11. Changing Teachers (1)
11. Changing Teachers (1)
[Episode 11] - Changing the Tutor (1)
Marchioness Lorenzo, who had grabbed the Princess's forearm, began smearing her own mud-like obsession onto the Princess's body.
Like molding pottery with a swampy, sticky, and disgusting obsession, she began to shape the Princess into the image she desired.
"Princess, your mother, Her Majesty the Queen, was truly a beautiful person."
The Princess began to listen to that story quietly.
It was a story she had heard dozens, no, hundreds of times already, but the Princess did not resist; she quietly lifted her head and looked into the Marchioness's eyes.
Clearly, the Marchioness's eye color should be a deep orange.
'...It's like a bottomless swamp.'
Right now, it looked like nothing but a muddy, dark brown.
"Her Majesty the Queen was brilliant from a young age. She was someone sent from the heavens, who knew ten things if she learned one, and created another ten if she learned those ten."
The Marchioness's voice trembled. It was as if a deeply religious person was recalling their object of faith while offering a prayer; the Marchioness recalled the past with a voice filled with ecstasy.
"I tell you this always, but even Her Majesty the Queen was just an ordinary, common noble lady who was called a 'defective product' of her family until she met me."
Always the same story. The Princess had no choice but to look at the Marchioness with weary eyes. Because she knew what would happen the moment she interrupted this story.
"It was by my hand that she was made into a Queen. I, with my own hands, molded her into a beautiful Queen. Therefore—"
The Marchioness's hand, which had been gripping her forearm, moved to the Princess's face. As if sculpting her face with both hands, the rough, aged hands grabbed the Princess's face.
"Princess, you only need to follow my words. I will make you into the likeness of Her Majesty the Queen."
"...Yes, thank you always, Marchioness."
At those words, the Princess forced the corners of her lips up and smiled. Having heard that satisfying smile and answer, the Marchioness stroked the Princess's hair with pleasure.
"This time, I will not make any mistakes."
Feeling as if sticky mud was being smeared onto her hair, the Princess could only smile bitterly. At the unpleasant sensation of sand mixing through her hair, for some reason, the image of the Second Queen came to mind.
'When Her Majesty the Queen stroked my hair... it didn't feel like this...'
*
The day after I heard from Ainsel that the Princess had no name.
Tak, tak, tak.
In a room where an excessive silence had settled, Vin Chaud and I sat facing each other. With my arms crossed, I tapped my forearm with my fingers while glaring at Vin Chaud, who was sipping his coffee.
Perhaps unable to endure the silence any longer, Vin Chaud set down his coffee cup and looked at me, but immediately lowered his head and avoided my gaze. Vivian's glare must be quite terrifying.
I tilted my head slightly to the side and asked Vin Chaud.
"Vin Chaud, do you know why I called you today?"
"I am afraid... I do not know..."
Vin Chaud seemed to be frantically contemplating why he had been called here, rolling his eyes in every direction as if he truly had no idea. After all, I hadn't told him the reason when I summoned him.
I glanced at Vin Chaud and brought up the reason I had called him.
"I called you regarding the Princess's 'Tutor'."
"Regarding the Princess's... Tutor?"
Vin Chaud blinked his eyes wide, wondering for a moment if he had misheard. I picked up the coffee cup placed in front of me, took a sip, and continued speaking. Vin Chaud would need time to think, after all.
"I do not like the Princess's current 'Tutor', Marchioness Lorenzo. As far as I recall, that woman has an intense obsession."
"...Have you investigated Marchioness Lorenzo?"
"I wouldn't go so far as to call it an investigation... but that is about the size of it."
I couldn't exactly say that I had seen it in a game... so I had no choice but to say it like that. Vin Chaud stroked his beard, looking as if he were lost in thought.
"Certainly, Marchioness Lorenzo does have such tendencies. However, because she had the experience of being the godmother to the First Queen, His Majesty also appointed her as the Princess's 'Tutor'."
"Continue."
"No matter how much Your Majesty the Queen may dislike Marchioness Lorenzo, wouldn't it be a bit difficult to remove her, given that she became the Tutor by His Majesty's order?"
Vin Chaud only spoke the objective truth.
Yes, because of the order of that shut-in, unemployed His Majesty, what I could do now had become extremely limited. I, too, had stopped thinking at this point just like Vin Chaud until yesterday...
Last night, when I couldn't sleep.
A brilliant idea struck my brain.
Ainsel, who heard my idea, snapped, 'Just get some sleep and think about it again,' but I believed this idea was the only way to rescue the Princess from the Marchioness's hands.
"Huhu-hu..."
-Haa...
"...? Your Majesty the Queen?"
A laugh leaked out of me before I knew it at the brilliant idea. I could hear Ainsel's sigh in my ear as well, but I was not the type to be discouraged by Ainsel's sigh now.
I set down the coffee cup in my hand, crossed my legs, and looked at Vin Chaud.
"Yes, I cannot disobey His Majesty's order just because it doesn't please me."
"Then..."
"However, I can change it to a different 'Tutor'. It is a common occurrence for a class's 'teacher' to be replaced by a better 'teacher'. Is that not so? Vin Chaud."
"Ye, yes..? Uh... W-well, that is true, but..?"
"In the first place, His Majesty would also want a better teacher for the Princess. At that time, the Marchioness was the best choice, so she was selected as the 'Tutor'. Am I wrong?"
"Uh, uh? Yes, ye? W-well, I suppose so?"
Seeing Vin Chaud's reaction, I was convinced.
'This is definitely going to work.'
I smiled brightly, thinking I should tell Vin Chaud the brilliant idea I had come up with last night. This was absolutely going to work. I nodded vigorously, as if to make a declaration.
"In that case, I shall become the Princess's 'Tutor'!!"
"..? Yes?"
"Are you hard of hearing in your old age, Vin Chaud? Isn't a 'Tutor' for the Princess far superior to Marchioness Lorenzo right before your eyes?"
"...Where are you referring to?"
I raised my palm and made a gesture of smacking Vin Chaud on the head. At that, Vin Chaud's body flinched violently, and he raised both hands to try and block my hand.
"I will ask you once more. Who is before your eyes?"
"The most beautiful person in this country, Y-Your Majesty the Queen..!"
"Exactly. Are you trying to say that I, the Queen, am inferior to Marchioness Lorenzo? That I cannot be the Princess's 'Tutor'?"
"Re, realistically, it's impossible..!"
Truly a loyal subject.
My mood deflated because of Vin Chaud, who only offered realistic answers even while prepared to be hit. I tapped his receding forehead with my palm, sat back down, and looked at Vin Chaud.
"Why do you think it is realistically impossible? As you know, I am the person who passed numerous tests, beating out countless noble ladies, to ascend to the position of Queen. Are you trying to say that I lose out to the Marchioness?"
"Th, that is not what I mean... Certainly, considering the tests I saw when Your Majesty the Queen ascended to this position, it seems sufficient for Your Majesty the Queen to be the Princess's 'Tutor'..."
"Then what is the problem?"
"However... even looking through the past, there is no record in this country's history of a Queen serving as the Princess's 'Tutor'..!"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
I smirked, leaned back against the sofa, and placed both hands on my crossed knees. Vin Chaud opened his mouth wide, looking at me as if I were truly absurd.
"History belongs to those who write it, does it not? Then I shall simply write a new history."
*
A week after I declared that to Vin Chaud.
Kung, kung, kung.
As I was elegantly enjoying coffee in Vin Chaud's office, a sound like a wild boar running down the hallway could be heard. Hearing that sound, Vin Chaud sighed deeply, as if to say that what he expected had come.
Bang!
Marchioness Lorenzo, who had burst in with enough force to almost break the wooden door, looked back and forth between Vin Chaud and me with a murderous expression. Vin Chaud, who met that gaze, swallowed a hiccup.
Why was her face so red? It was as if she were demanding an explanation for what this situation was right now. Taking a deep breath, the Marchioness calmly held out a crumpled piece of paper in her hand to us.
"I request an explanation. What is the meaning of this?"
The heavily crumpled paper was something similar to an 'Exclusive Appointment Notice' that Vin Chaud and I had sent her last night. It contained instructions to step down from being the Princess's 'Tutor' and take on a role assisting me.
'Well, given the Marchioness's personality, she would probably quit before she would assist me.'
Vin Chaud looked down at the crumpled paper, sighed deeply, and looked at the Marchioness. He continued his explanation calmly, with an attitude as if soothing a child who was throwing a tantrum.
"As you know, Madam, Her Majesty the Queen has stated that she will take on the role of the Princess's 'Tutor'."
"What is that..."
"It is the result of comparing and judging your performance and Her Majesty the Queen's performance. The Palace Ministry held a meeting, and it was judged that Her Majesty the Queen's performance was higher. Therefore, we sent a document asking you to step down from being the 'Tutor'."
The Palace Ministry was one of the administrative departments of the kingdom. Because it handled affairs related to the royal family, it was a department that even members of the Council of Elders could not touch easily.
Honestly, when Vin Chaud said he would hold a Palace Ministry meeting, I thought it wouldn't work. The Minister of the Palace Ministry was also one of the members of the Council of Elders. However, for some reason, the Palace Ministry took my side.
That was why we were able to send a letter similar to a notice to the Marchioness like this. I should send a thank-you letter to the Minister of the Palace Ministry later.
"What did you say..?"
"...Is more explanation necessary? You are as old as I am now, are you not? It also contains the sentiments of junior nobles who think it would be fine for you to rest now, so would you not accept it quietly?"
At those words, the Marchioness's face crumpled even further. Her face, which already had many wrinkles, began to distort like a broken mirror.
"Does the Chancellor think that Her Majesty the Queen can take good care of the Princess?"
"It is not I who judges that. It is the Palace Ministry. And personally, I do not trust Her Majesty the Queen."
Wait, this bald man?
I was sipping my sweet coffee, but I was surprised by the outrageous remark that came out of Vin Chaud's mouth, so I turned my head to look at Vin Chaud. Vin Chaud smiled at me and continued speaking to the Marchioness.
"In the first place, there would be few in the Palace Ministry who trust Her Majesty the Queen. Even so, if you ask why such a meeting passed... perhaps the Palace Ministry judged that there was a problem with you."
"...What on earth could be the problem with me..!"
"Are you asking because you truly do not know?"
Vin Chaud asked the Marchioness, who was appealing as if she were being treated unfairly, as if he truly didn't know. I was busy watching the two of them while sipping my coffee in between.
Hoo.
Vin Chaud, who let out a long sigh, narrowed his eyes and looked at the Marchioness.
And then, words that made me doubt my ears burst out of Vin Chaud's mouth.
"I am asking if you truly do not know the rumor that you were involved in the suicide of the First Queen, Her Majesty Aurora Snow White, two years ago."
For a moment, I almost dropped the coffee cup I was holding.
Just now, what did he say?
The First Queen committed suicide?
"I know! Didn't I get investigated back then and was cleared of suspicion!"
"Just because you were cleared of suspicion does not mean the rumors disappear. The Palace Ministry must have judged based on that rumor, that it would be better to have Her Majesty the Queen by the Princess's side than you—"
I could no longer hear the sound of the two fighting.
What is this, what on earth is this?
Ainsel had clearly said, 'Vivian was jealous of the First Queen, who was favored by the King, and performed a ritual to swap bodies.'
If the First Queen committed suicide two years ago, that meant Ainsel's words were a lie. Since it had only been a little over a month since I came to this world due to the failure of the ritual Vivian had performed.
I stroked the earring containing Ainsel and urged for an explanation, but Ainsel gave no answer.
As if she were not in this place.
'You... what on earth are you hiding from me..?'