Chapter 2

The moment Michael’s ashen gaze reached her, Seina felt a chill in her chest. Until now, she had lived with little to greatly shake her, always rather indifferent, and the only people she ever met were nuns and girl students. That did not mean she had lived without ever seeing men. Whenever she occasionally went out, she had seen the male s*x in all age groups.

But there had been no one, man or woman, who had examined her as minutely as Michael did. His look, full of strong wariness and scrutiny, sharp and oppressive yet not rude, was strange enough to be astonishing. His hair was especially black, his face pale, and his sharp ashen eyes cold. Sitting with his long legs crossed as he observed people, he looked like a black panther.

“What is your name?”

It was the first question Michael asked Seina.

“Seina Denier.”

“Miss Denier, is your eyesight poor?”

His gaze stopped on Seina’s thick glasses. Though glasses had become common in this day and age, it was still rare for a young woman, rather than an elderly person, to wear them.

“…….”

Seina could not readily answer. At that moment, Hilda set down the teacup she had been holding and looked at Michael.

“She read so many books and studied so hard, though it is not to the point that it interferes with her daily life.”

Hilda answered in her place. At that, Seina made a slightly flustered expression, and Michael did not miss even that moment. In truth, she had only started wearing glasses just before coming to Woodville.

[Seina, put on these glasses.]

Hilda handed her a pair of crude glasses large enough to cover half her face.

[My eyes are not bad, Sister Hilda.]

When she actually put them on, the lenses reflected the light, making her eyes difficult to see clearly.

[I’m not telling you to wear them because your eyes are bad. You look more intellectual with glasses on.]

To think she had to show an intellectual air by wearing glasses with no prescription. What was even harder to understand was Hilda’s warning.

[Seina, from now on, you must never take off those glasses. You must not show your eyes to anyone.]

[What? Why?]

[Why else? Because you’re so very pretty that I’m worried your employer might harbor improper thoughts.]

Hilda answered with teasing exaggeration.

[What?]

Knowing far too well that those words were not true, Seina merely let out a hollow laugh and brushed it off. It was the kind of joke anyone would scoff at. Even by objective standards, her face was far from that of a stunning beauty. A pale face, hollow-looking eyes, a thin, dried-up figure, blond hair close to white. Even her bloodless lips. There was nothing at all one might call the kind of charm men supposedly liked.

“I see. I heard that the standard of governesses produced by Montes Convent is high…….”

Michael did not make any further issue of the glasses. It seemed he had merely asked to confirm it. At his question, Hilda, as if she had been waiting for the chance, began listing Seina’s merits. She praised her lavishly, saying she had the best grades among the students at the convent and was excellent in every subject. Yet Michael’s reaction was lukewarm. Somehow, he wore an expression as though Hilda’s stock phrases were somewhat tiresome.

“Seina’s patience is exceptional.”

Michael nodded as though asking her to continue. Having patience was hardly such an extraordinary thing. For someone in service, especially a governess, it was a difficult profession without strong patience. How many people who lived under others’ command did not have patience? Yet a different glint appeared in his eyes.

“I am curious in what way her patience is exceptional.”

Michael’s gaze turned to Seina. But it was Hilda who had to answer.

“She came to the convent at five, but until now, at twenty-two, she has not cried a single time while looking for her parents.”

When children came to the convent at such a young age, it was extremely common for them to cry and throw tantrums, asking when they would be reunited with their parents. Even apart from that, there were many who could not endure the solemn and regimented life of the convent because it was too difficult.

“Good.”

Michael gave a very satisfied smile, but Seina got goosebumps at the sight of it. It was an altogether unfamiliar experience to see a killing wariness showing through a smile resting on such a beautiful face. Just then, Butler Henry approached carrying a coffee pot. As he poured coffee into Michael’s cup, he said,

“It is coffee from Lopia in the southern continent. If you take your time savoring it, you will notice a curious raspberry taste.”

Henry spoke as though showing off his extensive knowledge of coffee. Soon, the rich aroma of coffee spread through the drawing room. As Henry had said, Michael first took in the coffee’s fragrance fully, then savored the taste. At the very moment the Grand Duke drank the coffee, Seina tilted her head ever so slightly.

At the same time, she met Michael’s ashen eyes, and Seina gave a small start and lowered her head. It seemed he had noticed the doubtful look that had crossed her face.

“Is there a problem with the coffee?”

Michael looked more interested than before. Or perhaps he was slightly displeased, as one corner of his mouth lifted sharply.

“What? No.”

“No……?”

“Well, that is to say.”

She should have simply listened to Henry’s explanation about the coffee and let it pass, but it seemed she had outwardly revealed the doubt she had only felt inwardly without realizing it. Seina tried to brush it off as nothing, but by then the Grand Duke’s expression had already grown serious. Perhaps it was his nature not to let even a small thing pass; he waited stubbornly for an answer.

“I do not know much about coffee’s place of origin, but just from the aroma, I did not think it would have a raspberry taste.”

“…….!”

At the unexpected answer that came from Seina’s mouth, one of Michael’s brows rose. On the other hand, Henry gave an uncomfortable little cough.

“You mean to say that, by scent alone, you can tell what flavor the coffee will have. Is that correct?”

“What? Yes……. To the extent that I can guess a little, not precisely.”

“Our Seina has quite a keen nose—no, her sense of smell is rather sensitive. And of course, her palate as well.”

Trying to ease the suddenly stiffened atmosphere, Hilda let out a hearty laugh as she explained.

“Tell me. What flavor it has, from the scent alone.”

Despite Hilda’s explanation, Michael’s cooled expression did not soften. Rather, his curiosity seemed only to deepen.

“Well, not raspberry, but I think it will have the acidity of tropical fruit and the taste of brown sugar.”

“The acidity of tropical fruit and the taste of brown sugar…….”

With a face full of doubt, Michael looked at the coffee and slowly savored it. As someone who enjoyed coffee more than most, he considered that even if he was not an expert, he had knowledge of his own. Michael took several sips of the coffee. He wanted to confirm whether it truly carried the acidity of tropical fruit and the taste of brown sugar.

‘Ha! How interesting.’

He usually did not put milk or sugar in his coffee, yet somehow a sweetness could be felt. It was not the usual kind of acidity, either. In the fruit-like fragrance spreading in his mouth and the sweet finish that rose at the end, there was a bitter, sweet scent. Perhaps it was only because he had heard it in advance, but one thing was certain: unlike Henry had said, it did not taste like raspberry.

“You have an unusual talent.”

Without either affirming or denying it, Michael wrapped up the situation with that brief compliment.

“Henry, bring Julia.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Henry, who had worn a displeased expression toward Seina all this time, changed his face at once.

‘Is Julia my student?’

Seina assumed that the Julia the Grand Duke mentioned was the child she would be teaching from now on. She had come here knowing only that she would be working as a governess at the Grand Duke’s residence, and did not know whom she would be teaching. Even when she had asked Hilda beforehand, the answer she got had always been the same. ‘She is a young noble lady of high status.’ That was all. Among the friends from Montes Convent who had gone out to take governess positions, there could not have been another person like her who had absolutely no prior information about the student she would be teaching.

It was then. Bustling footsteps were heard from the direction of the door. At the same time the door opened, a woman ran inside.

“Have they come? My teacher?”

The person running wildly about the drawing room and shouting was not a child but a grown woman. She looked to be in her late twenties or so, yet her red hair was tied to both sides and decorated with large ribbons. What was even more bewildering was her dress. The fabric was embroidered all over with cherries, and the excessive lace and ribbon decorations made it look exactly like the sort of outfit a girl of about ten would wear.

“Julia, you must behave properly.”

Michael spoke in a low tone. As though this was something he dealt with all the time, he did not seem particularly moved.

“Who is it? My teacher? Is it that ho-ho granny? Or the woman over there wearing glasses?”

Julia shouted as she circled around Hilda and Seina. Soon, Julia’s maid hurried after her in quick little steps, trying to stop her.

‘She is not in a good state.’

After looking at Julia, Seina checked Hilda’s expression. Seeing her smile indulgently without looking especially surprised, it seemed she had already known about Julia. Well, saying she had not known would not have made sense either. That must be why she had boasted that Seina’s patience was strong.

‘Is that why you did not tell me?’

“Miss Denier, are you surprised?”

Michael’s face, as he observed Seina’s reaction, was calm. Resting his chin on his hand without the slightest movement, he spoke indifferently.

“Yes, I am surprised. I thought the student I would be teaching was a young child.”

Seina answered while looking back and forth between the Grand Duke and Hilda.

“She is my elder sister.”

“What?”

And not just that, but the Grand Duke’s elder sister. Because the gap between her actual age and her mental age was so great, it could not have been easy to find a governess for her.

“Do you lack confidence?”

“I cannot say for certain, but there is no reason I cannot teach her.”

At Seina’s calm answer, Michael raised a hand slightly, as though acknowledging her words.

“My elder sister developed an affliction of the mind due to an unavoidable accident in childhood, but I believe she can improve sufficiently through a proper education.”

Michael said this to Hilda as though seeking her agreement.

“Yes, our Seina will become a fine teacher for the Lady.”

“She had better.”

His final words sounded almost like a warning. Just then, Julia, who had been caught in the maid’s hand, ran up in front of Seina.

“It’s mine to eat. All of it!”

She grabbed a fistful of cookies from the table and stuffed them into her mouth. As she chewed noisily, crumbs flew everywhere.

Seina carefully observed Julia. They were siblings, she and the Grand Duke, yet it was strange how they did not seem to resemble each other. Unlike Michael, who had black hair and ashen eyes, Julia had red hair and brown eyes. If someone told her they were siblings, she would simply think, so they are. Still, there was one thing they had in common. Like the Grand Duke, Julia too possessed quite a beautiful face.

Just then, Julia also stopped eating her cookies and stared fixedly at Seina. Soon, Seina was the first to give Julia a gentle smile. Up to this very moment, she had thought things were going fairly smoothly, but that had been nothing more than hope.

“Ptui!”

Julia spat the half-chewed cookie into Seina’s face.

“I hate it! Ugly teacher!”

She kept spitting cookie at Seina and shouting.