I Reject The Parents’ Obsession

Confirming the exact school name made me feel strangely at ease. I was also satisfied that she hadn’t left the capital for somewhere else. Well, it’s not like I would ever meet her again anyway.

“But Your Highness. Connie Clarence, did you already know about her when you ordered me to investigate?”

Eric asked with a face full of discontent.

Since Connie Clarence’s name had come up, it was inevitable that he would ask that question. This name that emerged during the investigation was one Eric knew as well. All too well.

Being Ryan’s first and most devoted fan, it was a name Eric couldn’t possibly be unfamiliar with, especially as someone who helped with publication dates.

“Sir Gosling, just faithfully report what you investigated. Keep your superior’s thoughts to yourself.”

I shut him down firmly, anticipating his questioning attitude, and sure enough, Eric’s dagger-like eyes stabbed into my forehead.

Whatever.

Ignoring him and waiting, Eric finally returned his gaze to his report.

“She’s the daughter of Viscount Clarence and graduated from Steen University this year. She set a rare record of entering with top honors and graduating with top honors, and seems to have been specially recruited by the Steen Foundation. Well, as Your Highness knows, reflecting on my experience as a senior top graduate of Steen University, she must have maintained the highest grades throughout her university years.”

This is why I have no choice but to keep Eric by my side, nagging me like a wife I’ve lived with for 18 years. His competence in bringing back ten pieces of information when asked for one. It was truly an ability that seemed to proclaim, ‘I am this country’s advisor.’

Eric paused his report and looked at Ryan with half-closed, arrogant eyes, as if to say, ‘How’s my skill?’

To think I’d have to see that smug face for 18 years. I really had no idea back then that I’d be stuck with this insufferable guy for that long, from our first year at Steen Elementary School until now.

So Connie Clarence was top of her class from her admission? This woman is truly an incredible liar. There’s nothing wrong with her intelligence.

“Aren’t you going to continue the report?”

“Height 163cm, weight 43kg, hair is pinkish silver, eyes are blue, face shape……”

What? Did this guy actually go see Connie in person?

“That’s enough.”

Somehow, as Eric started describing Connie’s appearance, I suddenly felt extremely unpleasant.

I already know her appearance.

She’s pretty. Cute too. Completely my type…… Wait, what am I saying?

“Your taste is strange, Your Highness.”

Eric looked at Ryan with eyes that seemed half-raised.

“What?”

Ryan’s voice shook slightly as he reflexively questioned Eric’s comment. He wondered if he had spoken his inner thoughts aloud.

“I mean, why did you order an investigation on an elementary school teacher? And it seems you already knew she was Connie Clarence. Is giving me extra work Your Highness’s new hobby?”

“Ah……”

I thought he meant something else.

“Your Highness, don’t tell me that your insistence on giving the graduation speech at Steen University last time was also because of this Connie Clarence……”

“I understand, now leave.”

Ryan cut off Eric’s sharp speculation.

Connie Clarence.

A teacher at Steen Elementary School……

So that’s it.

Hmm…… Come to think of it, didn’t Daniella almost enroll in Steen Elementary School?

Ryan suddenly remembered that he had an adorable and precious little sister eighteen years his junior.

Of course, he also remembered that his parents, who had been debating whether to enroll the frail Daniella or hire a private tutor, ultimately decided on a private tutor, but……

It’s a school everyone attends at that age.

It’s not like Daniella has a chronic illness or anything.

Actually, rather than raising her like a flower in a greenhouse, wouldn’t it be better for her to enter an educational institution to build both immunity and social skills? There’s a term ‘school age’ for a reason. It means it’s time to go to school.

Whether Connie Clarence was a teacher at Steen Elementary School or not, this was a judgment unrelated to that.

It was simply the optimal decision for his sister’s development and growth.

By the way, how are homeroom teachers assigned at Steen Elementary School?

Tap, tap, tap.

After tapping on his desk for a few minutes, Ryan rose from his seat and headed straight for his mother, the Queen’s, chambers.

It was time to play the role of an exemplary brother.

⁕⁕⁕

On the day of the first-grade entrance ceremony.

Connie was trying to calm herself as she waited for the children of Class 1-3, which she had been assigned, to arrive.

‘I can do this! I can do this!’

She needed to give herself a pep talk because she was nervous not only because it was her first day as a teacher, but also because she had been assigned to be a first-grade homeroom teacher.

And to add one more thing, because there was a princess in her class.

Usually, first-grade homeroom teachers are experienced educators, but this year there were no volunteers among the existing teachers, so breaking the long-standing practice, Connie was assigned.

〈Why aren’t there any teachers volunteering to be the homeroom teacher for Class 1-3 this year?〉

When the principal informed her of her grade and class assignment and explained the circumstances, Connie asked cautiously.

She was genuinely curious. Why was everyone specifically avoiding Class 1-3?

〈The princess suddenly decided to enroll in that class. The other classes are at full capacity, and since Class 3 is the last class with one fewer student, she was assigned there.〉

As soon as she heard the principal’s explanation, she understood.

〈As you might guess, not everyone wants to take charge of the princess. Well, our school has traditionally been the first choice for the royal family, so everyone does their best to teach if assigned, but in truth, Princess Daniella Stanton is such a precious person. Everyone finds it burdensome. I do feel somewhat sorry for you, Teacher Clarence, but according to our personnel regulations, existing teachers are given priority in choosing grades and classes.〉

A princess…… She was worried if she, as a new teacher, could handle someone even experienced teachers found burdensome.

But since the personnel regulations gave the last choice to newcomers, it couldn’t be helped.

But wait, do teachers get to choose their classes too?

She thought they might choose grades, but not classes……

It was strange, but since the principal himself said it was the school’s regulation, it wasn’t something to question.

Could it be that her embarrassing encounter with the prince at the graduation ceremony, someone she thought she’d never see again in her life, was a precursor to meeting his sister as a student?

〈The royal family was debating whether to enroll the princess or hire a private tutor, and they decided on her enrollment at the last moment.〉

The principal’s continued explanation made the situation even clearer.

The princess was the precious daughter miraculously born to Her Majesty the Queen. After giving birth to her first son, Prince Ryan Stanton, and being unable to have a second child for a long time, the Queen had given up on further childbearing when suddenly she had a daughter. Despite the Queen’s late pregnancy, the princess was born healthy, and the kingdom celebrated for days, showing how cherished she was.

However, perhaps not entirely free from the effects of the late pregnancy, the princess was prone to minor illnesses. That’s why they considered breaking the royal tradition of school enrollment and contemplated hiring a private tutor.

But ultimately, they decided on enrolling.

Nothing to be done about it! Now that it’s come to this, all I can do is accept reality and do my best!

It wasn’t just the princess’s presence that was burdensome. As a private school where most students were either nobility or from the economic upper class, the other children sitting here were also from very prominent families, she was told.

In fact, what made the princess particularly burdensome wasn’t just her status. It was more like the chain of associations that followed like linked sausages—the prince who came to mind with the princess, the scene where he overheard her confession, these memories that followed.

But well, what occasion would there be to meet a student’s brother?

Connie tried to think positively about the situation.

Just then, murmuring sounds began to come from the corridor.

It seemed the children had started arriving.

Now was the time to forget all these distracting thoughts and focus on getting through the day safely.

⁕⁕⁕

Connie guided all the children, including the princess who came holding the Queen’s hand, to find their seats. But even after all the guidance was complete, one seat remained empty.

Even though the school start time had passed by five minutes, the owner of that seat had not appeared.

The children, who had been alternating between staring at their teacher and looking back at their parents standing behind them, began to make increasingly louder noises and eventually started to get up from their seats.

So this is the limit of first-graders’ concentration.

It seemed she couldn’t wait for the late student any longer.

“Hello everyone? I’m Teacher Connie Clarence. Welcome to Class 1-3 of Steen Elementary School!”

Finally standing in front of the podium, Connie tensed her stomach to calm the nervousness-induced churning and gave her welcome greeting.

“I hate it!”

Suddenly, a child’s loud cry came from the front door, and……

“I hate it too, no, I hate it more. So be quiet!”

A grown man’s grumbling was heard.

And almost simultaneously, a man too young to be a father entered the classroom, holding the arm of a boy who looked similar to him. So what was that similarity? Was it because they both had red hair? They looked like beasts with fire on their heads. A very large beast and a very small beast.

“We’re a bit late, where should he sit?”

The very large beast asked Connie.

Finally, the owner of the empty seat had arrived.

“This is Callian Brightling.”