C 59
My breath involuntarily stopped as I saw Hill Rosemont asking with an innocent expression.
"He breathes fast, and his heart beats strongly."
It was a clear tone that seemed playful, but I couldn't understand why it sent shivers down my spine.
More importantly...
"How does he know that?"
It's not like he had laid a finger on me, and he wasn't even that close.
Turning my head slightly to look at myself in the mirror, my expression was clearly a bit stiff but not scared.
"It's because the professor is cute..."
His eyes widened at my words.
"Am I cute?"
"Yes..."
He really was cute.
Whether it was the dense features, the soft, curly hair like a poodle, or the kind-looking eyes behind round glasses.
"In the novel, if he takes off his glasses and fixes his bangs, the atmosphere changes dramatically..."
I was curious because the atmosphere was completely reversed, but I didn't want to check it for myself.
"T-thank you for the compliment. My lady is very cute too. And that tail too."
"Ah..."
Come to think of it, my tail was out now.
Hill Rosemont's eyes widened as I gently lowered the tail to hide it.
"Why are you hiding it? It's cute?"
"Is it cute...?"
This tail?
It doesn't look particularly cute.
"Yes, it's a very unusual color. I love reptiles, but I've never seen a color like this before," Hill Rosemont said.
Reptiles, I chuckled at the way he treated any animal.
"Today, let's just talk about the curriculum and have some time to get to know each other, is that okay...?"
"Yes."
He seemed relieved by my response and sat on the other side of the sofa.
It was hard to believe he was a maniac when I looked at the smile on his face.
"They would have fooled me a lot if I didn't have any prior information."
It was good to know who he was.
"But why did he come to me instead of the female protagonist?"
I thought he would be more interested in the heroine, who has the ability to calm madness, than in me.
"M-my lady..."
"Yes?"
"If you don't mind, can I touch your tail?"
What are you going to do with my tail?
However, there was no particular reason to refuse. When I looked at him, he lifted his glasses and held them with both hands.
"I'm very, very curious... I've never met a Suin lizard before..."
Although I didn't want to.
I felt sorry for his dark eyes, but I didn't want him to act weird with my tail.
"I didn't want to suddenly turn into a lizard."
There was no guarantee that the Bright Moon hadn't entangled itself in Mayla's trick.
"I don't want to."
"Ah..."
"I don't want to. Do you understand? A teacher shouldn't casually touch a student's body. Dad told me not to do anything I don't want to."
When I firmly refused, tears quickly welled up in Hill Rosemont's eyes.
He nodded slowly, as if he were in a great frenzy.
"I'm sorry, I was presumptuous..."
"Yes."
Sad tears ran down his cheeks, but for some reason, a corner of my heart felt uncomfortable.
"No, how many people died after giving him a chance?"
I vigorously shook my head.
"Sniff, sniff."
"Oh, why are you crying so much?"
I felt like I knew why everyone in the world believed in him until the end.
Who the hell would suspect that a nerdy-looking herbivore kid is the same person who saved a dying person and then killed him again just because he didn't like his appearance?
"Professor, don't cry."
I had no choice but to take out a handkerchief from my pocket and gently wipe his eyes with a firm touch.
"My lady..."
"Still, I'm not going to let you touch my tail."
"...Ugh."
"Professor, you know very well that crying sadly won't solve everything."
His eyes widened at my words.
"Crying with a handsome face won't solve anything."
Of course, most of it would have been resolved with that. Because he usually doesn't have a pretty face.
"The only people who can cry and solve something are those who are blessed with a well-equipped environment, isn't that right?"
In an instant, as soon as I finished my words, the smile disappeared from Hill Rosemont's lips.
He looked at me as if I had hit the back of his head for a moment, then quickly put on a flimsy mask.
These were exactly the words that Hill Rosemont always sang to the opponent begging for their life in front of him.
And it was also the only thing I sympathized with this madman after reading <Adopted>.
There were definitely people who couldn't solve anything even if they cried.
People who can solve something by crying can only do so when they have good parents, good friends, or good people around them.
In an unequipped environment, for some people, even crying is a luxury.
"It will be useless even if you cry because no one will help you."
...
Still, what I always questioned when reading novels is that Hill Rosemont always shed tears when deceiving someone, even when saying that.
If you cry with a pretty face, I want to do something for you, but...
"Ugh, I don't know what I'm talking about."
Why am I thinking about this for no reason?
After all, this is not the place, and I'm not really a child.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I quickly glanced at some of the curriculum materials Hill Rosemont had brought.
Honestly, I don't know what he was talking about, but it wasn't too difficult to understand because Hill Rosemont even added some details about the curriculum.
Excluding all the childish game-type learning, only the things that seemed a bit boring remained.
"I'll do this! Professor."
It seemed to be the most challenging part of the curriculum he brought...
"If you can do these things, you'll be a great noble lady! Can you be in the top 10% of the class?"
My eyes turned to the editorial writing...
Guess who's a Korean crazy about private education after all...?
Even after coming to this beautiful world in Northern Europe, I found myself a bit ridiculous for choosing to study like this.
"If I do well, I'll be praised..."
Even Duke Miriel would approve of this.
Even if the cuteness fades a little later, the "utility" as a noble lady will keep me here.
Plus, I knew very little about this world.
All I really knew was that this was the same world or similar to the serialized novel "Adopted."
"Professor...?"
"Ah, yes. My lady."
Hill Rosemont looked at me with a strange expression, then responded in surprise.
"Ah, this..."
"This must be difficult."
He responded with slightly widened eyes.
"Yes, I'll do it anyway."
"Why?"
"Is there a reason you want to do something difficult?"
Hill Rosemont asked a strange question.
"Wouldn't it be useful later?"
Plus, things like general learning seemed to generate some levels of empathy for learning.
"It's okay. So, are we going with this?"
He responded with a smile on his face, without a trace of tears.
I nodded happily.
"Well, he was a good teacher until he showed his true nature in 'Adopted.'"
If I tell my dad later, I might be able to get rid of him. Until then, I'll work hard in classes.
"And... you told me not to cry, so will you let me touch your tail when we get to know each other better?"
Is he going to stick with that line?
I nodded at Hill Rosemont's cheeky words, and he stood up with a satisfied smile.
"Then, excuse me, I had fun today. My lady."
"Yes, goodbye! Professor!"
"Yes."
It was just as he smiled and turned away.
"Come to think of it, I suddenly thought of a lizard with scales the same color as yours."
"Ah, really?"
"It's okay, I'll look into it a bit more and let you know."
After all, I was a true lizard.
Lucilion said that I might not be a lizard, so this was a relief.
"Because if the leader of the information guild said it, it must be true."
The moment Hill Rosemont opened the door and left with a mischievous smile similar to a puppy.
"Aaaack!"
Bam!
In a room without a threshold, his feet twisted, and he fell forward abruptly.
"...Haha... there was something on the floor..."
There was nothing.
"Haha, sorry. My lady, see you tomorrow! Aaack!"
Hill Rosemont, who had been trying to get up, fell back this time.
"Shouldn't it be time to get non-slip shoes?"
Hill Rosemont, who got up hastily, had to fall down once more before finally getting up and walking.
It was after a red bump appeared on his forehead.
"It's a really strange concept..."
I don't know why the concept of such a stupid person came to mind.
"Well, that's why no one doubted it until the end."
I sighed, closed the door, and lay down on the bed.
"What is my life going to be like?"
At that moment, I didn't know.
I would have never thought that Hill Rosemont's interest in her would deepen.
