Chapter 5
I hurriedly snatched the book from Louis’s hands and closed it.
“Young master.”
“Yes?”
“You still can’t read, right?”
“No! Donāt look down on me! I can read!”
“Then, would you like to try reading out loud?”
But the child couldnāt make a sound. Without realizing it, I petted his soft, fluffy hair, as if stroking a cute little dog. His fur was so smooth. I hadnāt expected the fur of a black panther to be so softāit was almost as soft as the swallowās feathers. I got so caught up in the feel of his fur that I instinctively pulled him into a hug.
“Swallow?”
“Ah.”
“Are you finally going to eat me?”
“No!”
I quickly set him down and smiled faintly.
“Young master.”
“Yes?”
“Iāll ask you again. You canāt read, can you?”
I asked the question without pushing him, careful not to make him feel bad.
“Itās okay. Itās not a problem. Iām just asking how we should move forward as your tutor. When I was young, I was pretty late with reading too.”
I smiled warmly, trying to create a comfortable atmosphere so the child could feel at ease.
“Really?”
“Of course. But once I caught up, I progressed quickly. Do you know about the Beast-Person Academy? Itās a place where both carnivores and herbivores gather. I was the top student there… ‘top’ means the leader. So, I guess I was like your father.”
“Wow… Swallow, you were the leader at the Beast-Person Academy?”
It seems my story made Louis think I was some big deal.
“Y-yeah, thatās right…”
I tried to simplify things for him, but somehow it made me sound more important than I intended.
“Wow… I didnāt know someone like my dad could exist. Are you a really strong bird?”
“Huh?”
“Then show me! Can you transform into a beast-person with a long beak and big wings?”
Seeing Louis excitedly wiggling on the couch, I couldnāt help but awkwardly laugh.
āNever show him my beast form.ā
A swallow is the cutest bird in the world, with its white feathers, round body, tiny wings, and blinking black eyes.
I firmly held Louisās hand.
“Anyway, young master, you canāt read, right?”
Louisās face immediately fell, and he looked down.
“I donāt want to disappoint…”
“Who would be disappointed by not knowing how to read?”
“I… Iām supposed to be smart. Iām a black panther.”
“Who told you that?”
Was it his father who was already pressuring him this much? I frowned, but what Louis said next was surprising.
“Enneia.”
Who is Enneia?
“Itās just… I donāt want to disappoint them…”
But right now, who Enneia was didnāt matter.
“If you keep pretending to know, and it turns out later that you didnāt, that would disappoint them more.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Louisās front teeth were missing, and his speech was a little slurred, which made him even cuter.
āNo, stop. Heās a fierce carnivore. Heās not cute!ā
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
“So, you should just say you donāt know. We can learn together from now on.”
“You wonāt be disappointed?”
“Not at all. In fact, Iām happy because I get to help you with what you donāt know!”
“I… itās a good thing that Iām not perfect?”
“When someone needs you, thatās when you shine the brightest. And you, young master, make me shine. So Iām happy.”
Louis seemed lost in thought, but I continued talking.
“Will you help me continue to be someone you need?”
“Yeah! Then teach me how to read.”
“Of course.”
“But, Swallow…”
“Yes?”
“Can this be a secret? From my dad and Enneia? And from everyone else too!”
I nodded at the childās request.
“Donāt worry. Now…”
I stood up from the couch and held out my hand to him.
“Shall we go pick out some books together?”
“Yeah!”
***
Luckily, the books in the room werenāt all inappropriate. Most were normal, though they werenāt exactly suitable for a childās age.
āIs it because no oneās taking care of him?ā
I made sure to remove any dangerous books while pretending to organize them on the high shelves. Titles like “How to Rule Over Carnivores as a Perfect Beast”, “Special Carnivores Punish Their Subordinates” and “How to Bite Without Causing Too Much Pain”, which made my tail stand on end just by reading the titles.
“Ugh…”
“Are we studying now?”
“Yes.”
I organized the books and returned to the couch with Louis, where I started teaching him, one letter at a time. The books were mostly too complex for his age, so I focused on simple words that would be easier for him to learn.
Thankfully, Louis had no trouble with listening and speaking, and he quickly started to pick up the letters. He seemed to enjoy it, asking for more. In just about an hour, Louis had learned an impressive amount.
āIs he a genius?ā
I was excited that the child was a genius, but I also felt worried.
āOf course, Beast-Person writing is simpler than human writing…ā
But still, this was impressive.
“I think I can read books now!”
Just then, the small bell in the room chimed, signaling that it was already noon.
It was time for our second one-hour study session, but the first one had flown by quickly.
“Weāre meeting twice a day? I want to keep playing with Swallow!”
Louis now seemed to think of study as play and looked at me with bright eyes.
“Shall we?”
There was no set schedule for our lessons, so continuing wasnāt an issue. And so, we started reading again.
But this time, Louis was different. Unlike before, when he was eagerly learning, now his eyes kept drifting toward the clock.
“I want to drink some water!”
Suddenly, Louis stood up and dashed toward the clock, covering it with his small head and turning the hands back.
When he was satisfied with his action, he returned to me.
But this behavior repeated every 30 minutes or so, and after four more hours, I closed the book and patted Louis’s head.
“Young master.”
“Yeah?”
“I think study time is over now.”
“No! Itās only been less than an hour!”
“Do you know how the clock works, Louis?”
“Yeah… so itās not time yet. Donāt go, Swallow.”
Louisās face looked dejected, like heād rather die than be alone.
I sighed and shook my head.
“Itās enough now. If we study too long, you might get bored. Youāve turned the clock four times already.”
“No…”
“So, the lesson is over.”
Louisās head drooped, and I patted his head again.
“And now itās playtime.”
“Huh?”
“Letās play together!”
“Will you… stay with me?”
