CH 79

The conversation between the two was absurd. Kir aside, Mr. Jeremy, who sympathized with him, was even more absurd.

While I wasn’t with Kir, I wasn’t even playing. Rather, I was steadily progressing in class with Mr. Hafterry. Of course, due to the difficulty of the class, the progress gap will gradually narrow, but it was not a gap that would narrow quickly.

I think it will take another year for him to get to my level, but I didn’t understand Mr. Jeremy’s sympathy with Kir. He’s not a stupid little kid that he could try to trick with something like that.

“It’s great that I’m improving so quickly. So, when will our progress gap disappear?”

Still, he couldn’t throw away his childish mask, so he stared at Mr. Jeremy with his bright eyes twinkling. Then Mr. Jeremy was shocked and couldn’t hide his agitation. Looking at that, it was clear that the two of them were planning it.

“Cough, cough. The classes are not conducted according to a set number, so how can I say exactly when? It will come when the time is right.”

Jeremy turned around awkwardly. Oh my God, the teacher was trying to make fun of an innocent child. As I was contemplating whether or not to argue further, Mr. Jeremy swung his eyes and gave me a hunt from Kir secretly. It was a signal that said, if you know everything, please take care of this teacher.

This person’s image now is very different from when I first saw him. I thought he was a bit more difficult. I sighed and did not ask any more questions as Mr. Jeremy intended.

So class is over, and just before going home. I could see why Mr. Jeremy gave me that signal.

“Come on in.”

I was taken aback by the fact that I was called to the Grand Duke’s office instead of the carriage going home. It was also a meeting with just the two of us.

“Hello?”

I don’t know why I was called, so I politely greeted him first and looked at the Grand Duke’s eyes. It’s been over a year since I’ve been in and out of the Grand Duke’s house, but I haven’t met the Grand Duke once since that day. So, it was the first time I met the Grand Duke again.

It was just awkward. I was not in a position to be proud of because I had done many things in the meantime, so I glanced at the Grand Duke’s eyes.

Why did the one who didn’t call me even when I shouted ‘Flame Hand!’ and slapped Kir, called me now? What have I been doing wrong lately? Because Kir is busy with studying these days, he has been quieter than ever. There was no time for him to throw a fit because Kir was so zealous in his studies.

The Grand Duke looked at me calmly. I held my breath even more as he had dark eyes that I could not read any emotions in.

“Long time no see.”

“Yes. Long time no see. How have you been?”

After my greetings, the Grand Duke fell into silence again. The gaze that looked at me from head to toe, looked like a weapon that would rip me to pieces. It wasn’t that he was staring at me harshly, but it seemed like he was digging through every detail.

Unlike Kir, who was young, his eyes were genuinely confident. In those eyes, there was a sense of incomprehensible weight that was difficult to explain, a kind of dignity that could push even a wrong decision to be right if he so wanted it. My toes twitched relentlessly at the tension.

“I heard you’re pretty clever.”

How should I react to this unexpected compliment from the Grand Duke?

“Mr. Jeremy took good care of me.”

“Others complimented you too. Their pride soars to the sky. They are not the ones who talks nothing.”

I deliberately acted humbled, but he cut it cleanly. So now what? Tell me! Why are you suddenly calling me and praising me? I’m nervous because I don’t know anything about the situation. Is this a situation where I should be scolded for being clever? Are you dissatisfied with me being smarter than your son?

No. Then, maybe he called me and wanted to point out when I proved my cleverness during the first day of class. It’s funny to bring that up now that time has passed. Of course, if he called me about that kind of topic, I couldn’t even say anything.

I don’t know what the hell a grown man is doing with an 8-year-old kid. If he has something to say, do it quickly. Don’t punish me like this. It seems that he doesn’t even think that their existence will be uncomfortable to others. It’s unfortunate that an 8-year-old’s life can be so hard.

That was the time when I gradually began to fall into a different thought. The duke’s heavy voice rang out.

“Do you want to quit?”

My head was pounding and the soft voice that came in caught my mind. Even if I didn’t say ‘what’, I knew what he was talking about. He was asking if I want to continue taking classes with Kir!

Facing the same, but deeper and more profound purple-colored mysterious eyes, the answer hovered only on the tip of my tongue.

Looking at it this way, the two are very similar. The last time I saw him, I didn’t have time to think about his appearance, because I risked everything I had to talk to him. That’s why the Grand Duke felt unfamiliar now. Thinking that the kid-like Kir would grow up like that in the future, the back of my neck was pounding.

That’s not what’s important. The Grand Duke was waiting for my answer. He was just waiting to see when I said I was going to quit class. The current situation is that the Grand Duke even eased the way for me to speak comfortably, but I don’t know why I couldn’t speak. Without realizing it, I couldn’t make a sound and only my lips twitched.