I looked at the test paper with trembling eyes.

So…

“…perfect score.”

“Really?”

Vincent asked with his eyes wide open like a rabbit.

I nodded slowly.

It was hard to believe even as I was looking at it.

‘I definitely included several difficult problems.’

I told Vincent it was a review test, but I had actually planted several difficult problems in it.

Some of them included content that Vincent hadn’t learned yet.

‘I included problems likely to appear on the academy’s year-end exam just in case.’

From interpretation to answers, everything was perfect without the slightest error.

I don’t think he could have solved it this perfectly even if he had looked at the textbook.

“Hehe.”

I looked at Vincent, who was grinning with a “hehe,” with disbelieving eyes.

At that moment, I suddenly remembered what Winston had said.

‘If I may add one thing, when you conduct the lesson this time, you’ll probably be surprised.’

Could Winston have predicted this situation?

I stared blankly at Vincent before soon noticing that Vincent was watching my reaction.

‘Oops.’

My expression must have been too serious, making him think there was some problem.

I immediately spoke.

“I’m sorry. I was just surprised because you solved it much better than I expected. You did well, you worked hard.”

When I stroked his head with a gentle smile, Vincent, whose mood had already improved, beamed brightly.

I looked at Vincent with fond eyes before asking.

“By the way, Vincent, may I ask how you were able to solve problems you haven’t learned yet?”

If they had been multiple choice, I could have thought he was lucky.

But all the problems were subjective, and quite a few required explanations.

Moreover, the difficulty level…

‘It was at a level for students above Vincent’s grade.’

Yet he had solved everything perfectly.

I couldn’t help but ask.

‘Did Winston conduct lessons in my place?’

That seemed plausible.

However, the answer I received was beyond my expectations.

“…studied.”

“Pardon?”

“While Tutor Via wasn’t here, I studied hard by myself.”

Vincent’s eyes were filled with certainty as he said this.

“….”

I know those eyes.

One can have such confident eyes only when they’ve truly worked hard, when there’s not a hint of hesitation about their efforts.

“Because I…”

Vincent fidgeted with his fingers, clearly wanting to say something.

“Yes?”

“I… ah, it’s nothing!”

But Vincent quickly waved his hands.

“Hmm…”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Vincent.

He clearly seemed to have something he wanted to say.

But…

‘There’s probably no good in pressing the issue.’

It might even backfire.

I nodded and said.

“Alright. If you ever want to tell me, you can do so then.”

I’ll wait.

At my words, Vincent looked at me with sparkling eyes again and nodded vigorously.

“Yes! Definitely…!”

Seeing Vincent clenching his tiny fist, I smiled slightly and opened the textbook I had brought.

It was the process we had last learned.

Vincent’s level seems to have risen far beyond this already.

‘Should I just briefly go over it?’

With that thought, I began the lesson.

***

Perhaps because it had been a while since our last lesson.

Both Vincent and I were much more immersed in the lesson than before.

We were so engrossed that we lost track of time, and suddenly it was time to end.

“Shall we stop here for today?”

When I closed the book and said this, Vincent grumbled with a disappointed expression.

“Time goes by too quickly.”

“Does it?”

Finding his appearance cute, I asked with a smile, and Vincent nodded his head vigorously.

“Yes! I want to stay with Tutor Via longer…”

Saying this, Vincent glanced at me.

He seemed to want me to extend the lesson.

‘This is the first time I’ve had such a student.’

There have been children who whined for the lesson to end quickly, but this was the first child who expressed disappointment and asked for more lessons.

‘That’s what makes Vincent special.’

And it’s not just his attitude toward lessons.

Vincent’s eyes always hold sincerity when looking at me.

That’s why I can’t help but treat Vincent with sincerity as well.

Winston says I changed Vincent, but in reality, Vincent changed me.

‘Because at some point, I genuinely came to love Vincent, who was initially just a means to approach Cardien.’

Perhaps Vincent and the people here are precious to me because there haven’t been many people to love in my life.

‘Cardien, you too…’

But how should I put it?

Cardien feels a bit different.

‘If asked exactly what’s different, it would be difficult to answer.’

Anyway…

Shaking off the thoughts that were getting longer, I turned to Vincent with a regretful face and said.

“I’m sorry. I’d like to stay with Vincent a bit longer too, but I think we have to stop here for today.”

Because I have other important matters to attend to today.

At that, Vincent’s shoulders drooped.

If Vincent had animal ears on top of his head, those ears would have drooped down too.

Seeing Vincent’s visibly disappointed appearance, my heart began to soften.

However, Vincent didn’t insist and nodded slightly.

“I guess it can’t be helped…”

“In exchange, next time I’ll spend even more time with Vincent.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Wow!”

Vincent’s eyes lit up and he cheered, showing no trace of his earlier disappointment.

Finding Vincent’s reaction curious, I asked.

“Are you that happy?”

Vincent nodded firmly without the slightest hesitation.

“Yes!”

I suddenly became curious.

What exactly am I to Vincent?

What kind of existence am I that he becomes this happy just by the prospect of spending more time together?

“Tutor Via is special.”

“Hmm?”

Startled by the unexpected words, I looked at Vincent in surprise.

Vincent smiled brightly like the sun and said.

“The most special in the world.”

“….”

Did he learn mind-reading from Cardien?

Otherwise, how could he read my mind so accurately?

Feeling somewhat overwhelmed with emotion, I looked at Vincent and then responded with a bright smile.

“Me too. You’re the most special to me too, Vincent.”

“Really?”

Vincent asks with round eyes that sparkle.

Did Vincent feel the same emotion as I did?

I can’t know for sure, but just.

“Yes, really.”

I simply respond with sincerity as well.

“Truly special.”

So I will definitely change your future.

I recited inwardly.

***

After Livia left, Vincent clutched his pounding heart tightly.

‘…Tutor said I’m special.’

Those words from Livia left a much bigger and more intense impression than Livia had thought.

Thump, thump…

The heartbeat feels good.

It had been a while since he felt this emotion.

Tutor is indeed special…

While thinking this, a maid who entered the room to clean up saw Vincent’s face and asked in surprise.

“Oh my, young master. Your face is red. Are you cold?”

At those words, Vincent shook his head.

“I’m not cold.”

Unlike when he was with Livia, his demeanor was cold and rigid, but even this was a big change.

The old Vincent had built a solid wall around himself and showed no reaction.

He was always depressed and gripped by fear.

The symptoms worsened after the academy, to the point where it became difficult to approach him.

That’s why the maid still finds it amazing sometimes.

‘How did he change like this?’

The wall he used to build has completely disappeared, and he has changed into an ordinary child, which the maid simply found amazing.

While thinking this and cleaning, something caught the maid’s eye.

It was a notebook.

Inside were written lesson processes, progress, and so on.

The maid immediately recognized the owner of the notebook.

“Oh, this. It seems the tutor left it behind.”

At that, Vincent turned his head abruptly, ran over to the maid, and held out both hands.

“Give it to me!”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll deliver it to her!”

He was so urgent that he even used formal speech, which he didn’t usually use.

The maid looked at Vincent with an entranced expression.

By the time she came to her senses, she had already handed the notebook to Vincent.

“Ah.”

Belatedly realizing what she had done, she flinched, but Vincent had already run out of the room.

“Well, it should be fine.”

The maid shrugged and continued cleaning, thinking nothing of it.

Not anticipating what kind of storm her action would bring.

Meanwhile, Vincent, who had bolted out of the room like lightning, quickly chased after Livia.

While it might be a small mistake for Livia, for Vincent, it was a major event.

Vincent inwardly made a plan.

‘I should ask her to have dinner together tonight.’

He couldn’t remember the last time he had a meal with Livia.

He missed lunch, but dinner was still ahead.

Vincent’s dash became even faster.

As he turned the corner like that.

Thud!

He collided head-on with someone walking from the opposite direction.

Bang!

Vincent, who was thrown backward, landed hard on his bottom.

The fall was so hard that tears almost welled up.

However, those tears disappeared the moment he heard the voice from above his head.

“Tsk.”

After the disapproving click of a tongue, a cold voice followed.

“Still as unruly as ever in your behavior.”

Vincent, whose shoulders flinched, slowly raised his head.

And…

“Like father, like son.”

The moment he saw the gray-eyed old man looking down at him with a cold gaze, Vincent could no longer breathe.