| Chapter 24

“So, you taught Lucy how to write?”

I looked up, having been careful not to make noise with the cutlery. Laurel smiled at me.

“Lucy can be a bit brusque, but she’s a really smart child. I just showed her a few books.”

“If you can teach others, it means you know quite a bit. What kind of books do you like?”

“I dare not pretend to know much, but I like novels. I stayed up all night reading Erin Mervich’s recent new release. I also like classics. I often read epics about heroes too.”

Laurel’s voice was soft and pleasant to hear. Kirhin, who had been drinking wine, raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“There’s only one person around me who voluntarily reads classics and epics. Have you read the epic of the hero Cayonbe?”

“I’ve only heard of it, it’s too rare a book. I heard there are less than twenty copies in the whole country?”

“Was it that rare? What a shame. There was a first edition right here.”

“What?”

“An ill-tempered friend took it away.”

I can guarantee that Kirhin wouldn’t dare say that in front of Damian. Noticing my gaze that conveyed this meaning, Kirhin cleared his throat and said while wiping his mouth.

“This big brother has had a good idea, and I hope you’ll like it too, Lucy.”

I, who had been picking at my food without much appetite, put down my fork, maintaining etiquette.

“What kind of idea?”

“How about employing Laurel as your home tutor? We haven’t found a literature teacher yet, right?”

It was really good that I had put down my fork beforehand. If I hadn’t, I would have dropped it. Just like Laurel did now.

At the clanging sound, Laurel quickly lowered her head, her cheeks reddening. While she was flustered about whether to pick up the fork first or respond to Kirhin’s words, a quick-footed maid brought a new fork.

“I, I don’t have the qualifications to teach a young lady from a noble family. I don’t even have a proper teacher’s license.”

“From what I see, what Lucy needs right now is someone just like you.”

Kirhin pointed at Laurel with a straight finger and said, looking at me.

“Lucy has suddenly fallen into a new environment and is busy learning this and that every day. It must be hard because it’s unfamiliar, and with strangers all around, there’s nowhere to feel at ease. I thought if there was a friend who understands her inner feelings by her side, she might be able to rely on them a little.”

Laurel looks at me with an expression that seems truly envious. Kirhin, looking triumphant, raised his chin and winked at me.

“What do you think, Lucy, isn’t it a brilliant idea?”

Yes, it’s truly a brilliant idea.

Whether that idea really came from concern for me, or because of Laurel’s ample bosom overflowing from her dress, I’m not sure.

I silently stared at the plate that still had food left on it. In truth, I couldn’t deny that I felt a bit relieved when I saw Laurel.

By the decision of those two people, I became the daughter of Baron Bickman overnight without knowing why. I was barely keeping up with the relentless schedule that kept coming at me, but I was anxious every day. I had trouble sleeping and sometimes woke up crying. Even this morning, I pinched my thigh thinking it might be a dream.

If it had been a small stroke of luck, I would have gladly accepted it, but this was a fortune big enough to shake my entire life. And I couldn’t shake off the thought that a massive fortune would also cast a large shadow.

If someone had asked me to choose a reliable adult among those I knew, I would have thought of Laurel first. She seemed calm and thoughtful.

Above all, there was a part of me that was inevitably drawn to her story of saving money to live with her family.

But perhaps I’ve just now realized that Laurel might not be the person I thought she was. What I know is only a very small part of her. She wasn’t simply someone who taught letters while taking care of a child she met daily at the laundry place.

Laurel was a woman who poured money she borrowed even from loan sharks, on top of her insufficient salary, into a man, who looked at the value of my accessories before asking about my well-being though she called me like a younger sibling, and who knew how to give coquettish smiles to men of high status.

“Lucy?”

At Kirhin’s voice, seemingly urging for an answer, I raised my head. Laurel looked humble and composed, but her eyes were shining brightly with unmistakable desire. I opened my mouth, lowering my gaze to her swollen chest.

“If you work as a home tutor and receive a salary, you could solve your debt problem too.”

At my words, Laurel quickly waved her hands.

“Ah, no, I don’t need money. I don’t want anything. If it helps you, Lucy.”

“That’s not possible, Laurel. You need to think about your life after you stop being a home tutor. You have debts, don’t you?”

At my somewhat cold words, Laurel’s expression subtly hardened.

At my somewhat coldly delivered words, Laurel’s expression slightly hardened. I reached for the water glass and said.

“It might be a good idea to give the money Laurel would receive directly to the moneylenders.”

“To go that far…!”

“And you shouldn’t go and give money to that man at the theater again.”

At my words, delivered while staring at her intently, Laurel bit her lip as if she had been insulted. Suddenly, a disgruntled voice flew in.

“Lucy. You’re going too far.”

I was quite surprised because I didn’t expect Kirhin to intervene. And I was even more surprised when I turned to look at him and saw him actually frowning. Kirhin clicked his tongue briefly and put down his knife.

“You don’t need to think about such things. Money or salary issues are for me, the head of the household, to consider.”

At his words, which seemed to be drawing a clear line, I felt a chill in a corner of my heart. It sounded like he was telling me not to overstep my bounds.

But this wasn’t said for my benefit. Laurel had debts, and the Bickman family had caught the attention of loan sharks, so if the money issue wasn’t clarified, it could lead to trouble later.

Of course, it’s true that Laurel’s attitude of subtly smiling at Kirhin was also bothering me.

“The closer someone is to you, the more careful you should be with your words and actions. Understand?”

“I, I’m fine, Baron.”

“You don’t need to worry about it. This is a kind of family education, you see.”

I wanted to throw Kirhin’s words right back at him as he lowered his voice, pretending to be stern, but I just kept my mouth shut. Feelings of disappointment and hurt grew like a snowball. Even when the dessert came out — chocolate mousse drizzled with orange syrup, which I liked — I didn’t touch it.

“Well then, we’ll talk more about your education, so you go and rest. You must be tired.”

I could see Kirhin’s eyes, which were sending me off with a smile, brushing over Laurel’s chest as she pretended to be shy. I bowed my head in respect without answering and withdrew from the dining room. My steps through the corridor to my room were somewhat rough, but I didn’t care.

I don’t like any of this, and I’m irritated, and the fact that I’m irritated irritates me even more. When I entered the room and flung the window wide open, a cold wind rushed in, and I took a long breath. Outside, darkness had already settled.

A faint scent overlaps with the wind. It was a scent that reminded me of a cool summer forest. The shop owner recommended a cute and sweet floral perfume, but I chose this one without hesitation.

With my eyes closed, I fingered the perfume bottle attached to my waist sash. The narrow mouth and the curves that flow into elegant lines, those delicate carvings, and then…

Eyes more beautiful than jewels come to mind. Cold and majestic green eyes that seem unshakeable by anything.

It had the advantage of being so intense that it was etched deep in my heart, able to be taken out and viewed at any time.

When will I be able to see them again?

“…Damian… Winton.”

Just calling out the name aloud made my whole face feel like it was burning, and I let out a faint sigh. Rather than having useless thoughts, it seemed better to read a book.

If Laurel is hired as a home tutor as Kirhin said, that’s Kirhin’s decision, so if any problems arise from it, it’s his responsibility. It wasn’t my concern.

Shaking my head, I quietly headed to the library.

Looking at Kirhin, who seems short-sighted, it’s hard to imagine, but it seems the previous barons quite enjoyed reading, as the spacious library was stocked with books from various fields.

Of course, it’s best not to touch the books in the left corner where the window is. Two days ago, I almost threw away a book I had taken out after seeing the title ‘Where the Night’s Curtain Sings’ because it was full of illustrations of completely naked men and women copulating.

Come to think of it, the titles of all the books in that area were suspicious. It was indeed a collection befitting the Bickman family, famous for their lechery. That area should not be looked at even by mistake.

The library was a bit chilly as no fire had been lit. I stood in front of the bookshelf, hunching my shoulders, intending to just quickly pick out a book and go. This side was full of interesting novels and history books.

After careful consideration, relying on the flickering candlelight, I chose two books. An epic poem ‘Hairund’ about the life of Yuzerk, who was the king of an ancient country called Udan, and a book called ‘The Romance of Wandering and Deviation’.

Kirhin said there was only one person around him who would seek out and read classics or epics on their own, but actually, I read them too. Of course, I became interested because of the conversation between Damian and Kirhin on the first day.

The epic was long and extensive, but it contained a life journey on a scale so grand it was beyond imagination. To me, who had lived in a world as small as a palm, an epic was like traveling to a new world. Although I read slowly because there were many unfamiliar words, it was so interesting that I wanted to reduce my sleep to read more.

As I quickly flipped through a few pages, my heart started to flutter just from that. Thinking I might sit and read for a bit, I turned towards the sofa and stopped in my tracks as I discovered something.

A man was sitting sunken into the large sofa, resting his chin on one hand askew, looking at me.

It was him, Damian Winton.