ask why? Your lowly father left enormous debts after doing business with borrowed money. Thanks to me paying off some of it, you’re not being thrown out on the streets or sold to creditors. I’m still shouldering the remaining debt, but seeing you talk back to me without any gratitude shows you haven’t learned anything despite your age. This is why one shouldn’t associate with lowly people. I’ve adopted you, a person of common blood, and even given you the noble surname ‘Clarence,’ so you’ve received a favor from me that you can’t repay even if you spend your whole life trying. Understand?”

“Borrowed money, debt…… from my Dad?”

Connie frowned at her uncle’s casual insults about her father while simultaneously opening her eyes wide. Until then, the world her father had protected for her had been so peaceful and safe that she couldn’t believe her uncle’s words. Even if her father had borrowed money for business, he wasn’t the type of person who would leave her in a pile of debt overnight without any preparation.

No, he wasn’t the type to make such risky investments in the first place.

Although she was only twelve years old, from a very young age, her father had treated Connie as if she were his life partner, telling her about everything from the smallest matters to the biggest issues, asking for her opinions, and letting her deeply into his life. Because of this, Connie understood her father’s business style and philosophy, albeit vaguely.

He was definitely not the type of person whose business would be uprooted by a single accident.

However, tragically, her father, who had been her only but reliable umbrella that could block the pouring rain, was no longer in this world and couldn’t answer her questions.

“Yes, that man who was your father!”

“Please stop speaking so badly about my Dad.”

“Hmph! You need to fix how you talk to adults first. Remember, if you dare to look at me with those raised eyes and talk back one more time, your face won’t remain intact.”

By now, her uncle was showing his true colors without hesitation. However, Connie still hadn’t accurately grasped her uncle’s true nature at that time. That’s why she continued to voice her doubts without backing down.

“So are you saying this house is no longer my Dad’s and mine?”

She was being kicked out to a maid’s room, and her uncle’s family was going to live in this house? That couldn’t be right.

“You’re stating the obvious. I’m paying off the debts, and I saved this house with my money. So if you want to cling to this house, work. You’re twelve years old, so you’re not a child anymore. You’ve graduated from elementary school, so you should have learned the basics, and it’s just the right age to start working as a maid.”

“That can’t be true. My Dad, my Dad wasn’t that kind of person.”

Tears streamed down Connie’s face. And the next moment, for the first time in her life, Connie was slapped by someone. More precisely, she was slapped so hard that she flew and fell to the floor.

“I just told you what happens when you talk back without knowing your place, but you really don’t grasp the situation. I tried to be nice for your mother’s sake, but you’re a girl who can’t be reasoned with. You say it can’t be true? Are you saying I’m lying? I’m not kicking you out on the street and I’m offering to feed and house you, yet you dare to talk back to an adult. A bug like you needs to be hit to come to your senses.”

Connie, who had stopped crying from the shock of being hit so hard for the first time in her life, was pulled up by her uncle, who this time grabbed one arm so she wouldn’t fly away and hit her. Again and again, countless times.

Her uncle’s thorny criticism and curses didn’t even reach her ears as she was overwhelmed by the merciless slaps and punches.

I’m scared, it hurts, I’m sad, I’m miserable, it’s painful……

Dad…… Dad, please save me.

Connie was hit until her face was red and swollen and her lips were split, and as soon as her uncle released his grip on her, she collapsed to the floor again. At that moment, Connie realized with devastating clarity that the beautiful and happy world her father had protected for her was gone forever.

However, even though the world her father had protected had ended, her spirit wasn’t broken.

Even as she lay on the floor crying, Connie vowed never to be broken by her devil-like uncle.

Because her Dad hadn’t raised her to be that weak.

Nevertheless, a few days after her uncle had barged into her home and she had collapsed after being beaten by him, if her middle school teacher, Ms. Lisa, hadn’t visited the house, Connie might still be living as a beaten maid in that house’s most remote room on the fifth floor.

After all, regardless of her strong inner will, she was just a powerless twelve-year-old child at that time.

Connie had been absent from school continuously after her father’s accident. At first, it was because she couldn’t overcome her grief, and then because she couldn’t even get up after being beaten by her uncle.

Still, after a few days, she was able to sit up. This was thanks to one remaining maid who brought her food and took care of her from time to time. Sitting by the window of her fifth-floor room, endlessly gazing at the street, Connie saw Ms. Lisa from her school getting out of a carriage. It seemed she had come to check on Connie because her absence had been longer than expected.

As Connie watched the teacher disappear from view by entering the house, she suddenly thought she needed to meet her. Looking back, it was almost like a twelve-year-old child’s survival instinct.

She came down from her fifth-floor room to the first floor where the reception room was, and on the staircase, she heard her uncle saying, “Connie has decided not to attend school anymore.”

“Why wouldn’t I go to school?”

Connie shouted as she rushed into the reception room. At that moment, the eyes of the teacher, her uncle, and her aunt all widened.

The teacher’s eyes widened because of Connie’s face, which still had bluish bruises, while her uncle and aunt’s eyes widened because Connie, who they thought might not have survived, had suddenly appeared in the reception room.

“She cried a lot after her father died and even fell ill, which is why she looks like that. As you can see, teacher, she’s physically weak, so we plan to educate her at home.”

After a moment of shocked silence, her aunt hurriedly offered an excuse about Connie’s face.

“Connie, how can you walk around when you’re sick? Come on, let’s go.”

Her aunt, who had suddenly stood up and approached Connie, grabbed one of her arms and said this. While pinching her hard enough to leave a bruise under her armpit.

If she had been a bit younger, she might have been dragged away by her aunt, but fortunately, the twelve-year-old Connie wasn’t that naive, and she had inherited assets from her father: “courage” and “judgment.”

Her father had treated Connie like a princess, but he hadn’t raised her to be an ignorant, naive child. Having built a solid business despite difficult circumstances, her father had weathered the storms of life and generously passed on his experiences, wisdom, and courage to Connie.

He even sought Connie’s opinion on matters that required decisions from the lady of the house. Not that he always followed her opinions, but he always listened to and considered Connie’s thoughts when making decisions. Her father’s approach had made Connie more accurate and quick in assessing situations than her peers. Enough to instinctively realize at that moment that if she was dragged away by her aunt, she would never be able to attend school and would only be able to work as a “maid.”

“No. I’m not sick. My face looks like this not because I’m sick, but because my uncle hit me.”

Connie shouted as she shook off her aunt’s grip on her arm.

The faces of her uncle and aunt became hideously distorted, and the teacher’s face turned red.

“I want to go to school. Please let me go to school. Please, please.”

Connie pleaded once more as she ran toward the teacher. It was a bold action born out of the desperation that the teacher who had come to her house might be the only person left for her.

“Viscount, Viscountess, I’ll be going now. Since Connie…… wants to attend school so much, I would appreciate it if you could send her to school.”

However, at that moment, the teacher avoided Connie’s eyes and left the house as if escaping, and watching the front door close, Connie despaired. Her plea had no power, and the teacher, who could have been her last hope, had abandoned her.

As soon as the door closed, as if it were a predictably scheduled event, her uncle’s palm flew at her. It was an even worse beating than before. Connie fell ill again.

After so many days had passed that she couldn’t even count them, when the bruises and wounds on her face had almost disappeared, her aunt entered her room.

Connie unconsciously took a step back. Although it was her uncle who had hit her, her aunt hadn’t stopped him and had just calmly watched from beginning to end. She could hit Connie at any time too. Just like when she had pinched the inside of her arm hard enough to leave a bruise that day.

“Go to school. But I can’t pay for your tuition, so if you can’t get a tuition waiver, you’ll have to quit school immediately. When you return from school, you must do the work that the maid who used to stay in this room did. That’s the price for feeding and housing you, an orphan with no one in the world and a lowly commoner. Remember that even if you get a tuition waiver, we won’t send you to school if you neglect your maid duties.”

Connie was bewildered by her aunt’s unexpected announcement. People who had beaten her so severely were now allowing her to go to school……

However, Connie quickly focused on the opportunity she had been given. There was no time to be bewildered. Connie, who had promptly replied that she understood and would work hard as a maid, was able to go to school two days later.

And only after meeting Ms. Lisa at school did she learn the inside story of why her uncle and aunt had decided to send her to school.

Connie had been completely unaware because she had been sick, but Ms. Lisa, who had seemingly fled that day after seeing Connie being hit, had visited her house every day afterward—the next day, the day after that, and even on the weekend—without missing a single day.

Since Elaina would also attend the same school as Connie, her uncle and aunt had finally surrendered due to concerns about their reputation at the school their daughter attended and their face in front of the teacher who taught their daughter.

Ms. Lisa emphasized that each time she reported to the school that she was going on a home visit to Connie’s house, so they might have felt pressured about rumors spreading at the school Elaina attended.

Learning all this, Connie regretted having harbored resentment toward Ms. Lisa.

Then as now, all rights regarding children belonged to the guardians who had custody, and even if parents beat or starved their children, such actions were respected as parenting methods, making the guardian’s rights over their children absolute. Since Connie had already been adopted by her uncle and aunt and legally became their child, there was nothing the teacher could have done that day.

“Connie, you must get a scholarship no matter what. Otherwise, I have no way to help you.”

Ms. Lisa emphasized this several times as she explained the circumstances.

The reason the teacher had been able to keep visiting the house was that her father had already paid all the tuition for the first semester. Because she was a student who had paid tuition and was enrolled in that school.

However, if she didn’t pay tuition from the next semester, the teacher would have neither the qualification nor the justification to visit, even if she wanted to. Her father had only paid the tuition for the first semester before he passed away, and since her uncle would certainly not pay the tuition for the next semester, if she couldn’t receive the tuition waiver benefit given only to academically excellent students, the teacher would have no way to help Connie from the second semester.

It was certain that her aunt had allowed Connie to attend school thinking it would only be for the first semester, for which the money had already been paid. She must have gritted her teeth, thinking she only needed to send her for a few months to save face.

In fact, until her father was alive, Connie hadn’t been such a diligent student. She had just studied with a proper attitude during class hours, but was an ordinary child who much preferred hanging out with friends. However, after returning to school and hearing Ms. Lisa’s earnest request, Connie completely changed and began to study with gritted teeth. As if studying was her only way to survive.

At first, she immersed herself in studying because the time at school was the closest to her original life, when she wasn’t a maid. But as the years passed, she realized more thoroughly that studying was the only way to escape from their hands and dream of a future, so Connie’s passion for studying, which bordered on obsession, became more fierce with each passing year.

However, as a trade-off for achieving outstanding academic results, her friends disappeared as days and years went by.

In that school, which had only one class per grade, Elaina was always in the same class as Connie, and she repeatedly told everyone that Connie was an orphan and a commoner, but her noble parents were raising her out of pity. Children who had previously been Connie’s friends gradually drifted away from her as she became shabbier and focused solely on studying. It was lonely and sad, but Connie quickly adapted to the situation. After all, even her previously free relationships with friends had become a luxury for her. Since she had to do housework after returning home, she only had time to study at school. She had to make use of even break times.

In fact, Elaina was also helpful to Connie. Without Elaina, she might not have been able to attend school even if she continued to rank first and receive tuition waivers.

Elaina was terribly bad at studying. Connie practically did Elaina’s assignments for her, and during exams, she created summary notes for Elaina and even tutored her. Even with all that help, Elaina barely avoided failing.

If she hadn’t done these things, she might have been able to attend middle school for two years somehow, but she wouldn’t have been able to complete all four years of high school. Elaina was in a state where she couldn’t keep up with high school classes without Connie’s help, and Connie targeted this point to successfully attend the same high school as Elaina.

There was a time when she was severely beaten by her uncle for not showing Elaina the answers to a regular exam, but Connie found a way to survive by asking the teacher to seat her away from Elaina. Her outstanding achievements as a student had made the teachers take Connie’s side, making her grades her only yet powerful weapon.

However, in July when she was eighteen, when Connie said she would go to university, her uncle beat her almost to death. Eventually, Connie ran away from home that night and went to Ms. Lisa’s house, where she stayed until September when she entered university and legally became an adult. Fortunately, her uncle didn’t come to take her back during those two months. If he had come to get her, she would have had to be dragged back helplessly. Even looking back now, after all these years, the fact that he didn’t come to get her was the only thing Connie felt grateful to her uncle for. Considering that he demanded she repay the debt for raising her as soon as she became a senior in university, perhaps he judged that letting her attend university would yield more from her in the future than keeping her as a maid.

Ms. Lisa, who couldn’t actively protect Connie from parents who had full legal authority over the upbringing of their minor child, but protected her until the end in ways she could, was Connie’s benefactor. That’s why when Ms. Lisa died in a carriage accident the year after Connie entered university, Connie was so shocked that she wanted to give up everything, including university. It felt as if the world had abandoned her.

Nevertheless, while her mind was in turmoil, her body, as if by inertia, got up, attended classes, studied, and tutored.

In reality, having lost her only umbrella after her father, her soul was enduring the pouring rain with her bare body at every moment. The rain created puddles at her feet, and she was struggling in that puddle of muddy water.

It was then that she miraculously discovered Leonie’s book, and the sentence within it.

[When it rains, open your umbrella. So the rain can’t soak you.]

In fact, when she first discovered that sentence, she was so surprised. It felt as if her deceased father was speaking to her through Leonie’s pen.

Are you going to collapse like that? Even though your Dad is protecting you like this, even though your teacher protected you like that, are you going to be buried in sadness? Be strong. Dad will always be your umbrella. That’s what he seemed to be saying.

The lightning-like realization that she must not collapse as long as she held the memories of the love given by her father and Ms. Lisa struck her soul, which had been consumed by sadness.

In the end, once again, Connie endured without breaking down. As long as she had the memories of her father and Ms. Lisa, who had been her umbrellas, she had to live diligently. As long as she had their memories, the rain could not soak her.

That’s why, although it was true that she became a teacher at Steen Elementary School due to various conditions and circumstances, that wasn’t the whole story. The memory of Ms. Lisa, who had helped her until the end, also greatly influenced Connie’s career choice. At that time, the teacher was Connie’s only light and hope. No, perhaps her only lifeline.

However, when she got the job at Steen Elementary School, she hadn’t expected to become such a figure for someone else. After all, she hadn’t thought there would be a student in such a desperate situation as herself back then at Steen Elementary School, where children of high nobles or the economic upper class attended.

But why did she keep seeing her past self when looking at Sana?

Why did she have a premonition that she might be to Sana what Ms. Lisa had been to her back then?

Sana, who couldn’t be shown because she was asleep. Was that really why she couldn’t be shown?

At that time, Connie was twelve years old and fortunately had the courage to run down to the reception room on the first floor. But if eight-year-old Sana was in the same situation as Connie back then, could she run out of her room like Connie did? Wasn’t she too young for that? Didn’t Sana still lack the memory of an umbrella that had given Connie strength?

If that was the case…… what should she do, what could she do for her?

Even until she returned to her residence and fell asleep, Connie couldn’t shake the thoughts of Sana.

⁕⁕⁕

Sana didn’t come to school the next day either. However, Scott, Sana’s younger brother, did come and informed them in advance that Sana would be absent today as well.

“Is your sister coming tomorrow?”

“Your sister? Who’s my sister?”

Scott blinked and asked back.

They had been talking about his sister Sana all this time, so why was he acting like this?

“Sana, I mean Sana Lancelot, your sister. I’m asking if she’s coming to school tomorrow.”

“Sana? How is Sana my sister? That wretch…… No, I don’t know.”

“……”

Even if there were only a few months’ difference, a sister was still a sister. But what was that reaction all about?

“Wretch what? Did Sana do something bad to you?”

Connie subtly asked, suddenly remembering that this child was only eight years old. She didn’t want to use the child, but it was necessary to understand this suspicious and unsettling situation.

“No. Sana wouldn’t dare do anything bad to me. If she did, she’d get beaten.”

“……I see, so she gets beaten if she does something bad to you.”

Her heart sank, but she answered as if nothing was wrong.

“Have the places where Sana was beaten healed?”

Please say no, ask what I mean. Please……

She prayed desperately while asking a leading question.

She had to find out about Sana’s situation.

“Yes, the bruises will be gone by tomorrow…… Huh? That’s strange. How did you know Sana was beaten?”

Ah……! So she really was beaten.

Suddenly, tears threatened to well up.

Memories of being hit so hard that her cheeks were bruised, forcing her to be absent from school for days, came flooding back. She couldn’t go to school until those bruises faded.

So that’s what happened to Sana too.

She had desperately hoped it wasn’t true, that it was just her paranoia, but unfortunately, her concerns were confirmed as fact.

“Oh, right! Mom told me not to mention that Sana was beaten. I let it slip.”

“……”

Should this child be called innocent, or thoughtless?

Just as eight-year-old Sana repeatedly made the mistake of saying “Madam,” seven-year-old Scott was blurting out words like a typical child.

And the words this child was spilling out were causing a cold, sour pain in Connie’s chest.

Her clenched fist trembled. The liquid causing pain in her chest gradually spread throughout her body.

The images of Connie Clarence being beaten by her uncle and Sana Lancelot being beaten by her stepmother overlapped, making it feel as if the pain and suffering of both children were constricting her body.

“I won’t tell anyone that you told me, so don’t worry. Now, go to your classroom.”

In truth, there was much more she wanted to ask Scott. She wanted to ask if this was the first time, and if not, when the beatings had started. But most of all, she wanted to know exactly who had beaten Sana. Whether she was beaten only by her stepmother, the Countess, or by her biological father, the Count—this was what she most wanted to know. She desperately hoped it wasn’t her biological father who had beaten her. Both scenarios were unfortunate, but if it was her biological father who had beaten her, that would be even more unfortunate. There would be no hope……

But since Scott had remembered his mother’s warning to keep quiet, he probably wouldn’t fall for her leading questions anymore, and since other children were arriving for school, there was no more time. She would have to ask Sana directly when she came to school tomorrow.

It was so painful to have to suppress the urge to rush to Sana right away, knowing there was nothing she could do right now. Was this how Ms. Lisa felt when she saw Connie with her ruined face, pleading about her uncle’s violence more than 10 years ago?

Teacher, please help me.

Give me the strength to help Sana.

Connie prayed desperately to her umbrella. She asked for help so that she could now become Sana’s umbrella.

⁕⁕⁕

[Dear Author Leonie, hello.

This is Connie Clarence, a new teacher. (I’ve always wanted to introduce myself like this to someone. I’m so fortunate that you exist. I don’t really have any friends or family to introduce myself to like this.)

It’s been a while since my last letter, hasn’t it?

The life of a working adult is truly so intense that I fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow.

But finally, it’s the weekend, so I have the leisure to write you this letter.

And I have special news today.

Yes! That’s right.

I just finished reading your new novel a little while ago!

I wanted to be the first to buy and read it on the day it was published, but amazingly, the vice principal gave me your book as a gift! He said it was to congratulate me on successfully completing my first week as a working adult. Isn’t that wonderful?]

Ryan, who had been reading Connie Clarence’s letter, tilted his head slightly.

Vice principal? How did this vice principal come to know Connie’s book preferences when she had only been employed for a few days?

Moreover, do vice principals give books as gifts to new teachers?

What kind of person was the vice principal of Steen Elementary School?

Before Daniella entered school, he had made Eric visit the school.

He felt he needed to give some advice about the school’s greeting principles.

That was true, but…… he hadn’t been interested in who the vice principal was.

Vice principal……

What was this strangely unsettling feeling?

Well, I suppose it could happen.

Perhaps the vice principal wanted to encourage a young new teacher who was like his own daughter.

Having somewhat accepted this, Ryan continued reading the letter.

[This work is truly more enjoyable and exciting, so I couldn’t put the book down for a moment. To publish such a good book, Author, you are nothing less than a tonic for my soul. After reading this book, I feel like I can work vigorously for the next week, even the next month.

Author, you probably won’t be thrilled to hear this from another woman, but I think I need to confess my feelings openly and explicitly now.

I love you! From Connie Clarence.]

Ryan, who had frowned at the phrase “another woman,” closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them wide.

His gaze fixed on the phrase “I love you!” and feeling somewhat strange, he cleared his throat despite being alone in the room.

How amusing. It’s just the words of a woman who thinks I’m a woman.

As he stared at the last line, he slowly folded the letter and defined his strange feeling.

The words “I love you” are inherently stimulating words that touch a nerve no matter when or in what context they are used.

That’s true, but……

Somehow feeling unsettled, he tapped the folded letter on his desk.

“Gift…… vice principal……”

Yes, I should definitely check out this unsettling matter.

Regardless of Connie Clarence, since he’s the vice principal of the school Daniella attends, it’s purely brotherly interest in the educational institution and environment his sister attends.

He summoned Eric Gosling.

Thinking that for Eric, this would be information he could find out within 30 minutes.

In reality, he heard the answer not even in 30 minutes, but as soon as he gave the order to find out about the vice principal of Steen Elementary School.

Eric already knew well about the vice principal, but the problem was the name of the vice principal that came from him.

“What? Ethan Schwab?”

Ryan’s brow furrowed. Instantly, he recalled Connie’s flushed face as she tried to confess to “Ethan Schwab.”

In fact, at the time Connie was confessing, he hadn’t remembered who “Ethan Schwab” was, but later he had looked into who he was. He was the only son of the Schwab family, the young count. And now this Ethan Schwab was the what, what of Steen Elementary School?

There’s no way Eric would report incorrect information……

“Ah! I suppose Ethan Schwab, the young count, could also be called a newly appointed teacher at Steen Elementary School.”

That guy Eric was blabbering on, oblivious to others’ feelings.

“What are you saying! What does Ethan Schwab have to do with Steen School?”

“Why are you suddenly angry at me?”

“Sigh…… Fine, continue. Tell me why Ethan Schwab has become the vice principal of that school.”

It wasn’t something to be angry at Eric about. And Eric wasn’t one to tolerate his superior’s unreasonable anger.

“Your Highness knows this too, don’t you? The previous Marquis Steen only had one daughter, right? That daughter is the current foundation chairwoman, the Countess Schwab, and her only son is Ethan Schwab, the young count. They say she put her son in the vice principal position of the elementary school, perhaps to train him as a successor. The Countess’s thorough educational philosophy……”

“Haa! What? Vice principal? Is Ethan Schwab really the vice principal of that school?”

Who would have thought of such an unexpected development? So, the vice principal who gave Connie his book as a gift wasn’t an elderly man, but Ethan Schwab, that young kid? That youngster was the one who had received Connie’s unrequited love confession!

[Amazingly, the vice principal gave me your book as a gift! He said it was to congratulate me on successfully completing my first week as a working adult. Isn’t that wonderful?]

Wonderful? What’s wonderful about it! That black-hearted guy is making a move on her!

Wasn’t it an unrequited love? Has it become mutual now?

Ryan’s thoughts became complicated. Connie Clarence, his precious first reader who was physically close enough to reach by carriage from the palace in just 20 minutes, suddenly felt as if she had gone to a very distant place. Somewhere like Ethan Schwab’s backyard.

“Your Highness, is there a problem? I mean, is this related to why you’ve been involved in Steen Elementary School’s personnel matters since last time? And I’m asking this just in case, but is it also related to Miss Connie Clarence……”

Eric started to develop his sharp deductions once again.

“Get out.”

The right answer in these situations was to send him away.

His head was already throbbing enough without Eric’s piercing insights.

“Brother!”

As soon as Eric opened the door to leave Ryan’s office, Daniella rushed into the room. Eric, who almost collided with Daniella, made a “heek” sound and left the room while nagging, “Princess, if you run like that, you’ll fall, your knees will be scraped, and Her Majesty the Queen will be upset.”

That consistent nagger.

“Daniella.”

Ryan, who had been clicking his tongue at the disappearing Eric, habitually stood up with his arms spread wide toward Daniella. His tense face had already relaxed. His sister, eighteen years younger than him, was like a lovable doll to Ryan.

Yes, Daniella had always been his one and only precious sister.

Even before she entered Grade 1 Class 3 at Steen Elementary School.

And this precious sister had admirably been giving him different kinds of reports for several days now—simple and enjoyable reports that were dimensionally different from Eric’s complex and official reports.

After school, she would come to his room first and share every little detail about what happened at school.

“You’re here? What happened at school today? Did Brightling bother you again?”

It seemed the Brightling family’s little one had been bothering Daniella continuously since the day he enrolled.

It was Daniella’s biggest topic these days, so he couldn’t help but know about it.

That family wasn’t particularly known for having a desirable character to begin with. Especially the Marquis’s brother, Andrew Brightling, the Count—that guy was the worst. He was so violent and self-centered that Ryan’s brow would furrow at his character whenever he saw him. And now it seemed that even the seven-year-old child took after his father or uncle.

“Yes, he stuck by my side again today and kept staring at my face.”

That nasty Brightling kid!

“Really? Did you ask the teacher to change your seat partner?”

“She said no, that I have to wait. I want to sit next to William.”

That’s true. Connie can’t accommodate every request from children who don’t like their seat partners.

“William? Who’s that?”

Are there only boys in that class?

“William Wayne, he’s like a prince.”

I’m the prince. He’s just…… Oh, William Wayne? Must be Duke Wayne’s son.

“Is William handsome?”

Daniella had the typical prejudice that “princes” are handsome. It was a side effect of fairy tales. Yet she never seemed to include her own blood relative, Ryan, in the category of “handsome princes.” In reality, 99.9% of the kingdom’s citizens considered the prince—himself—to be a “handsome prince.” She believed there was a brave and angelically beautiful “prince” somewhere in a distant, unnamed country who would rescue “the princess”—herself—who had been captured by a dragon.

There are no dragons in this world, let alone princesses captured by them, Daniella.

“Yes, he’s like a prince, I’m telling you. I want to sit next to him. I hate Callian. His red hair makes him look like he’s on fire.”

The Brightling family was famous for their distinctive red hair.

“Alright, then next time ask your teacher to make you partners with William.”

The Wayne ducal family is much more decent than the Brightling family. Oh, right! But Duke Wayne is a bit……

Suddenly recalling Duke Wayne, a strange uncomfortable feeling arose.

Despite having no particular reason to do so……

“Yes, oh! I’ll show you the letters I wrote today.”

Daniella proudly spread out the paper she had been holding all this time.

It was a paper where she had traced the first five letters of the alphabet. Daniella could already write her name perfectly, but she had diligently followed along with the school’s curriculum.

‘……!’

Ryan’s eyes widened as he looked at Daniella’s worksheet. He saw the teacher’s signature at the bottom of the paper. The familiar handwriting and name belonged to none other than Connie Clarence.

“Connie Clarence.”

He unconsciously read her name aloud.

“Yes. Our teacher, Connie Class.”

Daniella wasn’t lisping and could speak quite well, but she seemed to have difficulty pronouncing “Clarence,” so she always called her “Class” like this.

After correcting her to say “Clarence” a few times, he had now given up.

“Daniella, by the way, have you ever seen the vice principal at school, I mean, in the classroom?”

He finally asked.

“Vice principal? Who’s that?”

“……Ah, it’s fine if you haven’t seen him.”

“But brother.”

“Yes?”

“There’s a drawing I made hanging in our classroom. It’s really pretty, so I’d like you to come see it sometime.”

“Ah…… that’s right. I’d like to see it too.”

Connie Clarence.

He had thought he would never see his reader’s face again, but perhaps that wasn’t entirely true.

A subtle but distinct smile spread across Ryan’s face as he patted Daniella’s head as if she had done something praiseworthy.

⁕⁕⁕

It was after the children had gone home, and she was hanging up drawings the children had made, clipping them to a string in the classroom.

“Knock knock.”

Although the door was already open, someone made a knocking sound with their voice as they entered.

It was Ethan Schwab.

“Vice Principal.”

Since it was during work hours, and she had been thinking that she shouldn’t let her heart waver meaninglessly, Connie deliberately addressed Ethan formally as she climbed down from the chair she had been standing on to display the pictures.

“Teacher Connie Clarence.”

Ethan also addressed Connie somewhat formally while smiling gently.

Could you please not smile like that?

“What brings you here?”

Her promise to buy him a meal had been a gesture of gratitude to a friend who had shown her kindness, and because she didn’t want to live with closed-off relationships like before, not because she had any hope for a relationship with him.

But if you keep making me waver like this, it’s hard for me.

“How long are you going to keep using formal speech?”

Ethan asked with a slight grimace, as if telling her to stop.

“I didn’t think about it deeply last time, but now that I consider it, it’s still work hours, and Ethan…… is the vice principal.”

The sentence became a bit awkward because the formal speech didn’t match properly. It would be correct to use formal speech with Ethan at school during work hours, if only to avoid such ambiguous statements in the future.

“……I see. Then let’s use informal speech after work hours.”

Ethan shrugged as he spoke.

As if we’ll see each other that much after work hours……

“So what brings you here?”

Connie asked formally again, as if trying to cut off any unnecessary hope.

“A delivery came. A letter delivery. A letter arrived for you, Teacher Connie.”

“For me?”

Connie tilted her head.

Only her uncle’s family knew that Connie worked at Steen Elementary School. But they would know it wasn’t payday yet, so had they sent a letter demanding her salary already?

She felt her face about to scrunch up.

However, Connie’s scrunched face soon relaxed, and her eyes grew wide.

“The sender is someone named ‘Leonie.’ There’s no return address though. ‘Leonie’? Who is that? A friend?”

Leonie? Who is that…… What?! Author Leonie?

Connie unconsciously reached out to grab the letter Ethan was holding, but he quickly pulled the letter behind his shoulder.

“Who is Leonie that you’re so happy? You don’t have any friend…… Is she a friend?”

Connie stared blankly at Ethan, who strangely didn’t hand over the letter and suddenly reverted to informal speech.

He doesn’t know Author Leonie? Why doesn’t he know?

Although it was three years ago, if he had quoted a sentence from the author’s novel, he must have read that novel quite impressively, and that’s why he had given her the author’s new novel as a gift last weekend. So why was he asking as if he didn’t know the author’s name?

“She’s the author……”

“Author?”

“Author Leonie.”

“……Ah, that author! Right! That author’s name was ‘Leonie.’ The ‘female’ author.”

Ethan nodded as if he had just remembered and held out the letter. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten the author’s name.

Well, he probably didn’t expect a letter to come from such a famous author, so he might have thought it was from someone else named ‘Leonie.’ Even she hadn’t imagined that the author would send her a letter. ‘Leonie’ was a name that, while not common these days, was often used as a female name in the past, so Ethan might have reasonably guessed it was the name of one of Connie’s old friends.

That’s true, but…… why does he emphasize that she’s a ‘female author’?

The additional emphasis on “female” seemed a bit strange. Female authors were rare, but Leonie’s writing style wasn’t particularly feminine, and the content of her writing didn’t reveal the author’s gender at all. So he could have just said “author.”

Connie found it odd but didn’t show it as she finally checked the sender on the envelope that Ethan had willingly handed over. It really did just say ‘Leonie.’

It’s real! The author actually replied!

Seeing the author’s name with her own eyes made it even more surprising.

“Thank you!”

She was so happy and pleased that she even bowed her head to Ethan who had brought the author’s letter. As if Ethan were standing in for the author, whose whereabouts were unknown.

“There’s a mailbox in the teachers’ office. They say you can pick up your mail there next time. But do you exchange letters with that author? Did you know each other before?”

“No, this is the first time I’ve received a reply from the author.”

Connie answered, filled with emotion, unconsciously hugging the letter to her chest. She couldn’t hide her excitement.

“Ah…… So until now, Connie Clarence, you’ve been sending letters all by yourself?”

Why can’t he consistently distinguish between formal and informal speech? As a grown adult……

Connie found Ethan’s awkward formal speech, like that of the children in her class, somewhat amusing. He seemed quite uncomfortable using formal speech with her.

“Yes, it’s a fan letter.”

“I see, you’re quite an enthusiastic fan. You must really like the author if you even told them your new workplace when you’ve only just started working.”

“……!”

Connie became dumbfounded after listening to Ethan’s words, which somehow sounded cold due to their flat, expressionless delivery.

Did I write in my last letter that I work at Steen Elementary School? I don’t think I wrote that……

“Connie Clarence?”

Ethan called out to Connie again as she stood there in a daze.

“Ah! Yes, I do like the author a lot.”

Connie answered Ethan, who somehow had a cold expression on his face. Ethan briefly responded with “I see” to her answer and then left the classroom. Watching Ethan’s retreating back, Connie pondered deeply about whether she had told the author the name of her school.

No matter how much she thought about it, she believed she hadn’t written it because she thought it might burden the author to write too many details about herself. But since the letter had already been sent, there was no way to check.

‘I must have written it. If I hadn’t, how could the author have sent a reply here?’

In the end, Connie convinced herself and opened the letter. In truth, she was so eager to read the letter that she had no time to search her memory further.

[Miss Connie Clarence. Hello. This is Leonie.

I’ve received several letters from you, Miss Clarence, but this is the first time I’m replying.

I’ve gratefully received and kept all the letters you’ve sent so far. They have been encouraging to me in many ways. Thank you very much.

Congratulations on graduating from university and getting a job.

Going from being a student to a working adult must be a significant turning point in your life, Miss Connie Clarence.

As a reader who has given me much strength, I would like to send you a first edition copy of my new book with my signature as a way to support your new beginning (even though you mentioned you already received my new book as a gift from your workplace superior), if that’s alright with you?

If you already have the book and don’t need it, I won’t send it. However, I feel this book might be the most meaningful gift I can offer to you, Miss Clarence, who has been my long-time reader and has been waiting for my new work. That’s actually why I’m writing this reply.

Celebrating your new beginning, Leonie.

P.S.

First, I am not a mother of a baby. I will never ‘give birth’ to a child in the future.

Second, I don’t have vision problems to the extent that you need to worry about, Miss Clarence.]

“Wow……!”

An exclamation burst from Connie’s lips after reading the letter.

The two seemingly trivial postscripts were actually Ryan’s main reason for writing this letter. However, Connie read these two sentences as truly trivial and instead read the part about gifting the book twice.

A first edition with the author’s signature. How could I possibly say I don’t need it, Author! You could have just sent something like this without asking!

She felt like bowing toward wherever the author might be if she knew their location.

However, what she actually did was check the time. There were three hours left until the end of the workday. She wanted to reply immediately, but she felt she shouldn’t do other things during work hours, and she didn’t actually have the leisure to do so. Connie decided to write the letter as soon as she got off work and climbed back onto the chair to hang the children’s drawings.

The thought of receiving a reply from Leonie and soon receiving a book as a gift made an uncontrollable smile keep breaking through.

⁕⁕⁕

The next day, Connie was busy changing the children’s seats. Daniella had been constantly asking to change seats, and Callian’s classroom behavior was also very poor. Since they had been sitting in their initially assigned seats for about two weeks, it seemed like a good time to change. It was fortunate that everyone attended school today, as Sana had been continuously absent until yesterday, making it awkward to change seats with one person missing.

“I hate this. I hate sitting next to this kid.”

But as soon as she announced the new seating arrangement, Callian Brightling shouted. The child that Callian hated sitting next to and even slightly pushed away was Natalie.

“I hate you too!”

Natalie glared at Callian and huffed.

“I’m going to sit next to Daniella.”

Callian said to Connie, almost confrontationally.

“I hate that.”

However, before Connie could answer, Daniella first muttered in a small voice, and at her words, Callian glared at Daniella with wide eyes. It was a look that seemed to say, ‘How dare you say such a thing to me?’

“Haah……”

A sigh unconsciously escaped from Connie’s lips.

At this rate, it seemed like the seating arrangement would never be settled.

“Please be quiet, everyone. We shouldn’t argue loudly, just asserting our own opinions. Not everyone can be happy with the seats the teacher assigns. I’d like to give everyone seats they’re satisfied with, but that’s not only impossible, it’s also important to make new friends. We shouldn’t say things that make others feel bad.”

Suddenly, Natalie raised her hand.

“Imposble? What’s that?”

Imposble? What is that really? Ah……!

“The word ‘impossible’ means ‘cannot be done.’ So it means it’s not easy for everyone to sit in seats they all like. Since you all don’t like the seats I’ve assigned, we’ll have to decide by drawing lots.”

Since they wouldn’t accept the assigned seats, it seemed the only option was to have them draw their own seats and accept it as fate.

Callian Brightling, who had been looking fierce, suddenly nodded excitedly. He probably believed that if they drew lots, he would definitely get the seat he wanted.

‘That might not happen, Callian.’

But there was no need to say this out loud right now.

The task of making him accept that he must accept the result even if it wasn’t next to Daniella remained, but that was the next step.

“If we decide by drawing lots, everyone must follow the results. Can everyone do that?”

It seemed important to firmly confirm that they must accept the results before the results came out.

“But teacher, how do we draw swallows? They fly around, don’t they?”

She had to explain the concept of drawing lots to Natalie once more. Some children nodded their heads, while others just remained still, but at least no one objected.

Thirty minutes later.

Daniella sat with reddened eyes as if trying to hold back tears, her lips tightly pressed together, while Callian watched her with a completely satisfied expression.

As luck would have it, the seat Callian drew in the lottery was once again next to Daniella, where he had been sitting for the past two weeks.

In fact, Connie hadn’t expected Callian to end up next to Daniella, so she had been firmly prepared to teach Callian that he must accept the results. But now that this situation had occurred, she had to think about how to calm Daniella down.

A renewed sense of responsibility washed over her as she realized she had to maintain peace in the classroom through her own judgment, where not even the immediate future could be predicted. Although she had thought drawing lots was a fair method, seeing one child suffering so much made her wonder if it had been the best approach. The only consolation was that apart from Daniella, all the other children seemed relatively content with their seats.

“Daniella, are you okay?”

“A princess must not show tears carelessly.”

As soon as she finished her answer, Daniella bit her lower lip and nodded firmly.

She must really hate it enough to cry……

Daniella’s eyes were on the verge of tears despite her trying to hold them back with the sudden dignity of a princess, which made Connie’s heart heavy. However, the first period had already been spent on changing seats, and the second period was scheduled for school garden observation, so she didn’t have time to comfort Daniella right away. For now, she had to take the children to the garden.

⁕⁕⁕

Connie had been so busy with her hectic schedule that she couldn’t find time to talk separately with Daniella or even with Sana, who had returned to school after a long absence. Worried about missing the carriage like last time, she held Sana’s hand as they walked out of school and asked what she had been wondering.

“Sana, were you really sick? Or was there another reason you couldn’t come to school?”

“I was sick.”

Sana’s voice was so small, as if she might shrink away.

“Sana, are you having any difficulties at home? If you’re going through something hard, you should always tell your teacher. I want to help you, so if something happened, please don’t hesitate and make sure to tell me.”

She couldn’t press too hard, but out of concern, Connie kept emphasizing her words as if making a solemn promise.

“……Yes.”

“You can tell me anything. This week, did you really not come because you were sick?”

Please tell me if something happened.

“……Yes.”

Why can’t you say you were beaten and couldn’t come?

Perhaps Sana hadn’t yet opened her heart to her.

“Is everything alright with your mother? Did she scold you, or hit you……”

No matter how suspicious she felt, this was a delicate question since the woman was legally Sana’s mother.

“Yes, nothing happened. Mother treats me well. Don’t worry.”

Sana answered quickly and firmly, unlike before.

The sudden change in attitude seemed strange, but she couldn’t force the truth out of a child who answered like that. Sana was wary of Connie.

Ah……! Does she distrust all adults? Has this child already received wounds so deep that they’ve fostered fear and distrust of all adults? Should I have approached more carefully?

“Which carriage is yours?”

They had already reached the school gate. At Connie’s question, Sana pointed to a black carriage. Her stepbrother Scott was just getting into it.

“Sana, have a good weekend. Remember, I’m always on your side, so if you have any troubles or if anything happens, you must tell me. Understand? I’ll help you. Don’t forget that.”

“Yes. I need to go now.”

Sana avoided Connie’s gaze as if uncomfortable.

“Alright, take care.”

As soon as Connie’s farewell ended, Sana ran to the carriage.

Connie’s heart felt incredibly heavy as she watched the carriage move away.

She could only desperately pray that this anxiety was just her own paranoia from past memories, that Countess Lancelot was indeed a good stepmother who treated Sana well as she claimed, and that Sana truly had no problems. For now, that was all she could do.

⁕⁕⁕

After meeting with the Temparan Kingdom delegation invited to the celebration of his father’s 30th anniversary of ascension, Ryan stopped in his tracks when he heard a sound coming from beside the Queen’s office. It was Daniella’s crying.

When he entered the room, Daniella was crying in her mother’s arms, and her mother was stroking her head.

“Daniella, why are you crying?”

“Waaah.”

His mother frowned as if perplexed, and Daniella just kept crying.

“Daniella, come to your brother. You’ll wrinkle Mother’s dress at this rate.”

“No, why does that matter?”

Daniella answered sharply, unlike her usual self, and burrowed more forcefully into her mother’s embrace.

Generally well-mannered, gentle, and kind, but born too preciously and somewhat frail, Daniella sometimes had these intense fits of petulance. The problem was that when Daniella acted like this, neither their parents nor even Ryan himself knew what to do.

Once she started crying like this, it became difficult to strictly emphasize the royal family’s typical teachings such as ‘maintain the dignity of a princess,’ ‘set an example as a member of the royal family,’ or ‘show respect to those beneath you.’

“She changed seats at school, but she hates the child sitting next to her. It’s quite a predicament. They changed seats by drawing lots, but the same child ended up next to her again.”

His mother explained while stroking Daniella’s back.

“You mean the little one from the Brightling family?”

It seemed that the boy Daniella had complained about several times over the past two weeks had ended up next to her again.

“Why didn’t you tell your teacher? That you’re sitting next to the same child again.”

“She seemed fine at school and tried to endure it. It was a lottery after all.”

At his mother’s words, Ryan frowned slightly, feeling sorry for his little sister.

Although Daniella might act like the youngest daughter, throwing tantrums and making demands in front of her parents or her brother Ryan, she never forgot the dignity and mindset of a princess that had been consistently and strongly instilled in her. Outside the palace, she hid her true feelings and acted quite maturely.

She must have done the same at school……

Connie Clarence seems to have chosen a fair approach with the lottery, but to end up with the same child again—what bad luck.

“Well, if it was decided by lottery, you have to accept it. There’s nothing we can do. No matter how much you hate it……”

“No, no. I don’t want to go to school.”

When he tried to tell her to endure it since there seemed to be no alternative, Daniella rebelled even more fiercely.

“She seems to have held it together somehow at school, but seeing my face must have triggered her tears. Our princess is so upset. It makes me sad too.”

Ryan knew well that although his mother was renowned as a benevolent, fair, and reasonable Queen, when it came to matters concerning her youngest daughter Daniella, her maternal instinct often emerged first.

What will she do if Daniella keeps throwing a tantrum like this?

“Daniella, the young lord from the Brightling family won’t sit next to you forever……”

“I hate you too, brother. I hate you too. I really hate him. He stares at me all day long. He’s like a real red monster.”

“……!”

If he feels like a monster to her, this is quite serious.

“This won’t do. I think I should consult with Daniella’s homeroom teacher……”

Just as I feared!

“Mother! That’s not appropriate!”

Ryan immediately objected.

The term had barely started two weeks ago, and now the Queen wanted to meet the homeroom teacher directly about the princess’s seating issue?

“Mother, don’t you think this would be excessive parental intervention even if she weren’t a princess? But you are Her Majesty the Queen, and Daniella is a princess. We should be setting an example, not requesting a consultation at the beginning of the term. That doesn’t seem like the right course of action.”

Ryan might not fully understand his mother’s feelings since he had never been a parent, but visiting the school over something like this when Daniella had just enrolled seemed like an overreaction. Especially considering the pressure a teacher would feel when the visiting parent is the Queen.

Of course, he wasn’t saying this because the homeroom teacher was Connie Clarence. Or was he?

“Then what should we do? Daniella says she doesn’t want to go to school.”

Just how much of a rascal is this Brightling child?

Two weeks…… Daniella has endured that child for two weeks. Judging by how often seats change, she would have to endure another two weeks. This is serious.

Ryan thought that if Daniella were an ordinary person rather than a princess, parents might visit the school, but bringing up such thoughts now wouldn’t be helpful.

“Daniella, want to talk with your brother?”

“No, unless you can change my seat, I won’t talk to you.”

“How can I……”

Wait a minute! What if I go to the school instead of Mother? And the teacher is Connie Clarence……

“Mother, it would look bad and might be criticized as an overreaction if Her Majesty the Queen went directly. Since Daniella is suffering so much, how about I quietly visit instead?”

“You? Hmm…… Yes, that would be better. Actually, sending royal staff for a child’s issue would also be inappropriate, so you going would be best.”

His mother, who seemed surprised by his unexpected suggestion, soon brightened up, and Daniella, who hadn’t even glanced at Ryan until now, finally looked at her brother.

“I’ll go to the school and talk with your teacher.”

“Okay.”

Daniella, whose eyes and even nose had turned red, finally gave Ryan a small smile.

Hmm…… To think I’d end up visiting my sister’s school for a consultation just to see that smile.

Of course, his position as prince would also be burdensome for the homeroom teacher, but it would be better than the Queen going directly or sending royal staff.

Ryan checked the time. If he left right away, he could meet Connie before she finished work.

Obviously, it wasn’t about seeing Connie right away.

After considering whether it would be better to rudely barge in or make an appointment and cause stress, he concluded that visiting quietly without an appointment would be better.

Well, Miss Connie Clarence, I’ll be meeting you in person again? I have no choice.

Absolutely…… I didn’t volunteer for this consultation just to see you. Yes, definitely not.

⁕⁕⁕

Connie was preparing learning materials for the next week when she suddenly felt strange and looked toward the door, jumping to her feet.

“Your Highness the Prince!”

The person standing in the corridor outside the open front door was undoubtedly the Prince. Prince Ryan Stanton.

Why on earth is he standing there?

For a moment, her brain felt twisted.

“Hello, Teacher. We meet again.”

“I’m honored to see Your Highness. But how did you come here…… Ah!”

Did he come to school because of that issue?

She suddenly remembered that the Prince was Daniella’s brother, and that Daniella had still been upset at the end of the school day.

“May I come in? You seemed to be working, so I was waiting.”

“Please come in.”

Connie approached the front door with quick steps, feeling honored that the Prince had been waiting.

“I apologize for coming so suddenly. I considered that not contacting you beforehand might be impolite, but I thought that if I announced my visit in advance, it might create an inconvenient situation, so I came directly without informing anyone.”

Connie understood what the Prince meant. Although the Princess didn’t receive special treatment as a student at Steen School, if the Prince had contacted them in advance about visiting, it would never have been a simple visit. The entire school might have become noisy.

“Ah, yes…… I see. Would you like to sit down?”

However, after inviting the Prince who had already entered the classroom to sit, she realized there wasn’t really a place suitable for an adult, especially one as tall as him. But the Prince casually pulled out a chair from inside the desk at the very front and sat down.

Since it was a first-grade chair, the chair was completely hidden behind the Prince’s body.

“Please sit down too, Teacher.”

At the Prince’s invitation, Connie also pulled out a chair from the adjacent desk and sat down. The chair was small and uncomfortable even for her. For someone of the Prince’s size, she worried he might roll off. Would the chair collapse?

“I never expected you would become a teacher at Steen Elementary School, much less Daniella’s homeroom teacher, but I’m glad to see you again. Teacher Connie Clarence.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I’m honored to see you again as well.”

Connie greeted him with a face that suddenly flushed hot. As soon as the Prince called her full name, she remembered the circumstances of their first meeting.

This is really embarrassing. I never dreamed we would meet again like this. And he even remembers my name exactly.

It must be because she’s Daniella’s homeroom teacher, but this was nothing short of a disaster for her. Well, a disaster she had brought upon herself.

“Um, where is Daniella’s seat, by the way?”

So he did come because of the seating issue?

“It’s this seat I’m sitting in.”

As it happened, the seat Connie was sitting in was Daniella’s.

“Then where is the young lord of the Brightling family’s seat?”

So that is the issue……

Somehow her shoulders tensed up while her legs felt weak. Daniella had been very upset, and the situation had turned out unluckily, but she hadn’t expected a parent to visit the school so promptly over a seating issue. Moreover, the parent in question was the Prince.

But given that the Prince had come, perhaps Daniella, who had seemed fine in front of her, had actually been suffering much more than she appeared to be, only enduring because she was in front of her teacher.

I should have paid more attention to Daniella’s feelings, no matter how busy I was…… She felt a wave of self-reproach.

“It’s the very seat Your Highness is sitting in.”

“Ah, I see. As you might guess, Daniella is very upset about her seat, and I came to visit because I was worried she might have caused you trouble at school. She’s the youngest child, and since our parents raised her with such care and affection, she can be quite demanding at times.”

The Prince’s roundabout, extremely careful way of speaking made Connie feel even more uncomfortable.

Both Daniella and His Highness the Prince.

The royal family’s child-rearing suddenly appeared in a new light.

“Not at all, Your Highness. Daniella is always polite and has an excellent attitude. I was also concerned because she was upset about the seating today. It was just an unfortunate coincidence. Was Daniella still very upset when she returned to the palace?”

“Yes, she was quite upset when she returned to the palace. I feel embarrassed to visit you over something like this, but……”

“Not at all. How could you be embarrassed! The most important thing is that you tell me about any issues so we can find the best solution to help Daniella, Your Highness.”

“I heard they sat in the same seats for two weeks previously, and I wanted to ask if you could possibly shorten that cycle this time. Not by much, but even if it’s just by one day, if that’s feasible, it might help me convince Daniella when I return to the palace. Since calming Daniella down is the priority right now, I’ve come despite knowing it might be impolite.”

The person speaking so respectfully before her was none other than His Highness the Prince of this country. His careful and courteous manner made Connie feel increasingly warm inside.

Is he showing such courtesy because I’m Daniella’s homeroom teacher? Or does this Prince treat everyone with such respect regardless of their status?

Come to think of it, despite sitting in a chair so small it was completely hidden by his body, his posture remained as natural and upright as if he were sitting in the world’s most comfortable chair.

“Actually, I was thinking about the seating issue after the children left today. I considered having the children in even-numbered rows move back one seat each week, and those in odd-numbered rows move forward one seat. Then we would change seats completely in the fourth week when they would meet their original partners again. This way, not just Daniella but all children would have different partners each week. What do you think of this method? Would this make it easier for Daniella to accept the situation?”

Connie straightened her back as she spoke, impressed by the Prince’s posture.

She had genuinely been considering this method, not just because the Prince had come. She was concerned that first-graders might find it difficult to change seats, but even if it took some time, if she explained it properly at the beginning, the children would gradually adapt. They had already adapted to other classroom rules through repetition.

Of course, Daniella might still hate even that one week, but she deliberately didn’t add that at school, children need to learn how to get along with both those they like and those they don’t, and also how to accept results when drawing lots.

“Yes, I think Daniella will understand that well enough. I feel embarrassed for coming so rashly when you were already considering a solution.”

“Not at all. Your visit has helped me make a decision. Please feel free to come for consultation anytime in the future.”

Connie waved her hands as she spoke. While having a student’s guardian visit like this wasn’t entirely comfortable, it was clearly better to find solutions together through consultation than to harbor resentment.

“The classroom is very pretty.”

With the purpose of his visit resolved, the Prince suddenly looked around the classroom and commented.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Connie also looked around the classroom following the Prince’s gaze, smiling slightly and nodding…

“Perhaps it’s because it resembles its owner……”

She thought she heard him mutter to himself.

‘……?’

Owner? What owner is he talking about? Ah…… the classroom? The owner of the classroom?

Connie couldn’t quite understand the Prince’s muttering, so she stared directly at his face.

“Daniella’s drawing clearly shows that she drew it. She always draws crowns just like that.”

“Aah……”

The Prince was looking at the children’s drawings posted at the back of the classroom. In Daniella’s family drawing, everyone was wearing crowns. It was definitely a drawing that revealed her identity as a princess.

So he meant the children as the owners of the classroom.

“Connie Clarence.”

Just as Connie was nodding her head, finally understanding the Prince’s words, an unexpected voice reached her ears.

Ethan Schwab?

Connie’s eyes widened as she saw Ethan already entering the classroom, and she stood up from her seat.

Ethan, who had entered the classroom, blinked his widened eyes as he saw the Prince sitting across from Connie, who had risen from her seat.

‘Ah……!’

Connie, looking back and forth between the two men, almost staggered as her legs weakened.

The events from graduation day were vividly replaying in her mind like a moving picture.

No, why on earth is Ethan coming to my classroom again! And of all times, right now!

Come to think of it, it was already after office hours.

“Vice. Prin. Ci. Pal.”

Connie deliberately emphasized each syllable of “Vice Principal” as she addressed Ethan, hoping the Prince wouldn’t realize that this vice principal was the very man to whom she had confessed her unrequited love that day.

“Ah, yes, Connie…… Teacher Connie Clarence, but isn’t that His Highness the Prince?”

Ethan barely responded to Connie as he stared at the Prince, and only then did the Prince slowly rise from his seat.

“Hello, so you’re the Vice Principal. This is our first…… meeting. I visited for a consultation regarding my sister, Princess Daniella, who is a student in this class.”

“Ah! Is that so? If Your Highness had notified us of your visit in advance, we would have greeted you properly on behalf of the school.”

“Not at all. This isn’t an official visit, just a quiet one to briefly consult with the homeroom teacher.”

“Ah, yes. I see. If you were in the middle of a consultation……”

“No, we were just finishing up and about to stand.”

“Then I’ll escort you out, Your Highness.”

Ethan bowed respectfully as he spoke. Connie also took a step forward to see the Prince out.

But the Prince, who she thought would leave immediately, suddenly stopped and asked a somewhat strange question.

“By the way, Vice Principal, what brings you to Teacher Connie Clarence’s classroom?”

“Pardon? Ah…… I came because I had something to discuss with Teacher Connie Clarence.”

Ethan, perhaps flustered by the unexpected question, stammered slightly before answering.

“Discuss…… I see. A discussion.”

What’s strange about that? Why that expression?

“But since Your Highness is leaving, I can escort you out and then come back to discuss.”

Ethan added, perhaps concerned about the Prince’s somewhat dissatisfied expression.

“No need. I truly didn’t come as a prince but as a student’s guardian for a consultation, so I’ll leave on my own. Let’s not make this into a big affair.”

Despite his intention not to make it a big deal, his firm tone sounded somewhat commanding, and neither Ethan nor Connie dared to insist on escorting the Prince as he walked out of the classroom alone.

“What did the Prince come for?”

After blinking and staring at the front door where the Prince had already disappeared for a while, Connie finally looked at Ethan in response to his question.

“Ah, just…… He came to consult about the children’s seating arrangement…… But why are you speaking informally?”

“It’s past work hours. Weren’t we only using formal speech during work hours?”

“Ah…… yes. Yeah. Anyway, it wasn’t anything serious……”

She had meant to maintain a professional relationship at work, but he seemed to have interpreted it differently. Well, since it was indeed past work hours, Connie ended up awkwardly mixing informal and formal speech.

“Let’s stick to one, Connie Clarence.”

“Fine. Anyway, it wasn’t a serious matter, so don’t worry about it. But why did you come?”

Come to think of it, he had visited last Friday too, and now he was back in her classroom just a few days later. Was his claim about having something to discuss just an excuse? Was checking on new teachers’ work situations part of the vice principal’s duties?

“I was planning to meet with some university classmates after work on Friday and wanted to ask if you’d like to join us.”

“……!”

Connie was so stunned by this unexpected suggestion that she couldn’t respond. While she and Ethan were indeed university classmates, that didn’t mean they shared friends. They had entered university the same year, attended during the same period, and graduated the same year, but that was just a fact. She hadn’t formed any relationships she could call friendships with anyone, and now this sudden mention of a classmates’ gathering came out of nowhere.

From the beginning, even she and Ethan had never spoken throughout their university years, so they were essentially strangers to each other.

“Ah, of course they’re probably not close friends of yours, but they’re close with me, and you’re close with me.”

“I’m…… close with you?”

Since when are we close? She couldn’t say she had completely given up her feelings for Ethan. Just seeing how her heart sank at his words about being “close” proved that. But having a crush on him didn’t mean they were close. Far from being close, they were extremely awkward with each other.

“We’re going to become close from now on. Just look at how we’ve met again in such an unexpected place—doesn’t that show we have a remarkable connection?”

That might work for you, but not for me. When I see you, my heart still flutters, and it still hurts a little, that’s how it is.

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Though Connie felt bitter, she answered firmly. She didn’t want to be swayed by his meaningless goodwill and kindness.

“Being close?”

“Meeting your friends together. And being close too. Actually, you’re my superior now.”

And we weren’t friends before either.

“After work hours, I’m not your superior but your friend. Well, think about whether you can join the next gathering. All my university friends are curious about you. I’ll expect a positive answer next time.”

“……”

It was truly absurd. Who on earth would be curious about her?

But Ethan, who had told this lie so casually and cheerfully, left the classroom after wishing her a good evening.

Left alone in the classroom, Connie became lost in thoughts about Ethan as she tidied up. For the second week in a row, he had come to see her for personal reasons.

Why does he keep doing this to me when he already has a woman he likes? It just makes my heart unsettled.

⁕⁕⁕

Sitting in the carriage returning to the palace, Ryan was thinking about the relationship between Ethan Schwab and Connie Clarence. Ethan Schwab had entered Connie’s classroom without hesitation and called her simply “Connie Clarence” by name.

Does he usually call her so casually by name? Despite their relationship as vice principal and teacher? Well, if they’re university friends, I suppose that’s possible. But does a vice principal have that much to discuss with a regular teacher? Enough to barge into her classroom like that?

Come to think of it, he said he even gave her his book as a gift. That makes sense. How would such a young man give a gift to such a pretty and cute woman without any meaning behind it? How did he know Connie’s book preferences? Did she tell him? If so, does that mean they’re closer than I thought? Was it not just Connie who liked him? Was it not unrequited love but mutual affection? No! Even if it was mutual, is it appropriate to carry on a romance so openly at school?

Romance…… ?

His thoughts, which had been racing at full speed, suddenly came to a halt at one word.

‘Romance’

No, romance is absurd. How could they be in something romantic when it’s only been a few days since Connie confessed her unrequited love?

Ryan, who had unconsciously frowned at his own imagination, looked out the window. Through it, he could see the school building gradually receding in the distance.

She said she lives in faculty housing……

The fingers of his right hand, resting on his thigh, began tapping rhythmically.

Thinking about it again, if Ethan Schwab had accepted her confession yesterday, romance would be entirely possible. That means today, right now, if Ethan Schwab were to tell Connie Clarence in her classroom that he likes her, the two could become a couple immediately, starting today.

When you think about it, it could happen at any time.

They work at the same place, and Connie even lives in faculty housing.

Just as Ethan Schwab had entered her workplace, her classroom, without hesitation, her home was also a place Ethan Schwab could visit anytime.

Moreover, the faculty housing was provided by the Steen Foundation.

The Steen Foundation is practically owned by Ethan Schwab. That means Connie Clarence is currently living in a house provided by Ethan Schwab……

How long had it been since he thought the idea of them being in a romance was absurd? Yet somehow his thoughts had already grown wings and flown far away to the universe of unfounded speculation.

All the way to thinking of the officially provided faculty housing as if Ethan Schwab had personally provided it to Connie, and even further beyond.

Freely indulging in fantasies in ways that neither Ethan Schwab nor Connie Clarence had ever considered.

The rhythm of his fingers tapping on his thigh was getting faster and faster.