IWBAACTWITOS Chapter 19

On my birthday, my wish came true.

"Bell pepper, bell pep-per."

I hummed the bell pepper song I made up on the spot while stabbing the center of the flower with my fork. Crunching in my mouth, the bitter-sweet taste of bell pepper combined with the always-right sausage was the best.

I gave our head chef, who had created pretty flowers using sausage and bell peppers, another thumbs up today.

I wasn't particularly picky originally, and Yan also ate anything visible, so the head chef's face bloomed with a bright smile today too.

"If you need anything else, please let me know."

"Okay!"

I was putting a meatball in my mouth and chewing happily when the meatball fell from Yan's fork.

The thin woman from yesterday, Matilda, who was standing behind Yan, frowned at the meatball that fell on the floor.

"Your Highness, you must observe dining etiquette."

At those words, Julian and Roxana looked at me. My mouth was covered with meatball sauce.

"What."

When I shot back curtly, Julian smiled and put more meatballs on my plate, telling me to eat plenty.

It was a signal that there was no need to insist on etiquette during an informal family meal.

Matilda cleared her throat and quietly withdrew. What she hastily hid was the mental satisfaction she felt from looking down on my child.

"Not this, give me bell peppers."

"Bell peppers?"

"Yes, give me bell peppers."

After obtaining additional bell peppers from Julian, I didn't return the meatballs he'd given me but instead placed them on Yan's plate.

And I added my last meatball as well.

"My subordinate needs to eat well. Eat up and I'll show you around Demon Lord Castle later."

"I'm sorry, Princess. His Highness must attend common language lessons this morning."

"Common language lessons?"

"Yes. One in the morning, and two more lessons in the afternoon."

'What kind of insane schedule is that?'

Right, Yan was here to study abroad anyway. But the funny thing was that even all the tutors were brought from the Celis Kingdom.

'What's the point of studying abroad?'

"Then I'll attend lessons too."

At those words, Julian and Roxana looked at me with surprised faces. Roxana, who had wondered if I might be smart like Julian, had attempted early education exactly once.

The early education was just teaching letters and numbers, but I caused such a ruckus that she gave up after one day.

After that, she let me play freely. What she called lessons were just art or music classes once or twice a week.

Even those were just letting me doodle with various paints or bang on the piano as I pleased - not really education level. Of course, being lessons, I disliked those too.

"But Princess."

"Madam."

"Yes, Countess."

"Please, I beg you."

"......No."

"This is the first time Tilly has said she wants to attend lessons herself."

"......"

"Even just observing would be fine."

"......"

Matilda, true to her stubborn expression, wouldn't give in easily. I watched the quiet standoff between Matilda and Roxana.

Julian also stayed quiet before handing me and Yan each a piece of bread and bringing up something out of the blue.

"Roxana, let's think more about Tilly's education. Even if she doesn't attend lessons together, staying with His Highness might be a good influence. We'll be busy investigating the attack incident for a while. It might even escalate to an international issue. Let's think about it after everything's settled. Both are still young, and they'll be staying together for several years anyway."

It was a statement with multiple implications. To me, it sounded like a silent threat to Matilda.

If she didn't want this incident to be escalated into an international issue by the Empire, she should quietly follow Roxana's will while in our house.

Julian, smiling brightly, looked like a true minister for the first time in a while.

"Ahem, understood. Come to think of it, His Highness should have a fellow student to study with to make studying abroad worthwhile."

At Julian's words, Matilda thought for a moment, then finally gave up, perhaps thinking she should curry favor with the host family.

'That's right, when in Rome, do as the Romans do!'

Though attending lessons wasn't appealing, I couldn't leave Yan alone.

'And I'll skip the afternoon lessons.'

I could take the scolding. What did it matter? Yan's time staying here was limited, so I couldn't let him be stuck with them for most of the day.

I'd observe the lesson atmosphere and then escape with him to play together. When I smiled mischievously at Yan, he smiled back too.

Though he was still wary of adults like Julian and Roxana, his guard around me had considerably lowered. That smile was so pretty and lovely.

'Aw, my child is so pretty.'

At five years old, which would be about seven in Korean age, I thought it would be at most learning letters, maybe words or sentences if advanced, so I couldn't hide my bewilderment.

'What is this?'

"Since this is Princess's first time, please just copy it once. Your Highness, copy it five times each as usual."

'As usual?'

I held the quill pen while reading the top paragraph among several passages the writing teacher had distributed.

"One should not attempt to answer all problems by saying that everything in the world was God's will. Though God sometimes grants prophecies or miracles, He is generally indifferent. Therefore, those who call themselves scholars must first adopt an attitude of contemplation toward any problem in the world."

Could Yan really read and understand this text?

I glanced sideways at Yan. He clearly couldn't read it properly, let alone understand it - it was obvious he was just copying the letters.

Right now the teacher was clearly taking excerpts from some research book and making a five-year-old copy them without any context.

'It's just making him write lines.'

A pure anger I'd forgotten surged up. The meaningless line-writing homework in middle and high school to memorize things, and the thirty-plus page handwritten report I had to write in college because of a crazy professor.

That was the height of inefficiency, but at least it was somewhat educational.

'But this can't even be measured by efficiency or inefficiency.'

It was just tormenting a young child. I put down the quill pen and raised my hand.

"Yes, Princess."

"May I ask a question?"

"Yes, of course. Even though it's your first lesson, Princess shows excellent academic enthusiasm unlike His Highness."

"......"

'Are those words you should say in front of the person involved? Don't you see my child looking dejected?'

When Yan asked questions, did this person even respond properly?

I forced a smile and took the paper Yan was looking at. The crooked, childish writing showed traces of trying hard to write properly.

"Yan."

"......Yes?"

"Don't you need to use the bathroom?"

"No."

"You need to use the bathroom."

"No, I really don't need to go."

"Don't hold it in, go quickly."

Yan looked back and forth between me and the teacher, not understanding the situation. The teacher nodded that it was fine to go. Once Yan left, I tore up the paper he'd written right in front of the teacher.

"P-Princess?"

"What exactly is the problem with this?"

"Pardon?"

"Is it God's will? Or is it the teacher's problem?"

"What are you saying?"

"Or is it the problem of someone who brought this garbage to torment a young child who can't even read properly, lower his self-esteem, and make him feel incompetent?"

At my words, the writing teacher froze. But he soon didn't think deeply about what a four-year-old said and began deflecting.

"Princess, I understand the lesson is somewhat difficult and you don't want to do it. Since today is just observation, you don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Do you think I'm doing this because I don't want to attend lessons? I told you what the problem is, but you don't know?"

"......Then what do you think the problem is, Princess?"

"......What?"

"I'm just following orders. I don't like it either, but I have no choice. Princess can say such things because you're in a position where you don't need to worry about others' reactions. You can do this because you're a young child with good parents. Because I'm just a tutor."

"......Ha."

'Look at this bastard's mouth running.'

He was playing victim, saying he had no choice due to pressure from the Queen, that I was trying to suppress him with my social position.

To suppress my anger, I looked down at my still-intact paper. 'God's will' - ultimately, I was the author who put Yan in this situation, so who was I to be angry?

I had no right to be angry, only the responsibility to resolve this situation.

Setting aside personal dilemmas about changing the original story, as a human being, I should be angry at this situation and take moral responsibility.

'As a human being, that is.'

Though he'd introduced himself at the start of class, I couldn't remember the name of the common language teacher in front of me.

The male lead was abused and raised. The people around Ash had such settings, so they became 'part of that setting' - accomplices to abuse. Nameless extra villains who didn't even appear in the original.

I was certainly the one who created the situation individuals couldn't help. And they were taking pleasure in abusing a young child within that helpless situation, gaining mental satisfaction.

'He doesn't like it either?'

That was a lie. He was definitely enjoying it. Having the same eyes as that woman Matilda, yet talking about moral duty.

"What's your name?"

This time, to remember for certain, I asked his name. Dropping honorifics because he wasn't worth it. The teacher frowned, clearly offended by my informal speech.

'As a human being, you shouldn't have done that.'

I had planned to touch just one nameless extra villain, but ended up deciding to overturn everything.