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Chapter 24

Ugh.

Even if it wouldn't kill her, the bitterness was enough to make her head spin.

Especially since she'd grown accustomed to the chef's excellent cooking during her time here.

"How is it? Is it delicious?"

"Huh? Mmm."

"You can eat all of them since they're for you, Emilia!"

At that, she secretly dabbed at the tears welling in her eyes, hiding them from Ivan.

After wiping them away, she could see Ivan's face, sparkling with anticipation, more clearly.

Just as Emilia, unable to turn away from the child's innocent heart, was about to close her eyes and bite into the cookie—

"Oh."

Kayden appeared from somewhere and snatched the cookie from her hand.

Then, without blinking, he put it in his mouth.

"...That was mine, you know?"

"Do you have a hobby of tormenting yourself?"

"Huh?"

"If not, then give them here."

He frowned and took away the entire plate containing the remaining cookies.

As Emilia stood there, bewildered by the sudden confiscation, Kayden turned his head and warned Ivan.

"Ivan. No matter how much you don't want to do your homework, you shouldn't try to assassinate your teacher."

"Ass-assassin?"

Ivan tilted his head at the unfamiliar word.

"Yes. Like what those men on the train were trying to do to us."

At that, the child's face went pale, and he grabbed Emilia, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Emilia! I, I wasn't [trying to do that]!"

He was so flustered that Hyprian slipped out.

Emilia patted Ivan's back while glaring at Kayden.

"Don't tease the child."

"I'm not teasing. If you'd eaten all of that, it would have become a fact, wouldn't it?"

"..."

Emilia couldn't deny that.

Thanks to Kayden confiscating the cookies, she'd been spared a stomachache.

And Ivan also learned the word "assassination" for certain.

Whether that was a good thing for him to learn was another matter.

---

After finishing the lesson, Emilia headed straight to the library.

Only about two weeks had passed since Ivan started learning Imperial, and he was already able to use everyday words quite well.

So the Hyprian book she'd bought at the beginning was no longer very useful.

She needed something longer and more complex.

Hmm.

Entering the language section of the library, Emilia walked slowly.

She checked even the books on the lowest shelf and frowned.

There's nothing suitable.

Of course, the library here was far larger than any bookstore, but there weren't many books primarily in Hyprian.

She'd just picked out a few books that included other languages alongside it and was about to leave—

"Arrrgh!"

A cry of anguish came from deeper inside the library.

What was that?

A wild deer hadn't suddenly barged into the library.

Gripping the books tightly in her arms, Emilia walked toward the sound.

"Herald...?"

There, at a table piled high with mountains of documents, sat Herald.

"Ughhh—"

He lifted his head with a haggard face, writhing in misery alone.

"Miss Emilia?"

She nearly flinched and stepped back at the sight of his face—he looked even more gaunt than when they'd signed the employment contract.

Emilia set the books down on an empty space on the table and asked Herald, whom she hadn't seen in a while.

"Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no. I've just hit my limit with the usual backlog of documents, haha."

Herald muttered with the air of someone who had achieved enlightenment.

After a moment's thought, Emilia cautiously asked.

"Is there anything I can help with? I could organize the documents for you."

Even if she didn't know the contents, she could at least organize the mess of papers scattered about.

"R-really?!"

Herald looked up, beaming without a trace of hesitation.

"Just a moment."

He quickly handed a stack of documents to Emilia.

"Could you sort these by category for me? That's the first step, really."

"That shouldn't be hard."

She shrugged lightly and flipped through the papers, scanning the contents roughly.

Business proposals.

She paused and asked Herald.

"Is it alright for me to see these contents?"

"Huh? Are they too difficult?"

He asked with a desperate look, as if pleading with her not to run away.

"No, that's not it..."

"Then please, I'd really appreciate your help!"

At that, Emilia readily nodded.

---

For about an hour, she sorted the documents as Herald had requested.

It wasn't particularly difficult, so she finished quickly, but Herald still seemed busy.

Should I wait a bit?

Emilia took out a blank sheet of paper, read through the business proposals, and summarized the main points.

Then she listed them by title and placed one on top of each pile of documents.

Herald looked at her in surprise.

"Wh-what's this?"

"Oh, just so you can see it at a glance."

Herald gazed at her with moved eyes.

"Miss Emilia, I wish you could be my assistant instead of Master Ivan's tutor..."

"What would an assistant to an assistant be called?"

Emilia laughed lightly, taking his words as a joke.

Then she asked with a curious expression.

"By the way, what are these business proposals? Are these for investments by the House of Valen?"

There seemed to be too many for that, though.

"Ah, something like that. We select some of these and..."

Herald looked around the table and handed her a single document.

"We plan to invest without any special conditions. However, it's limited to vassal houses."

Emilia examined the official document he'd handed her.

"So it's like business support."

"Yes, well. If the vassal houses develop useful technologies, it benefits our house as well."

Emilia nodded in understanding.

"I had no idea the house did this kind of thing."

"Of course you wouldn't know—you've only been at the residence a short time. No, more importantly, you're Master Ivan's tutor."

At that, Emilia smiled awkwardly.

What she'd actually meant was that even though she'd read the original story, she hadn't known.

"Well, it's a win-win, but for me it just means more work."

He continued gloomily.

"Mostly humble houses apply for support... sigh."

He swallowed a bit of resentment and muttered.

"I keep getting inquiries like 'I don't understand this or that,' 'What on earth am I supposed to write here?' Even just circulating these notices is a huge job."

At Herald's lament, Emilia turned her gaze back to the official document.

"Then, if I may..."

She opened her mouth.

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