CHAPTER 50:……………………………
The Tutor Who Suits You (6)
Kaishien Malrot.
He had been enduring harsh beatings since this morning.
“If you have a fit in front of the tutor coming today, the next punishment will be even worse. Endure it. Bear it with your willpower. Now that you are my son, I cannot allow any more weakness.”
Who could be so formidable?
Kaishien didn’t have the confidence to suppress his panic in front of that person.
So he refused Liliane Crimson. She seemed kind and calm for now, but surely, one day, she would change.
Yes. Perhaps she would suddenly explode with anger at the audacity of his refusal.
But instead, she suddenly stripped off his clothes. It seemed she had noticed a wound that hadn’t healed yet and was oozing blood.
Then, with a look of disgust, she grabbed her riding crop and immediately ran out the door.
Was it because the wound was disgusting?
But the tutors he’d had so far had at least looked curiously at his injuries.
And once they were convinced they could control him with that, they would use the riding crop without restraint—until he finally had a fit.
But that woman didn’t do that. Why?
That suspicion brought Kaishien to this door.
And from just beyond it, Liliane Crimson’s voice sounded completely different from the woman he had seen earlier.
She spoke sharply in front of the terrifying marquis, without a trace of fear.
Strange.
It would have made more sense to curry favor with the marquis rather than confront him for someone as powerless and insignificant as Kaishien.
“…….”
Kaishien shivered.
After coming of age, sent here as if his mother had sold him off, the noble he met for the first time revealed himself as Kaishien’s father.
He said that if Kaishien learned properly and could appear in society, he would be made his heir.
At first, Kaishien thought this was a chance to turn his life around.
A chance for a better life than the previous one, where his only skill was using a sword.
He tried hard, but…
“This is how you learn.”
No matter how well he did, no matter the mistakes, successes, or failures, the punishments that always came soon left him feeling powerless.
All of this is part of the “learning process”?
Even the strongest tree breaks if struck thousands of times.
The marquis’s teachings made him see himself as a worthless human.
A person below his capabilities, living only to disappoint others, unwanted by anyone.
That was who he was. And so he had to try harder.
But if that were truly the case, why should he endure this suffering just to survive?
Perhaps because he had hoped for something too much…
After that overwhelming sense of helplessness swept over him, Kaishien gradually started being called a “problem child.”
He could no longer control his anger, sadness, indignation, fear, or caution.
He sensed something was breaking inside him, but there was nowhere to turn for help.
His mother had no way to be contacted, the servants avoided him, and the marquis, who claimed to be his father, said the solution to problems was to “hit” them.
“See, look at this.”
And indeed, after being beaten thoroughly, he did calm down somewhat. Perhaps he really was like livestock that only understood when struck.
But that “tutor” showed such anger for his sake.
Why…?
“…….”
Kaishien slowly raised his hand and touched his cheek.
It was hot. It must have been flushed and ugly.
And Kaishien quickly acknowledged his feelings for that “tutor.”
It seemed… he had fallen in love.
“…Let’s see how well you can teach with such a careless attitude.”
The marquis’s trembling voice from beyond the door sounded unfamiliar.
“…….”
Kaishien sensed the conversation was about to end and slowly withdrew from the office door, hiding himself in the corridor.
“Haah.”
I leaned against the wall after putting some distance between myself and the office, letting out a deep sigh.
I vaguely understood why Kaishien had been so guarded and why he had refused my lessons.
I should have suspected his history of abuse from the moment the marquis grabbed my wrist recklessly.
“…That insane brat.”
I murmured quietly.
He must have thought that since Kaishien had been beaten to break his spirit before meeting me, he would have to be beaten every time he met me.
Kaishien wasn’t as young as I thought, and I only realized the signs of abuse after seeing his wounded body.
“……Since when.”
How long has the abuse lasted?
Where should Kaishien’s guard start to be lowered?
As I wiped my face, feeling helpless…
“……?”
Someone peeked from the corridor.
It was Kaishien.
“……!”
He froze when our eyes met and tried to hide behind the wall again.
I hurriedly called him before he could disappear.
“Kaishien!”
“…….”
Fortunately, he stopped.
I quickly spoke what I intended.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
‘I looked at your wounds without permission…’
It was my mistake. Thanks to it, I could notice the marquis’s abuse, but…
Still, those wounds were probably something Kaishien didn’t want anyone to see.
I slowly approached him and bowed deeply, apologizing.
“You shouldn’t have touched your body carelessly. I’m sorry.”
Kaishien accepted my apology in a small voice.
“…It’s okay.”
“I’ll make sure no one hits you again. Even the marquis.”
I spoke firmly, lifting my head slowly.
Kaishien’s green eyes trembled as they met mine.
“If someone threatens your safety, be sure to tell me.”
After a brief silence, he hesitantly asked:
“…Do tutors… usually do this much?”
“No, we don’t.”
“Then… why so much?”
“Because I want to.”
I finished speaking and smiled gently at him.
“I’m here to help you, as your tutor.”
He might not believe me yet. It might look like empty words from someone meddling in matters they can’t be responsible for.
But I’m confident I can slowly build trust over time.
Above all, the most urgent problem is Kaishien’s immediate danger.
For now, the marquis will likely refrain from overt violence in public, but a more fundamental solution is necessary.
As I pondered, Kaishien, hesitating for a moment, asked in a small voice:
“Are you going to keep teaching me?”
“…Ah.”
…Oops!
He had said he didn’t want to learn from me.
The contract with the marquis was one thing, but the student’s will was ignored.
“Hm….”
I couldn’t force him like Sylvia.
Unlike Sylvia and Logan, who had good parents… recalling the marquis in the office gave me a headache.
“…Haah.”
“…….”
Kaishien’s anxious gaze followed me as I touched my forehead.
No, I can’t let this show.
I quickly composed myself and nodded.
“I want to. So… can you think about it a little more? While you think, I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again—”
“My mind has changed.”
Kaishien cut me off.
“…?”
Changed his mind?
In that short moment?
“Really?”
He nodded calmly.
“Yes. I’ll learn from you, tutor. Then I won’t get hit, right?”
“Of course.”
Even if he doesn’t learn from me, hitting him as a teaching method is absurd.
Ethically, it’s impossible.
I nodded quickly.
“Good choice.”
“…….”
Then Kaishien quietly asked, looking at me intently:
“…When will you come next?”
A flash of blue appeared before my eyes.
‘Kaishien Malrot’ registered as a student!
[Kaishien Malrot has sincerely acknowledged your teaching for the first time. Kaishien Malrot is now registered as your student.]
“……!”
It was a moving moment.
I have to teach him with all my effort, to humble the marquis.
“Yes. When should I come? Next week? When’s good?”
And my decision brought about an unexpected change.
“Thank you for today’s lesson.”
As usual, I finished my lesson at the Crown Prince’s palace.
“Please complete your homework before the next lesson. The amount is fine, right?”
While organizing today’s materials and putting them in my bag, Enrique, who had been sulking all lesson long, quietly called me.
“Tutor.”
“Yes? A question?”
Enrique, keeping a slanted posture and narrowing his red eyes, asked:
“I heard from Logan that you teach another student too.”
…Another student?
Who is he talking about? Sylvia?
But Sylvia had graduated from me a while ago.
I tilted my head, then suddenly remembered the student recently added to my list.
“You mean Kaishien?”
“You call him by his name.”
“Yes, well…”
After teaching him a bit, he was obedient. Really different from others.
He’s my age, so I speak to him like a friend.
Besides, except for the first meeting, he never had fits.
Completely different from His Highness, who regularly stages his frenzy events.
It’s strange to think that Enrique’s past self might have been similar to Kaishien.
Maybe they’d get along well. It might be nice for them to meet sometime…
While I was lost in thought staring at Enrique’s face, he smiled slightly.
“Tutor, call me by my name too.”
Hearing that, I snapped back to reality.
“…Yes?”
Has he gone mad?
