Chapter – 23
“Shensening went there and came back.”
“Oh, how did you know?”
Limerick’s face turned pale again. He kept brushing at his face with his hands.
“Marquis Shablin told me to keep it an absolute secret, but…”
“Just hearing the name Shensening is enough for people to know. How is that a secret?”
“Uh… you wouldn’t, by any chance, kill her, would you, Marquis?”
“Ersha Morunda. Just pretend you don’t know.”
“Thank you.”
Only then did Limerick let out a sigh of relief.
At that moment, I realized why a genius like Limerick had ended up as the private tutor for the daughter of a rogue. Leo must have caught him with some weakness.
I changed the subject and smiled brightly.
“Shensening is amazing. How did you get in there?”
“Well, one day, I suddenly received a certificate of acceptance. I hadn’t even applied myself. It was already fifteen years ago.”
“Incredible!”
“No, not at all. I was often told from a young age that I might be a prodigy.”
Then she really was a genius.
A genius recognized even by Shogenius!
It was now time to get to the main point, so I nervously fiddled with my fingers.
“Uh… Ersha can go too? Ersha might be, um, talented…”
“….”
Limerick blinked. I could tell he didn’t believe me.
“I-I mean, she’s young, but…”
“…To have such an impossible dream for her grandfather’s sake… I’ve never seen such a filial granddaughter.”
“….”
I felt a little strange hearing that, so I quickly spoke up.
“Ersha, let’s test it! Then we can see if I’m really talented or not.”
“A… test? Well then…”
Limerick seemed a bit curious. Then, with a slightly eager expression, he spoke.
“Then, can you answer this question?”
“What is it?”
“With less than 50,000 Levre, you want to buy 5,000-Levre rainbow candies and 1,000-Levre strawberry candies. If you buy twelve strawberry candies, how many rainbow candies can you buy?”
“Huh?”
Limerick smiled proudly, like he was giving a simple warm-up problem.
What a cruel person.
No matter how much I wanted to prove my genius, this was too much verbal abuse for a five-year-old.
“It’s simple, isn’t it? Since this is just a first test, a problem of this level should suffice.”
Of course, for a normal five-year-old, this would be harsh, but for me, it was easy.
I realized this was just a simple linear inequality problem.
To ask a five-year-old math usually learned in middle school… Limerick had a cruel streak after all.
“Perhaps it was too difficult. I didn’t mean to dazzle you with such a problem—”
After some mental calculation, I held up two fingers on my left hand and all five on my right and exclaimed:
“Seven!”
“!”
Limerick nearly fell out of his chair in shock.
“H-How did you know? I was told by the Marquis that you knew nothing!”
I narrowed my eyes in disapproval.
“Father, Ersha knows nothing at all.”
“I see. To think you could answer such a difficult problem without a tutor… truly astonishing.”
“Then… can Ersha go to Shogenius?”
I asked bluntly, and Limerick’s expression grew troubled.
“But would the Marquis allow it? He doesn’t seem to like you learning anything. And it’s not just any academy, but Shogenius…”
“We can do it secretly. Ersha must get the recommendation first.”
I clasped my hands together and gave him my most pleading, pitiful look. Limerick looked rather troubled.
“I… see. Well then…”
He wiped his cold sweat once again and spoke in a much smaller voice.
“In that case, I’ll ask a few more questions. If you really are a genius, it would be wrong to pretend you don’t know.”
“Okay!”
Limerick continued to test me with several more questions. All of them were easy for me.
He shook with astonishment.
“I… can’t believe it. To think you are this talented.”
“Hehe, then can Ersha go to Shogenius?”
“Well, I think I can help you secretly. There might be a way.”
“Really? What is it?”
“There’s a secret study group for families applying to Shogenius. It’s called Arte Castle. The information shared there is always the most up-to-date. You should join it first.”
“Such a thing exists?”
“Yes. Only a few people know about it… but I’m not sure they would accept you, as you know your father…”
“….”
“But I’ll try to arrange it for you.”
Arte Castle was a secret group for parents hoping to get their children into Shogenius. Its members were proud to the extreme, and the location of the meetings was never disclosed to outsiders.
Limerick managed to get an appointment through a connection.
The meeting place was a reception room in a nearby library.
I followed Limerick, neatly dressed. As a five-year-old, my quick steps made me bounce along like I might jump any moment.
“This way, Miss,” Limerick said.
“Okay.”
My heart raced. I felt like I was going to an interview. The chance of being rejected felt like 100%.
Finally, the door opened, revealing a classical, elegant reception room. Someone there looked at us.
A young noblewoman, refined, with lace-trimmed hat and elegant dress.
“Oh, hello. You must be Limerick Bray.”
“Eh? Th-That… yes.”
The noblewoman’s sudden words made Limerick flush red with embarrassment. I stared at both of them, wide-eyed.
‘Limerick quit his amazing job?’
“To leave such a prestigious post and become a private tutor for Shablin’s child… was she really that talented?”
She addressed me.
“So you must be Ersha Shablin.”
“Y-Yes. Hello!”
I smiled awkwardly.
Limerick had quit a prestigious position… I wondered what it had been. Probably not because of me, but it was nice that she seemed to think well of me.
“Hello? Hehe. I’ve heard about you. Even in harsh conditions, your desire to learn is strong. You also have a natural talent for mathematics.”
Actually, it wasn’t natural—I had studied my previous life’s heart out.
“I’m afraid I have to keep my name and identity secret. Even if you meet me elsewhere, please pretend you don’t know me.”
“Understood!”
“Thank you. Now, come, have a seat.”
“Okay.”
I followed Limerick closer to the noblewoman. I tried to sit on the antique chair, but it was too high, and my legs dangled. Limerick lifted me up and placed me on the chair.
Finally, I exhaled and relaxed, and the noblewoman laughed softly.
“So you’re a Shablin? The child of the Shablin Dukes?”
“Yes.”
“I see… If you are the Shablin Dukes’ child…”
She paused for a moment, looking slightly unsettled. Perhaps she was thinking of our rogue father?
She smiled kindly at me.
“But did you come alone with your tutor? Your mother isn’t here?”
“My mother is… elsewhere.”
“Oh my.”
“Ersha, mother only, father later!”
