The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 26

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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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Episode 26
Could she really take that hand?
Rachel bit her lip hard. No matter how she turned it over in her mind, her own abilities weren’t enough to buy the children what they wanted.
‘But then again…’
Was it truly right to hold out her hand to the crown prince just to buy the children gifts?
If she was being honest, it felt shameful—like advertising the limits of her own competence.
“I think I know what you’re thinking.”
“Pardon?”
“You believe your abilities are insufficient. That’s what troubles you.”
Lucas smiled as though he’d read straight into her mind.
At his words, Rachel’s cheeks flushed. Then Lucas extended his hand to her again.
“I lack the ability to see my siblings clearly, and you can fill that gap—doesn’t that make us a good partnership?”
Lucas offered Rachel the word: cooperation. Not a one-sided helping hand, but an equal relationship sustained through mutual effort. That was the situation he was proposing.
He had taken care to preserve her self-respect, and she was deeply grateful for it.
Despite having no right to be proud, here he was, showing her such consideration. Guilt kept welling up inside her.
“Thank you for those kind words.”
Rachel barely contained the surge of emotion and offered her thanks. Then she took his hand, pouring all her sincerity into the clasp.
“Shall we go? To buy gifts for the children.”
Lucas led Rachel forward.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Rachel found herself smiling broadly.
* * *
“Miss, where are you headed?”
As always, Henry was quick to notice. She’d tried to slip out quietly, but he caught her at once, asking where she was going.
“Ah… well… I’m going out to buy gifts for the children for Children’s Day.”
“Children’s Day gifts?”
“Yes. It’s not far off now.”
“You could go with me instead…”
Henry’s face fell visibly. And understandably so—standing beside Rachel was none other than the crown prince.
Henry knew well enough that he fell short of Crown Prince Lucas in many ways. So he held his tongue, unable to voice what he truly felt.
‘I’m sorry, Henry…’
Guilt kept rising in her chest. She knew how much he cared for her.
But allowing someone who harbored feelings for her to do favors, dangling false hope—that was cruel too.
Every time she saw Henry, it was hard to hide her unease. She had no idea what would hurt him less.
“Let’s go.”
Lucas spoke to Rachel, who stood lost in thought. She snapped back to awareness and hurried after him. It was time to buy the gift she’d been anticipating—and worrying over—for so long.
“What?”
As Rachel stepped outside, she couldn’t hide her surprise. She’d assumed they’d take a carriage.
But what met her eyes was a horse—none other than the Steed that Lucas rode.
“Surely you don’t mean…”
“Why take a carriage when it’s just the two of us? There’s no reason.”
Rachel’s eyes widened as she looked at Lucas.
“I don’t know how to ride properly, though?”
“I’ll hold you steady. What’s there to worry about?”
Lucas answered lightly. With a bright smile, he lifted her effortlessly onto the saddle, then swung up behind her.
His thick arm suddenly came around her waist, and Rachel couldn’t help but start in alarm.
‘Is this… is this how it’s normally done?’
She’d ridden a horse once during a school field trip in her past life—barely five minutes—and the instructor beside her hadn’t gripped her waist like this.
‘Maybe it’s different in this world.’
Setting aside her doubts, Rachel gripped the reins lightly as Lucas instructed.
“Have you ridden before?”
“A few times.”
“That puts my mind at ease a little.”
Lucas gave a soft signal and began to move the horse. Rachel tried hard to look composed, keeping her spine rigid to hide how nervous she was.
She didn’t want to show alarm at the horse’s pace. But her composure didn’t last long—as the horse picked up speed beyond the flat ground, she bit back a cry and desperately grabbed hold of Lucas’s forearm.
“Should I slow down?”
“N-no, it’s fine—aaah!”
When the horse suddenly bounded into the air to avoid a rock, a sharp squeal burst from Rachel’s lips before she could stop it.
A low chuckle rumbled from behind her head.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Saying so, Lucas pulled her waist closer, his grip firm. Her back pressed flush against his solid chest, and Rachel’s entire awareness suddenly centered there, her heart thundering as though it had relocated to her spine.
How long had they ridden? As the horse neared the bustling heart of Je Do, it began to slow its pace. Only then did Rachel have the leisure to take in her surroundings.
“Oh….”
Children covered in dust from the roadside, running and playing without purpose, finally came into view.
At this hour, the students of Swan Knight Academy would be sitting comfortably in their classrooms. Yet these street urchins here were simply playing with abandon, left to their own devices, with no direction or purpose.
‘They look well over ten years old, at least.’
Children of that age ought to be receiving basic education. Yet of course, this world possessed no concept of public education whatsoever.
Only children from wealthy families were tutored by expensive private instructors. As a result, ordinary commoner children could not even dream of such a luxury. They simply squandered their youth meaninglessly on the streets.
‘I wasn’t ignorant of this fact, but….’
She knew well that the Empire had no system of public education. Yet knowing it in her mind and witnessing children actually abandoned on the streets were shocks of entirely different magnitudes.
“Wow! Rich people!”
One of the ragged children pointed at Rachel and Lucas with a thin finger. Rachel gazed at them with bitter eyes.
“Miss, are you rich? Do you know how to read?”
A small child from the group approached cautiously and asked. Rachel nodded almost reflexively.
“Then could you read this for us? Our mother and father don’t know what’s written here.”
The child fumbled urgently through a tattered pocket. From it emerged a small hand clutching a letter, its surface creased and worn.
What could this letter be, carried so carefully all this while? Rachel took the paper from the child and unfolded it.
[We regret to inform you of sorrowful news. Your eldest son, Bision, who enlisted three months ago, has lost his life in an unfortunate accident caused by a Demon Beast that appeared suddenly. We offer our condolences for the deceased.]
“What does it say? It’s good news, right?”
The child asked with sparkling eyes, innocent and hopeful.
But neither Rachel nor Lucas could offer any answer. Only silence.
“This letter arrived several days ago, but there’s no one in our neighborhood who can read. So I’ve been waiting all day, hoping a learned person like you would pass by.”
“…What’s your name?”
“I’m Ello.”
The boy who introduced himself as Ello grinned bashfully, his smile revealing gaps where his front teeth should have been. The sight of that guileless, endearing smile drove a sharp pain through Rachel’s chest.
‘I can’t tell him this news. Not through the mouth of a child.’
Rachel steeled her resolve. Though she said nothing, Lucas clearly shared her thought.
“Ello, the contents of this letter are very important, so… I think I ought to visit your parents directly and tell them myself. Would it be alright if I came to your home with you?”
“Really? If you and the mister come to our house, Mother and Father will be so happy!”
Ello bounced excitedly and broke into a bright smile again. Rachel swallowed a deep sigh where the boy couldn’t see. Her head throbbed.
The two dismounted and followed Ello quietly to his home. The boy darted here and there, eager to boast to his neighbors about Rachel and Lucas as though they were distinguished guests.
Knock-knock.
When they finally reached the wooden gate, Lucas rapped upon it. The door opened, and a gaunt man and woman who bore a striking resemblance to Ello emerged.
“Who might you be…?”
Ello’s parents widened their eyes at the fine clothes of Rachel and Lucas, making no effort to hide their wariness and suspicion.
“Hello. My name is Rachel Swan. I’ve come rather rudely to inform you personally of the contents of a letter that arrived at your home several days ago.”
Rachel drew a deep breath and opened her mouth.
To tell these wretched parents of the death of their eldest son, Bision, whom they had waited for so long.

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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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