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Chapter 52
“Alright.”
After bowing for a long while and waiting, Elaina finally accepted the greeting. Despite the weather not being particularly hot, beads of sweat formed on the forehead of the Marchioness of Birua.
Returning to sit beside her son, the Marchioness’ expression was formidable. Even Bark, who usually acted recklessly without fear, could sense that something had gone terribly wrong, and fear gripped him.
A tense atmosphere settled over the consultation room.
“Um… then let’s begin the meeting.”
The teacher, suddenly caught like a shrimp in a whale fight, glanced around nervously before speaking.
“Very well.”
The Marchioness wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief as she answered.
‘Only just twenty and already performing a debutante’s act!’
She gritted her teeth inwardly. Her youngest, Bark, was young, but her eldest child was much older than Elaina. For someone like the Marchioness, having to bow twice to someone younger than her children was an unprecedented humiliation.
Yet Elaina, parading herself as a Grand Duchess, had overlooked one crucial fact: today’s meeting was about a child-related incident. There was a clear victim and a perpetrator, and her son had been slapped by Knox, leaving a bruise—a very obvious victim.
‘Perhaps suspension is the only way she’ll learn.’
Many had already looked at Knox Grant’s academy enrollment with disdain. The second son of a nearly disgraced family attending the academy was, to them, like putting pearls on a pig.
That Knox had higher academic performance than children who received private tutors and elite education only added to their displeasure.
An institution may train exceptional talents regardless of family background, but why would it accept the son of a traitor?
‘Even if he’s smart, he’s just like his father—a rogue destined for rebellion.’
The Marchioness steeled herself. Knox Grant, backed by the Duke of Winchester’s family, seemed even more insufferable. For the sake of the academy’s future, she could not allow such a troublemaker to go unchecked.
“Ahem. I assume everyone understands why this meeting has been called today.”
The Marchioness began, grabbing her son’s chin and turning his face so Knox and Elaina could clearly see the bruise on his cheek. The bluish mark stood out vividly.
“Do you see this? Even children shouldn’t resort to hitting others like this. Isn’t it completely unacceptable?”
“That issue was addressed yesterday. I sternly scolded Knox and told him that no matter what happens, he must not lay hands on others.”
“You see one thing and think you know everything. Having no elders in the family to learn from, he resorts to such rough behavior, doesn’t he?”
“Knox.”
Elaina called out Knox’s name.
“Go and apologize properly to your friend. For what you did wrong.”
There was an authority in Elaina’s voice that left no room for defiance. Knox went silent and walked toward Bark. Nervous, Bark swallowed hard.
“I’m sorry for slapping you, Bark Birua.”
“Ah, no, I… I’m…”
Bark glanced at his mother and the surrounding adults. Though his mother maintained a facade of dignity, he could sense through his own heightened childlike instincts that the situation was not ordinary.
Fear gripped him.
After all, it wasn’t really Knox who was entirely at fault.
“I-it’s okay.”
“Okay?!”
The Marchioness snapped at Bark’s half-hearted words, glaring and slamming the armrest of the sofa she sat on.
“I cannot allow such a barbaric child and my son to be in the same space.”
“Ah. I see.”
Elaina quietly nodded, as if understanding her words.
“So what would you like done, Marchioness?”
“Of course, I expect the children to be separated, Your Grace.”
“And by separation, you don’t mean creating a whole separate class, right? The academy selects a small number of elites for education. Surely you don’t mean that?”
“If they cannot be separated into different classes, one of them will have to leave the academy.”
The Marchioness’ confidence surged as she made her ultimatum. Her anger at the Grand Duchess of Grant, who had so easily humiliated her for merely disciplining the scoundrel who struck her precious son, burned brightly.
“Very well. I agree as well.”
Elaina turned her gaze to Bark, who had been quietly observing the scene.
“Bark Birua. I remember your face. You met me at the greenhouse, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes! That’s correct, Your Grace.”
“You said something to me that day. You said it was a joke. You also seem to prank Knox often, don’t you?”
“Th-that’s… well…”
“Yes. So what prank did you pull yesterday that made Knox slap you?”
Bark swallowed nervously at Elaina’s piercing gaze. Lying seemed like it would only make things worse, yet he didn’t have the courage to admit the truth.
Annoyed at her son’s hesitation, the Marchioness raised her voice.
“Your Grace, are you interrogating my son?”
“I’m only telling the truth directly because you don’t seem to fully understand the situation. Hearing it from your son will likely avoid making your position even more awkward.”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“Bark Birua. Speak.”
Hesitant, Bark peeked at his mother’s expression. When he had delivered the notice yesterday, he had imagined Knox getting scolded by his mother and felt pleased. But the reality today was entirely different from his expectations.
“Bark Birua.”
Elaina’s face, without a trace of a smile, was far scarier than his mother. He wanted to speak honestly, but his tongue wouldn’t move—he knew just how badly he had wronged Knox.
“Um…”
“Don’t want to speak? Shall I do it for you?”
Elaina placed the stack of papers she had brought on the table.
“I was a little late today because I had to investigate the incident with Knox’s classmates.”
“Investigate the incident? What do you mean? Incident?!”
“Let’s read it first, and then discuss it, Marchioness.”
The Marchioness of Birua picked up the papers. With each page she turned, her face grew paler.
Staring in disbelief at her son and the papers in turns, the Marchioness asked Bark in a trembling voice:
“B-Bark. What is all this? Did you really do it?”
“Well… um…”
The papers contained eyewitness accounts written by his classmates. They detailed what Bark said to Knox yesterday, and why Knox could no longer contain his anger and struck Bark. Other children also recorded Bark’s usual behavior without omission.
“The verbal insults and physical actions toward the girls, such as pulling hair, are unacceptable. Even if we ignore those for now, as Knox Grant’s guardian and the mistress of the Grant family, Bark Birua’s insults toward the Grant family cannot be ignored.”
Elaina spoke to Bark clearly, enunciating every word.
“Bark Birua. Did you call the Duke of Grant a murderer? Did you mock Knox and the Duke as the children of a traitor? Did you insult the Grant family, saying they were poor?”
Bark’s face was almost tearful. Hearing his own words from another’s mouth made him wish he could vanish.
Seeing no response, Elaina picked up another sheet and read its contents aloud without omission:
“You poor wretch. No family, no fortune—so you smile at a murderer like he’s your brother? That’s just…”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Before Elaina finished, Bark blurted out an apology, almost screaming.
“I was angry because Knox played chess with the Duke of Winchester. I felt annoyed because he seemed arrogant…!”
Unlike him, Knox was popular among girls and always scored higher academically, no matter how hard Bark studied. Knox would often ignore him. Yet when girls were bullied, Knox would intervene. Bark, unable to reconcile his inferiority, chose the easiest way to lash out—mocking Knox’s family and heritage, ensuring Knox’s anger.
The Marchioness’ face was now ghostly white. Elaina, in turn, mirrored her own words back at the Marchioness.
“As I said earlier, I agree with your opinion. We cannot allow a violent child to live together with my child. I will formally notify the guardians of the classmates to gather their opinions on this matter.”
Before she could finish, Knox suddenly stepped in front of Elaina. The unexpected move made her frown.
