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Chapter 10
Erne was starting to feel more and more burdened by Duke Douglas taking an interest in Cheonghak-dong recently.
Especially at times like this.
“Please, just call me Windsor.”
“N-no, but how could I call a parent by name…?”
“Then I won’t call you ‘Princess’ either. I’ll call you Ellen.”
Windsor hadn’t gotten into the carriage yet, as if he still had things to say after picking up Schuken, who had just finished his drawing assignment.
And now they were arguing over how to address each other.
When Erne asked not to be called “Princess” and requested to be addressed simply as “Erne,” Windsor insisted she call him by his name too.
Erne refused, saying she couldn’t call a noble parent by name, while Windsor argued that he couldn’t call a princess by title either. Neither backed down an inch.
They went back and forth in this non-argument for quite some time.
Schuken, who was already sitting in the carriage, yawned dramatically and clicked his tongue at the two of them.
“Hah… Seriously, the Duke is so stubborn!”
“Sigh. And the princess is so headstrong.”
Schuken didn’t understand what was so serious about titles that made the two adults exchange such pointed glances.
Seeing no end in sight, Schuken gave up and leaned back away from the window, closing his eyes in fatigue.
Among the two who had locked gazes mid-air, Erne opened her mouth first.
Looking at Windsor’s tightly shut lips, she realized he wouldn’t drop the “Princess” title unless she gave in first.
And suddenly, she came to her senses, realizing she had just called the villain of the story “stubborn” without a shred of fear.
‘If I want my Cheonghak-dong life to last, I need to eliminate the whole “Princess” thing first.’
Worried that she may have offended him with her loud protest, Erne carefully opened her mouth.
“All right. Fine. Windsor. I’ll call you Windsor.”
Finally, a satisfied smile appeared on Windsor’s face.
“That sounds pleasant.”
Erne narrowed her eyes.
All she did was say his name, yet he smiled so softly. She couldn’t figure out what this man was thinking.
The Duke of Douglas—villain of the trashy cliché novel—had certainly played a wicked role in the original story.
The problem was, she couldn’t remember the details.
‘It’s been years since I read that book. The fact that I remember anything at all is a miracle.’
It had been over ten years since she transmigrated into Erne’s body. Of course the memories would be fuzzy. Erne let out a small sigh to herself.
‘I only recently remembered that the villain Duke even had a son!’
She still shuddered when she recalled the day Schuken first arrived at Cheonghak-dong.
‘I should’ve smacked myself back then—just enough to avoid dying.’
Or if not that, she should’ve at least raised her left hand and slapped herself across the face.
As those silly thoughts ran through her head, she tried to remember more.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall even a single line in the novel that mentioned Schuken’s existence.
‘I need to send them off quickly and go back inside to think this through.’
With that conclusion, Erne became eager to end the conversation.
“Well then, take care. Schuken, see you tomorrow.”
She gave a brief farewell and waved to Schuken inside the carriage, planning to go back and retrace the original novel’s plot.
After all, the supposedly evil Duke seemed a lot more normal than the people in the royal palace.
“Erne.”
Just as she turned away without hesitation, Windsor called out to her.
“Yes?”
Classes had ended long ago.
It was almost sunset now.
Yet Windsor, still standing in front of the carriage, looked like he had more to say.
“These past few days, I’ve noticed how old the building looks as I came to Cheonghak-dong.”
And?
Erne tilted her head, confused by his preamble.
“Some carpenters will be here tomorrow.”
“…Sorry?”
Her reply came half a beat too late, still not understanding.
“To provide a better environment for the children, the Douglas family will actively support Cheonghak-dong.”
After spending a fortune on medicinal herbs, now he wanted to renovate someone else’s school.
Erne froze, her mouth slightly agape.
“W-wait a minute. What exactly are the carpenters doing tomorrow?”
She stammered from shock.
Windsor kept talking as if her minor slip didn’t matter, and Erne looked increasingly alarmed.
“First, let’s get rid of those creaky wooden desks and chairs. We should redo the building exterior too. Oh, and how about building a garden around the swing so the kids can play freely?”
The more Windsor spoke, the more Erne’s expression darkened.
But Windsor, who was looking at the building instead of her, didn’t notice her increasingly contorted face.
“The whole place feels outdated. Even if it’s a rural academy, since Schuken is attending, it must be the best academy in the kingdom. I’ll make sure of it.”
Windsor continued speaking as he pleased.
He even frowned while looking at the rundown building.
Erne felt dizzy.
Just as she was about to correct Windsor’s big misunderstanding—
“Windsor. I think you’ve misunderstood something—”
“Erne, where do you live? You’re a noble, aren’t you? If your home is in a similar state, then I insist you stay at the Douglas estate as our honored guest.”
Erne couldn’t take it anymore and glared coldly at him.
“Seriously…”
“……?”
“Why are you doing this to me?”
Erne couldn’t hold back any longer and finally snapped.
She was both flustered and angry.
Windsor looked visibly shaken by her frosty reaction.
“Sir… no, Windsor. I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
“I’m only doing this for your sake…”
“I have a room next to the classroom. It’s a converted house with a kitchen and bathroom. There’s everything I need to live alone, so don’t worry.”
“Living alone? That raises serious safety concerns.”
Erne bit her tongue.
For someone she once feared as a villain, the Duke had an oddly obsessive streak in the strangest areas.
“Vanessa is known as the safest town in the entire Nechelde Kingdom. I like it here. I feel comfortable here. Thank you for offering to host me, but I’ll have to decline.”
“……”
“And lastly, I really appreciate you wanting to support Cheonghak-dong, but…”
Erne took a deep breath.
Windsor also paused to listen closely.
This was something Erne had wanted to say for a while.
With teary eyes, she raised her voice from her very core to let it all out.
“The desks and chairs… Sure, they might look shabby, worn-out, and flimsy to you—but do you think they’re just some random scrap wood?!”
Her frustration was so great that she completely forgot Windsor was the story’s villain and gained sudden courage.
All those wooden furnishings were worth 20 million gold.
Enough to buy a small mansion.
No wonder she was angry and frustrated.
‘I emptied my bank account on this place!’
To see her beloved Cheonghak-dong dismissed as shabby and run-down stung badly.
‘I should’ve built it even deeper into the mountains.’
Erne drooped her eyebrows in regret.
She had already chosen a secluded forest, but now she regretted not going deeper.
Still full of misunderstanding, Windsor looked baffled as Erne shot him a sharp glare.
“These wooden furnishings are part of Cheonghak-dong’s concept!”
That concept, of course, being vintage.
“…Tsk.”
“Such a cheeky tongue.”
“Why are you being so nosy? Making excuses for me too. Father, you’re really clueless, huh?”
Inside the carriage, Windsor glanced at his arrogant son, who clicked his tongue in annoyance.
So young, yet so sly. Windsor couldn’t tell who Schuken got his sharp tongue from.
He sighed inwardly and turned away from the boy.
He recalled the image of Erne desperately fighting to protect her precious furniture, even tearing up.
To Windsor, it all just looked like worn-out wood, so her attitude was a mystery to him.
As he furrowed his brows, Schuken, who had been watching him, slowly spoke.
“She doesn’t like stuff like that. She’s not materialistic. I heard from those two half-wits—this place has a weird name and doesn’t even charge tuition.”
“…I see.”
Schuken boasted like he was revealing a great secret, and Windsor was genuinely impressed.
Even if Erne had once lived a hard life as a commoner, human nature dictates that once you get a taste of luxury, it’s hard to go back.
But Erne was different in many ways.
‘I noticed it when she hid her pain and kept teaching the kids… but now I see she has no greed either.’
Most people can’t give up sweet things once they’ve tasted them.
Windsor couldn’t hide his growing curiosity about this unusual woman.
“Seems like you’re fond of the teacher.”
“That’s my line.”
“Hmph. Miss Erne is different from all the other tutors who came to teach me.”
Schuken crossed his arms and raised his chin proudly.
Windsor, thinking again that he had no idea where this brat had learned such arrogance, looked at his son in amusement.
He was oddly intrigued too.
“I hate noisy people. But I like Miss Ellen.”
The child truly seemed to like Erne. His cheeks flushed slightly as he spoke about her.
“She’s got this look that makes me feel bad for being mean. If I act like my usual self, she looks like she might cry at any moment. I don’t want to make her cry.”
Schuken shook his head, remembering Erne’s perpetually watery eyes.
She also looked unusually tired for a teacher.
Watching quietly, Windsor propped up his chin and frowned.
‘I kind of do want to see her cry.’
He kept that shady thought to himself—no way his son could find out.
“Oh. And the biggest reason I like her?”
Schuken said there was one more thing.
Windsor, lost in thought, looked at the boy again.
The kid puffed up proudly and crossed his short legs like he was about to drop some vital wisdom.
‘Where on earth does he learn this stuff…’
Children were supposed to be a reflection of their elders.
Where did this eight-year-old pick up such adult-like behavior? He had to be a product of the end times.
As Windsor furrowed his brows in mock seriousness, Schuken grinned from ear to ear.
“She’s pretty.”
With a smirk, Schuken’s smile shone brighter than ever.
“She’s pretty, and that’s enough.”
Watching his son shrug gleefully, Windsor let out a chuckle and pondered for a moment.
Maybe, just maybe, the boy had a point.
Thinking of Erne, Windsor nodded in agreement without much hesitation.
“I agree.”
