BXBX NOVEL Chapter 20
Disbelief spread across Teramore’s face.
I whispered to him, “What a fool.”
“……”
“Just wait, old man. The dyuke will soon fwaind out abwout this.” (Just wait, old man. The duke will soon find out about this.)
I walked past Teramore with a smile. I reached for Henry’s hand and left the room.
“Are you crazy? Aren’t you scared?”
I stared at Henry with a stiff face. Perhaps he was surprised to see me interfering with Teramore’s endeavor, but it seemed to be a good thing. The wall between me and him has disappeared a bit.
“You’re going to be in trouble. Teramore is a mean guy.”
“Not scawed.” (Not scared)
“……”
“Bad people hitting Henly. I’m not scawed at all.”
(Bad people hitting Henry. I’m not scared at all.)
Henry’s eyes went wide, as I spoke with a determination. I really am not afraid of Teramore. I have met countless terrible people before and Teramore is just another one of them. He is just a sick pervert who feels pleasure from abusing children.
I am more worried about Henry. The cheeks that Teramore hit are now swollen red and even his crisp collar is wrinkled.
“Let’s go to the dyuke. Henly’s huwt.” (Let’s go to the duke. Henry’s hurt.)
“…That’s enough.”
“Henly….” (Henry….)
“That’s enough!”
Henry shouts, stubbornness paints his eyes.
“Don’t tell anybody about today.”
Henry then walks away.
‘It’s not that I don’t understand that child’s mind. Abused children usually spend their entire lives avoiding others or growing up aggressively. As such, trauma was developed. Even I, who’ve been reborned three times can’t completely trust people because of my past lives.’
I sigh as I watch Henry’s back disappear.
***
Teramore walked back and forth throughout the hall while grinding his teeth in anger.
‘That crazy girl….!’
“What is it? You’we touched with wove, motherfwucker.” (What is it? You’re touched with love, motherfucker.)
Whenever Teramore remembered the child’s expression, he would feel his anger rising once more.
‘She’s not a child of fate, she’s a demon! That little demon must have been sent down by the church to spy on Dubbled. Did she think I’m going to be scared by her little act?!’
Teramore hurried his steps towards the duke’s office and knocked on the door.
“This is Teramore, sir. “
Soon he heard the duke’s reply, approving his entrance. Teramore entered the room with a face full of excitement, he couldn’t wait to report Leblaine’s action to Dubbled.
He spoke in hurry, “Your Grace, the child of fate–”
“It’s the old man!”
“…….!”
Leblaine, who was sitting on the duke’s lap, grinned. Teramore was startled and ran over to the child.
‘That little girl’s already…..!’
Leblaine wasn’t the only one. She was joined by Viscount Myshank, Nos, the lieutenant and some of the senators. They were looking at Teramore with an odd expression on their faces.
‘Has she told the duke about how I treated Henry?!’
Viscount Myshank frowned and said, “How could you do such a thing to the duke’s children?”
Teramore came up with a quick excuse, “Your Excellency, please listen to me! Why would I do that? It’s all a lie.”
He then showed his injured hand hastily to the duke.
“The baby is not just a child. She poked the back of my hand with a pen. Isn’t that suspicious?! She is too smart in the first place. She offered you the story of the church and the imperial fami—“
“What the hell are you talking about?” Viscount Myshank cut off Teramore’s claims.
“I mean it’s dubious!”
Viscount Myshank looked at Teramore weirdly, “We were talking about how you intimidated and frightened the duke’s daughter just because of a slight mistake that she made.”
“What?”
“You were too harsh on the child! She even bursted into tears as soon as she saw me!”
“It’s, uh…..”
“And you said that kind of thing? What else did you do?”
Teramore was taken aback. He looked around the room with trembling eyes, when his eyes met with Leblaine’s. Leblaine’s mouth rose into a small smirk.
Her look saying, ‘Did you think the viscount was talking about Henry?’
That little girl also brought in Myshank, who was an enemy to him, and made it impossible for him to think of another excuse for abusing Henry.
As Teramore’s face turned pale, Myshank interrogated him, “Let me ask you again, what have you done?”
“It, it’s a slip of the tongue.”
But there was no one in the room who believed in him.
Myshank said to the duke, “It’s suspicious, duke. It’s questionable to act like that over a small deal. Won’t this kind of conduct influence the childrens’ characters poorly?”
Even Nos and the senators voiced their concerns.
“We need confirmation.”
“Unless his innocence is proved, we cannot leave the children’s education to such a man.”
The duke’s sharp gaze penetrated Teramore.
Teramore shouted, “Wait, sir!”, but Duke Dubleed didn’t heed his plea. He shortly ordered his people to investigate Teramore.
***
After the talk, Myshank and the vassals left the room.
I jump off the duke’s lap and follow Myshank. My face is full of excitement.
“Sir Myshwank.” (Sir Myshank)
He looks back at me
“Yes, child. What is it?”
I tug Myshank’s shirt with an innocent look.
“Is the old man a bad guy?”
“Teramore?”
He continues with a grin.
“Yes, he is. A really, really bad guy.”
“If the tweacher is bad, what if Henly and Ishac grew up to be bad people?” (If the teacher is bad, what if Henly and Ishac grew up to be bad people.)
“Don’t worry. I’m going to help them out.”
“Tomorrow I’m going to request the other nobles to come to the castle and plead to the chairman to withhold the children’s class until the case is cleared.”
I act innocently and say, “Wow!” as i jump up and down.
‘Unexpectedly, you took my side.’
It’s a good thing for me though, so I give him a big smile.
After Myshank himself leaves with a big smile, Teramore comes out of the duke’s office.
‘You must’ve had a hard time talking to him.’
Teramore, who sees me, grits his teeth.
“You…..!”
Looking around quickly, he pulls my arm and heads to the corner of the room.
“This little bitch! Do you think I’m going to take this lying down?”
“What are you gwoing to do?” (What are you going to do?)
“You must be a demon sent by the church…..!”
“Gwanpa, are you stupid?” Grandpa, are you stupid?
“What?”
“You’we the one who admitted the misdeed.” (You’re the one who admitted the misdeed.)
“You bitch….”
“How did you know? My nwickname was bitch!” (How did you know? My nickname was bitch.)
I look straight at Teramore’s eye straight and speak with a low tone.
“If ywo evew touch them agwain, I’we bite you.” (If you ever touch them again, I’ll bite you.)
“…!”
I continue to talk with a big smile.
“So let go of me. Now.”
I’ve been a beggar in my past life. Teramore’s threats don’t perturb me even a bit.
The strength on Teramore’s grip slowly loosen.
I wave his hand off me easily as I turn around and walk away.
***
Two days later, Myshank came to the castle with other nobles and appealed for the suspension of Teramore.
Teramore became the teacher of Henry and Isaac due to the vote from the senates, but right now half of the senate voices are on Myshank’s side. Given how things are progressing, now the senior position will very likely be given to Myshank, since Teramore’s standing has become unstable due to the recent event.
“Chai, chairman…..”
I hum down the hallways to the music of Teramore’s voice begging the chairman for leniency.
I am thinking of checking on Henry’s condition.
The life of a noble is quite pitiful. Instead of worrying about food they worried about studying. Even with the suspended classes, the two sit side by side in the study and work on their homework.
I peep out my face in front of the study door to look for their shadows.
‘Huh? No one….’
“Hey, you!”
“Aahh!”, I jump up from shock, surprised by the voice that comes from behind my shoulder.
I hold my chest tight with both hands as I try to calm down my beating heart. I turn around and find Isaac and Henry standing behind me.
“Why, why hewe?” (Why, why here?)
When I ask, Isaac lifts the book to his side and shrugs.
“There’s a book here that’s not available in the library. Why are you here?”, he replies.
Isaac scrunches his nose, picking up on my nervous gesture, “Are you running away?”
Only
“No, no!”
“So?”
“Just sightsweeing.” (Just sightseeing.)
I flap my hands around the room and make an excuse, Isaac wriggles his eyebrows.
I glance at Henry’s figure.
‘Will you be pissed off if I said I came to check up on you?’
I was wondering what to do when Isaac says, “No way, you….you must have heard somewhere that today’s snack is a cake.”
What?