I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

026. Encounter (2)

In the midst of the bustling street, only the spot where the three of us stood was silent.

I checked the Crown Prince’s condition.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

‘Oh, you fool.’

The Crown Prince was observing the woman with a bitter smile.

Regret was dripping from his eyes.

Just seeing him like this made me realize.

The future Crown Prince was right.

If that man had returned to the past, he would have made the same mistake again.

I still couldn’t understand.

She was just a woman you could see anywhere.

Her appearance wasn’t particularly beautiful, and she seemed so weak that a single tap could knock her over.

The only unusual thing about her was her curly pink hair.

Even that reminded me of a toy doll that girls like Ariana would play with, which I found quite displeasing.

Why? What was so special about her?

From the crown prince to those esteemed individuals, what on earth made them go mad over her?

The actions that followed only extended the mystery.

Sss―

I secretly spread mana.

There was something I had always wanted to verify as my doubts deepened over the past life.

‘Could that woman be a witch?’

Or perhaps a shaman under the influence of barbarians.

Isn’t that quite plausible?

I couldn’t feel any specialness from her.

On the contrary, I felt nothing but an urge to slap her face.

As someone who couldn’t understand why the heralds of the golden age were so obsessed with her, I needed to know the reason.

Someone sent her to bring ruin to the empire.

Wouldn’t that hypothesis at least explain the cause and effect?

I spread mana and scanned the woman’s body.

After all, I had been hit by sorcery and magic enough to be second to none.

Even the slightest trace would be enough to find it, so I examined her quite thoroughly, but…

‘···Clean.’

Just the right amount of mana for an ordinary person, the physical abilities of an ordinary person, the vitality of an ordinary person.

There was no trace of being modified by magic, aura, or sorcery.

There could be no failure in verification, at least.

My ‘eyes’ were the only talent that even the future crown prince could never surpass.

Thus, there was an inevitable conclusion.

‘Genuine goodwill?’

Were the pioneers of the golden age simply following their emotions and defending that woman?

I thought,

‘···Bullshit.’

And then I denied it.

There couldn’t be such a convenient thing.

How could there exist a person who is not attractive enough for everyone to fall in love with, but only attractive to those specific people?

Even so, is there any justification for a conclusion that drives them all to ruin?

At that moment, such thoughts surged.

‘Should I kill her?’

It would only take a moment.

Without even moving my body, I could sever that woman’s neck just by honing and releasing my mana.

If I did that, I wouldn’t have to worry about this anymore.

However, it was clear that it was not a good idea, even with a little thought.

‘Imprisoned for slapping her.’

I vividly remembered how the Crown Prince, who was captivated by that woman, looked when he first came to the prison.

―It’s your fault. If it weren’t for you, this wouldn’t have happened! I could have been by Rebecca’s side!!!

He was a madman, through and through.

It went on for a few weeks.

If the Crown Prince had taken even a few more days to give up his regrets, I would have been crushed to death by his mana in my weakened state.

Of course, the Crown Prince has now regained his sanity, but what about the others?

How would those people react if I killed that woman here and now?

Would they come to their senses?

What are the odds of that?

What if they don’t come to their senses?

‘A relationship of resentment.’

Not only me, but also the Crown Prince I serve would be in a relationship of resentment.

In the worst case, they might be swayed by their emotions and side with the barbarians.

There was another speculation that added credibility to this.

‘The future Crown Prince did not hate that woman until the moment he died.’

They had been apart for more than 20 years.

Even while acknowledging that he lost his sanity because of that woman, he never resented her until the end.

So, the murder is bound to converge into a failed gamble.

There’s no need to attempt it.

However, verification is necessary.

“…It’s been a while.”

“Yes.”

“Sorry. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to find you.”

“No…! You are in a position that requires responsibility… So, I think it’s natural for you to be busy. But, you should still take care of your health…”

The two people continue their conversation.

As the conversation progresses, the prince’s smile deepens.

The woman also begins to smile foolishly at the sight.

I interrupted.

“Let’s not do this here. If you have something to say, let’s move and talk.”

When I suggested moving to another place, the woman’s gaze turned to me.

She flinched.

Only then did the prince let out a sigh.

“…Ah, it’s okay. What happened back then was entirely my fault. This friend won’t harm you anymore.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. Since we met by chance, shall we move together to our destination? We can continue our unfinished conversation.”

The prince spoke cheerfully, but the woman still looked at me with lingering fear.

Yes, considering the timing, it hasn’t been long since I slapped this woman.

She remembers being hit, so she must be afraid of me.

But.

‘Because that’s a normal reaction.’

If you’re so scared by such calculations?

That’s what doubt does.

If you start to feel a discrepancy in one thing, it gradually spreads and taints other things.

Since I felt impurity in that woman’s intentions, now every action she takes is suspicious to me.

The woman eventually nodded.

So we moved, and finally entered the auction house.

In the reception room, there were only the three of us.

The two of them chatted quietly.

“But, how did you end up there?”

“Ah… it’s the festival preparation period. Just looking around… trying to help…”

“Ah, right. You always liked these kinds of festivals.”

I took the opportunity to speak to the prince.

“May I have a word with this person for a moment?”

“Hmm?”

“I want to apologize for the past.”

The prince brightened at my words.

“Oh, will you? Then I’ll go fetch the auction items. Rebecca, have a chat for a while!”

The prince left the room.

Only the two of us remained.

A strange feeling.

It seems like this is the first time I’m alone in a space with this woman.

I quietly stared at her.

Then she took a deep breath and smiled.

“About that, the other day…”

“Oh, I should apologize.”

“No, no! That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to say I’m sorry too… because the appointment got canceled because of me…”

She looked genuinely sorry.

Then she stood up and bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry! I think it’s right to apologize first for that… And if there’s no hard feelings, can we be friends from now on?!”

She lifted her head and looked at me with a frivolous smile.

For some reason, her sparkling green eyes made me uncomfortable.

‘…Alright.’

Maybe she’s just a good woman who wants to please those people.

But you know.

‘Can someone really ask to be friends with the person who slapped them without thinking about their nature?’

No matter how I think about it, it’s suspicious.

So I felt I wouldn’t be at ease without verifying.

So I opened my mouth.

“But there’s something I’m curious about.”

“Yes?”

“Why did you talk to His Majesty today? You said you wouldn’t contact him because you knew he was busy.”

“What? That was just a coincidence on the street…”

“You’re lucky. You can explain everything away as a coincidence.”

Whoosh!

Mana was unleashed.

“Huh…!”

Thud!

The woman clutched her neck and collapsed.

Her face was filled with fear.

I spoke.

“I just pinched you lightly. Why are you already so scared?”

I’m not going to kill her.

I’ll just intimidate her.

Animals, after all, only reveal their true nature when their lives are at stake.

Perhaps a threatening aspect I hadn’t noticed would manifest for survival.

“S-Save…”

“Answer me, and I’ll think about it.”

I pinched a little harder.

“Tell me. Why did you talk to His Majesty? And besides that, I’m curious, what were you thinking, poking around here and there? I can’t understand your actions with my head.”

“Ugh…!”

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes.

I looked down at her indifferently.

‘So, what will you do?’

Would it seem like I was just trying to scare her?

No, I intentionally mixed killing intent with my mana.

I didn’t apply strong pressure, but from her perspective, it felt like she might die.

Time passes.

Yet,

“P-please, spare me…”

The girl trembles and pleads.

It was at that moment.

Bang!

“Yuren!”

Did they sense the presence of mana and come?

I immediately withdrew the energy that was choking the girl’s neck.

“Gah! Cough, cough…”

The girl gasps for breath.

Then she retches and soon bows her head, trembling.

“Sorry, sorry… sorry…”

Confusion.

‘Is there really nothing?’

Does that mean all those incidents were just out of goodwill?

A frown appeared.

“Rebecca!”

The crown prince supported the woman.

He looked restless.

Then, the prince’s expression became serious.

The prince glared at me with a face that seemed ready to explode with anger.

The nearby mana swirled with a sense of pressure.

“…I’m sorry.”

I apologized for now.

The prince gritted his teeth and glared at me, then relaxed his expression and spoke to the woman.

“…I’m sorry. Rebecca.”

“No, no…”

The woman lowered her head in fear.

No matter how you looked at it, it couldn’t be seen any other way.

* * *

Kallios sent Rebecca away.

And only Yuren remained, glaring at him in the silence.

But that didn’t last long.

Kallios sighed.

“…First, I’ll hear what you have to say.”

From what Kallios had seen, Yuren was not someone who acted thoughtlessly.

Especially when it came to matters related to himself, he judged that Yuren must have his own intentions.

There were also his own mistakes that led to such speculation.

“Yes, I understand that it was a situation that would make you angry. You were the one who suggested I should distance myself from her, and I agreed to it. Yet, I went on boasting about it.”

The moment he saw Rebecca, he wavered.

The moment he looked into her eyes and heard her voice, he felt a tingling sensation in his chest and was busy floundering.

It was an inevitable reaction.

Even though he had given her up for the greater good, she was still his first love.

But looking at the result,

He had broken his promise.

There was past karma.

Kallios had even planned to kidnap Yuren and imprison him for slapping Rebecca.

After showing all his ugly sides, expecting him to trust him was truly an act against conscience, wasn’t it?

This must be Yuren’s own warning.

In fact, upon supporting Rebecca and examining her, there was no harm left on her body.

Of course, despite that, a reprimand was necessary.

“Rebecca is also a subject of the Empire. That treatment was excessive. You have risen to the position of Grand Duke. If she did not consider her relationship with me, this could have become a rumor that strangled both our necks.”

It was a dangerous attempt.

Yuren was not so foolish as to not consider him, so why did he choose such a drastic method?

He hoped it was not out of spite.

And fortunately, the answer given was something Kallios could accept.

“I have something to ask.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you never thought it strange? Why you fell for that woman. Why it is that the people who like her are always the leaders of the next era.”

Yuren was expressionless.

However, his voice was quite irritable.

His eyes, asking for an opinion, were rebellious.

Kallios felt pity.

‘…Is it that side?’

Kallios knew that there were words referring to Rebecca as a witch who seduces men with sorcery.

Quite a few people speculated such a possibility, and the outward appearance of the situation added credibility to such conjectures.

But Kallios firmly denied it.

“It is indeed coincidental enough to be suspicious. But at least in my case, there was no sense of alienation. From my first meeting with her to every moment thereafter, and my actions were entirely my own intention.”

“The possibility that she made you think that way?”

“Nothing. It was a chance first meeting, and after that, it was I who sought her out. It was I who lingered, and it was my choice to do foolish things to impress her, feeling competitive with others.”

Thus, Callios could not deny his own negligence.

Even now, with things as they were.

“Maybe it’s special because it was my first love. That’s all.”

Only after saying that did Yuren sigh and relax his expression.

“…I’m sorry. I think I was being sensitive.”

“Be careful. That was quite chilling.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I’ll make sure not to meet Rebecca. Even if we meet by chance, I’ll avoid her.”

“Thank you for that.”

Yuren still had an uneasy expression until the end.

Callios smiled bitterly.

* * *

Beatrice asked Rebecca.

“Are you not feeling well?”

“Huh, what?! No!”

“Liar.”

Beatrice’s hand stroked Rebecca’s neck.

“Your breathing seems labored. Your body is trembling. And most of all, your eyes are wavering.”

Beatrice knew that Rebecca was never like this.

She was a woman who always smiled brightly, never afraid to meet anyone, and if she had worries, she would honestly tell others.

But now, she was showing strange reactions.

As if she was scared.

“Tell me. If you don’t tell me, I’ll become someone who knows nothing.”

A voice of desperate pleading came out.

Rebecca hesitated for a moment, but when Beatrice’s sorrow deepened, she finally confessed what had happened.

“Well, actually…”

The story was quite long.

And, the moment she heard it all.

Crack!

Beatrice’s mana crushed the surrounding objects.

Rebecca screamed in fright.

“Be, Bea! I’m okay now!”

But Beatrice couldn’t hear her.

She felt a rage that turned her hair white.

At the same time, ironically, she felt exhilaration.

She had found it.

Another reason to bind Rebecca to her.

Beatrice hugged Rebecca.

“I’m sorry. And don’t worry.”

Her voice was soaked.

“I’ll make sure no one can ever hurt you again. I will, I’ll make it so.”

Outside was too dangerous.

Even if it wasn’t those men, there were so many things that endangered Rebecca.

Look, this small, fragile child couldn’t take any of it seriously.

“Be, Bea. I’m really fine…”

“No, you’re too careless.”

“Really…”

Rebecca smiled helplessly and patted Beatrice’s back.

But Beatrice couldn’t smile along.

She held Rebecca tightly in her arms, her eyes shadowed deeply, her lips moving slightly.

“Just wait a little longer. It’s really not much longer now.”

The day when she could fully have Rebecca in her hands, and finally make her safe, was just around the corner.

“Just a little, just a little more…”

Beatrice felt a sense of urgency.

End

ⓒ papapa.

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