The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 64

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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 64
Katie’s face had flushed crimson. It was clear that being attacked had angered her greatly. But Rachel paid her no mind.
“At last you’ve come.”
The Empress stroked her belly as she spoke. Rachel glanced around the room. Already, five or six noblewomen were seated beside the Empress. Their eyes gleamed with unmistakable hostility.
“Sit.”
The Empress gestured to Rachel and Katie. Katie settled herself beside the Empress as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“It seems you’ve brought something for me.”
The Empress smiled at Rachel—a smile so unsettling that Rachel felt her pulse quicken.
“Yes, Your Majesty. This is my Prenatal Gift for you.”
A lady-in-waiting carried the gift box that Rachel offered forward to the Empress.
“What have you prepared?”
“A nutritional supplement for the eyes.”
“A nutritional supplement for the eyes?”
“Yes. Please open it and see.”
Rachel spoke with an affectionate smile. The Empress, seeming not to understand, slowly opened the gift box.
“This is a book, is it not?”
The Empress frowned upon examining its contents, her expression suggesting she thought this some sort of jest.
“I believe no substance nourishes quite like a book—far more than any food-based supplement. And this book is quite extraordinary.”
Perhaps calling it extraordinary was an exaggeration. Yet Rachel had confidence in the book she had crafted with her own hands.
“If you open it, I think you’ll change your mind.”
Rachel spoke to the Empress, who then opened the book with a rigid expression.
“…Oh?”
And a small gasp escaped the Empress’s lips almost involuntarily.
‘Perfect!’
Katie, peering at the book from beside her, could not hide her astonishment either.
And no wonder. What Rachel had brought was a Pop-up Book—her graduation work from the Education University.
As a graduate of the Art Education Department, she had created a Pop-up Book for her graduation exhibition. The Pop-up Book, which she had labored over for six months, had drawn considerable attention at the exhibition, and through it she had become highly skilled in Pop-up Book Creation.
To Rachel’s knowledge, the Empire’s collection of books lacked diversity. Of course, Pop-up Books did not exist here at all.
Rachel had calculated precisely this. Not food, but something to capture the Empress’s gaze and allow her to make her case. And so she had crafted the Pop-up Book as quickly as possible. Specifically—
“Later, when teaching the Crown Prince his letters, Your Majesty, you may use this book.”
She had filled it with content related to learning characters.
“Hmm….”
The Empress spoke after examining the entire book.
“This is not what I expected… but, well, it is not displeasing.”
Excellent.
Considering the Empress’s hostility toward her, it was the highest praise imaginable. Thinking she had surmounted this hurdle, Rachel released a silent sigh of relief.
Thus she managed to evade the Empress’s sharp thrust, if only barely.
* * *
‘I managed to get through this time, but what will I do if she attacks again next time?’
As Rachel left the Empress’s Palace, worry consumed her. She had captivated the Empress with the Pop-up Book this time, but she had no idea what to do if the next assault came.
‘Worrying won’t solve anything, but still…’
Rachel clenched the hem of her dress and narrowed her eyes.
‘Perhaps a walk would help.’
Instead of returning to her quarters, Rachel decided to take a stroll.
“Rachel.”
And it was none other than Lucas who appeared before her.
“Lucas!”
Running into Lucas was always a welcome sight. Rachel beamed at him.
“I heard you’d been to the Empress’s Palace.”
Somehow he knew where she had been.
“Yes. I’m just returning from there.”
“Was there any trouble?”
“If I said there wasn’t, I’d be lying….”
Rachel opened up honestly to Lucas about what had happened. The Empress’s request for a Prenatal Gift and the Pop-up Book she had prepared. Having explained everything, Rachel smiled awkwardly.
“If I had suggested you ask for my help, you would have said you were fine, wouldn’t you?”
Lucas understood Rachel well. After he finished speaking, he looked at her with warm eyes.
“I want to solve my problems on my own, as much as I’m able. Now that I’ve entered the Imperial Palace, I mean.”
Rachel spoke with quiet conviction. Lucas smiled at her.
“I came to tell you something you’ve been waiting to hear. Instead, I find myself hearing something good from you.”
“Something I’ve been waiting to hear?”
What was it I’ve been waiting for? Rachel looked puzzled at his words.
“Word came that the woodblock printing for the textbook you sent me a while ago has been completed.”
“Really?!”
Rachel covered her mouth, unable to contain her delight.
“The skilled craftsmen accelerated their work, which made it possible. Of course, your efforts have been considerable too. In any case, it’s worked out well.”
Rachel couldn’t hide her joy. Universal Education had just taken another step forward. If she and Lucas had been very close, she might have thrown her arms around him.
“Rachel.”
“Yes, Lucas!”
Rachel answered in a bright voice.
“I say this because there are many eyes watching.”
Lucas had begun speaking somewhat abruptly. Rachel tilted her head in confusion and looked up at him.
“May I embrace you once?”
“What?!”
Rachel was taken aback. She stared at Lucas blankly. Though Lucas himself wore an entirely composed expression.
“Once will be enough.”
Lucas opened his arms. Rachel glanced around. As he’d said, many eyes were upon them. What was his intention in wanting to hold her in such a setting?
‘Perhaps it’s a warning meant for Katie.’
If Lucas had a plan, she was willing to go along with it. Rachel carefully stepped into his embrace.
‘…It’s so warm.’
She hadn’t been held by anyone but her parents since early childhood. Perhaps that was why his warmth felt so overwhelmingly tender. Enough to make the gaze of others fade from her awareness.
Cradled in his arms, time seemed to stop. Even as she wondered if Lucas had some particular intention, Rachel found herself smiling softly.
Unaware that Lucas hadn’t asked for the embrace to display to Katie, but had made an impulsive gesture driven by genuine affection for her.
* * *
“Teacher!”
Noah burst into the room. Rachel opened her arms to welcome him.
“Noah! How have you been?”
Rachel asked, gently stroking his hair.
“Great! Very well!”
Noah’s expression was bright. Rachel considered that half the battle won and patted his back reassuringly.
“When I first came to the Imperial Palace, I sometimes got headaches, but that’s better now.”
“Is it?”
“I didn’t realize it until now, but I think I’ve started to feel more comfortable at school.”
Noah spoke honestly. His words lifted Rachel’s spirits. That the school had come to mean so much to him was a source of genuine joy.
“But Noah isn’t studying. He just keeps writing strange things.”
Theo promptly tattled on Noah’s behavior. Noah’s eyes narrowed at him in response.
“Writing something down is a good thing. I’m so curious what kind of content our Noah has been recording.”
It wasn’t as though he’d shown particular interest in writing before. What could he be composing? Her curiosity was unmistakable.
Rachel smiled with her eyes narrowed. Then Noah hesitantly set down the notebook he’d been holding.
“Did you write in this one?”
“Yes, though there isn’t much yet. Just… things like this.”
Noah opened the notebook. Inside were numerous passages neatly organized in Noah’s handwriting.
Clusters of text connecting branches to one another all pointed toward a single source: memories from the Swan Knights School.
“You’ve organized things that happened with your friends?”
“Yes, because everything that happened at school was so much fun.”
Rachel was grateful his school memories had remained positive. She stroked his hair and turned the page.
“Is this a drawing?”
“Yes… I tried to draw my friends’ faces.”
She hadn’t realized Noah possessed such talent for drawing. Rachel’s eyes widened in surprise, and Noah looked away shyly.
“This part doesn’t seem to be about things that happened at our school?”
“Those are just things I imagined. Like, ‘What if something like that had happened?’ That kind of imagining.”
In the section Rachel had pointed out were stories any child would find captivating: traveling by flying machine, breaking wild horses. That Noah possessed such imagination was something she truly hadn’t known.
“I think it would be interesting if you wove the real stories from school and the imaginary ones together into one longer piece.”
“A longer piece?”
“Yes. Like a novel.”
Rachel looked at Noah and spoke.

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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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