The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 35

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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 35
“Theo! Theo!”
Noah rapped sharply on Theo’s door. But there was no sound from within—not a trace of movement. Perhaps he was somewhere else entirely.
Noah hurried down the stairs.
“Noah?”
Rachel’s voice reached his ears. Noah stopped mid-stride and turned around reflexively.
“Is something the matter? You look rushed.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Noah shook his head. Yet Rachel could read the anxiety written plainly across his face.
“Is it something difficult to tell me?”
Rachel asked carefully. At that, Noah’s easy stride stiffened.
“Um, actually… I was hoping to talk with you first. Is that all right?”
…….
“Where were you headed just now?”
“The b-bathroom! Really!”
That was what came from Noah’s mouth—the bathroom. By his own measure, it was the most plausible excuse he could muster.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed. No matter how she looked at it, Noah was clearly lying.
“I’m serious, really! I’m in a real hurry! I’ll go now!”
Noah bolted down the stairs. Rachel watched his retreating back intently.
Something was definitely off about all this. Decidedly so.
Even as Noah felt Rachel’s gaze following him, he continued downward, deeper into the house. Finding Theo was urgent business.
“Theo! Theo!”
Noah hurried into the Garden, searching for his brother. But Theo was nowhere to be found.
Noah’s hands clenched unconsciously. Here was a serious matter, and his elder brother was off doing who knew what.
‘I have to find him quickly.’
Noah searched frantically for some time. Then a familiar silhouette came into view.
“Theo!”
Noah called out loudly and hurried toward him. Theo, who had been joking around with friends, scratched his head in bewilderment.
“Theo! Come over here, quick!”
Noah dragged Theo off to a secluded corner. His brother, who’d been having fun with his friends, furrowed his brow.
“What is it you’re so desperate to tell me? Why are you bothering me like this?!”
“Listen carefully.”
Noah, looking gravely serious, leaned close to Theo’s ear.
“I think Lucas is trying to become a Commoner.”
“What?”
Theo stared at him as though Noah had lost his mind. Even under that piercing gaze, Noah didn’t flinch.
“Think about it, Theo. Why else would Lucas stay at this School, experiencing the life of a Commoner? He’s following the same path as Princess Ellie did sixty years ago.”
Noah possessed a certain logic in his mind, though he was still too young to articulate it properly.
“What are you talking about?”
Theo let out a hollow laugh.
“Princess Ellie did what she did because she had someone she loved. There’s no reason for Lucas to become a Commoner.”
“The fact that he’s here at this School is proof!”
“You’re spouting nonsense. Look, I’ve got friends waiting for me. Go on your way.”
Theo waved his hand dismissively and turned away irritably. Beneath the great spreading tree, Noah stood alone.
‘Why is Theo so thick-headed!’
Noah’s frustration burned on.
No matter how he looked at it, Lucas seemed to be stepping down a dangerous path, yet his second brother showed no concern. This was a serious matter that affected the Royal Family’s very fate.
‘Should I talk to Rachel?’
Betrayed by Theo, the one he’d trusted most, Noah now thought of Rachel. Most difficult problems seemed to resolve themselves once he sought her counsel.
‘That’s it. It’s a matter of the Royal Family, yes, but I shouldn’t try to solve it alone. I should ask for help.’
Perhaps because Noah had built considerable trust with her over time, Rachel had become his next most reliable person.
Until just moments ago, Noah had been reluctant to confide in Rachel. But having lost Theo as an option, he quickly changed his mind.
‘I should go right now.’
Noah dashed back into the Mansion. His footsteps carried an unmistakable urgency.
The path to the Principal’s Office was short. The Mansion wasn’t especially large, and Noah ran at full speed.
Standing before the Principal’s Office, Noah drew a deep breath. Then he knocked—tap, tap.
“Rachel!”
Noah called out loudly. The firmly closed door opened, and Rachel appeared in the gap.
“Noah. Come inside.”
Rachel ushered him in warmly. Though Noah had visited the Principal’s Office several times before, his mind now went completely blank.
‘What if Rachel doesn’t believe me either, just like Theo?’
Cold sweat trickled down Noah’s back. Rachel noticed his state and offered him a cool glass of water.
“Would you like some water? You seem a bit tense.”
Noah drank the water quickly, then settled onto the familiar sofa—the same place he always sat whenever he was scolded or received counseling.
“Well, I’m ready to listen. Are you ready to talk?”
“Yes….”
Noah set down the glass and drew a deep breath.
“Teacher, I have something that’s been bothering me. It’s not a small worry—it’s a very big one!”
“What kind of worry could make you this nervous?”
“Well, it’s….”
Noah fidgeted with his hands clasped in front of him. Though his frustration was understandable, Rachel waited with patience.
“No matter how much I think about it…, Lucas seems to want to become a commoner.”
Noah let out a sigh and unburdened himself of his worry, then searched Rachel’s face for her reaction.
He was deeply anxious that she might think he was saying something strange.
“Hmm…, the Crown Prince wants to become a commoner?”
“Yes! That’s exactly it!”
Rachel’s expression was far more serious than Theo’s had been. Now it felt like she was actually listening. Noah nodded vigorously and opened his mouth again.
“Lucas keeps doing things that commoners do.”
“For instance?”
“Like buying things at the General Store, or helping with farm work.”
Noah was utterly earnest. He had to be. Only if he explained properly could he convince Rachel.
He hadn’t succeeded in persuading Theo, and he couldn’t afford to lose this chance.
“Hmm, I suppose that’s one way to look at it.”
Fortunately, Rachel nodded and listened carefully to what Noah had to say.
“And him being here at school too! He’s the Crown Prince, so he should have so much work to do! He’s supposed to be working at the Imperial Palace, but he’s just staying here at school! That’s so suspicious!”
In truth, Rachel herself had harbored doubts about that very point. Towering stacks of documents arrived at Lucas’s desk every single day.
He processed them even by stealing time to breathe. Had he actually conducted his duties at the Imperial Palace, it surely would have been better than remaining unprepared at the school.
Yet his wish to become a commoner was something entirely different. He fulfilled the Crown Prince’s duties more faithfully than anyone. No one devoted themselves to the Crown Prince’s role with greater dedication than he.
Besides, Lucas’s “commoner experience” had been for the sake of his younger siblings. Rachel was aware of this.
‘How should I explain this?’
Noah was already trapped in his own convictions, and she found it difficult to persuade him otherwise. But if she left it as it was, his thoughts would only harden further.
“I’m so afraid he might leave, just like Princess Ellie did.”
The very thought terrified him. Noah’s voice trembled with tears. Rachel quickly rose from her seat and moved to his side, then took his hand firmly in hers.
“Noah, Lucas cares for both of you more than anyone else. Him staying at school, him doing the work of commoners—it’s all to take good care of you.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Noah, I understand your fear, but won’t you listen to what your teacher has to say? His Highness the Crown Prince would never abandon that position.”
“You don’t know Lucas well at all!”
In that moment, Noah’s thoughts swung to an extreme, and he pulled his hand away from Rachel’s.

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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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