Chapter 19

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 19

Chapter Title: A Loving Caress

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Without a word, as he ground his teeth silently, I flashed him another innocent smile.

"Uncle, wanna come watch the fake with Leblain?"

Viscount Misesk hurriedly turned and retreated the way he'd come. I waved goodbye behind his back, fluttering my hand.

'Uncle, hang in there. Go pick a fight with Duke Teramore in my place!'

—I thought.

In the Tower of Wisdom, the Duvered elders' stronghold, a meeting was in full swing.

"Creating a new advisory body? The duke must be out of his mind for such nonsense!"

One elder bellowed in fury.

"Advising the family head has always been the elders' role! If this new body is established, we'll be reduced to figureheads."

"The duke inherited the family, and our influence has waned. He even stripped us of our right to freely enter the main residence."

"Will you just sit back and watch, Chairman?"

The elders turned their gazes to the chairman seated at the head of the table.

The chairman picked up his wine glass and spoke languidly.

"His Grace's will is unyielding. We vassals have no choice but to obey our lord."

"What do you mean...!"

The chairman cut off the elder with a "Precisely," and smiled faintly.

"Which leaves us waiting eagerly for a new lord more to our liking."

"Are you saying..."

"Duke Teramore."

The chairman turned to Duke Teramore, who stood against the wall rather than in an elder's seat.

"Yes."

"The young masters are the future of Duvered. You must teach them with utmost dedication. Of course..."

The chairman smiled faintly again, lowering his voice.

"...in a way that aligns with our hearts."

"No need to worry. I've made thorough preparations in advance."

Duke Teramore pulled the corners of his mouth into a smirk and bowed deeply.

As the meeting adjourned and Duke Teramore exited the Tower of Wisdom, one of the elders' retainers hurried after him.

"It seems you'll finally don the elders' robe from the duke's faction."

"Don't hype up this old man too much."

"The chairman's gaze toward you was exceptional."

Duke Teramore chuckled modestly on the surface, but inside, his ambition writhed like worms.

'This is my chance at last—a real one.'

How long had he waited for this moment, loyally serving the elders for the past thirty years?

He'd repeatedly lost opportunities to become an elder to those mere children, all because the family was deemed insignificant. But this time was different.

He was confident he could mold Henri and Ishak to the elders' desires.

Hadn't he realized it back when he tutored noble children just to make ends meet?

Humans, no matter how dim, could master even the toughest lessons under the rod.

Bending them with violence made implanting the elders' ideology into young masters a simple task.

Besides, Henri had deep trauma.

From his last test, the boy hadn't breathed a word to anyone about what he'd endured.

'Brainwash Henri with fists, and for the simple-minded Ishak, crush him mentally...'

The retainer rubbed his palms eagerly, fawning.

"When you don the elders' robe, please remember me."

"Of course. How could I forget you?"

That was when.

Viscount Misesk, walking down the corridor, overheard their conversation and let out a hollow laugh.

"Viscount Misesk."

"Quite the amusing chat you're having."

"Pardon?"

"Selling the bear's skin before you've even caught it."

"By experience, it's Duke Teramore's turn this time."

"Forgot how you built that experience? Begging as a servant in my house until my father secured you a post!"

As Duke Teramore's eyes hardened, his retainer glanced at him nervously and stammered.

"W-what are you saying...? How rude. Duke Teramore is like a father figure to Viscount Misesk's own father."

"Can't be helped. Old habits from when Duke Teramore attended me linger."

He spoke loudly enough for all to hear, drawing stares from passing elders' retainers.

Duke Teramore's face flushed with humiliation.

"You, scraping by on mere attendance, now their tutor? You live long enough, you see everything."

Viscount Misesk smiled faintly and whispered in his ear.

"Don't overreach beyond your station. Think I don't know all your weaknesses?"

Then he brushed Duke Teramore's shoulder and walked past.

Duke Teramore froze, rooted to the spot like a statue.

"That bastard—I'd tear him apart!"

He muttered viciously, startling his retainer into swallowing dryly.

"M-my lord, don't let it get to you. He's jealous because the chairman entrusted you with this big task."

"Jealousy? No, he despises me. Just like always!"

"Th-that's..."

"Just watch. Someday I'll shove a blade down that throat."

Duke Teramore glared at Viscount Misesk's retreating figure, grinding his teeth.

Relations between Duke Teramore and Viscount Misesk grew ever worse.

As per my plan, Viscount Misesk kept Duke Teramore in check beautifully, repeatedly sabotaging his lessons with Henri and Ishak to deny him the chairman's trust.

"We cannot entrust Duvered's future to an unqualified tutor!"

"Please reconsider the appointment!"

"A teacher befitting their station...!"

Even those screaming at the gates were nobles swept up in Viscount Misesk's public campaign.

I watched the protest with a grin.

'Good, good.'

A man who'd risen to elder candidate young—no one could match his dirty tricks.

'With all eyes on him, Duke Teramore won't dare touch Henri easily.'

Keep fighting among yourselves and replace Henri and Ishak's tutor already.

The maids smiled, thinking my giggling was adorable.

"Why is our little one in such high spirits today?"

One of the maids tending me, Uni, beamed proudly.

"She knows I bought a new toy today!"

"Oh, she saw me bring a new toy."

"She'll like my rocking horse more."

"No, my three-thousand-piece puzzle."

The maids growled at each other before turning to me in unison.

"You like the rocking horse more, right?"

"The puzzle's way more fun, isn't it?"

Under their intensely blazing stares, I tried to defuse: "Both... I wike..." But the fight raged on.

"Fine. Let's show her and let our little one judge!"

"You're on. I'm confident. If I lose, I'll gouge out my eye."

"Oh, I'll juggle mine."

The maids rose with a chilling "Ohohoho!" and opened the door. "Come on, little one."

I followed with a transcendent chuckle, beyond worldly cares.

'Gotta pretend to play hard today too.'

—I thought.

I headed downstairs with the maids toward the first floor where the toys were. But Ishak was coming up from the opposite direction.

"Hewwo!"

Ishak greeted me casually: "Hey, squirt." He'd just finished class, books and notes in hand.

"Whewe goin'?"

"Training grounds. For drills."

"What about Henwi?"

"Brother failed the exam, so he's retaking it."

Ishak added smugly.

"I got everything right."

Ishak was talented too, excelling physically, but Henri outshone him mentally.

So it was odd that Ishak passed a test Henri didn't.

I blinked, then froze as a realization hit.

'No way...!'

I bolted down the stairs.

Panicked maids called from behind: "Little one! Little one!" But I ran on blindly.

I dashed through the central courtyard, down corridors, to the public study.

Bam!

I kicked the door open. Startled, Duke Teramore looked at me.

I stared at Henri, bowed behind him.

Our eyes met; Henri whipped his head away, hiding his flushed cheek. His open shirt collar revealed hideous wounds.

The bruises yellowed—clearly, the abuse started day one.

'I was careless.'

I'd assumed Duke Teramore abused Henri to become an elder.

To groom him as an elders-approved heir via beatings and brainwashing.

If elder status was his goal, he'd hold back now under scrutiny.

But no.

'He just sees Henri as a toy.'

Venting inferiority from his lowly origins on a noble lord's son for twisted pleasure.

"Ahem."

Duke Teramore cleared his throat.

"You can't barge in during lessons."

"This not wesson. You hit Henwi."

How's beating a child a lesson?

Duke Teramore panicked briefly at being caught, then smirked.

As if a baby could do anything.

"Such grave words. As if I'd dare strike Young Master. Those injuries are from yesterday's sword training."

"I saw. You waised hand."

"I never raised a hand, but even if I did, it wasn't assault."

He smirked wider.

"Just a loving caress."

The moment he spouted that nonsense, I snatched the fountain pen from the desk.

And.

"Aaagh!"

I stabbed the sharp nib into the back of Duke Teramore's hand.

Henri's eyes widened at the sudden act.

Duke Teramore clutched his bleeding wrist and collapsed to the floor.

"What have you done!"

The old man's eyes rolled in rage as he screamed.

I approached and whispered low enough Henri wouldn't hear.

"What else? A loving caress, you bastard."

—I said.