24-Hour Hoebinghwan Consultation Office Episode 26
“Mr. Cross.”
“Yes, Sir Peil.”
“He is His Highness the Crown Prince’s tutor, even if only temporarily. You must conduct yourself with proper etiquette.”
On the way to the Imperial Palace, Peil spoke as if warning him, and Cross silently nodded his head.
And he thought to himself.
‘For the Crown Prince’s knight to tell me to mind my manners toward the Count to this extent.’
Cross had not acted in any way that breached etiquette. Yet Peil had shown this attitude as a warning.
‘That means the Crown Prince holds this temporary tutor in very high regard.’
The Imperial Palace was already in an uproar over the Crown Prince, who had been hovering between life and death after a poisoning attempt and then awakened; somehow, it felt as though it would become noisy for yet another reason.
‘……Don’t care.’
Cross decided not to pay any more attention and to think only of what he had to do as an ‘errand runner.’
“……”
For a moment, his hand clenched for no reason.
He released the strength from his fist.
“By the way, Mr. Cross.”
“Yes.”
“Why is your cheek like that?”
“Ah, I bumped it against a door.”
Peil looked at Cross with a suspicious gaze.
Cross’s cheek was gradually turning red and swelling bit by bit.
Cross covered one cheek with his palm.
His cheek was hot. It made sense, since he had been struck so hard.
‘Hmm.’
He suddenly recalled the warmth he had felt in his hand earlier.
The warmth of Lora’s hand wrapped around his was different from the stinging yet hot sensation on his cheek.
“Haa.”
He sighed and shook his head.
Peil looked at Cross strangely, his eyes gleaming, but that was something Cross had no way of knowing.
* * *
“What happened?”
And Lora was seated on the sofa by the butler, Tom.
“What about the carriage?”
At Lora’s question, Tom frowned and opened his mouth.
“I moved the carriage and horse to the stable. And I told Sir Peil that no guards were immediately needed and asked him to go to the Imperial Palace.”
“Well done.”
“In fact, the Count is stronger than Sir Peil, so why bother bringing guards?”
Lora did not deny it and nodded. Were Lora to swing her axe, the sword at Peil’s waist would shatter into pieces.
“More importantly.”
Tom asked with an expressionless face.
“……I wonder if my understanding of the situation earlier is correct.”
“Tom, what is it that you understood?”
“Is she really the third customer?”
“Yes.”
It was a clean answer, neither more nor less.
“Goodness.”
Tom let out a short sigh.
“This time, it’s reincarnation.”
At Lora’s added words, he let out another sigh.
“Oh dear.”
But his expression was as expressionless as ever.
“Count Violet and Administrator Cross. Let us look into those two more closely.”
Lora looked at Tom, who had immediately decided on what she had to do next, with a satisfied face.
‘As expected, he’s reliable.’
It was the very moment she was thinking that there was no butler quite like Tom.
“Will you go to see His Highness the Crown Prince starting tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“How much is the salary?”
“Ah!”
Lora sprang up from her seat.
Tom’s pupils rarely wavered.
“My lady, surely you did not forget?”
“Damn it!”
Lora grabbed her hair with both hands and looked at Tom. Her pupils were shaking just like Tom’s.
“I wasn’t even thinking about it!”
“Oh dear.”
With a short lament, Tom sank down with a thud.
Lora did the same.
“My lady.”
“……Yes.”
Tom conveyed words of comfort to the Head, who had hung her head, with an indifferent face.
“They will take care of it on their own.”
“……You think so?”
“Yes. For generations, the Imperial Family has provided compensation befitting the position to the tutor of the imperial family. Even if it is temporary, they will give quite a large salary for the sake of dignity.”
“Right?”
“Of course. The Ministry of Administration pays the wages, so you need only ask them.”
“I’ll definitely ask about the salary when I meet Mr. Cross tomorrow.”
“Yes. I trust you, my lady.”
“Yes, Tom, just trust me! I’ll earn the living expenses!”
At Lora’s resolute voice, Tom subtly gave her a thumbs-up.
“How impressive.”
“Thank you.”
At Tom’s praise, which she had not heard in a long time, Lora broke into a bright smile.
“Goodness.”
At that pure face, Tom sighed.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
He looked at Lora, who tilted her head, and shook his head from side to side.
‘It’s a mess.’
He recalled Lora’s customers one by one.
‘One is cold-blooded.’
To think she flipped the Crown Prince’s palace as soon as she possessed someone.
‘Another is a crybaby.’
The delinquent seems to have come to his senses after regressing, but he is a crybaby and somewhat naive.
‘Another is someone who hits my cheek.’
And it is not just a simple hit; she hit so hard that the cheek turned bright red. It will probably be swollen by tomorrow.
‘……As for our Head.’
Tom’s gaze turned to Lora.
Lora had placed her hand on the white bead and was diligently writing something down with her other hand.
‘She is strong, handles the axe well, is clever, and adept in worldly matters.’
And compared to people from other noble families, her sense of economy was relatively good as well.
‘But there are times she unexpectedly loses focus.’
There was a subtly naive side to Lora.
Of course, thanks to the previous Head’s enthusiastic education in facial expression management, that side did not show easily.
‘Well, she’ll manage on her own.’
For now, Tom decided to devote himself to helping Lora with her work.
That was the role of a butler, and the heart of a family-like friend who had been with Lora for a long time.
‘She is not the type to go in a strange direction.’
However, Lora was kinder and more affectionate than she herself thought.
‘……If the customers try to take advantage of that.’
Creak.
Strength naturally entered his molars.
Whoever it was, if they tried to take advantage of the Head’s heart, he had no intention of staying still.
“Tom, I ask of you.”
The previous Head had asked Tom before dying.
“Rather than one who serves the family, become a friend to Lora.”
But Tom had no need for such a request.
Lora was already a friend and family to him.
Ding-dong—
At the sudden sound, Tom looked out the window.
“Haa.”
A sigh naturally escaped him.
He looked at the clock hanging on one side.
“It’s almost lunchtime.”
“Indeed. He’s here again.”
Lora put on an awkward smile and prepared to go outside.
“The second customer does not seem to have anything to do.”
Tom grumbled for a moment and added,
“Well, he is a delinquent, so it is not as if he has any assigned tasks, either.”
The one who rang the magic doorbell was the delinquent from next door, the second customer, Sorinte Cheoseu.
* * *
Beside the delinquent was a stranger.
Of course, Lora knew who she was.
“It is an honor to meet you, Count.”
The woman greeted her politely.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Cora.”
Cora Cheoseu.
At seventeen years old, she was the second child of the Ducal House and, unlike Sorinte, quite renowned in a positive way.
‘I heard she possesses the talent to perhaps become the Empire’s greatest swordsman before long.’
It was said that she was already an elite of the Ducal House’s knight order.
Perhaps because of that, Cora Cheoseu, wearing her uniform, stood as rigid and straight as a sword.
“I apologize deeply for visiting so suddenly.”
Cora bowed her waist politely.
Lora quickly stopped her.
“It is all right, Lady Cora.”
Though the corners of Cora’s mouth rose slightly as she bowed her head, that smile soon disappeared.
With a blunt face, she looked at Lora and opened her mouth.
“The red berry pie you sent this morning was truly delicious.”
“Ah.”
A smile formed at the corners of Lora’s mouth.
“I take it it helped make your mealtime enjoyable!”
Her voice rose slightly. She could not help but be happy at the thought that Sorinte had safely shared a morning meal with his family. It seemed the second customer had properly buttoned the first button.
“Yes. It was good.”
Cora answered blandly and held out the basket in her hands.
“Therefore, my mother sent you this food as a token of gratitude. If it is before your lunch, will you accept it?”
An extremely delicious smell wafted from the basket.
‘I heard the Ducal House of Cheoseu’s chef is an excellent cook!’
Tom, who had keen ears for noble information, had mentioned it in passing.
‘Since they brought it as a gift, it must be very delicious!’
Compared to Lora’s modest table, it would surely be a splendid meal.
Her mouth watered. However, Lora drew an elegant smile on her lips and answered leisurely.
“The Duchess’s thought warms my heart. I will gratefully enjoy it.”
“Thank you for accepting it, Count. And this basket my older brother brought—”
Cora, who had been smiling at her, stopped mid-sentence and cast an awkward glance to the side.
Sorinte Cheoseu stood there awkwardly, holding a basket similar to the one in Cora’s arms.
‘Hmm.’
In Lora’s eyes, the two had been aware of each other since a while ago but could not properly meet each other’s gaze.
If Lora were told to stand facing Tom, who was like a sibling to her, she would find it unbearably awkward.
But these siblings were a little different from that.
‘They are awkward and conscious of each other, but is it a good atmosphere?’
For no reason, Lora found that dense, awkward atmosphere heartwarming, and the corners of her mouth naturally rose.