Chapter – 03
The man before her was clearly Duke Logan Clavern, the one who had hired Eleanor. Having assessed the situation, Eleanor hurriedly greeted Logan. Yet in the blue of Logan’s eyes, tinged by the crimson light of the lamp, there was a curious look directed at someone he didn’t recognize.
“I am Eleanor Hudson, hired as Olivia’s tutor.”
“Ah, Miss Hudson. An unexpected meeting… but a pleasure. I am Logan Clavern.”
Logan didn’t seem to mind the state his younger sister was in. He tidied her hair, pressed a short kiss to her temple, and soothed her gently.
“It’s alright now, Olivia. Don’t cry.”
“Lo-Logan…”
Olivia, still small, wrapped her short arms around Logan’s neck and whimpered softly.
“She wasn’t feeling well, so I took her out for a walk. I heard a noise in the garden and came to find her there.”
Eleanor quickly added an explanation, worried that he might think she had harmed Olivia.
“Olivia sometimes sneaks out without the servants noticing. Please don’t worry; there’s no misunderstanding.”
Logan shook his head and brushed Olivia’s messy hair behind her ear. Her thin, sweat-damp strands resisted the large, skilled hands that tried to smooth them, but it was the best he could do.
“Has your mother returned from her outing?”
“Yes, she hasn’t come back yet.”
The butler, George, who had noticed his master’s arrival, hurried over to answer. Eleanor quickly realized the situation didn’t match what she had expected.
“You left Olivia alone in her room?”
“…Yes.”
George’s cautious response made Logan frown in displeasure.
“So you’ve never seen Miss Hudson before, then.”
“She said she would meet her after returning.”
“Of course.”
Logan muttered a small, sharp sigh. Olivia, who had been crying so bitterly, now seemed comforted in her brother’s arms and was beginning to close her eyes.
“Tell the maids to prepare a bath for Olivia.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
George bowed and left, complying with Logan’s instructions. Eleanor observed the sequence of events quietly, then began to turn to leave.
“Miss Hudson.”
“Yes?”
Logan’s low voice called her name. Eleanor, startled, widened her eyes and turned toward him.
“I apologize for not being able to converse properly until now.”
“Not at all, Your Grace. I am not someone who deserves such courtesy.”
Eleanor offered a polite smile in response.
“A tutor for Olivia deserves respect.”
Yet Logan’s tone was firm, forbidding her from belittling herself in front of him. He clearly cared a great deal for his younger sister, despite the age gap between them.
“Please, get in the carriage. It’s better we talk after leaving Olivia with the maids.”
Eleanor wanted to avoid being confined alone with her employer, but she had no reason to refuse Logan’s instructions. She carefully followed him into the carriage. Glancing at her skirts, she noticed Logan still comforting Olivia, whose face was buried in his neck as she fell asleep.
Considering that Logan was a disciplined man, accustomed to hierarchy, with a sharp, imposing appearance, the tender act of soothing a child seemed surprisingly at odds with him. The faint, sharp scent he exuded contrasted with the softness of his actions. Yet he seemed familiar with comforting children.
“Have the maids bathe Olivia and put her to bed. Watch over her until she sleeps—she may try to run off again.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“And please prepare tea for Miss Hudson and me.”
Entering the manor, Logan removed his jacket and draped it over his arm as he spoke. Even though “request” might have been a more natural word for him than “order,” he used it seamlessly.
“This way, Miss Hudson.”
Logan opened the door to the drawing room and gestured. Eleanor hurried after him.
“Apologies for keeping you waiting.”
It was his second apology. Eleanor had expected him to suppress others with authority and power, yet this was quite different. Logan indicated a seat for her. Sitting first, he loosened his tie and rolled up his shirt sleeves twice, revealing firm forearms and prominent veins.
He was a man Eleanor had never met before, radiating a strange tension.
“I am truly fine, Your Grace.”
Eleanor swallowed nervously. The seat felt like a bed of thorns. Just then, a maid arrived with the teapot and cups.
“Thank you.”
Eleanor expressed her gratitude and gently picked up her cup with feather-like movements. Logan’s gaze followed her every motion, heavy with significance.
“You must have been taken aback meeting Olivia unexpectedly.”
Logan began the conversation calmly. Considering Olivia had supposedly gone out with Cindy, her sudden appearance was indeed startling, and Eleanor did not deny being flustered.
“I do not know whether you were informed beforehand, but even if not, you would soon find out. Olivia is somewhat different from ordinary people.”
Eleanor blinked. She knew very little about Olivia beyond her age, gender, and frail health. The job had come through her longtime friend Lily from the Bilwood family.
“Her mother is deeply ashamed of this.”
In Redden, disabilities existed but were treated as if erased from society. Among noble families proud of their bloodlines, this was even more so. Some parents secretly starved or abused their children without the public knowing.
“It seems that when she reaches marriageable age, her mother intends to marry her off to anyone.”
Logan sighed softly.
“I do not want a tutor who will merely teach how to express debts or etiquette in society.”
Cindy Clavern was Logan’s stepmother. The previous Duke Clavern had died in an accident. Olivia was Logan’s sister, yet a half-sister to Cindy, a child of partial blood.
“Olivia may seem dull at times, but she focuses intensely on what interests her.”
Logan, busy as he was, clearly paid great attention to her.
“I left the hiring of a tutor to her mother, so I do not know much about Miss Hudson. But I hope you will not dismiss Olivia, and instead understand her interests and guide her appropriately.”
Logan clearly cared for Olivia like a true sibling.
“If you feel unable to teach Olivia, you may leave now. We will not blame you for being unaware of her condition. I promise no harm will come to you.”
This was a test. By informing Eleanor of Olivia’s condition, Logan observed her response, ready to dismiss anyone who did not meet his standards. Though Cindy had hired her, the true master of the Clavern manor was Logan.
“Keep in mind, however, that the ears of the Clavern family are everywhere.”
Leaning his elbows on the chair arms, Logan smiled faintly. The goosebumps that rose on Eleanor’s skin were from the contrast: his mouth traced a gentle curve, yet his eyes remained cold. Logan did not need to speak further for Eleanor to understand his intent.
“I will not hear malicious rumors about Olivia spreading beyond these walls.”
Even though Eleanor had no intention of spreading such stories, her heart thudded from the threat implied in his words.
“I do not believe there is anything wrong with Olivia.”
She could not appear intimidated. Straightening her back, Eleanor spoke with measured resolve. She had her reasons for working at the Clavern manor, and Olivia’s disability did not prevent her from teaching. If Olivia truly had a condition, Eleanor would be even more determined to teach her—she reminded her of a long-lost younger sibling.
“I do not see Olivia as different from anyone else. Even if you dismiss me as her tutor, I will not speak ill of her.”
Logan tilted his head slightly, gauging her sincerity. Eleanor felt like a rabbit before a stalking lion, waiting for him to speak.
“Though your mother may not have intended it, you seem to be the right tutor for Olivia. Please take good care of her.”
Relief surged through Eleanor. She swallowed the breath she had been holding.
“Since you entrust her to me, I will do my utmost.”
Eleanor spoke calmly, expressing her determination.
“You may leave now.”
Logan nodded once and allowed her to go. Eleanor bowed toward Logan, her true employer, and quietly withdrew.
“Ha…”
As soon as she closed the door, a sigh of relief escaped her lips, though her heart still raced.
Logan was a gentleman. He did not act rudely or aggressively toward women. Yet Eleanor understood that since he did not yet trust her, she needed to show herself worthy through appropriate actions.
Unlike Charles, who smashed things and cursed drunkenly, Logan knew how to warn elegantly. That made him all the more terrifying. Eleanor glanced once around the drawing room before fleeing upstairs.
