Chapter 15
“Your Grace, I’m Kana de Glaysia. May I come in?”
“Yes, come in. And please feel free to call me Kana, or simply ‘the tutor.’ You can speak comfortably with me.”
“Ah, thank you for being so considerate~”
I smiled at Kaide’s words and nodded.
I hadn’t expected him to be so considerate, so it made me quite happy. But it also struck me that Kaide was kinder than I’d imagined.
If someone more capable than me had originally been meant to become Aiden’s tutor in this world...
If that was why Aiden later became such a kind person, could I truly fulfill that role?
In the end, I was only human. Wasn’t I being too arrogant just because I knew a little about a world other than this one?
That anxiety swept over me, if only for a moment.
“Miss Kana, what are you thinking about so intently? I’d very much like to hear your impression of your first conversation with him.”
“...Ah, it wasn’t anything important. Just... a moment of hesitation.”
“Hesitation... What is it that you’re hesitating over? Since you’ll be staying here from today on, I think it’s best to make sure there are no problems.”
“Um... I was just wondering how I could get the young master to open up to me... and how I should clear up the misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding? Has some sort of misunderstanding come up?”
At Kaide’s question, I hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“Well... Didn’t the young master go out at night a few days ago?”
“Ah, if you mean what happened last week... That was about a week ago. Did you happen to meet him then?”
“Ah, well... The young master was climbing along the inn wall to evade the guards pursuing him, and was trying to climb in through the window of the second-floor room where I was staying, so I pulled him up because it seemed dangerous.”
Of course, I didn’t want to go into any more detail, since I couldn’t bring myself to repeat what I’d heard then, so I left it at saying that something like that had happened.
It seemed Aiden had mistaken me for someone up to no good based on my clothes and behavior that night.
“Hmm... But what misunderstanding came up? In that case, you saved him when he was putting himself in danger.”
“Well... he seems to think I’m the kind of person who just lets people into my room, and he even suspects I came here because of you, Your Grace. I can understand why he’d think that, of course, but the problem is how to prove otherwise.”
Since I’d be talking with Aiden naturally while staying here, the misunderstanding would probably clear up eventually. The question was how to put it right.
“...I’m sorry. Aiden was very fond of the Grand Duchess, and her sudden departure must have hurt him.”
“...I-I don’t want you to apologize for something like that. I don’t know all the details, but I don’t think it was anyone’s fault. I just... I’m going to show him that, just as Your Grace can remain kind despite carrying that wound, the young master can change that way, too.”
In the end, my goal was for Aiden to live with a kindness like Kaide’s in his heart, even if the two of them didn’t end up with exactly the same personality.
“Well, if that’s what you think, I’m glad I chose you as his tutor, Miss Kana. There’s just one thing I’d like to tell you.”
“One thing... What is it you’d like to tell me, Your Grace?”
Wondering what Kaide wanted to tell me, I watched him quietly take a sip of water before he spoke.
“First, about etiquette lessons... Aiden has actually already received instruction in proper manners.”
“...In that case, what kind of etiquette and manners instruction are you hoping I’ll give him? If he already knows it all perfectly, that means there’s nothing for me to do regarding etiquette and manners.”
And that would mean the five days I’d spent studying noble etiquette had been pointless. More than that, I wanted to ask what purpose I served here.
“What I want from you, Miss Kana, isn’t instruction in superficial, outward forms of etiquette. The position and direction of your right hand when greeting someone, or the angle of your legs, are things that can be considered polite as long as you get the form right.”
Then, as if to explain his own thoughts and reaffirm my purpose here, Kaide looked at me and continued.
“But although Aiden has no problems with those superficial, conventional rules of etiquette, I hope he’ll learn the more human kind of courtesy that keeps people from hurting each other’s feelings when they meet and talk.”
“...You want the young master to learn not just manners in his outward actions, but courtesy in his emotions and words?”
“That’s right. So the etiquette lessons I want you to give aren’t simply about how to bow or greet someone. I hope that, through various conversations with Aiden, my son will naturally learn to be considerate of others.”
“...In other words, rather than teaching him etiquette through simple rote instruction, you hope that through natural, everyday conversations, he’ll develop kindness and consideration for others?”
At my words, Kaide smiled and nodded as if to say I was right.
“That’s right. I have a strong feeling that Aiden will open his heart to you before long, Miss Kana.”
After saying this, he thought for a moment, then slowly looked at me and spoke.
“You’re right between Aiden and me in age, and you’re a good person with no personal stake in this. Someone like you came here of your own accord, and I can only consider myself lucky.”
“Um... If you say that, I’ll do my best to live up to your expectations. I also hope the young master can get along well with other people as he lives among them.”
And though I couldn’t say it here, I kept the words pressed down inside me...
If possible, I wanted to grow as close to him as I could and shape him into the person I knew, so I could achieve the ideal I was hoping for.
I didn’t want to die, and more than anything, I desperately wanted to live.
I was the only one who knew how I would meet my death in this world, which made me feel all the more strongly about it.
In any case, the life I dreamed of for myself was a peaceful one.
A life where I hurt no one, and simply protected the snowy North as its Guardian Dragon.
A life where I sometimes came down to Karts to watch the humans, and occasionally visited other regions to give myself a little rest.
I hoped I could live through days as peaceful as that.
And I knew better than anyone what problems I would have to resolve to live that way.
“If that’s how you feel, I have no doubt you’ll do well. At least, if I’m not mistaken, you’re certainly someone who can help Aiden understand kindness.”
I nodded at Kaide’s words and began sorting out my thoughts. Before I knew it, Kaide had walked over beside me.
“Miss Kana, you seem to have a lot on your mind. Don’t think too hard about it; why don’t you get some rest today?”
“Um... I suppose I should. By the way, will I be eating... here?”
“Haha... Of course. As I said earlier, we provide room and board. You’re staying here, so that’s only natural.”
Kaide smiled as he answered my question.
Somehow, his expression was warm, with a hint of a wry smile. Still, there was no harm in checking.
However, there was one thing I needed to let him know in advance, so I cautiously approached and asked him.
“Um... Your Grace, I eat quite a lot... Is that all right?”
“Pfft... That doesn’t matter~ No one will say anything if you eat a lot. In fact, I’d be relieved if you enjoyed the food. At least that means it suits your taste.”
The Grand Duke seemed quite pleased to welcome me as both a guest and a tutor, so I gratefully nodded and smiled.
For today, I just had to make myself comfortable.
“Oh, and as for your role as a tutor, you’ll probably speak more often with the head maid or Mr. Miguel than with me. You can think of it as something like a parental role: comfortably having everyday conversations with Aiden.”
“A parent... When you put it that way, it makes me less confident, but... I’ll do my best. I think I can manage a familial role.”
That’s right. I’d be better suited to being like an older brother to Aiden than a father.
Thinking it would work out somehow, I got to my feet and followed Kaide out of the reception room.