Jacqueline opened her eyes wide, as if she had heard something unexpected. Windsor stared at her silently.
Jacqueline found herself captivated by his melancholic gray-blue eyes. Those deeply sunken eyes had a strange power to mesmerize the onlooker.
Snapping back to her senses, she focused her gaze.
“As I mentioned, it was part of the education. I thought it would be better to demonstrate firsthand in order to explain the techniques of the Fauvist movement that are popular these days. Since the curriculum doesn’t specify exact teaching methods, I understand Lord Preston may have been surprised. I apologize for that.”
“Why did you paint on the wallpaper instead of a canvas?”
There was an inexplicable pressure in his deliberate pause. The unraised intonation at the end of the question was still forceful. But Jacqueline did not lose her composure.
“Would a mere canvas be enough to contain the greatness of the future Marquis Preston? It should be at least a massive wall.”
Windsor said nothing. It didn’t seem like he was at a loss for words. Rather, he appeared to be carefully choosing his next words.
He was consistently calm and rational. The complete opposite of Jacqueline’s emotional and spontaneous nature.
You knew that from the first time you met him. You thought he wouldn’t be an easy employer.
“Did Lord Preston know that Benjamin likes ships?”
Jacqueline’s voice lowered slightly. Windsor cast a quiet gaze as if telling her to continue.
“He’s a boy of few words, but he can talk for an hour about the Black Fleet. No, not just warships. Trains, carriages… he likes anything that can be ridden.”
“How does that help Benjamin’s education?”
Her offensive failed to make any impact on Windsor. Instead, Jacqueline faltered. The atmosphere surrounding Windsor took on an even more resolute air.
At the same time, Jacqueline realized it was time to back down. One step back for two steps forward.
I may have lost the battle, but the war isn’t over yet.
She faced Windsor with an elegant expression.
“The afternoon lesson will be teaching Nortier. Learning a foreign language is a very tedious task. It’s also a subject many people give up midway because their skills don’t improve overnight. So I plan to discuss things Benjamin likes.”
“So you’re saying that your art lesson was planned with the afternoon foreign language class in mind? That it was an intentional action?”
“Of course, Lord Preston. Surely you don’t think I would do such a thing without any thought, just for my own amusement? As you know, all education is organically connected.”
Preston said nothing. This time he really seemed to be at a loss for words. He tapped his thigh lightly.
Indifferently, Jacqueline gave a sociable smile. It was the smile she always wore when wrapping up a conversation.
“I’d like to review the textbooks used by the previous tutor before the Nortier lesson. If you have nothing more to say, may I take my leave?”
Windsor stared at her intently.
The slightly lowered gaze was typical of a noble lady. But there was something outrageous hidden within.
She was completely different from the nobles Windsor had met so far. At least as far as he knew, there were no young ladies who painted on walls.
No, forget painting – it was a lady’s duty to refrain from even getting paint on her expensive dress. At least, that’s what he knew.
Was hiring Jacqueline Somerset as a tutor really the right decision?
Having reached this fundamental question in just one day, Windsor gazed at her with calm eyes. Jacqueline returned his gaze with smiling eyes.
“Or do you have something more to say?”
However, there was no immediate alternative. It was because he didn’t know how long it would take to find a new tutor.
His network of connections was exhausted, and no one was willing to introduce him to a tutor. There had been a two-month gap between dismissing the twelfth tutor and hiring Jacqueline.
The perceptive nobles didn’t want to get involved in his conflict with the royal family, and the less perceptive ones thought of him as a picky employer.
Now he was in a position where he had to post an advertisement at an employment agency instead of relying on noble introductions. Windsor wasn’t naive enough to think he could find a tutor there with both knowledge and refinement.
He wanted Benjamin to become an excellent future Marquis Preston. He didn’t want to see him mocked for being raised by an uncle of illegitimate birth.
A perfect successor.
To that end, he intended to do his best. After a long deliberation, Windsor finally nodded.
“Considering this is Miss Somerset’s first time as a tutor, I’ll overlook it this once. However, please be careful not to let such incidents happen again.”
Jacqueline smiled confidently, as if she had expected this. She had just gone through the same thought process as Windsor.
Windsor had no other options. Whether he liked it or not, he had to give Jacqueline another chance. At least until he could find a new tutor.
It was fortunate for Jacqueline.
“You may go now, Miss Somerset.”
“Yes, Lord Preston.”
“Ah.”
As Jacqueline rose from her seat, Windsor cast an indifferent glance at her, as if he had just remembered something. She slowly turned her eyes to him.
“I will also be observing the afternoon lesson.”
“Yes, Lord Preston.”
That much is fine.
Jacqueline smiled nonchalantly and curtsied slightly.
“And.”
As if that wasn’t the end, Windsor opened his mouth again. Jacqueline, who was turning away, looked back at him.
“Earl Greenwood came to see me today.”
“Uncle Walter?”
Her eyes, which had been downcast until just now, suddenly widened. Then, a beat later, she realized her mistake.
Jacqueline returned to the face of an elegant lady and asked in a refined manner.
“You mean Lord Greenwood?”
Windsor, who had been staring at her silently, nodded. She was clearly a young lady from a noble family, calling Earl Greenwood ‘uncle’ so familiarly.
“He asked me to take good care of Miss Somerset.”
“Ah.”
Jacqueline quietly pulled up the corners of her mouth. Her eyes, which had been haughty until just now, curved gently. That alone was enough to instantly change the atmosphere surrounding her.
I suppose he was worried about me.
“I see.”
After muttering half to herself, she raised her head again. Windsor’s indifferent voice brushed past her ear.
“He praised you endlessly – how excellently you graduated from Bristol Girls’ Boarding School, what evaluations you received from your teachers, how witty a lady you are. He boasted that although you lack experience, you would surely become a good tutor. I hope you don’t betray his expectations.”
“Of course not, Lord Preston.”
Jacqueline, who had now returned to the image of a noble lady, gracefully bowed her head and left the room.
The door closed behind her. Her dignified steps from earlier gradually quickened.
“Nortier is my specialty.”
The late spring sunlight coming through the window illuminated her smile.
It was quite reassuring to know that there was someone worrying about her behind the scenes. At this moment, Jacqueline was overflowing with confidence, feeling like she could accomplish anything.
[This is the timeline separator]“Alright. I’m off, Colin. Wish me luck.”
With a solemn expression like a knight going into battle, Jacqueline bid farewell to her teddy bear and strode out of the room.
Taking a deep breath in front of the study room, she put on a deliberate smile and opened the door.
“Hello, Benjamin. Let’s start our Nortier lesson now.”
Benjamin, who had been covered in colorful paint earlier, was now back to his neat appearance. The only difference was that his fluffy hair, like cotton candy, was a bit more settled.
The boy, sitting up straight, glanced at Windsor sitting on the sofa behind him. His chubby cheeks showed signs of tension.
However, Windsor’s gaze was fixed not on the child, but on Jacqueline. She remained composed under his persistent stare, looking for any fault.
Jacqueline began in a kind but strict voice.
“Benjamin.”
“…Yes, Miss Somerset.”
Benjamin, who had been glancing at Windsor, looked at her with serious eyes. Jacqueline continued, ostentatiously turning the pages of the book.
“First, I need to know your current level of Nortier. Can you describe the ship on the wall here in Nortier?”
I wonder if he’s convinced now that the painting wasn’t completely useless?
The child’s uncertain gaze flickered towards Windsor again. Benjamin always became excessively nervous in front of his uncle.
The child didn’t want to disappoint his uncle and wanted to show a perfect image that lived up to his expectations. However, life doesn’t always go as planned.
As Benjamin’s eyes took on a gloomy light, Jacqueline added kindly.
“It’s okay if you’re not fluent. Nobody is good from the start. Just do as much as you can. That’s where we’ll begin.”
“Yes, Miss Somerset.”
Gulp.
Benjamin swallowed dryly and spoke in a voice as small as an ant crawling.
―This is our kingdom’s Black Fleet. It’s called the Guardian of the Sea. There are over a hundred sailors on the ship, and there’s a ‘daeppo’ at the front for attacking.
―Good, Benjamin. That’s excellent.
Jacqueline praised the child in Nortier. Benjamin, glancing at Windsor again, blushed shyly.
―Thank you, Miss Somerset.
―But it’s not ‘daeppo’, it’s ‘daepo’. Can you try pronouncing it again?
―Dae…po?
Benjamin quietly mimicked her pronunciation.
“Good. Your Nortier level is better than I expected. It seems you’re not a complete beginner.”
Jacqueline spoke loudly enough for Windsor to hear, then asked another question in Nortier.
―So where is that ship heading?
―It’s going to the big sea. It fights pirates there. When pirates attack the kingdom’s merchant ships, uh, um, it appears. And so… soddang the pirates.
―Not ‘soddang’, but ‘sotang’.
―Yes, sotang.
―Good. You’re doing well. Can you tell me a bit more?
―Um…, the warship also goes to, to the un… unknown…
Benjamin’s words faltered for a moment as he glanced at Windsor. Just as the child’s eyes were about to take on a gloomy light, Jacqueline gently intervened.
―New continent?
―That’s right! It’s setting off to find the new continent.
Benjamin quickly answered, as if that was exactly what he meant.
―That’s wonderful. What’s in the new continent?
The lesson proceeded surprisingly smoothly. There was nothing for Windsor to find fault with.
Jacqueline’s Nortier was fluent, and she continued her explanations kindly, matching Benjamin’s level. Moreover, the child participated more actively than usual.
Considering it was the first lesson, they were a perfect teacher and student. Even if he fired her, it would not be easy to find a better tutor than this. At least not in a short time.
At that moment, Jacqueline looked at the clock on the wall and said, closing the book,
“Well, shall we end today’s lesson here?”
She, who had not given Windsor a single glance until now, finally turned to him. Her eyes, asking “How was it?”, were quite confident.
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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