Chapter 98

The Earl stared at Judith, who was too flustered to say anything, for a moment.

His persistent gaze only made her more nervous. Then, the Earl let out a chuckle and opened his mouth to speak.

“Do you know why I sent you a letter asking you to visit the estate again?”

“Ah… well.”

Judith furrowed her brow and trailed off.

To be honest, she had no idea.

At first, she thought he might use the excuse of her previous rudeness to firmly tell her that she couldn’t take the assistant professor position.

But now that she was meeting him, she felt he was treating her more favorably than she had expected.

“Um… was it to tell me to give up the assistant professor position?”

“…”

“…Was it not?”

Hearing her words, the Earl smiled faintly, leaned back, and relaxed into his chair.

“Of course, that was my initial intention.”

“…”

“But Anette told me that Chase truly loves you.”

For some reason, hearing those words made her cheeks flush. Judith lowered her gaze and pressed her lips together tightly.

“I never imagined it. That boy, who seemed only obsessed with his sword, has already reached an age where he could care for someone….”

The Earl tapped the armrest of the sofa as he continued.

“You might find this surprising, but this was actually the first time Chase ever rebelled against me.”

Judith’s eyes widened in surprise.

Judging by his behavior at the academy, she had assumed he must have grown up spoiled and doing whatever he pleased at home as well.

Then again, judging by how he acted toward his mother, he did seem extremely polite and well-mannered.

“But for him to get so angry because of you, even going so far as to declare that he would leave the family… Honestly, I was shocked.”

“…I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh, I’m not blaming you. It just shows how sincere Chase is about you.”

The Earl let out a deep sigh before continuing.

“Anyway… this whole ordeal has made me realize a lot. As Chase said, I may have been thinking too much about his happiness from my own perspective. It’s not like I want him to be unhappy… Why would I? He’s my child, just like any other.”

The Earl burst into a hearty laugh at that point. Judith watched him with a mix of pity and hesitation before she carefully asked.

“Have you ever told Chase something like that? He seems to misunderstand and think that you dislike him….”

“There was never an appropriate time to say it. Being the head of a noble family requires more caution than you might think. If Chase realized how much I cared for him, the retainers and distant relatives… anyone, really… could use that against him.”

“Ah….”

Judith’s mouth fell open in shock.

“So, I decided to wait until he grew into a proper adult who could stand on his own. I planned to entrust him with the position of the family’s Knight Commander. That way, he would have enough power to no longer have to worry about others’ opinions. Oh, do you know? In our family, the head has always also served as the Knight Commander.”

Hearing this, Judith recalled the conversation Chase had with his brother last time.

She bit her lip and nodded.

“I heard about it recently.”

“Good, then I can skip some explanations. But that method is inefficient in many ways. It’s not easy for someone who has only trained with a sword their entire life to also be knowledgeable about worldly matters. …So I’ve been thinking for a long time about separating those roles during my generation.”

The Earl began explaining his long-held plans.

“I thought that if the head of the family and the Knight Commander were separate individuals, it would have a more positive impact on the family’s development. Just look at my sons. Alec, the eldest, is quite clever but terrible at swordsmanship. And Chase, as you know….”

“…Wasn’t very bright academically.”

Judith recalled Chase’s disastrous report cards and began to piece together the meaning behind his brother’s words.

“Exactly. Normally, everything should have gone to Alec as the eldest, but because I cared for Chase… I tried to pass on as much as I could to him, even forcing him into an engagement—”

As he said this, the Earl glanced at Judith.

“And I even sent him to the academy, forcibly separating him from his mother. It was to keep him away from this household. Of course, I never considered his opinion during any of this. That must have caused his resentment to build up over time.”

Hearing this, Judith raised her hand to cover her mouth.

She finally understood why Chase had acted like such a delinquent at the academy.

The rift between father and son had been caused by all of this.

“And so, that foolish boy ended up declaring that he would leave the family.”

Having said everything, the Earl closed his eyes. He seemed deeply frustrated with the current situation.

“To be honest, whether or not you take the assistant professor position doesn’t matter to me anymore. You can do whatever you want with that.”

Judith slowly lowered her hand, her mouth slightly agape in surprise.

“Are you serious?”

“…Yes. What’s more important is persuading that foolish boy to retract his declaration about leaving the family. If he signs the agreement, it’ll be irreversible, and my first wife will likely stop at nothing to ensure it’s finalized.”

At his words, Judith recalled the Countess she had met during the meal.

Now she understood. She nodded as if everything suddenly made sense, then hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously.

“Um… Your Lordship, I understand everything you’ve said. But I can’t force Chase to change his mind.”

“Is allowing you to take the assistant professor position not enough?”

“It’s not that… The grudge Chase holds runs deep. Unless you explain the situation to him directly, he probably won’t believe it.”

“Ah.”

The Earl frowned slightly, as if he understood her point. Then he added.

“Anette said the same thing as you.”

Considering how much Madame Anette cared for Chase, it made sense that she would say such a thing.

Judith smiled softly and made a suggestion.

“But I can arrange for you to have a conversation with Chase. If you’d like, I can explain your perspective to him beforehand.”

“…”

The Earl frowned, as if he didn’t like the idea.

“But I’m not sure if that boy… would even want to talk to me.”

“Of course, he would. After everything that happened, he’s been so downcast. If he learns how you truly feel, he’ll be happy deep down.”

Judith tried her best to persuade the Earl with a gentle tone.

At first, the Earl didn’t seem very receptive, but after her repeated encouragement, he looked at her thoughtfully.

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, absolutely!”

When Judith answered confidently, the Earl’s gaze softened noticeably.

“Well… You remind me a lot of Anette. That boldness of yours.”

Judith didn’t entirely understand what he meant by that, but she could tell it wasn’t meant as an insult.

Relieved that the conversation had ended on a positive note, Judith bowed before leaving for the academy.

“Thank you for today. I’m glad I got to hear your true feelings, Your Lordship.”

“…I’m glad you’re so clever. Thank you for listening to my long-winded story.”

The Earl awkwardly patted her shoulder as he saw her off.

“By the way, when you start working at the academy, are you planning to find a place to live nearby?”

“Oh, if I work as an assistant professor, they’ll provide housing for staff. So I plan to stay there until I get married.”

When Judith answered brightly, the Earl frowned.

“I see. Even if Chase and I reconcile, it’ll be hard for you two to live in this estate, considering your jobs.”

“Ah… That does seem likely.”

Judith tilted her head, unsure why he was bringing this up.

Then the Earl spoke nonchalantly.

“In that case, I’ll buy you two a house.”

Judith’s eyes widened in shock.

“It’s nothing. Since I arranged the engagement, it’s my responsibility to see it through to marriage. Take your time looking for a house with Chase and let me know what you want.”

…The Earl was just as capable of catching her off guard as Chase was.

“Thank you… very much.”

Judith couldn’t find the right words to say, so she responded cautiously to conclude the conversation.

Come to think of it, she had only been thinking about delaying the engagement and hadn’t made any concrete plans for the marriage itself.

But hearing the mention of a newlywed home made everything suddenly feel very real.

‘…I wonder if Chase has been seriously thinking about preparations like this.’

For some reason, when she thought of his usual carefree smile, she couldn’t confidently say yes, which made her feel a little sad.