TOPWL 168

“I’m not sure,”

Yudit said with a shrug. At that, a crack appeared on Pavron’s composed face. Yudit met his eyes and continued.

“If only one child’s is missing, maybe they just didn’t turn it in?”

“But the child claimed they did, so I thought I’d ask, just in case.”

“Ah, and which child is it?”

“…Luka.”

Pavron hesitated before answering. Yudit shook his head.

“Ah… I don’t know. You said he’s good at lying, so maybe he lied about turning it in too?”

At Yudit’s words, Pavron’s expression hardened. But then he smiled as if nothing was wrong and spoke calmly.

“That might be the case.”

“Yes. It must be a lot of work keeping track of all the students’ assignments.”

“Not at all. It’s part of my job.”

There was an oddly sharp edge to those formulaic words.

“Have you eaten? If not, shall we eat together?”

“Ah, I have something to take care of. Next time, perhaps.”

Without looking back, Yudit left the room.

In the carriage, Yudit ran his fingers over the paper in his pocket, the address of Luka’s home, given by the teacher he’d spoken to before meeting Pavron. Luka’s house was far enough to require a carriage. For an adult, it was a thirty-minute walk. For a child, who knew how long it would take? As he looked at the roads, dangerous even for grownups, Yudit fell into thought.

As the carriage began to jolt more harshly, the curtain at the driver’s seat opened.

“We’ve arrived.”

Shane dismounted first and offered his hand. Yudit took it and stepped down. Before them stood a shabby but livable house. Yudit knocked on the front gate. There was a clattering sound inside, and soon the door opened. A boy, looking annoyed, widened his eyes as he saw Yudit’s attire and the carriage. Then he turned and shouted into the house.

“Dad—there’s a noble here!”

Shane frowned at the utter lack of respect, but Yudit stopped him and waited for an adult to appear.

“What’s a noble doing in this rundown dump… Oh!”

A man whose nose and cheeks were flushed red, likely from drinking, saw Yudit and instinctively bowed his head.

“S-sorry. I didn’t recognize you.”

“No need to worry. Are you Luka’s guardian?”

“Who?”

“I mean Luka. This is the address listed for him.”

“Ah, right. Yes, that’s me. Please, come in!”

The man, who had been intimidated by Shane’s imposing presence, grinned broadly and ushered them inside. The house wasn’t particularly small, but it felt cramped with every corner filled. The man gestured to a threadbare cushion on an old chair.

“Here, please sit. Hey! Bring the good liquor!”

The man, who had just spoken politely to Yudit, now barked orders at someone in the kitchen.

“I don’t drink.”

“Oh, well then, I’m afraid we don’t have much else to offer…”

He rubbed his hands together awkwardly.

“I’ve already had a meal and tea. I’m only here to talk for a moment.”

“Ah, I see…”

The man glanced at Yudit, clearly confused about why a noble would be speaking so politely. But Yudit had come not as a prince, but as a teacher—and mutual courtesy was appropriate.

“I’m Luka’s teacher. I apologize for coming without an appointment.”

The man looked a bit disappointed at Yudit’s clarification, as if he had hoped he was here for another reason. But not giving up hope, he responded:

“Oh no, not at all! It’s fine! So… did the boy do something? He’s a bit of a brat, never learned proper manners…”

The man spoke while glancing nervously at Shane. Yudit shook his head.

“It’s nothing like that. Home visits and parent-teacher meetings are conducted for all students. There’s nothing wrong with Luka.”

That reassurance seemed to put the man more at ease. Just then, a woman with sharp eyes, a hooked nose, and a stubborn mouth brought out a bottle of liquor. The man hesitated between the bottle and Yudit.

“Forgive me, but… are you two Luka’s parents?”

“No, we’re not, but we’ve raised him with the heart of parents.”

Unable to resist the urge, the man popped the cork and poured golden liquid into a sticky glass, then downed it in one go.

“Ahh, that’s the stuff. That’s the taste!”

Before Yudit could stop him, he poured another and drank it just as quickly, then belched loudly, licking his lips as the bottle emptied.

“I’m the boy’s uncle. Took him in, don’t even know who his father is! Been raising him for years now…”

“…I see.”

“Yes, and the boy should be grateful. These days he’s been slacking off, saying he’s going to school, and I was about to beat some sense into him. But now that a noble’s come… maybe he’s not so useless… Hey! Bring more booze!”

“That was the last one.”

“Damn it… This damned house… Even in poverty, we’re raising the child with love… hic.”

His hiccups grew longer. It seemed the liquor he’d just drunk wasn’t the first of the day.

“I heard the orphanages in this area are well-managed. If raising him is difficult, it might have been better to leave him there…”

“How can you say something so heartless! Of course children should be raised with love by family! He’s blood, blood!”

“…Yes. My apologies.”

The man blinked, seemingly proud to have forced an apology from a noble, and huffed.

“Yes. Family should stay together. Even if poor! Even without money! A candle and a crust of bread—that’s what makes a family! Sending a child to an orphanage just because you’re poor? That’s monstrous! Those people’ll all burn in hell!”

He spat as he shouted, and Yudit tilted his head slightly before speaking.

“I see that’s what you believe. But I heard Luka has a younger sibling?”

At that, the man’s rant cut off abruptly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly yelled.

“So what! Is that my fault? The damned world made me this way, not me!”

He stood up with a crash, and Shane’s hand moved, before the man could take a step, the hilt of his sword was already at the man’s throat.

“Any further disrespect will not be tolerated.”

Though Shane had tolerated the rudeness out of respect for Yudit’s teacher role, threats were another matter entirely. The household froze at Shane’s commanding presence.

“I’m sorry! Please forgive him! He loses control when he drinks… Please, just this once…”

His wife, belatedly stepping in, begged for forgiveness. A chilling silence settled over the room.

“If his temper is the issue, then perhaps he should drink less. There’s no guarantee the next noble will be so forgiving.”

“Y-yes, you’re absolutely right. Truly sorry…”

At Yudit’s cold tone, the man nodded quickly. Rather than easing the tension, Yudit decided to use it.

“Why did you take Luka in?”

“Well…”

“Just the facts.”

The man glanced back and forth between Shen and Yudit, then finally bowed his head.

“The brat—no, the boy’s father is a noble. If I kept him, maybe someday he’d come back with hush money. And he’s pretty. High chance of becoming an omega, too… Hehe, that’s how it is.”

He gave a servile smile, watching Yudit for a reaction. It became clearer now why they had taken only Luka and not his sibling. A beautiful omega could be sold for a high price. Alphas wanted them, but betas were even more obsessed. Judging from this household, the best future Luka could hope for would be to be sold to a wealthy, kind old man. If Yudit had been born in a commoner’s home, it might have been his fate too.

Maybe that was why Luka stood out to him more than the others. His stomach turned. He didn’t want to stay here another second. Rising from his seat, Yudit spoke.

“My name is Yudit Friedrich Adenauer, Prince of the Adenauer Empire.”

Their puzzled expressions instantly turned white. Realizing they had shown such rudeness not to just any noble, but a prince, the man turned deathly pale and fell to his knees. His wife and child followed.

Yudit looked down at the three bowed heads and opened his mouth.