The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 60

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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 60
“Brother.”
Noah called out to Theo.
“What?”
“Isn’t this kind of fun? This assignment the teacher gave us.”
Noah spoke with a bright smile, addressing Theo.
“I admit it’s been entertaining. I like the idea of helping the teacher, actually.”
The two boys were completing Rachel’s requested tasks one by one, as if engaged in some amusing game.
“But brother.”
“Hmm?”
“Wouldn’t we finish this faster if we did it together with our friends?”
Ordinarily, Noah showed little interest in friendships. Yet here he was, the first to bring up the idea. Not only the nursemaid standing nearby, but even Theo could not hide his surprise.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I mean it.”
“You want to invite all the friends from Swan Knights School?”
“If even one person is left out, they might feel hurt.”
Both Theo and Noah were troublemakers, though they differed greatly in scale. Theo was forever egging his friends into mischief, while Noah tended to cause upheaval on his own.
The reason Noah preferred to act alone was simple: he disliked making friends.
‘Noah’s changed quite a bit.’
His older brother Theo studied Noah carefully from every angle. This didn’t seem like a bout of illness or bad food. His younger brother had sought out friendship of his own accord.
The grandparents’ greatest worry had always been Noah’s social withdrawal. That it was slowly beginning to resolve made Theo’s heart soar.
“You’re right. Let’s invite everyone.”
Theo sprang to his feet at once. When Noah made up his mind like this, Theo wanted to push forward with whatever it was.
A day passed, and the next morning arrived. Both Theo and Noah had worked late into the night on Rachel’s tasks, so they greeted a slightly belated dawn.
In that half-awake haze of washing up, familiar voices began to drift in.
“Theo, Noah! Where are you?! How’ve you been?!”
“Eckard, you can’t speak like that. You need to be more formal. This is the Imperial Palace, after all.”
“Imperial Palace or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Theo and Noah are our friends.”
The friends exchanged opinions and made their way through various conversations. Theo and Noah hastily opened the door.
“You came this early?!”
“Look, it’s Theo and Noah!”
Roca, Eckard, Mare, Chase, and Kana—five friends gazed upon the two boys at once, then rushed forward and embraced them.
“We missed you so much!”
“Me too!”
Even Mare and Noah, who had once fought bitterly, exchanged a brief glance before smiling and shaking hands.
“It’s really good to see you.”
“Same here. But why did you call us? You didn’t even explain why.”
“Well… would you come inside first?”
Theo ushered his friends into the palace. The bewildered group followed at once.
“Wow, are you two studying?”
Chase could not hide his astonishment. And for good reason—the table was piled high with papers filled with notes for the assignment Rachel had requested.
“This is why we called you.”
“Don’t tell me… you want us to study together…?”
Roca’s expression grew serious.
“No, no, absolutely not studying.”
Theo waved his hands emphatically in denial.
“But this is literally studying.”
“Actually, we’re helping someone else study.”
“Helping someone else study?”
Kana’s eyes narrowed slightly at Noah’s words.
“Explain in detail. Then it’ll make sense.”
Chase urged them on, his eyes wide.
“This is something the teacher asked us to do. She’s trying to create a book so commoners can learn to read.”
“So commoners can learn to read…?”
Mare repeated the words as if unable to believe them.
“That’s right. When the teacher first taught us, she asked what parts were difficult. She wants to make the book easier to understand.”
“If not just the two of us, but all our friends from Swan Knights School work together, we can create something even better.”
Noah spoke with quiet conviction.
“I’m for it.”
Mare spoke up immediately.
“I come from a wealthy family, so studying was easier for me. But I know all too well that not every commoner is in my position. As someone born a commoner myself, I want to help with what you’re doing.”
“I’d like to help with your work too.”
Roca voiced her agreement as well.
“Does anyone object?”
Theo asked.
Fortunately, no one among the gathered friends had any objection.
“Then I’ll explain how to help me. Go home, write it all down in detail, and send it to me.”
“Yes. Let’s do that.”
The students of Swan Knights School beamed at one another. Helping their teacher felt like nothing but joy.
The friends, meeting for the first time in a while, exchanged stories. They recalled many events from their school days, some of which made them blush with mild embarrassment. Yet soon enough, they each departed for their own homes.
And Chase, who was ordinarily careless about such things, never knew. He had dropped the paper containing Rachel’s request in the Imperial Palace Garden.
The paper with Rachel’s name and her written request fluttered through the air until it came to rest at someone’s feet. He picked it up.
How fortunate it would have been had it landed near the Crown Prince Lucas, or the princes Theo and Noah. Unfortunately, the one who found it was a lady-in-waiting from the Empress Consort’s Palace. She hurried straight to the Empress Consort.
“Your Majesty, please look at this.”
“What is it?”
“It is Miss Rachel Swan’s weakness, Your Majesty.”
“Rachel Swan’s weakness?”
At those words, a smile played across the Empress Consort’s face.
“Give it to me at once.”
The lady-in-waiting handed the paper to the Empress Consort. Her expression darkened with each passing moment as she quickly unfolded it.
“Rachel Swan. I said it before—she has no breeding. Now it seems she’s lost her mind entirely.”
The Empress Consort took pride in her nobility and her status as a member of the imperial family more than anyone else. To her, the idea of educating commoners in letters was unthinkable.
“I cannot let this stand as it is. I must inform the Emperor at once.”
“Your Majesty, if you might reconsider…”
The lady-in-waiting standing nearby began to whisper urgently in the Empress Consort’s ear. As she did, a sinister expression crept across the Empress Consort’s face.
“I must meet with Rachel Swan immediately. Prepare a room.”
The Empress Consort’s arrow was aimed directly at Rachel.
* * *
“What? The Empress Consort wishes to meet with me?”
“Yes, so it is said.”
The mere fact that the Empress Consort wanted to see her struck Rachel as ominous. She bit down hard on her lip. Something had clearly gone wrong.
She rose from her seat to make her way to the Empress Consort’s Palace. With each step she took into the Empress Consort’s Palace Garden, she felt the eyes of attendants and ladies-in-waiting upon her.
“Your Majesty, Miss Rachel Swan has arrived.”
The door opened and Rachel entered. The Empress Consort stroked her swollen belly with a serene smile.
‘This is not someone who would smile at me like that.’
Rachel grew immediately wary of the Empress Consort.
“Miss Rachel Swan. Please, be seated.”
The Empress Consort extended a graceful invitation to sit. Rachel settled into her seat carefully, watching the Empress Consort’s expression closely.
“What is it you wished to see me about?”
“Well, do you have any idea?”
Could she have discovered what I’ve been doing? Rachel’s pupils trembled violently.
“Look at this, and you’ll understand why I summoned you.”
The Empress Consort handed her a sheet of paper. Rachel accepted it respectfully and unfolded it.
“……!”
Bad premonitions were never wrong. Just as she’d feared, the paper contained details related to the work of preparing textbooks for commoner children.
“From this alone, it seems you’re trying to teach writing to commoner children. Is that not the case?”
“…….”
“To undertake such work without the Emperor’s permission is itself unthinkable. Surely Lucas is involved in this as well.”
“The Crown Prince has nothing to do with this! This is something I have been doing alone!”
“You expect me to believe that? Miss Swan, I am not an ignorant fool.”
“It’s the truth! This is something I undertook by myself…”
“I have no intention of believing your words. However, I do have a proposal for you.”
The Empress Consort cut Rachel off abruptly.
“A proposal…?”
“It is a matter of considerable importance to me.”
The Empress Consort smiled gently. That smile held a venom she could not conceal.

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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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