IBFWGFG 37

chapter 37

Tutoring (1)

For several weeks after that, Grenium was caught in a fever.

It was the Lux Syndrome.

“Hey, isn’t that suit from Lux?”

“I barely managed to get it. What do you think? Does it look sharp?”

“Hmm…! The quality is indeed superb…! I wonder when it’ll be my turn.”

“Didn’t you hear? If you sign a contract with the Mausoleum family, they’ll move your turn up.”

“Really? I need to find out immediately!”

Wherever people went, the main topic of conversation was clothes—specifically, Lux suits.

“Wow, you finally got a Lux suit!”

“Hahaha. I didn’t just get one. Look at this!”

“The tie color… blue?”

“It’s a newly released color tie starting today! It’s a huge upgrade compared to the plain black suits we had before!”

“Oh no…! I must get back in line to reserve one at Lux! Butler! Which of our family businesses could possibly connect with the Mausoleum family?”

The nobles were fiercely competing to keep up with Lux’s latest fashion.

By now, how well one could follow Lux’s new trends had long been considered a measure of both wealth and refinement.

“Father! When will you buy me the new Lux suit that just came out?”

“Wait a bit, you spoiled child! Do you expect the family to take a loss in business over a few clothes?”

“If I don’t have it, I can’t even appear in society! Is a tiny business loss more important than my marriage prospects?!”

Among Grenium’s nobles, only a few still adhered to older fashion, and even among them, the younger ones wouldn’t dare step out without a Lux suit.

As a result of such a massive syndrome, naturally, countless tailors tried to replicate Lux suits.

But none could match the quality. In fact, not even the fabric could be replicated.

“I bought you an expensive suit to study from, so why can’t you even imitate it?!”

“Those guys swept all the wool away. There’s no more wool left!”

Even using different fabric or somehow obtaining wool made no difference.

Most of Grenium’s top tailors had already been scouted by the Mausoleum family with the highest industry compensation.

“With my skills, I can’t replicate this stitching…! Even if I try, I can’t keep up with their production speed!”

Of course, the workshops were numerous, and some artisans had avoided being taken by the Mausoleum family.

Yet even they couldn’t possibly keep up with the constant stream of Lux fashion items.

They simply didn’t have Seymour.

“This time Lux will even embroider family names on ties!”

“And they say they’ll emboss family crests on the buttons!”

“Look at this! The jacket has back slits now!”

“They’re teaching a new way to tie ties, have you heard?”

It was literally endless hype.

Those with the wealth and power to indulge in Lux’s fashion were able to station exclusive servants nearby and enjoy the weeks of history that would be talked about in fashion circles for years.

Irina came to the mansion for tutoring.

“Hello, Count Mausoleum.”

“Welcome, Lord Ishtar. It’s been a while since Director Cain came as well.”

Beside Irina was Cain, captain of the Radiant Knights, the knight order of the Ishtar family.

‘Cain Ishtar… he’s the talented commoner, right?’

The young Cain, who showed great promise from a young age, had been taken as an adopted son by the Marquis of Ishtar and made the captain.

He was a taciturn man, using his position as captain and vice-captain to act as a sort of escort for Irina when necessary.

Cain simply nodded silently at me.

His characterization as a quiet, handsome man seemed consistent here as well.

“Lord Ishtar, thank you for agreeing to teach Lucis for me.”

“Taking care of a child is also a matter of chivalry.”

I immediately told the maids to bring Lucis over. I intended to start the lesson between Irina and Lucis right away.

That is, if a small problem didn’t arise.

“The young master is missing!”

“The young master! Lucis!”

Lucis had gone missing.

With a sense of déjà vu, Irina and I exchanged a wordless glance.

Lucis was found not long after.

It seemed he had holed up in a corner of the townhouse’s storage room.

“Young master!”

“Oh dear, all my clothes are ruined!”

But the maids held their heads in despair.

Lucis had evidently scraped the entire floor of the storage room, leaving himself covered in grime and dust.

“But we told him Lord Ishtar was coming!”

“Unbelievable! We spent extra effort preparing him today!”

Hearing the maids’ lament, I realized two things.

First, the maids had grown quite close to Lucis.

‘At first they were afraid of him like a dragon, but now they’re even nagging him like nannies.’

Second, Lucis had deliberately gotten himself dirty.

Though it goes without saying, Lucis hated waking up early. He had acted the same way at funerals and the succession ceremony.

‘He must have decided to mess himself up on purpose so he wouldn’t have to be dressed up when Irina arrived.’

As if to confirm my thoughts, Lucis wore a smug expression. I could read his thoughts from that face.

‘Yes! I deliberately dirtied myself! But you can’t do anything about it! That’s the limitation of this country’s class system!’ he seemed to scream with his whole face.

“Ugh…”

The maids, flustered by that cheeky expression, could only stomp their feet helplessly.

“Hahaha!”

I, on the other hand, laughed heartily.

Lucis’s smug little face was simply too cute.

Eventually, Lucis had to take another bath with Shia.

Until then, I couldn’t leave Irina alone, so hosting the guest was my responsibility.

Seated with Irina and Cain in the reception room, sipping tea, Irina spoke first.

“At both the succession ceremony and the fashion show, no noble seemed to object to Lucis’s presence.”

“I told you. If people don’t make a fuss, it won’t be an issue.”

She referred to the Mausoleum agreement.

“Even the church, which might have been the only potential problem, welcomed it since the Radiant Dragon’s reputation has risen.”

Of course, the Saint was an exception, but I continued my thought.

“Now, unless Lucis causes a major incident, the treaty won’t be activated.”

“That’s a relief. I won’t lose the teaching position I worked hard to get.”

Irina smiled faintly and continued.

“I heard you were attacked by someone from the underworld.”

It had been before the succession ceremony, but thinking back, this was the first private meeting with Irina since then.

“Yes.”

“For something like that, it seems the townhouse didn’t increase its guards much.”

She must have checked the defensive and escort arrangements while I briefly introduced the townhouse.

It wasn’t for any other reason than the fact that she herself was part of her family’s protective knight order.

“There wasn’t much of a threat.”

The fight had been one I deliberately orchestrated, so there was no need to use it as an excuse to increase security.

“Do you intend to continue dealings with the underworld?”

“Does that bother you?”

“Of course. If nobles ally with the underworld, what example would commoner children have to follow?”

That was a proper answer from Irina. I smiled faintly in reply.

“Lord Ishtar, even without the underworld, nobles are already dirtying their hands enough.”

“What do you mean?”

“Every family has its own survival methods.”

“…Hmm.”

Irina frowned as if she wanted to argue but knew this wasn’t the place for a debate.

I took a sip of tea and changed the subject.

“Let’s discuss the tutoring plan properly. What do you intend to teach Lucis?”

“First, how to get along with humans and how to maintain dignity befitting a great being.”

I nodded.

Irina’s plan aligned with what I had long thought since the day Lucis had released his dragon powers to the cadet branches.

“But remember, Lucis isn’t an ordinary child. He’s highly intelligent and perceptive, yet astonishingly pure.”

Irina listened silently.

“Whatever happens, don’t be surprised. Be affectionate and praise him often. He enjoys it.”

“Hehe.”

“Why are you laughing?”

Irina lifted her teacup to hide a smile.

“You seem like a normal father.”

A normal father.

Was there a word less fitting for Seymour?

In truth, this very scene didn’t suit Seymour. Sitting with Irina, drinking tea, being a “father” in this sense…

‘In the original, Seymour would have already been plotting to outwit the Ishtar family.’

With no appropriate response, I changed the topic.

“Did the Marquis have any comments about this tutoring?”

“He told me to teach properly so that the family name wouldn’t be ashamed.”

I nodded slightly but thought to myself:

‘He’s definitely scheming something.’

The Marquis of Ishtar was a typical great noble: moderately excellent, moderately cunning, moderately cruel.

Add a deep grudge against the Mausoleum family, and he was not to be underestimated.

If the Marquis intended to visit the Mausoleum family under the pretext of Irina, I would have refused.

Knowing that, the Marquis was keeping his movements in check.

Knock knock.

“The young master is ready,” said a maid, and we rose.

“Will you observe?”

“No need.”

Irina wasn’t the type to teach something frivolous, and even less to teach something strange.

Besides, if the employer watched from behind, one could never perform properly.

Irina waited in the guest annex, and Shia appeared holding Lucis.

“Hello.”

Lucis waved cheerfully at Irina from Shia’s arms.

Shia, in contrast, watched Irina with a highly cautious gaze.

Irina gave a wry smile.

Considering the history between the families, this was natural. Even she herself hadn’t reacted warmly to Seymour at the funeral or in Leticia.

‘I still don’t fully trust the Count, though.’

That was why she didn’t refuse her mother’s suggestion that “Captain Cain accompany you.”

Had it not been for Lucis, Irina likely wouldn’t have bothered visiting the townhouse directly.

Shia placed Lucis on a cushion piled high opposite Irina.

Then, with a pout that suggested displeasure, she looked at Irina and sighed softly.

“I’ll return in two hours. The maids will be outside the door if you need them.”

Shia left the room with a look that conveyed trust in Seymour and Lucis.

“…”

Cain stared at Lucis briefly before moving.

“I’ll also stay near the door.”

It seemed he wanted to give them a private, comfortable tutoring session.

With the door closed, only Irina and Lucis remained inside.

“Hmm hmm~.”

Lucis reached for the treats on the table and began munching happily.

Having just been cleaned up, with no adornments, Lucis seemed very pleased with his simple state.

Watching Lucis nibble contentedly, Irina thought:

‘Why has Count Mausoleum suddenly changed?’

Or rather:

‘Why is he suddenly being so close to me?’

Even more, treating her like a trusted friend?

She had pondered this for days, weeks, after returning from Leticia, but no answer came.

Irina knew she was trustworthy, having lived without ever doing anything shameful.

‘Even so, the Mausoleum family disliked me.’

The bitter history between the two families was too long.

The Mausoleum and Ishtar families had always despised each other, and especially Seymour had looked down on her.

Irina still vividly remembered what Seymour had said to her at the royal-hosted party earlier this year:

• “A blind princess living in the hypocritical White Dragon Palace, aren’t you?”

Since then, her most hated word had changed from “insect” to “hypocrisy.”

But why the sudden change?

“…Does the Count like me?”

“?! “

Lucis, mid-bite of a cookie, turned wide-eyed to look at Irina.