The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 23
Lucas was truly a peculiar person. For a Crown Prince, he carried no arrogance, and his meticulous attention to even the smallest details set him apart.
‘Strange as it is, he really does stay at the School.’
The duties Lucas shouldered at the Imperial Palace must have been considerable, for attendants laden with documents came and went through the School regularly. During the daylight hours when Rachel taught, he worked without pause.
‘Wouldn’t the Imperial Palace be more convenient for his work?’
Rachel’s thoughts were quite reasonable. She had even once gently suggested he return to the Palace. Yet his resolve remained unshakeable.
He seemed determined to stay at the School and directly verify something himself.
‘Could he be curious about the lessons?’
Since he had already thoroughly demonstrated the School’s safety, perhaps the lessons themselves held his interest.
‘If that’s the case, observing the Swordsmanship class would be ideal.’
With that thought settled, Rachel rose at once and made her way to Lucas’s room.
Knock, knock.
“Your Highness, I have something to discuss with you.”
At the sound of Rachel’s polite knock, the door slowly opened.
Having worked late into the night, he should have shown signs of fatigue, yet Lucas’s face was unchanged from his usual composure.
To be more precise, he looked exceptionally handsome today as well.
“What is it?”
His deep voice was so pleasant to hear that Rachel found herself holding her breath.
‘What’s wrong with me today? This is ridiculous.’
“What do you think of observing the children’s Swordsmanship class tomorrow?”
“Observe a lesson?”
“Yes. I thought it would be good for you to see firsthand how the children learn.”
“Hmm. Not a bad idea.”
When Lucas responded positively, Rachel exhaled in relief and nodded.
“Then I’ll see you at tomorrow’s class.”
As she made to excuse herself and close the door quickly, it wouldn’t budge. When she looked up, Lucas was holding the door, a slight smile on his face.
“As it happens, I have something I’d like to ask you as well.”
She had been about to go find Henry and inform him of this. But Lucas spoke to her with that gentle smile.
“Would you care to take an evening walk with me?”
“An evening walk?”
“More precisely, I’d like to walk around the grounds of the School.”
Rachel thought to herself ‘How do I refuse?’ but found she could not decline his offer. To be honest, today she found herself wanting to hear his deep voice even more.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
And so the two of them walked side by side. As they traversed the corridor, Lucas pointed to a small gem embedded in the wall.
“The School’s corridor is quite unique.”
It was just a corridor—what could be unique about it? Rachel tilted her head in puzzlement.
“The gems adorning the walls of this corridor are truly beautiful.”
There was an error in Lucas’s observation. Debt collectors had already pried loose every gem worth anything. What remained embedded in the walls now were little better than cheap stones. Or so she had heard.
Yet it would be awkward to contradict a Crown Prince’s compliment. Rachel offered an awkward smile.
“I quite like this one.”
Lucas pointed to a small gem set in the wall.
“I would be grateful if you would pry it out for me.”
Lucas smiled at Rachel in a way that seemed almost calculated. Rachel was somewhat taken aback.
Was he really asking her to remove it? Truly?
“Of… of course.”
Rachel placed her hand on the gem and, summoning all her strength, wrenched it free.
It was in that instant that the Low-Grade Magical Stone, dismissed as a worthless gem, blazed with light.
“W-what…?”
Rachel’s eyes widened as her lips parted slightly. She could not fathom what was happening.
“What in the world…?”
The murky yellow gem erupted in frenzied brilliance. Never had Rachel imagined this stone could be a Magical Stone. She let it fall to the ground.
“So that’s how it is.”
The Crown Prince picked up the Magical Stone, his smile deeply meaningful.
* * *
Henry readily agreed to the Crown Prince’s observation of the class. However, he spoke to Rachel with some care.
“Miss Rachel, does His Highness perhaps wish to spend time alone with you?”
As Henry harbored a secret affection for Rachel, another man sharing her space clearly weighed on his mind.
How should she answer this?
A honest answer would disappoint Henry, yet she could not lie either.
“…It seems my thoughts were correct.”
Henry’s face fell almost at once, and he lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the ground. Rachel’s heart sank at the sight of him—he looked like a deflated hound.
“It’s work. Something to do with the children.”
Rachel grasped at the excuse quickly enough. It wasn’t really a lie, or at least not a terrible one. But Henry’s expression suggested he already knew the truth.
“I cannot fathom why the Crown Prince has remained at the Residence for so long.”
“Yes, well… that’s the thing.”
She herself couldn’t offer him a complete answer. No matter how hard she thought about it, the reason eluded her entirely.
“My heart has been quite unsettled of late.”
“Because the Crown Prince is here?”
“In various ways.”
Rachel, knowing full well that she was part of those “various ways,” simply pressed her lips together and offered an awkward smile.
“Class time’s almost up. Shall we head down?”
Rachel switched the subject at once.
The Swordsmanship lesson took place in the Garden. Rachel and Henry made their way down and brought the students, who were still horsing around, to order.
Throughout it all, Lucas stood silently at the back, watching over us.
Henry was too talented to waste merely teaching Swordsmanship to children at the School. He gave an extraordinary demonstration, and the children watched with wide-open mouths.
“Instructor Henry.”
Chase, who had been watching the demonstration intently, stood up from his seat.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“If you and the Crown Prince fought, who would win?”
“…What?”
It was a childish question if ever there was one. Yet the children’s eyes began to gleam at Chase’s words.
“Who would win?”
“We really want to know. Who would win?”
The conversation had long since shifted to the prospect of the Crown Prince and Henry fighting. Henry’s bewilderment was plain to see.
If Lucas weren’t here, it might be different—but he was standing right in front of them, and to be asked such a question… Henry was clearly at a loss.
“You can’t solve every mystery just because you’re curious about it.”
“Come on. The Crown Prince is right here—what’s stopping you from settling it?”
“Exactly. Why don’t we just have a match?”
The children began clamoring all at once, and the mood started building toward a bout between Lucas and Henry.
“All right, that’s enough.”
Henry turned stern with the children. But these were not children who responded to sternness.
“Just once. Please, just once.”
The children pleaded. Henry refused, his expression hardening.
“Brother, can’t we just have one match?”
When Henry wouldn’t budge, Theo ran to Lucas.
“If you’ll spar with me, I promise I’ll listen from now on.”
Theo coaxed his brother. Unfortunately, Lucas merely fixed him with a cold gaze.
“Brother, I’m serious.”
Theo, buoyed by his friends’ expectations, grasped Lucas’s hand and shook it back and forth.
“You’re really good at Swordsmanship.”
In the original novel, Lucas had indeed been skilled at Swordsmanship. Since the major plot points hadn’t changed, he would be no different now.
‘Now I’m curious too.’
Even Rachel, who was supposed to be stopping this situation, found herself wondering what would happen.
“Your Highness.”
That was when Henry stepped forward.
“If you would not mind, would you consider a match with me?”
It was a bold proposal, to say the least. Yet Lucas answered with a smile and a nod.
“The children want it this badly—how could I refuse?”
Cheer!
The children cried out in delight. Colo, who had been watching from a distance, drew closer now.
“Here you are, sir.”
Henry offered Lucas a Wooden Sword. Lucas accepted it and wielded the blade with impressive ease.
“Shall we begin at once?”
“As you wish.”
Henry bowed respectfully. Lucas returned the gesture with equal courtesy.
Henry drew a quiet breath. And as he exhaled, he released his attack.
Lucas met the strike with a strike of his own, then smiled lightly.
“Quite skilled.”
“You are too kind.”
“It’s a pity, really—a talent of that caliber not serving the Imperial Family.”
Their wooden swords clashed somewhere in the middle, then parted again. Rachel watched their bout with bated breath.
Tension gripped more than just Rachel. The children were equally absorbed, riveted by every movement. They couldn’t help but wonder who would prevail and how.
Given Henry’s temperament, he didn’t seem the type to yield simply because his opponent was the Crown Prince. And Lucas had no reason whatsoever to lose. Two men with only victory on their minds swung their wooden swords at each other without pause.
What would it have been like with real blades?
Rachel found herself entertaining that thought. With real swords, it would have been truly spectacular. Though what she was watching now was remarkable enough.
Crack.
Just when it seemed the match would never reach a conclusion, Henry’s wooden sword shattered in two.
“Wow! The Crown Prince has won!!!”
The children shrieked, crying out “Crown Prince! Crown Prince!” over and over.
The atmosphere bordered on frenzy. It was the kind of moment when accidents always happened. Rachel struggled to calm the children down.
“Everyone, back to your seats!”
Rachel ordered the children to sit, but instead they rushed toward Lucas, pelting him with questions as if possessed.
“Could you beat a dragon?”
“Who have you fought? Have you fought the Emperor himself?”
“Could you beat two teachers at once?”
How could they ask such childish questions? Rachel shook her head in dismay.
This was disrespectful to Lucas as well. She was about to insist once more, please, that the children return to their seats—
“It seems you’re all curious about who I’ve crossed swords with.”
When Lucas spoke.

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