Chapter: 13
“How about becoming a private tutor?”
“A private tutor?”
Emilia’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected suggestion.
“The child you saved that day wants to learn the Imperial language. The more I thought about it, the more I realized you’re the perfect person for the job. Of course, room and board will also be provided if you accept.”
Emilia rolled her eyes thoughtfully.
What a coincidence.
In fact, the moment she received her pitiful weekly wages, she had bought a Hebrew textbook.
Even though this was the capital, there weren’t many books on the subject, so she had gone from bookstore to bookstore before finally finding one.
Of course, studying Hebrew wouldn’t help her current situation in the slightest.
Even so, she couldn’t stop thinking about Ivan, who had hugged her while thanking her that day. So whenever she came home exhausted from work, she would still open the book from time to time.
Glancing sideways at Kaiden, Emilia thought,
He obviously doesn’t know this, but…
I’m actually pretty confident when it comes to teaching people.
After all, it was what she had spent the past several years doing.
Besides, having both food and lodging provided sounded too good to pass up.
“Then I’ll do it.”
After some thought, Emilia nodded.
“Excellent. Then starting tomorrow, come to my estate—”
“Wait! Ivan is staying at your estate, Your Grace?”
Emilia abruptly lifted her head.
Confused by her sudden reaction, Kaiden replied,
“Is there some reason the child shouldn’t be at my estate?”
“…No, it’s not that.”
Emilia trailed off.
Working as a tutor at his estate.
That means I’ll end up getting involved with the male lead.
For a moment, she considered refusing.
She had no desire to become deeply entangled with Kaiden—or any of the major characters from the novel.
But whether he realized what she was thinking or not, Kaiden pressed on.
“If there are no particular objections, let’s draft the contract immediately.”
His plan was to bring her into his household as an employee and later reward her under the pretense of severance pay.
That was far better than simply writing her a servant’s recommendation letter and sending her away.
“Come straight to the estate. I’ll have a carriage sent to your home.”
Otherwise, who knew where she might disappear to again?
“Ah, no. Um…”
But once again, the woman’s expression turned strange.
“I think I can just come there myself…”
“And why is that this time?”
Kaiden asked in a slightly stiff voice.
He couldn’t help wondering if she was planning to disappear somewhere again.
Emilia glanced up at him.
It’ll cause a huge commotion.
If a noble’s carriage showed up where she was staying, it would definitely attract attention.
Though slightly embarrassed, she decided she had no choice but to explain the real reason.
“The truth is… I don’t have a home.”
“…Wait. Explain that in detail.”
“Well…”
In the end, Emilia told him everything that had happened.
Kaiden let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
“So you’re saying you’ve been sleeping on the streets this entire time?”
He summarized her situation with brutal simplicity.
“…You didn’t have to put it so bluntly.”
Emilia protested timidly.
She had deliberately tried to phrase it gently, yet he had gone straight for the painful truth.
“Could you please show a little consideration for the victim’s feelings? It’s not like I’m literally sleeping out on the road.”
She thought of the tent she was temporarily staying in.
“A home is just a place with a roof to keep the rain off and somewhere to lie down, isn’t it?”
Granted, the conditions were terrible, but for now, she was grateful just to have that much.
Listening to her ridiculous reasoning, Kaiden clicked his tongue inwardly.
What a reckless way of thinking.
Then again, she was a reckless woman.
Otherwise, she never would have thrown herself into danger to save someone whose face she had never even seen.
“If that happened, you should have immediately…”
Come to him.
The words nearly left his mouth, but Kaiden stopped himself.
She probably hadn’t considered coming to him even for a second.
“…Never mind.”
In the end, he simply shook his head with an uncomfortable expression.
Since Kaiden had abruptly cut himself off, Emilia tilted her head in confusion.
His expression looked unusually complicated, but she decided not to ask any further.
“Were you injured anywhere?”
“Huh?”
“Did you get hurt?”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Emilia answered,
“No. Fortunately, I happened to be out when it happened.”
Kaiden studied her face.
She was obviously exhausted.
And yet she’s calling herself fortunate.
“The capital is far less safe than you think. Kidnappings happen frequently.”
“Kidnappings?”
Emilia’s eyes grew wide.
“Yes. Every year, hundreds of people disappear in the capital alone.”
“Ah…”
Her expression darkened, as though she had never known that.
“I have no desire to file a missing person’s report as the first step in hiring a tutor, so we’re going straight to the estate.”
Seeing the opportunity, Kaiden drove the point home as he stood up.
“Come with me.”
“W-Wait!”
Snapping out of her daze, Emilia hurried after him.
The place they arrived at was a side street not far from the plaza.
A single carriage was parked there by itself.
Just then, the carriage door flew open.
“Your Grace! Where in the world did you run off to so sudden— Huh?”
The person inside was Herald, the aide who had been abandoned without any explanation.
He had been about to complain to his superior for suddenly jumping out of the moving carriage and disappearing.
Then his eyes widened.
A woman was peeking out from behind Kaiden.
“W-Wait… You’re the woman from before…!”
“Hello. Nice to see you again.”
Emilia greeted him with an awkward smile.
“Move.”
Kaiden gave a curt order and bent down Herald’s accusingly pointed finger.
“Ow! That hurts!”
Herald grabbed his finger and shot him a resentful look.
Ignoring him completely, Kaiden shoved Herald aside and took the seat next to him.
“Please, get in.”
Emilia started to enter the carriage at Kaiden’s gesture, but hesitated.
The two men were squeezed together on a single seat.
Herald was fairly slender, but still…
Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to sit with Herald instead of making two grown men squeeze together like that?
Still, Emilia merely shrugged.
Well, if they don’t mind, I guess it’s fine.
As soon as Kaiden personally closed the carriage door, it immediately set off.
Hmm…
Even so, the sight of two grown men sitting shoulder to shoulder felt oddly awkward.
“I heard back then that you were heading to the capital, but I never imagined we’d meet again like this.”
“I know, right?”
Emilia smiled as she answered Herald’s amazed remark.
The two of them chatted back and forth for a while when a low voice suddenly interrupted.
“So, where is it?”
“Huh?”
Emilia turned to look at Kaiden.
“The place where you’ve been… staying. I mean, where you’ve been living instead of sleeping on the streets.”
“Oh! Well, there’s an empty lot behind the plaza…”
It sounded like he had just softened his wording at the last second, but she decided to let it slide.
