Chapter 30

"Aidan-sama, that's not it."

"Hmm."

"Hmm...?"

The cold, tense voice made Aidan inadvertently rattle the cup in his hand. Aidan hurriedly straightened his back.

"Ah, yes."

Aidan was not good with this teacher.

Until now, the adults around Aidan had always been kind and smiled at him.

This teacher's smile would disappear the moment his mother left.

"Wasn't it what I taught you yesterday? Have you forgotten?"

"......Um..."

Aidan tried to recall, but his mind went blank.

A sigh escaped, and his head turned completely blank.

"Aidan-sama's birthday celebration is just two weeks away. The Duke and the Duchess have prepared it with all their hearts, but if the celebrant himself is like this, what will people think?"

The teacher's words were fast and hard to understand, but it was clear that something was wrong.

"The celebration will also be the debut of Lady Marivel. Given that she is the long-awaited daughter with golden eyes, Aidan-sama's position... you understand, don't you?"

Aidan didn't understand what was being said.

He could only silently look at his hands.

"Aidan-sama?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand? You will lose everything to Lady Marivel."

"Marie is..."

He wanted to say that she wouldn't do such a thing.

Marivel would tightly hold Aidan's hand when he reached out. Despite her small hands, she would firmly grasp Aidan's fingers and not let go.

—Oh, Marie really likes Aidan.

When his mother poked her cheek, Marivel would smile adorably.

Marivel often smiled when Aidan talked to her, even if it was a strange "hehe" sound.

"Aidan-sama. ——That's enough. Your posture is also off. Continuing like this would be meaningless."

Always, because of Aidan, the lesson would be cut short.

The teacher folded his arms and sat in a chair.

"Then, let's do the usual greeting."

Aidan swallowed hard, straightened his back, and stood in the position he was taught.

He tried to take a deep breath despite the tension.

"Welcome, everyone. I am Aidan Pencilia. I am five years old."

The teacher's face didn't move. Aidan couldn't tell if he was right or wrong, and a cold sweat ran down his back.

"Today, everyone... has come to see..."

What was it supposed to be?

Sweat started to form on the hand he placed on his chest.

"To see... to enjoy."

"That's incorrect."

The teacher clutched his head in frustration.

"Aidan-sama, you made the same mistake yesterday. Today, it is 'I am honored to see everyone. Please enjoy yourselves.' ——That's all."

Another sigh.

"At five years old, you should have more, but because Aidan-sama can't remember, I've reduced it as much as possible. Do you need to reduce it further?"

Aidan felt ashamed and troubled.

The words hit him harder than if they were spoken directly.

"Aidan-sama, I'll say it again so you can understand. If you can't do this, I'll have to tell your mother that it's impossible for you—do you understand?"

Aidan nodded desperately.

He couldn't let his mother find out.

His mother, who praised him for being good and doing well.

He couldn't let her know how incapable he was.

"Fix your posture. Place your hand on your chest—"

At this moment, there was a knock.

The teacher stood up quickly.

Cynthia and the nursemaid entered.

"Teacher, thank you for your hard work."

Cynthia's bow was so beautiful it was mesmerizing. Since she started learning etiquette, it was clear how perfect her manners were.

"Duchess, greetings."

"How is Aidan doing?"

Aidan clenched his hands in tension.

The teacher, who had been terrifying just moments ago, now wore a smile. He gently patted Aidan's shoulder, making Aidan feel even more uncomfortable.

"He is trying his best. ——However, it is difficult for him to concentrate until the end."

"That's fine. If he gets bored, just end the lesson. I don't want to make him too uncomfortable."

"Understood."

Cynthia smiled at Aidan.

Her smile seemed to ease his tension.

He felt like crying but held it back.

"——Your posture has improved, Aidan. We'll decide on your outfit today, so let's go with Mother."

"Yes."

Cynthia chuckled and held Aidan's hand.

"Then, Teacher, I'll take my leave."

"Yes. See you tomorrow."

Aidan was made to say goodbye, and the lesson for the day ended.

As they walked down the corridor, Cynthia looked down at Aidan.

Aidan's hand was sweaty.

The sweat on his hands and feet was more from tension than heat.

Was he nervous?

Cynthia suddenly had an idea and led Aidan into a side room.

She squatted down and looked at Aidan's face.

"Aidan, how was today's lesson?"

"I tried my best."

This had been his answer lately.

"Was it difficult?"

"Normal."

"Was it fun?"

"Normal."

What does 'normal' mean?

It didn't seem like he was afraid of the teacher.

He didn't seem to dislike the lessons either.

He always went to the classroom before the scheduled time.

At five years old, going there on his own suggested he was looking forward to it, but it didn't seem that way.

"What did you do today?"

"We had tea. And greetings."

"I'd like to see. Can you show me?"

Aidan shook his head.

"I'm still bad at it."

"It's okay even if you're not good at it."

Aidan shook his head again.

"I'll definitely do it by my birthday."

"Aidan, it's okay to make mistakes. No one is perfect from the start. The birthday party is for fun. Everyone is coming to celebrate you."

Aidan's expression was dark.

Why was this child so lacking in confidence?

Perhaps...

"How is the teacher...?"

Cynthia hesitated to ask if he disliked the teacher.

Aidan's expression didn't change.

"He's a good teacher who shows me the way."

"......"

Hmm.

......I see?

Cynthia tried to smile calmly at Aidan.

"You're doing great, Aidan. You're becoming so cool, it's a bit lonely."

"Lonely? Why?"

"Because you used to be a crying baby, and that was cute too."

Come to think of it, he hadn't cried out loud recently.

She thought he had grown up quickly since the lessons started, but he seemed to have become less demanding a bit before that.

That night.

Even in bed, Cynthia couldn't sleep and kept thinking.

Almost five years old. In her previous life, it would be the middle of kindergarten.

At this age, children start to distance themselves from their mothers. If they go to kindergarten, they might encounter teachers they don't get along with.

Thinking about this, she had been sticking close to Aidan and leaving him to the teacher.

Unlike kindergarten, it was one-on-one, so she thought she could watch carefully.

When she asked the attendant Tan, who was waiting outside, he said, "He's still learning, so he can't do it well, but the teacher doesn't get angry, and I can't hear the content, but the tone is always calm."

Since he was a boy, it was also possible that he wouldn't talk to his mother about everything.

How were her daughters?

Comparing them was pointless, but it was the only reference she had, so she couldn't help but remember.

Her eldest daughter had a hard time making friends. She was the type who liked being alone, so she didn't mind.

Her second daughter, on the other hand, played with friends every day, which made her worry about the other mothers.

The third daughter... because she was sick, she rarely acted out.

The five years of her illness were the hardest because the children became so well-behaved.

—Mom, does it hurt? Should I get the medicine?

—Mom, you shouldn't carry heavy things! I'll do it. This is lighter than my backpack, so it's fine.

—I've cooked the rice! Should I make an omelet?

Her nose started to sting, and she quickly turned over.

The voiceless words of her children from those distant days. How much of it could she pick up?

At five years old, he couldn't express himself well.

But if they spent time together every day, she could understand most things.

The unnatural restraint and the words he swallowed.

The bed creaked slightly.

"Still awake?"

Recently, she always fell asleep first.

When she looked up at the voice, Rias blew out the candle and got into bed.

She was enveloped in his arms.

"Is something worrying you?"

"No."

The moment she said it, her cheek was touched, and she was gently tilted upward.

"Cynthia. Were you crying?"

In the dark, could he see? Maybe her voice was hoarse.

"What happened? To make you look like this."

"It's not that."

Cynthia buried her face in Rias's chest. The warmth of his chest made her feel safe.

The tension began to ease.

As a past event.

"...I've been thinking too much. I'm just worrying unnecessarily."

"Can't you tell me?"

Rias tightened his arms.

"If I could take all your pain, I would..."

He let out a long sigh.

Cynthia giggled at the tickling sensation of his warm breath on her ear.

"—Ah, as I thought, it's no good."

A snap of the fingers. Aidan's shoulders trembled.

"Can you tell me what went wrong?"

"......Um..."

He didn't understand. He thought he had said the lines correctly, but it must have been wrong.

He could see the teacher's well-polished shoes in front of him. He didn't have the courage to look up.

"Aidan-sama?"

"—I'm sorry."

A sigh of exasperation.

"I didn't ask for an apology. I asked you to tell me what you did wrong."

"......I don't—"

"Say 'I don't understand.' When will you stop using baby talk?"

No matter what he said, it was usually interrupted like this.

But it was because Aidan was wrong. Thinking this made his body feel smaller and smaller.

"Aidan-sama, perhaps it was too ambitious."

"......What?"

"An ordinary five-year-old can do it, but Aidan-sama cannot. Even after simplifying it, you still can't do it. ——And the birthday party is just around the corner."

The teacher sighed.

"Your mother may say it's okay even if you don't do well, but that's not true. Your mother is kind, but you are seen as the heir of the Pencilia family. If you show such a poor performance, it will reflect badly on the Pencilia family itself."

The teacher shook his head seriously.

"Because of you, the Pencilia family might be seen as frivolous."

The teacher gripped Aidan's shoulders tightly.

"And your mother might be blamed."

"Why...?"

"Can't you see? Because she failed to provide proper education."

"Will my mother be scolded because I'm no good?"

"Yes. It must not happen. After all, the Duchess is a noble and revered figure. If she is belittled because of you, what would happen?"

Aidan understood only half of what was said, but the grip on his shoulders was painfully tight.

He thought it was probably because of