Chapter 21

He showed no interest in whether his brother married or not. If the story wasn’t about the new teacher, anything about a sister-in-law or whatever was clearly outside his concern.

“Hey!”

Adrian called out to Edward, who was already getting up.

“What?”

Edward, already on his way to the entrance, turned around. Adrian also stood up and approached, grabbing his shoulder.

“So, whether you’re interested in that teacher or not, just hold back until Leon’s mother is decided. Please look after Leon.”

“Just marry anyone, and do it quickly.”

Edward’s indifferent attitude toward whoever would become his brother’s wife left Adrian feeling almost empty inside. He had always been this uninterested in others, even in his only brother.

But now, suddenly, he was openly interested in a private tutor.

“Hey, Ed.”

“Ah, what!”

“You realize you’re not acting like yourself, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you really serious about that reading teacher?”

“Mind your own business.”

Edward replied, brushing off his brother’s arm and striding toward the formal dining room entrance, then suddenly stopped. When he looked back, his expression had turned fierce again.

“Oh! Earlier, you wanted to talk to Diane Lina separately, didn’t you?”

“I just wanted to ask her to be patient while I look for a wife.”

Adrian answered honestly.

Edward’s rough expression softened, and he replied with satisfaction.

“I’ll tell her myself, so you don’t need to talk to her separately.”

With that, Edward left the formal dining room.

Watching his brother’s back, Adrian felt a strange sensation.

‘Is he really serious? What’s so special about that teacher…’

Edward, the man who openly showed interest in a woman.

The woman Leon wanted as his mother.

Diane Lina.

He grew a little more curious about her.

* * *

Edward went straight to Diane’s room.

He showed no awareness of how inappropriate it was for an employer to barge into the room of a female private tutor without warning. He acted without hesitation.

He simply wanted to see the face of his ‘Strawberry’ that he hadn’t seen in days.

Since the unpleasant issues with his brother and Leon would soon be resolved, now was the time to speak clearly to Diane.

He had to make sure she didn’t entertain any unnecessary fantasies.

The Head of this Dukedom, Adrian Wale, was searching for a wife.

He wanted to remind her again that it was Edward Wale who brought her to this house.

Knock, knock.

Standing before Diane’s door, he knocked, but there was no answer.

He knocked several times, but still nothing.

‘Ah, Leon took her away, didn’t he?’

He finally remembered Leon leading Diane Lina out of the formal dining room by the hand.

His relaxed mood turned to irritation again.

Whether his brother was getting a new wife or not, whether he got a new sister-in-law soon or not, what bothered him right now was that his nephew was seeing Diane Lina as his mother.

He hadn’t brought her here to play mother to Leon.

No matter how young his nephew was, Edward had no intention of sharing a woman with him.

The excuse for hiring Diane as Leon’s reading teacher was really just a way to keep his ‘Strawberry’ from disappearing again.

Why did Leon get attached to his ‘Strawberry’?

Diane Lina was his and his alone.

He could not share her with his nephew, or anyone.

She was only his ‘Strawberry’.

He strode down the stairs toward Leon’s room.

As expected, when he arrived at Leon’s door, he heard the voices of the woman and Leon.

“Young Master, eating together and reading you a book until you fall asleep is different from being your mother.”

“No, it’s not!”

“What?”

“It’s the same!”

“It’s not the same.”

‘That brat! What’s the same! Why is my ‘Strawberry’ your mother!’

He was about to burst in when Leon kept talking.

“Then what does a mother do?”

“Well… well…”

Diane Lina hesitated.

She didn’t have a mother herself. Maybe that made it hard to answer.

“What is it?”

“When you go to sleep… no, never mind!”

Diane Lina, who had started to speak, closed her mouth.

<Tonight, I’ll be your mom, Prince. When you go to sleep, I’ll give you a kiss.>

The words his ‘Strawberry’ had said to him, pretending to be grown-up fifteen years ago, flashed through his mind. He realized what Diane had almost said.

She still really liked giving kisses before bed.

Of all the things a mother does, that seemed the most important to her.

She was still adorable.

He smiled.

“What does a mother do at bedtime? Tell me!”

Leon’s voice was angry but also pleading.

‘That little brat!’

He instantly pictured his ‘Strawberry’ kissing Leon on the cheek.

He was extremely displeased.

He saw Diane Lina about to answer Leon’s persistent questions about bedtime kisses, so he opened Leon’s door without knocking.

“Come out.”

Edward’s sudden appearance and abrupt command startled both Leon and Diane, leaving them frozen rather than moving.

But Leon soon reacted.

“Uncle, come in.”

“Not you, I want the teacher to come out.”

Diane found Edward’s rude and pushy behavior unpleasant.

No matter that he was her employer, it was bad manners to barge in and demand someone come out. She wasn’t surprised, though.

But as an employee, she had no reason to refuse.

If the employer said come out, she had to go.

When she stood up, Leon grabbed her arm.

“No, Teacher, you have to stay with me until I fall asleep.”

Diane, flustered, looked at Edward for guidance.

“Young Master Leon, I’ll come back when it’s time for you to sleep.”

She spoke gently, and Leon let her go, though he didn’t forget to glare at his uncle.

Diane gave Leon a small smile as if to cheer him up, then left the room.

“Why did you call me out? Is there something you want to say?”

“Follow me.”

Edward spoke bluntly and led the way.

‘Why is he so pushy? Follow him? Does he think that way because he’s my boss?’

She disliked his attitude, but Diane had no choice but to follow.

He led her to the study.

“I heard from my brother. Leon’s been whining about wanting a mother.”

“He’s just lonely. As for eating together, Butler Roden asked me to do it for a while.”

“So you know it’s only for a while?”

Edward’s tone sounded like a warning, and Diane stared at him.

‘Is he really telling me not to think I’ll become a mother?’

That’s how it sounded.

“Yes.”

But Diane answered briefly, not showing her discomfort.

She disliked giving such confirmation against her will, but it was awkward and petty to complain.

“That’s good.”

Edward, pleased with her answer, continued excitedly.

“My brother, Duke Adrian Wale, met the woman he’s going to marry. So you just have to play mother for a very short time.”

“Yes, I understand.”

‘So the Duke was away to meet his future wife.’

Diane didn’t enjoy hearing about the Duke’s affairs, which had nothing to do with her.

She responded calmly, and Edward studied her face and spoke again.

“Earlier, Leon asked you to stay with him until he fell asleep. Is that part of playing mother? Have you been with him every night this past week?”

“I’ve just been reading to him at bedtime.”

“Really? Bedtime reading?”

“Yes, reading him a book until he falls asleep.”

“Bedtime… reading.”

He suddenly fell silent and glanced around the study.

Diane watched him for a moment, then spoke.

“If you have nothing more to say…”

“I like having a book read to me at bedtime, too. I like other things, too…”

“Excuse me?”

Diane was taken aback by Edward’s odd comment.

“Just saying.”

“Oh. Yes.”

Diane couldn’t hide her exasperation and turned her head.

“Are you leaving?”

Edward asked another strange question.

‘Leaving? Does he want me to stay?’

Diane grumbled inwardly but answered politely.

“If there’s nothing more, I’ll go.”

“Did you keep eating together?”

Edward asked again, as if he hadn’t heard her answer.

Diane was starting to get annoyed.

“Yes.”

“Both breakfast and dinner?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be joining you from tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Diane suppressed her irritation and answered formally.

“Do you like it?”

“Pardon? What?”

Diane finally snapped.

Like it? She couldn’t understand why her boss was acting this way.

Then, suddenly, she felt something strange.

Her eyes widened.

Diane stared at Edward.

‘Is he looking at me strangely again? Is he asking if I’m happy because I can’t be the Duke’s wife, so I’m aiming to be his wife instead? Is that why he’s asking if I like it?’

Anger flashed across Diane’s face.

“President, why are you acting like this?”

“What?”

“Do you think I…!”

“What?”

Diane, about to burst out in anger, suddenly shook her head as if coming to her senses.

“No! I’ll be going.”

Diane rushed out of the study, trembling with discomfort.

She recalled being belittled for sitting at the table with the heads of the Dukedom, as if it was improper for a mere reading tutor.

Leon’s unexpected ‘mother’ comment had brought her humiliation.

She firmly resolved not to give the President even the slightest reason to misunderstand her.