I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 37

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 37

 

“…You weren’t rude at all. So you don’t need to apologize….”

 

A soft and gentle voice.

 

A deep and quiet gaze directed at Marisselle.

 

Heat blooming from his fingertips that had touched her soft cheek.

 

Heat began to stir from Morgan’s fingertips.

 

If he left it like this, his instincts would gain strength and try to dominate his reason.

 

He clenched his fist tightly until his knuckles protruded, repeating to himself as if to soothe himself.

 

‘I must not be hasty.’

 

He calmly settled his boiling heart and gazed at Marisselle again.

 

Though there was still a faint blush on her cheeks, she looked clearly more composed than before.

 

So Morgan asked.

 

“Ahem. Now, it would be good to hear about the original purpose of your visit. How about it?”

 

Marisselle picked up the documents she had briefly set down on the table and held them out to Morgan.

 

“Ah, yes…. What I originally wanted to tell Your Highness is here. I’ve prepared it as a report. It’s the final class schedule that the young master will be taking.”

 

Morgan quickly skimmed through the report and asked one thing.

 

“…Will you also be present during Fleur’s classes, Marisselle?”

 

“If possible, I think it would be good to ask the teachers for their understanding and attend together initially for the young master’s smooth adaptation.”

 

“Hmm… I see. Then, I’d also like to hear about the class situation directly from Fleur…. I think it would be good to listen while having dinner together about once a week. What do you think?”

 

“Oh my! Your Highness. That sounds wonderful! The young master would be so delighted. As expected, Your Highness is such a thoughtful person.”

 

Marisselle clapped her hands together softly like praying hands upon hearing such welcome news.

 

She felt like getting up and doing a shoulder dance if she could.

 

To think he would voluntarily participate in childcare like this.

 

A faint smile crossed Morgan’s lips.

 

“Is that praise?”

 

“Of course!”

 

Marisselle’s answer came out automatically as a reflex from the lingering excitement.

 

Oh no! But after saying it, she wondered if it was too presumptuous.

 

“Ah! Well, saying ‘praise’ to a superior might be a bit… but that’s what I mean. Ahaha.”

 

After Marisselle laughed awkwardly, she suddenly remembered Morgan asking to be praised earlier.

 

‘Does he really want to be praised that much?’

 

Marisselle observed Morgan carefully.

 

And indeed, Morgan seemed to lower his head slightly and fell into brief silence as if savoring the moment.

 

Then he murmured low like talking to himself.

 

“Good….”

 

* * *

 

“Young master… I recommend you visit next time. Right now, the Count is in a very, very bad mood.”

 

Tobias, showing how much he had suffered inside, came out of the Count’s study still hunched over, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead while discouraging Kazuri from entering.

 

Tobias rotated his handkerchief to find dry spots and wiped the sweat flowing down his face and neck, then took a deep breath before bowing his head to Kazuri.

 

“Then, young master. I’ll be going now….”

 

“Wait!”

 

Kazuri stopped Tobias who was just taking a step forward.

 

As Tobias said, if he went in when his father was in a bad mood, he would only become a target for venting anger.

 

In that sense, Kazuri called Tobias to get information from him.

 

Tobias felt completely drained at Kazuri’s call.

 

He had just come out after being tormented by the Count, and now he had to be tormented by his son too—his situation felt pitiful.

 

He could only lament his fate of being unable to escape this damned Count’s Family even if he wanted to.

 

“Yes. Young master. Do you have something to say….”

 

“It’s a bit awkward here, let’s go to the Small Conference Room.”

 

Tobias glared hard at the back of Kazuri’s head as he led the way, then hung his head in resignation and let out a sigh.

 

‘This damned fate’

 

It was obvious he would dig for information from him. Thinking about being tormented for a second round already drained his energy.

 

Tobias was filled with the desire to wring Kazuri’s neck.

 

But since he couldn’t do that, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and twisted it with all his might, imagining he was wringing Kazuri’s neck, squeezing out his sweat.

 

He felt that doing at least this much might ease the anguish in his heart a little.

 

Kazuri arrived at the Small Conference Room and immediately began questioning Tobias without even giving him a chance to sit down.

 

“What’s the reason for Father’s low spirits?”

 

Foolish Kazuri set the mood as if he were playing detective.

 

Kazuri was proud and smug, convinced that the question he had asked was implicit, broad, and highly sophisticated.

 

Tobias was irritated. Even if he was the son of the person he served, that pretentious attitude was insufferably obnoxious.

 

At least his appearance had some resemblance to the Marchioness, making him somewhat tolerable to look at.

 

But his short stature and soft, plump flesh looked undignified and shabby even when dressed up.

 

His brown hair lacked elasticity and was thin, so no matter how much volume was added, it would flatten and stick to his scalp like hair that hadn’t been washed for days, looking unsightly.

 

Though he had blue eyes, supposedly inheriting royal blood like the Marquis, they appeared murky and cloudy, almost like the eyes of a rotten fish.

 

Tobias didn’t want to give such a Kazuri the answer he desired. Nor should he.

 

While he had no choice but to serve the Marquis, he was not Kazuri’s man.

 

“How could I presume to fathom and speak of His Excellency’s reasons for low spirits?”

 

Kazuri had expected answers to flow freely from Tobias when he asked, but when no answer came, he became irritated.

 

“Are you saying you don’t want to tell me now?”

 

“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but exactly as I said. Young Master. Since you’re asking why His Lordship is in low spirits, how could I, who am not the Marquis himself, presume to speak of His Lordship’s heart?”

 

“Hey. Are you playing word games with me now?”

 

“Young Master, this is not word games.”

 

“When Father ascends to the throne, I’ll become the Crown Prince. Are you looking down on the future Crown Prince right now? Huh? I should know what Father knows, shouldn’t I?”

 

Kazuri raised his voice and flew into a rage, thinking Tobias was disrespecting him.

 

Tobias was so shocked that he quickly turned his head left and right, looking around.

 

He was terrified that someone might have overheard.

 

‘How can he run his mouth so carelessly like that. Tsk tsk.’

 

Tobias clicked his tongue inwardly with contempt.

 

Could someone be this foolish? Tobias couldn’t help but be appalled by Kazuri’s foolishness, stupidity, and greed.

 

“Young Master, you must be careful with your words. Don’t you know well that words, once spoken, are difficult to take back? And if such words were to leak to the servants, it would truly be a disaster. You could be accused of treason. So please, watch your words…”

 

Kazuri cut off Tobias’s words and shouted disgustingly.

 

“Are you trying to teach me now? Huh? How dare you? And what disaster? If there’s anyone who spreads words, we can just kill them all and shut their mouths. Getting scared like that. How could you ever achieve the imperial throne like that? Tobias, you’re too timid and lack the courage for great deeds. Tsk tsk.”

 

Kazuri mocked Tobias and dismissed his loyal advice as criticism.

 

“…”

 

‘Foolish, truly foolish.’

 

Tobias lamented inwardly.

 

Kazuri still thought highly of himself and looked down on Tobias condescendingly.

 

“Well, it’s obvious. He must be angry that that Fleur guy or whatever, Morgan’s nephew, isn’t on the Academy admission list.”

 

Then Kazuri approached Tobias closely and whispered in his ear as if showing off.

 

“That plan Father is pushing forward came from my head. Got it?”

 

Kazuri tapped Tobias’s shoulder with his palm and raised one corner of his mouth. It was full of mockery.

 

Tobias’s teeth ground at such mockery, but there was nothing he could do except suppress and swallow his anger.

 

* * *

 

“Prince Fleur, I’ll give you a choice. Would you like to view the history of the Helman Empire centered on the achievements of successive emperors? Or would you prefer to focus on the events that occurred?”

 

Professor Xavier, who was in charge of the history lesson, declared that he would give Fleur a choice.

 

His eyes sparkled with curiosity and anticipation.

 

I wondered if Fleur understood that difficult question, and what kind of answer he would give. I became curious too.

 

Fleur didn’t answer hastily but showed extreme caution.

 

His brow furrowed deeply and his mouth pursed like a small flower bud, showing how much he was contemplating.

 

Cute. Cute enough to want to pinch.

 

‘How can a child be so serious?’

 

Sometimes when I look at Fleur, I’m startled by his un-childlike aspects, wondering if there’s someone who’s lived multiple lives inside him.

 

So I tried thinking along with Fleur.

 

If we examine history based on successive emperors, we would inevitably view it from the emperor’s perspective, and it might be static, organized like a report format.

 

On the other hand, if we examine it focusing on events, many things entangled with those events would be revealed, making it much more dynamic and allowing us to view history from various perspectives.

 

If given the choice, I think I would answer that I’d choose event-focused history.

 

“Hmm….”

 

Just then, Fleur’s adorable little mouth finally opened.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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