Chapter : 45 – You Think I Have No Preferences?
‘That guy is really…’
Lucien bit the inside of her cheek, unable to curse aloud.
“I understand perfectly well what someone like you thinks when coming here.”
‘Don’t get seriously angry at a kid.’
Still, as if determined to provoke her, Klein didn’t stop his taunting.
“You weren’t prepared enough. You should have at least dyed your hair before coming. Wouldn’t it have been better to cater to His Excellency’s tastes rather than trying to do me a favor?”
Klein’s irritation grew even more at Lucien’s unflinching demeanor, which didn’t even twitch an eyelid at the insulting words.
‘By now, I should be crying or shouting and storming out.’
And indeed, Lucien was on the verge of standing up and leaving.
‘Is there a rule that says I can’t get seriously angry at a kid?’
Her gaze, which had broken her own resolve within thirty seconds, turned icy.
The only reason Lucien could maintain her composure was Estelle’s earnest plea before coming to the Münster Duke’s residence.
‘There’s a good reason! The Duke of Münster won’t protect me, so the only person who can report anything to the Academy is the teacher.’
Estelle muttered something under her breath.
‘I raised him carefully to prevent him from going astray. If he gets expelled, everything will be for nothing.’
Moreover, it was partly because Klein Münster, despite spewing sharp words, had a face that looked even more cornered than her own.
“Klein, that’s enough. What you just said is rude not only to me but also to the Duke of Münster, who is your guardian.”
Klein bit his lip at her calm, clear voice, which showed no anger or hurt. Above her neat face, he recalled the tutor who had tormented him relentlessly.
‘No wonder the Duchess left. If it weren’t for the prince, a real heir would have been born between them.’
‘The prince is just holding back the Duke, even now.’
Klein had occasionally seen in that pink-haired tutor the mother who had stayed only about two years.
Did his “mother” think the same? Did she leave for the same reason?
Thinking that way made him less eager to avoid harsh words, the whip, or even blows driven by anger. If he were punished in such a way, it felt like the person who left might return.
‘That will never happen.’
He realized this the day Estelle helped reveal the tutor’s abuse and watched her dragged away in misery.
‘You’ll do the same. Flatter me, pretend it’s for my sake, and then aim for the position of the Duke’s wife.’
And then disappear.
In some way, inevitably.
“Hah, have you tried some trick on His Excellency already? You seem very confident. But what can you do? Even if you dye your hair, there’s no changing your eye color—”
“Hey.”
The cold voice sliced through the air.
Klein momentarily wondered if he had misheard.
But that frosty, cutting voice belonged to the teacher right in front of him, the one he had thought was meek.
“Stop it. This is pointless venting you can’t even control. Do you think I came here to listen to this?”
Snap.
The pen tip broke.
And so did her patience.
Naturally, Klein never expected the usually indifferent and gentle Lucien to react this way.
The boy’s aggressive momentum faltered, and Lucien didn’t miss the opportunity.
“Whether you trust me or not, whether you like me or not, I don’t care. I don’t even want to know why. I came here to do my job, and I don’t need your approval or your guardian’s favor for that.”
“……”
Lucien was incredulous. Why on earth would she even think about winning Klein Münster’s favor now? He was a student who openly showed his dislike for her.
And the Duke of Münster?
‘I just want to stay out of it, you idiot!’
“Job, you say? What do you mean—”
“Who you met, what your purpose was, it doesn’t concern me. Why should I cater to your guardian’s tastes? Do you think I have preferences?”
Lucien couldn’t bring herself to say any more nonsense and swallowed her words.
She was already well aware of the Münster family’s situation. That’s why she had tolerated Klein’s aggressive behavior since their first meeting. He must have been hurt a lot too.
‘Does that mean it’s okay to speak so insultingly to someone else?’
Thinking about it made her fists clench in anger.
“Preferences, you say?”
Klein asked blankly. He wasn’t demanding an answer, just as bewildered as anyone would be.
“You mean you didn’t come here to make a good impression on His Excellency?”
“Say that one more time, and you might get punished again for insulting your teacher.”
Lucien clenched her teeth and delivered her final warning.
With her words and behavior so far, any other student would have already earned demerit points.
‘The Duke of Münster should focus on the kid instead of chasing pink-haired women!’
No matter how important Klein thought his guardian was, to Lucien, his impression had already hit rock bottom—and then some.
Come to think of it, the increase in people sending children to the Academy instead of hiring tutors was probably also because of him!
So, in a way, his guardian bore some responsibility for Lucien having to go through this ordeal.
Having naturally shifted Klein’s fault to his guardian, exaggerating and rationalizing in her mind, Lucien crossed her arms.
“I’ll say it again: I came here only to do my job. The only message I have for your guardian is that you must attend Noxdua. I have no other interest and never will, so don’t get the wrong idea.”
Every word was firm. Klein shut his mouth instead of arguing.
Lucien’s reaction was a vehement refusal, far beyond what he expected.
It was strange. Until now, everyone who had reached out to him first did so because of their uncle. Except Estelle.
‘She didn’t have to be this guarded.’
‘Probably, that teacher doesn’t care about your situation or your family as much as you think.’
Klein recalled what Estelle had said. If that were true…
‘She came only for my work, to see me, to hear my story?’
As if reading his thoughts, Lucien, now composed and her true self, handed over the notebook she had been reading earlier.
“See? These are statements from the victims saying, ‘We were just talking among the three of us, and Münster attacked.’”
Her tone had returned to normal.
For reference, Lucien’s least favorite word since taking charge of the basic department had been ‘just’.
It was the most irresponsible, cowardly excuse that made others look foolish.
“Do you think teachers are idiots? That they’d settle matters with just these statements?”
Anyone could see the three had colluded, but Klein had given no statements, leaving the situation unclear.
“I want to accurately determine the facts and ensure everyone receives appropriate punishment. There’s no favoritism. Whatever the reason, what Klein did was assault, and Noxdua’s laws apply to everyone, prince or not.”
Lucien had already dealt with students involved in attempted murder, so this was nothing new.
By now, she roughly guessed why Klein hadn’t given a statement.
‘It must relate to either his own or someone else’s reputation.’
Judging by Klein’s attitude, the latter seemed more likely.
“If you don’t want to speak, you don’t have to. But in that case, Klein, you’ll be expelled.”
“……”
“If you speak, there might be mitigation depending on the circumstances. But whatever you tried to cover up will come out. Either way, you’ll regret it, so choose the lesser evil if you can.”
