Chapter 70

Somehow, in my late teens, I became the tutor of the eldest son of the Northern Duke’s family, the Eristirol family.

Despite not being an extraordinary person, I became the tutor of the Northern Duke’s family’s eldest son, who was smaller than his peers.

Of course, after becoming his tutor, I taught him everything I could over the years.

Etiquette, dancing, fighting, rhetoric.

I think I’ve taught him pretty much everything he needed to learn.

In fact, even the head of the Eristirol family never complained about me.

Anyway, why am I suddenly talking about this?

It’s because…

“Miss Sofia, I love you.”

That little kid, the eldest son, has grown up and is now confessing to me.

After hearing Kyle’s words just now, I thought my head wasn’t working properly.

No, I couldn’t help thinking that.

I’m not some generic romantic comedy manga heroine, and I’m not so stupid that I can’t hear what someone says right in front of me.

So I heard Kyle’s words just now very clearly.

Love.

It probably wasn’t simple love.

Not some kind of agape love, but love in an erotic sense.

“…”

But why suddenly?

The very idea that Kyle liked me was strange.

With so many women around him, why me?

It felt like my brain had stopped.

No, it definitely had stopped.

My head isn’t working properly right now.

“Young master, I’m just asking to be sure… perhaps as a sister or as a person to person…”

“No, I mean I love you as a woman.”

“…”

Yes, for a moment, I had a slight hope.

Even though I heard correctly, I couldn’t help it.

The current situation was so confusing.

Kyle likes me?

Me?

If I were a generic male-oriented romantic comedy heroine, I would have definitely made a sound like:

‘Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek?!!!!!’

Or

‘Huh?’

Something like that.

I wouldn’t make such a stupid sound, but I think my expression isn’t much different from that.

Even though I think I usually hide my expressions well, this is really something I can’t help.

“Years ago, when I first met you, Miss Sofia, I was a child who didn’t know anything. But as years passed and the time I spent with you increased, I came to realize that I love you.”

“Young master…”

The biggest reason I’m confused right now is one thing.

I don’t know how to respond to Kyle’s words right now.

Setting aside the fact that Kyle… likes me, how should I respond?

I don’t know.

To begin with, this was the first time I’d received a confession, and since it was from Kyle, I especially didn’t know what to say.

“That… um… I mean…”

I must look really stupid right now.

Because I can’t even speak properly.

“Hah…”

“I just wanted to tell you how I feel. You don’t need to answer right away. It’s not like you’re going to accept me right now anyway, right?”

“…”

What Kyle was saying wasn’t wrong.

Even if I liked Kyle, it wasn’t to the level of actually liking him as a man.

To me, Kyle still felt like a younger brother.

“I just wanted to tell you my feelings. And I also wanted to tell you to be prepared.”

“…Pardon?”

“From now on, I’ll approach you properly, so be well prepared.”

“…Eh?”

“Since the problem is that you only see me as a younger brother, I just need to make you see me as a man, right?”

“…”

Is it normal to say that in front of the person?

He suddenly said something extremely embarrassing right to my face.

Kyle and I were standing at a distance where we could hear each other’s breathing, not far apart from the beginning.

It felt strange to hear such words at such a close distance.

Thump… Thump…

“Or, you could accept this ring now.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So when you asked about the jewels, it was for me…”

“Yes.”

It was shocking.

I had firmly believed he was preparing it to give to the Imperial Princess.

Just casual things I said while talking with Kyle.

I like the ruby, a ring might be misunderstood – really just passing comments.

But even such things were important to Kyle, it seems.

“…….”

As proof, what Kyle took out now was the most shining ruby among those I had selected, made into a ring.

It feels like I’ve been hit with a mana shot to the head.

For real.

“I remember almost everything Miss Sofia has said. I wasn’t seduced by any woman, only by you.”

“………”

That’s not how I meant for that lesson to be understood.

It was really just meant to say don’t be seduced by a loose woman and ruin the family.

Why to me…

“Your face has turned red.”

“This is… just because I’m hot.”

I can’t see myself since there’s no mirror, but it must be because I’m hot.

I’m wearing very warm clothes right now, and being indoors, my body has become hot.

It’s not like I’m a female, and there’s no reason for my face to turn red because of Kyle.

“Yes. I’ll go with that.”

Kyle said that and put the ring back in his pocket.

For some reason, my eyes followed that ring continuously.

“Anyway, I said that because I was really concerned about you, young master. And I have never seduced you or done anything like that.”

I spoke to Kyle in a completely serious voice.

It’s not like I’m a female, so there’s no way I would seduce him.

I always dress thoroughly in formal attire, and I don’t do anything strange, so what seduction?

Kyle is just saying strange things because he’s young.

“Well… you’ll know later.”

“Not at all. I have never seduced you, young master. You just misunderstood because you’re young.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… let’s go with that. Let’s return to the castle for now.”

“…”

Kyle said that and went outside the temple.

For now, I followed Kyle out of the temple and stood in front of the carriage.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Why not?”

“Hah… young master, why are you doing this when you know everything?”

Suddenly, he was standing still in front of the carriage, waiting for me to come.

What he was going to do was obviously predetermined.

“Since you won’t come to like me just because I do this, isn’t it okay?”

“That’s…”

Well, that might be true, but.

I’m saying it’s vexing because the intention is so obvious.

It was too obvious that he intended for me to come to like Kyle just by holding hands like this.

It’s not like I’m a female, a naive woman, or a pushover – my perception won’t suddenly change just because of that.

That was obvious.

I’ve already lived like this for over 20 years.

“Get in quickly. We should go have dinner now.”

“…Yes.”

So I got into the carriage again with Kyle’s escort.

Coming here definitely didn’t feel like anything, but going back felt completely different.

This is all because Kyle said unnecessary things.

Because Kyle suddenly confessed to me.

“Hah…”

I still couldn’t properly understand the situation.

Kyle suddenly saying he likes me.

It’s really strange.

There’s no reason for him to like me.

Why?

There are so many women around who would like Kyle.

“Hah…”

“Stop sighing. What are you so worried about? It would all end if you just accept the confession.”

“Young master, I’m dizzy. Let’s stop.”

“Haha.”

Kyle kept laughing, finding something amusing.

To be honest, I can’t adapt.

He seems so different from the usual Kyle.

Somehow, he used to just look like a diligent and kind younger brother…

Suddenly he’s acting strangely.

Whenever we meet, he suddenly looks at me with strange eyes, and something…

Something just felt strange.

“Do you know?”

“What are you referring to?”

“When you were injured before, it was hard to hold back then.”

“Cough!!”

Come to think of it, there was such an incident.

When I injured my leg, I relied heavily on Kyle.

At that time, I just thought Kyle was helping me with pure intentions.

Like helping an injured older sister.

“Hah…”

“When you suddenly asked me to wash you, it was really difficult.”

“…”

“Even if you’re close, do you easily ask an ordinary man to wash you? At that time, I really thought it was seduction.”

“That’s…”

I really just thought of him as a younger brother.

And because I didn’t even consider the possibility that Kyle would see me that way, that’s why.

It was absolutely not seduction or anything like that.

I’m not that kind of whore.

If a person falls in love just by holding hands and making eye contact, isn’t that too easy?

To begin with, I wouldn’t do that.

“It happened because I didn’t know you would think of me that way, young master. It won’t happen again, so you don’t need to worry.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“When we get married, we can bathe together.”

“…”

This is driving me crazy.

Why has this kid suddenly changed like this?!

Kyle usually doesn’t play pranks like this at all, but he keeps teasing me.

And he’s doing it while smiling as if my reactions are amusing.

Before long, the carriage entered the castle gate.

And just like when I first got on the carriage, when I got off and got back on, I got off the carriage with Kyle’s escort.

“…”

This somewhat strange atmosphere was really driving me crazy.

No, to be precise, it was only driving me crazy.

Kyle was treating me as if nothing was wrong!

Am I the only one who feels uncomfortable in this situation?!

Can one act so casually, smiling, in a situation where a confession has been half-rejected?!

Of course, I’ve never confessed or received a confession…

Ah, I did receive one this time.

Anyway, it was a confusing situation for me, who had no such experience.