The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 25

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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 25
Rachel and I were extremely close.
The words sounded utterly strange. Rachel’s pupils trembled without pause.
Regardless, Lucas extended his hand toward Rachel.
“Come.”
“Y-yes, yes!”
Rachel slowly lifted her hand and placed it over Lucas’s.
‘What is this….’
Feeling the warmth of Lucas’s hand, Rachel put pressure into her thumb. Beyond the fact that his hand was warm, she felt nothing else.
She was far too nervous for that.
Massaging her hand, she counted. One, ten, one hundred. By the time she reached one hundred, Lucas hadn’t moved an inch. He simply held his hand out, gazing steadily at Rachel.
Surely this would be enough…?
After deliberating for some time, Rachel quietly lifted her gaze. Lucas came into view.
“Is… is this much sufficient for you…?”
“As much as I’m satisfied with.”
As much as he’s satisfied with?
It wasn’t a matter of pain or no pain—his answer was somewhat peculiar.
Thinking he was hardly an ordinary person, Rachel smiled softly.
* * *
Children’s Day existed in the Empire as well. It was a day children eagerly awaited, and a day when toys sold more than ever.
Rachel made much of Children’s Day too. Since it was a holiday, she would decorate the classroom with balloons and hold candy parties the day before, making an effort to create joyful memories.
‘I wish I could celebrate Children’s Day for our students too.’
Rachel wracked her brains. She wondered how she could bring a Children’s Day atmosphere to the school.
‘First, I’ll need to buy gifts.’
No matter what, the highlight of Children’s Day was gifts. The children surely anticipated gifts in their hearts as well. Since each child had such a strong personality, they would all want different gifts.
Rachel carefully wrote down gifts she thought each child would want, earnestly hoping they would smile brightly when they received them.
“Miss!”
Kolo’s voice rang out. Rachel quickly rose from her seat and looked toward the door. Sure enough, Kolo’s hair was half disheveled.
“Chase has disappeared. It seems we’ll need your help too, Miss.”
“Right, I’ll come at once.”
Finding one child was nothing. Rachel quickly grabbed her sweatpants. Running in these would be more comfortable than a dress.
“Come on, let’s go find him!”
When she saw a child runaway like this, she sometimes found him annoying, but in the end always regarded him with affectionate eyes. It seemed her fate was to be a teacher, here and everywhere.
When Rachel returned to the Principal’s Office after finding Chase, she was rather startled.
None other than Lucas was there in the Principal’s Office.
What business could he possibly have here? Rachel’s face filled with questions.
“Lucas, did you sleep well last night?”
“Thanks to you.”
Lucas answered with what seemed like a genuine smile.
Rachel also smiled, crinkling her eyes. Lucas’s smile had a power that made people feel good.
“While I was waiting for you, I happened to see the children’s gift list.”
“Ah… you saw it?”
It was a hastily scrawled list, and knowing he’d seen it made her quite embarrassed. Rachel laughed sheepishly and glanced at Lucas sideways.
“No matter how I think about it, it seems difficult for you to prepare all that alone.”
“D-do you think so?”
“If you don’t mind, would you let me go with you?”
Rachel looked at the paper again. His words weren’t wrong.
Buying seven different gifts for seven different children was hardly a trivial task.
This wasn’t a world with mail delivery. She would have to go out and buy the items herself, and honestly, she wasn’t confident she could carry all seven gifts at once.
‘I was planning to go with Kolo….’
Kolo was ultimately the most convenient person to go with. If she suggested they go out together, he would certainly agree.
Yet she felt bad asking someone of his age to do such labor. Henry had the strength, certainly, but somehow asking him felt like she was inviting him on a date, as if she were creating false hope.
“If you would help, I would gratefully accept that help.”
After turning it over in her mind, she decided to accept his offer. It might turn out to be quite an interesting experience.
Rachel left the Principal’s Office and approached the children. Knowing that Children’s Day was approaching, the children were raising their voices, boasting about what gifts they had received.
“I got a boat.”
“A boat? Isn’t that too weak? I got a mansion.”
“I got a mountain? Three of them, actually.”
…….
Rachel was left speechless.
She found herself genuinely troubled by the thought of children who’d received such extraordinary gifts being satisfied with mere toys.
“Teacher, will you give us our Children’s Day presents?”
“Hm…?”
“We want to receive gifts!”
The children’s eyes sparkled with pure joy.
What was she going to do? Rachel felt her insides twist.
Whether or not the children sensed her distress, they began calling out one by one the things they wanted, their voices rising with excitement.
Rachel pressed her fingers to her forehead.
‘How am I supposed to buy gifts on the level of mansions and mountains? These children already have such expensive tastes.’
She found herself missing her students from her previous life, children who’d been delighted by a candy party. Only now did she fully grasp that she’d taken on a classroom of conglomerate heirs whose expectations transcended imagination.
“Well, yes. For now, just keep studying hard. We’ll talk about the Children’s Day gifts after that.”
Rachel smoothly defused the situation and quickly excused herself.
‘Boats, mansions, and mountains…’
These were certainly not the gifts ordinary children would receive. Rachel pressed her fingers to her forehead again.
She wanted to share this bewildering predicament with Kolo. With all his life experience, he seemed far more likely than she to have a reasonable answer.
“Kolo!”
Rachel searched urgently for the butler, but Kolo was nowhere to be found—only Henry appeared.
“Miss, is something the matter?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
She had no intention of burdening Henry with her concerns as well. Rachel offered an awkward smile and withdrew.
‘I wonder if my gifts will even register with these children.’
She was genuinely worried that they might reject her present out of sheer disappointment.
Rachel sighed deeply and settled onto the sofa in the Principal’s Office. Less than ten minutes had passed when a knock sounded at the door.
“Your expression doesn’t look good at all.”
Lucas entered and immediately noticed the change in Rachel’s demeanor. She rose from her seat with an awkward smile.
“It’s nothing.”
“Your face looks quite different from a moment ago, though.”
Lucas examined Rachel’s face from every angle.
‘Should I just tell him honestly?’
Rachel hesitated. Perhaps it would be right to lay bare her concerns and seek his counsel.
But the thought passed quickly, and she changed her mind.
‘If I tell him now, it’ll just sound like I’m asking to borrow money. I need to solve my own problems.’
She hardened her resolve completely.
“Are you perhaps troubled about the children’s gifts? If so, I could help you think it through.”
“What?”
“Those children have surely received quite valuable gifts every Children’s Day so far.”
“……”
“It can’t be easy to choose a gift for children like that.”
“…You’re right, Lucas.”
Caught, Rachel opened up honestly, explaining everything—the expensive gifts the children had received before, the budget limits she herself could manage.
Her thoughts tangled in confusion, and her troubled expression became impossible to hide.
“If you’re comfortable with it, I can handle the financial side of things.”
Rachel startled and waved her hand in protest.
“No, that’s not it! I want to do my best with what I can manage myself.”
“There’s no need to worry about it so much. We’re on the same team now, aren’t we?”
Lucas smiled gently, extending his hand toward her.

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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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