The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 46

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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 46
‘If I’m being honest… I am grateful.’
Where else in life could she meet a man like Lucas? Someone of his caliber ought to be matched with a foreign princess, at the very least.
‘I really don’t understand it.’
No matter how many days she pondered it, the answer eluded her. Why did Crown Prince Lucas take an interest in her?
As Lucas pressed forward with his intentions—almost driving a wedge into certainty—Rachel offered an awkward smile.
“Theo and Noah sent a messenger bird. They wanted you to join me at the Imperial Summer Villa. Of course, I had the same thought.”
Rachel had no idea the messenger bird’s message would be about this. Her eyes widened in surprise, and Lucas extended his hand to her.
“Everything is prepared at the villa. Shall we depart?”
At Lucas’s words, Rachel placed her hand over his as if enchanted. In the same moment, he rose to his feet.
Riding in a carriage bearing the Imperial crest proved to be quite a novel experience.
Through the window, she glimpsed passersby gazing at the carriage with expressions of longing. Their stares weighed heavily on her.
“How much longer until we arrive?”
Rachel finally broke the silence.
“We should be there soon. Is something troubling you?”
“Not exactly… but the way people look at the carriage makes me feel strange.”
Rachel smiled uncomfortably. Understanding her sentiment, Lucas gently adjusted a strand of her hair. That smallest touch sent her heart into tumult.
“Were you planning to stay and guard the mansion alone this entire time?”
“Yes. That was my intention.”
“Wouldn’t you feel bitter, guarding the mansion while everyone else enjoys their summer holiday?”
“Well… I thought it might be pleasant in its own way. I could organize the school matters, organize my thoughts…”
“Organize your thoughts?”
“Yes…”
Rachel couldn’t bring herself to say that she’d been thinking about him. She turned her gaze away.
“Would it be all right if I asked what thoughts those were?”
Lucas posed the question, his voice carrying subtle anticipation.
“Ah, well…”
Rachel averted her eyes again. And at that fortunate moment, the carriage came to a halt.
“I suppose we’ve arrived.”
Eager to escape the moment, Rachel opened the door and stepped out before the attendant could even appear.
“Oh my…”
Before her eyes stood a villa of breathtaking splendor. Different in character from the Imperial Palace, the summer residence radiated its own distinctive magnificence.
Rachel gazed at it with a bright, delighted smile. Apart from any awkwardness with Lucas, her spirits had lifted considerably.
“It’s absolutely beautiful.”
The day was growing slightly warm. She’d been a little worried about perspiring, but remarkably, a cool breeze circulated around the villa grounds.
“There’s a valley in this region where ice freezes even in summer, I’m told.”
“Really?”
Rachel’s eyes widened as she turned to him. Lucas responded with a gentle smile.
“If you wish it, we can visit anytime. What do you say we go after lunch?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Rachel answered without hesitation. She’d never managed to visit an ice valley even back in Korea. The prospect of seeing one here was beyond anything she’d imagined.
“Have you traveled to other places before?”
“Not really, not much. That’s why going out like this feels so extraordinary to me.”
Rachel spoke her mind plainly. Lucas laughed lightly and guided her into the villa.
The interior was equally resplendent. Paintings hung throughout, and sculptures adorned the spaces between them.
With so much to captivate the eye, she hardly knew where to focus her gaze.
“Is this the dining area?”
Rachel asked cautiously as she followed Lucas. He nodded in confirmation.
“My goodness.”
Before her lay a terrace where a small Magical Fountain had been placed. Powered by a rare Magic Stone, the fountain now shimmered with radiant, prismatic light.
“It looks just like a place from a fairy tale.”
Rachel covered her mouth with one hand as she spoke. Lucas stepped to her side and placed his hand into the fountain. The water that touched his hand blazed with even brighter radiance.
“It uses such a precious Magic Stone that there’s something almost dreamlike about it.”
In Lucas’s eyes too, all of this was undeniably beautiful.
The meal itself proved utterly satisfying. The soft sound of water falling from the fountain wove together with the delicious food, sustaining the perfect atmosphere.
“You seem quite taken with the fountain.”
“Of course. It’s so lovely.”
Rachel continued to gaze at it as she spoke. Lucas turned to face her and opened his mouth.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if such beauty existed throughout the Empire? In the plazas of small villages, for instance?”
“It certainly would be. Everyone could enjoy this beauty then.”
“The mages of the Imperial Magic Tower these days have little interest in such matters. They’re far too preoccupied with maintaining their own positions.”
Lucas exhaled the words with a faint sigh.
“You always think of the Imperial Citizens, Your Highness.”
“I exist for their sake, after all.”
Did ordinary Crown Princes think this way? No matter how much one might say that position shapes a person, most would never truly entertain such thoughts. They grew arrogant at the mere fact of having climbed so high.
“Which is why I wish for you to enter the Imperial Palace with me.”
The conversation had circled back somewhat, but Lucas’s desire remained unchanged in the end—for Rachel to go to the Imperial Palace.
What was she to do about this? Rachel smiled awkwardly and dipped her hand into the Magical Fountain. The cool water tickled her skin.
“I still don’t understand….”
“Understand what?”
“Whether I’d truly be capable there. And whether the school could function without me.”
“I believe you turned down my proposal for the same reason before.”
“Yes, I did. Truth be told, my worries haven’t changed since then. I feel it’s right for me to stay beside the children.”
Of course, she had begun to consider graduating them recently. The children had grown enough to warrant such thoughts.
But after graduating those children, she planned to take in others. There were still so many children who needed her care.
“That is noble work, certainly. But I believe you’re capable of thriving in a much broader world.”
……
“The Rachel I know is more than worthy of it.”
Lucas spoke to persuade her. Had she been her former self, she would surely have waved her hand dismissively and protested—but Rachel had changed since then.
She had come to recognize that she was not entirely incompetent. And so she fell into contemplation.
“Should you change your mind, I welcome it at any time. I’ll always be waiting.”
“Yes, I’ll tell you if my mind changes.”
Rachel answered with a broad smile, her voice tinged with quiet conviction.
* * *
The sun set quickly. The sound of waves from the beach came as a gentle lullaby.
She sat on the sofa, gazing out at the view, then glanced toward Lucas. He was drinking tea without a word.
“Rachel.”
Perhaps he felt her gaze. Lucas called to her.
“Yes… Lucas.”
Startled, Rachel answered a beat late, and he smiled softly as he approached her side.
“This area is famous for its Summer Night Market. Would you like to visit?”
“A summer night market?”
“To clear your mind a bit. I think it wouldn’t be unpleasant.”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Rachel answered at once. With that, Lucas rose from his seat and extended his hand to her.
“If there’s a lovely necklace that suits you, I’d like to buy one for you.”
“A necklace?”
“Since you gave me the Brooch, it only seems fitting that I repay you with a necklace.”
At the word “Brooch,” Rachel’s face flushed. She had given the Brooch without thinking and had faced quite an awkward situation because of it.
“Shall we go?”
At Lucas’s words, Rachel stood at once. The prospect of going outside had become rather exciting.

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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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