Chapter 2.1 –  Teacher, It Feels Good There

Still pretty and cute.

The man swept his flushed face with both hands. In his hand was the precious contract with Erica’s signature. Even her handwriting seemed lovely. He gently kissed it.

“Did you go to see Miss Erica again?”

While he was lost in admiration, an uninvited guest interrupted. The uninvited guest placed a thick stack of documents on his desk and complained.

“That’s stalking.”

“This time, I saw her openly.”

“I always tell you, peeping is a crime. I’m always worried about when you might end up in handcuffs… What? Did you just say ‘openly’?”

“You heard correctly.”

The uninvited guest’s mouth dropped open. It had been about three years since he started serving this man as his superior. Countless events flashed through his mind. The leader who always wore a beloved cloak wherever he went, who never took off his hood no matter who visited, and who avoided crowded places, had used the word ‘openly.’

“So you finally revealed yourself? Did you even take off your cloak?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“My goodness. Will the sun rise in the west now? The leader with social anxiety showed his face! I, Henry, am so moved I could cry.”

Henry made an exaggerated gesture of wiping tears from his eyes and sniffled dramatically.

“Social anxiety is a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

“But you do dislike people.”

“Yes, I dislike them. But that doesn’t mean I’m afraid of them.”

He put the contract in a drawer and tied back his flowing hair. Erica had said long hair was pretty, so he had maintained its length until now. And when he appeared before Erica ‘again,’ she had sparkled at the sight of his hair, which made him feel truly proud

“She still likes pretty things.”

He thought it was a good thing he had worked hard on his appearance for eight years.

“But what was that paper earlier?”

“A treasure.”

“Is it a land deed or something?”

“It’s more precious than that.”

Laughter leaked from the man’s mouth.

The innocent lady had signed a year-long contract. He had persuaded her that it wasn’t something she could get used to in one go.

Her big, round eyes were adorable as she checked the contract for any harmful clauses. She thought she was being thorough, but to him, it was charming. He had considered every possibility and prepared thoroughly before approaching her.

Of course, he hadn’t known Erica was looking for a bedroom teacher to prepare for her first night with her fiancé.

‘How could she think of something so admirable?’

When he first heard that information, his insides burned. He had cherished her from afar, so he was filled with countless thoughts about which man she was trying to learn such things for.

Originally, he had planned to wait longer before approaching with a marriage proposal. But when he heard some unheard-of families had proposed to Erica, he quickly pushed forward.

When he disguised himself as a bedroom teacher and deceived Erica’s maid, his heart had pounded madly at Erica’s unexpected words.

Her voice declaring she would marry Felix was so sweet it rang like a bell in his head. If he had known this, he would have revealed his identity from the start. He regretted not doing so.

‘No, it’s still too early.’

He had ‘things to do.’

Felix covered his face with his hands again and let out a hot breath.

Henry squinted at him.

“…What kind of treasure is it that you’re acting like a pervert?”

“Oh, you don’t need to know. Just find the most expensive venue.”

“What?”

Felix was delighted. When Erica shyly called him ‘Teacher,’ he nearly discovered a new preference.

“I almost got excited.”

“What?”

Henry tilted his head, wondering what Felix was up to again. He sometimes couldn’t understand his boss. Felix hummed a tune as he shuffled through the papers on his desk, ignoring Henry’s puzzled look.

“When did it pile up like this?”

“While you were away for a bit, the elders from the Mage Tower came by.”

“Oh.”

A wrinkle formed on Felix’s smooth brow. His red eyes darkened. Henry gulped at the blood-like color.

“Those old folks never give up.”

His good mood was spoiled in an instant.

It hadn’t been long since the new year started, and the Mage Tower was clamoring for independence again. They complained about why mages should be subject to the control of a mere non-mage empire. They argued that for the endless development of magic, they needed independence as soon as possible.

Felix didn’t agree with them.

He scratched the phrase ‘For the freedom of mages’ written on the document with his fingernail. Then, as if there was no need to read further, he immediately closed the document.

“Tear them all up and burn them.”

“Yes, understood.”

“How are the guild kids doing?”

“They’re still said to be uncooperative. The new ones…”

Felix leaned back in his chair, nodding at Henry’s continued report. Bad memories were surfacing. He wished tomorrow would come quickly. He wanted to see those fairy-like green eyes.

* * *

Today was the day the bedroom teacher was coming. The thought alone made her unable to sit still. As she repeatedly sat and stood from her chair, Selly, feeling dizzy, handed her a cup of herbal tea to calm her down. But even with the warm tea in her mouth, she couldn’t calm her mind.

‘I can’t believe I’m bringing a man into the mansion!’

She couldn’t believe she was doing what Diana had done. She even lied to her parents, saying a teacher was coming to teach her bridal lessons.

Her father had grumbled about what was so urgent about a teacher, but at least he didn’t suspect anything strange. It seemed he didn’t think his daughter, who had lived a solitary life for 20 years, would suddenly go astray.

But the thought of deceiving her parents made her even more nervous. She wiped her sweaty hands on her dress hem and drank tea to calm down, but her heart kept pounding.

“Will the teacher be having dinner here?”

The butler approached, asking if he should prepare dinner for the teacher. But she didn’t have the courage to see the bedroom teacher sitting across from her parents at dinner.

“No, just prepare tea and snacks.”

He would surely have dinner on his own. He must… hopefully.

The lesson was at 8 PM. It was currently 6 PM. That meant only two hours were left. Her legs trembled. If her mother saw, she would have slapped her thighs.

“Miss, how about drawing a picture?”

“Should I?”

“Yes, you said the deadline is approaching.”

Ah, she remembered the editor’s reminder she had forgotten due to the bedroom teacher. She couldn’t afford to slack off.

“Right. I should work on my deadline.”

She finished her tea and went up to the studio on the second floor. As soon as she opened the door, the smell of oil paint that hadn’t dried yet hit her, and she saw the canvas she had left unfinished last night. Perhaps because she had painted in a daze, the confusion was captured on the canvas. She sighed, opened the window for ventilation, and breathed in the cold air, feeling her head clear a bit.

She prepared her painting tools and sat in front of the canvas. She dipped her brush in paint and continued drawing the picture the writer had requested.

At fifteen, she had submitted a fairy tale she drew for fun to a publisher at Selly’s suggestion, not knowing it would become her career. Honestly, looking back, the fairy tale was quite childish.

But back then, children thankfully loved the ‘Red Riding Hood who secretly helped children in trouble,’ and the fairy tale’s profits were substantial enough to grow the small publisher. The popularity was such that Red Riding Hood accessories and dolls were sold in the square. Of course, five years later, the popularity had waned, and few remembered it now.

Currently, she was working as an illustrator, taking commissions rather than publishing her fairy tales like the Red Riding Hood series.

Certainly, moving her brush calmed her mind. Fairy tales were wonderful. Illustrating pure stories made her feel like she was returning to a time before she knew provocative actions. Choosing the path of an illustrator was indeed a wise decision.

Except for the looming deadline.

Focusing on her drawing, she noticed the sunset was approaching. She realized the days were getting longer as winter passed. She put down her brush and stretched.

“But what time is it now…”

“That’s a beautiful painting.”

“Ah!”

She screamed at the voice that came from behind.

“Oh dear, I tried to stay quiet so as not to disturb your work, but I ended up startling you.”

She wondered how long he had been there. The teacher stood at the door with an apologetic look. It was then she realized she had foolishly left the door open.

“No, it’s fine.”

Awkwardly, she stood up and hastily tidied up her painting tools. She felt his gaze on the back of her head, and her neck grew hot.

“Ahem. D-did you have dinner?”

The silence, with no conversation exchanged, was uncomfortable, so she accidentally asked a question she didn’t mean to.

“Yes, I’ve eaten.”

“That’s a relief.”

Phew, it was really a relief that she didn’t have to have dinner together.

Still, being alone with the teacher made it hard to meet his eyes. She kept her gaze on the floor but mustered the courage to glance at him, and he gave a gentle smile.