Chapter 64

The main gate of Compton School came into view.

In front of the carriage carrying Diane and Leon, a long line of carriages waited their turn to stop at the school’s gate.

The carriages of the Wale Dukedom were sturdy and generally large, but their appearances were rather plain.

In contrast, the carriages at the main gate were of various shapes and colors, adorned with ornate engravings, and some were even larger than those of the Wale Dukedom.

Surely, there was no noble family with a more illustrious history than the Wale Dukedom, and yet…

It was as if their splendid, expensive carriages were proof of their pride.

Watching the children and parents getting out, Diane checked the invitation the Duke had given her once more.

They were to freely tour several open classrooms, the gymnasium, the dining hall, and the auditorium, then head to the dining hall around lunchtime to enjoy refreshments prepared by the school, and finally gather in the auditorium for the school’s introduction event.

Fortunately, the Duke had said he would come to the school before the refreshment time, so Diane only needed to stay with Leon during the free tour, not for the refreshment or the school introduction in the auditorium, when all the nobles would be gathered.

Finally, it was their turn. Leon and Diane got out of the carriage and entered the school after showing their invitation.

The staff member checking invitations at the gate looked at Diane with a puzzled expression, but when she said “teacher,” he nodded right away.

Apparently, sometimes people came with someone other than a parent.

In the spacious schoolyard, large and small buildings made of roughly hewn gray bricks stood scattered here and there. Tall trees, their ages impossible to guess, filled the spaces between buildings, proof of the school’s long history and tradition. All this was harmoniously arranged, creating beautiful walking paths.

Ivy covered all the exterior walls, so the original gray was only visible peeking through the green leaves.

There must be a lot of bugs here.

As Diane was idly thinking this, Leon suddenly grabbed her hand tightly.

“Let’s go over there!”

He started running toward the fountain in the center of the garden in front of the main gate.

Even a boy who loved books couldn’t resist the urge to run when he saw the wide lawn and the cool spray of the fountain.

“Young Master, let’s go slowly. My skirt is long—I’ll trip.”

At Diane’s words, Leon let go of her hand and ran off ahead.

There were several other children running across the lawn, just like Leon.

Diane watched Leon from a short distance as he played.

In the green garden, the sunlight sparkled on the falling fountain water, and the laughing, running children looked as pretty as a picture.

After running for a while, Leon, out of breath, came over to Diane to rest for a moment, then soon said he wanted to go to the gymnasium.

Even after all that running, he wanted to go to the gym.

On the way to the gymnasium, Diane noticed that the nobles touring the school greeted each other, but not everyone knew each other, and because some wealthy commoners were mixed in, the overall atmosphere was free and independent, with families staying together.

After her experience at the opera house, Diane had dreaded going to places full of nobles, so she was relieved by this atmosphere.

Though the school had nothing to do with her, Diane was charmed by Compton School’s free and romantic mood, thinking, “If I were a parent, I’d want to send my child here.”

Leon toured the gymnasium and several classrooms, then said he wanted to go back to the garden.

He seemed eager to play one more time before the refreshment hour.

Still, the Duke should be arriving soon.

She hoped he would come before the refreshment time started…

Diane began to feel increasingly anxious.

Perhaps frustrated by Diane’s slow pace, Leon soon ran off alone toward the garden, leaving her behind.

Leon ran along the building’s wall and disappeared around the corner.

Diane quickened her pace.

Once she turned the corner, she’d see the open garden and find him again.

“Ouch!”

“Ow!”

Suddenly, loud shouts from children rang out.

Diane’s heart dropped.

She was sure one of those voices was Leon’s.

She grabbed her skirt and ran toward the end of the building.

Worry flooded her—what if Leon was badly hurt?

But when she rounded the corner, she saw an unexpected figure.

It was Duke Adrian Wale.

He had just arrived at the school and rushed over when he saw Leon fall.

Leon had apparently collided with another child coming from the opposite direction, and a girl was also sitting next to him on the ground.

The Duke checked on Leon and then immediately checked the girl’s condition.

“Are you alright, child?”

The girl, frowning slightly, nodded at the Duke’s question.

Thankfully, neither child seemed seriously hurt.

“Amy!”

Then, from far away, a woman’s voice called out.

The Duke, Diane, Leon, and the girl all turned to look toward the voice.

“…”

Diane blinked in surprise at the unexpected person she saw.

The riding instructor?

The woman running toward “Amy” was Selina Dunn.

Selina Dunn seemed focused only on the girl, not noticing Diane yet.

And the tall man following behind her…

Goodness.

It was President Edward Wale.

Why was he here…?

Diane stared at him, dazed.

President Edward Wale squinted in the sunlight, his expression slightly tense, but he wasn’t looking at the girl—he was glancing off indifferently in another direction.

But… did he always look like that…?

She couldn’t pinpoint what was different, but somehow he looked unlike his usual self.

“Mom!”

At the girl’s cry, Diane’s gaze shifted back to the girl and Selina Dunn.

This girl was Selina Dunn’s daughter?

Selina Dunn was a mother?

Looking again, the girl really did resemble Selina Dunn.

“Amy!”

Finally reaching her daughter, Selina Dunn checked Amy’s face.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

The girl was quite spirited.

“Hello.”

Diane greeted them cautiously.

Selina Dunn, who had been focused on Amy, now noticed Diane, the Duke, and Leon.

“Ms. Diane Lina? Oh, and Duke Wale! Leon! Are you alright?”

“Good day, Madame Selina Dunn.”

“Hello, Teacher. I’m fine.”

Madame Selina Dunn, Leon?

The way the Duke addressed Selina Dunn and the way she spoke to Leon felt so natural.

“Diane Lina!”

Just then, a harsh voice struck Diane’s ears.

As soon as she heard President Wale’s voice, Diane frowned.

It seemed his usual outbursts were starting again.

He approached Diane with a fierce look that sent chills down her spine.

Diane swallowed nervously at his wild energy.

Why did he seem so angry again?

“Diane Lina, why are you here!”

He was almost shouting right in front of her.

“Ugh! So loud! Why are you so loud! My daughter’s ears hurt more from your yelling than from falling and getting hurt!”

President Wale was as consistent as ever, but today, there was something completely different.

Selina Dunn’s presence.

Selina Dunn raised her voice, almost echoing Diane’s unspoken thoughts.

But it seemed President Wale didn’t even hear her.

“Diane Lina, why are you here!”

“I asked her to.”

The Duke answered instead.

“Why!”

At that moment—

“Waaah!”

The previously calm Amy began to cry.

“Amy, darling, what’s wrong!”

Selina hugged Amy.

“Uncle’s shouting at the boy’s mom! Uncle, why are you like that? It’s scary!”

Amy looked back and forth between Edward Wale and Diane, mumbling, but her pronunciation was oddly clear.

Uncle?

Diane looked between Edward, Amy, and Selina, tilting her head.

What exactly was the relationship between these people?

“Hey! Who are you calling your uncle! That uncle is my uncle!”

Suddenly, Leon, who had been quiet, insisted on his rights to “uncle.”

“No! He’s my uncle. Uncle? You’re my uncle, right?”

Amy looked back and forth between Selina Dunn and Edward, but neither answered.

As a result, Amy’s expression twisted.

“See? He’s not your uncle. He’s my uncle.”

Leon sounded triumphant.

Why was Leon acting like this all of a sudden?

“Amy Dunn! That woman, that adult woman, is not that boy’s mother.”

To make matters worse, President Wale joined in the children’s argument.

He was correcting Amy, who had mistaken Diane for Leon’s mother.

Amy didn’t know who Diane was, so it was understandable she’d be confused, but President Wale’s insistence was, as always, childish and strange.

Or maybe he couldn’t even tolerate the home tutor being mistaken for the young master’s mother?

“Not his mom? She’s not your mom?”

Amy looked straight at Leon and asked.

“…”

Leon pressed his lips together.

Amy’s mouth curled into a victorious smile.

She looked as triumphant as if she’d won the argument.