Chapter 23

Nothing has been said from the royal family.

Perhaps they cannot say that a prince was defeated by a commoner. It would be much appreciated if they just let it be that he tripped and fell. I was the one who was attacked, but peace is the most important thing.

Just then, my assistant job was put on hold for a while.

Lord Bernard fell from a stepladder while trying to reach a book on the top shelf of the bookcase and broke his dominant arm. Fortunately, Lady Eva was there at the time.

"I'm sorry, Victoria. My uncle will be recuperating at my house until he recovers. Would you like to work for me during this time? I'll pay you the same salary as you received from my uncle."

"What would I be doing at your house, Lady Eva?"

"I would like you to be a private tutor for my son's language studies."

A tutor for a noble's son? Why? I must have looked puzzled, so Lady Eva explained.

"Actually, my only son is twelve years old, and he's not good at foreign languages. Of course, he has a tutor, but there's been no improvement. I would like to ask you, who are fluent in four languages, if you could help. My husband suggested changing the teacher. Since you won't have your assistant job for a while, I would really like to ask you."

"But anyone else—"

"My husband thinks you would be perfect. If you can be an assistant to a historian, you can certainly be a tutor for a child. I think that's true."

I was overwhelmed by Lady Eva's enthusiasm.

"I have Nonna, and compared to professional tutors... I'm self-taught, you see."

"Oh, bring Nonna along. Clark is an only child, so I think he'll be happy. It's wonderful that you've learned everything on your own. Your Ashbury is perfect."

Even so, I was worried about taking Nonna to tutor a noble's child.

"Can I think about it?"

"Please do. I'm looking forward to a positive response."

First, I decided to talk to Nonna. She is my top priority.

"Sure, if Vickie is with me."

"But I'm worried about Nonna."

"It's fine."

"You'll be with a noble's son?"

"It's okay."

"Really? If anything unpleasant or scary happens, you'll tell me, right?"

"Okay."

With that, I decided to accept and visited Lady Eva's mansion. The Anderson family's mansion was large and luxurious.

First, I visited Lord Bernard. He looked dejected. He must be in pain, but falling from a stepladder and realizing his physical decline must have been hard on him mentally.

"I'm sorry for the sudden change, Victoria. I'll ask you to be my assistant again once I recover."

"Thank you, Lord Bernard. Please focus on your recovery."

Seeing the dejected Lord Bernard, my heart ached. To me, who doesn't know my grandparents, Lord Bernard is like a beloved grandfather.

Lord Clark was a red-haired boy with freckles and a slender build. I thought a twelve-year-old boy would be more troublesome, but he seemed quiet. He greeted us with green eyes, looking nervous.

"Hello, I'm Clark Anderson."

"Hello, I'm Victoria Sellers. This is Nonna. She will be joining us. Please take care of us."

"Hello, Nonna."

Lord Clark bowed to Nonna as well. I was worried he might be difficult since he was an only child of a noble family, but he seemed sincere.

"Lady Eva asked me to teach Hargle and Randall languages."

"Can you speak both?"

"Yes, I enjoy languages. I can handle daily conversation."

"I... I get confused and find foreign languages difficult. My father, who is the Foreign Minister, insists I must learn Hargle and Randall, but I can't remember them. Plus, I'm not good at sports. I don't have any talents."

He seemed to lack confidence in himself.

"I'd like to see your notes to understand what kind of lessons you've had."

Lord Clark brought his notebook from his desk. The notebook was filled with neat handwriting, and he had practiced spelling repeatedly, showing his effort. However, reading the content, I understood.

The lessons started with grammar. The method of teaching literary masterpieces while explaining grammar seemed efficient but didn't consider the student's struggles. It didn't allow for mistakes. It's faster and more enjoyable to use and learn from mistakes. If you make a mistake, you can correct it.

"I see. Let's start with my method. What do you like, Lord Clark?"

"Like?"

"I like cooking and sports."

Clark thought for a moment. I asked Nonna.

"Nonna, what do you like?"

"Books. And training!"

Clark looked puzzled at Nonna's answer.

"Climbing high walls. Climbing trees. Spinning in the air!"

I chuckled at Nonna's proud explanation.

"What's that? Can you show me?"

"Sure!"

Nonna looked at me. I nodded, and she ran a few steps on the floor and performed a forward somersault. It was perfect, but next time I'll bring her in pants instead of a skirt.

"Wow, that's impressive for a girl."

"It's because I'm a girl. I need to be able to escape if a bad adult attacks me. It's convenient... that's what my self-defense teacher said."

"Wow."

A spark of curiosity appeared in Clark's eyes, which had been devoid of emotion. Good, he's interested.

"So, what are you interested in, Lord Clark?"

"I want to do the same training as Nonna!"

I thought he would say that. I need to be careful not to let him get hurt, but learning words while moving is effective from my experience.

"Alright, let's start with Randall. It might be confusing to learn two languages at once."

This way, Nonna can participate too, which is great.

"Let's start with some warm-up exercises. I'll give instructions in Ashbury and Randall. Listen and remember. We'll learn the spelling after the training, on the same day."

"Okay!"

We started with warm-up exercises. Today, we would learn "stretch your arms," "spread your legs," "swing your arms wide," "jump high," "run fast," "put both hands on the floor," and "look forward."

The goal was to learn these seven phrases and their spellings.

"Stretch your arms" in Ashbury, followed by "stretch your arms" in Randall, while stretching the arms. I learned words this way. Whether my method would work for Clark, we would have to see.

Nonna seemed interested in the language lessons and joined in, repeating the Randall phrases while exercising. Clark also joined in, not wanting to be outdone by a younger girl. It seems to stimulate a boy's pride. Good.

I placed cushions on the floor to prevent injuries. I was worried about showing this to my employer, but Lady Eva seemed busy.

Clark memorized the seven phrases by ear and body, and then perfectly learned their spellings. Surprisingly, Nonna did too. I was worried that Nonna might get confused since I was teaching her Ashbury reading and writing, but she said it was fine. I've come to realize that she's a tough kid.

Clark, wiping his sweat while writing, looked happy and his eyes sparkled when he had memorized everything.

"Miss Victoria! This is the most fun language lesson I've ever had!"

"I'm glad. Let's work hard in the next lesson. But, your mother might worry, so let's not do somersaults, Lord Clark."

"I won't tell my mother! Please let me do it!"

After seeing that, he would want to try. Well, I'll assist him properly. I hope this delicate boy can gain some confidence in something.

It was the beginning of a very enjoyable job.