I Have No Intention Of Training The Male Leads - Chapter 1 Part 4
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01. A Beaten Man (4)
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“Yeah, this is the last year.”
“Yeah. After the final exams in the fall, I’ll be fully back by the start of winter.”
“I see. Good luck.”
“You’ve worked hard, Alec.”
“Not really.”
Eve sliced off a piece of veal steak1Veal is just beef that’s been processed before maturity—just like lamb is young sheep. It’s very tender, because the animal’s muscles are underdeveloped. covered in wine sauce and brought it to her mouth. She was inwardly clucking her tongue, still unaccustomed to the frighteningly calm and elegant atmosphere of an aristocratic table.
Alberic was already twenty-three years old. After hearing him mention that he would return to the manor without going further after getting his master’s degree, Eve quickly realized that she would have to prepare against the corporal punishment disguised as his education. She had already thought of a plan, but she had to keep her options open, just in case.
“I suppose you’ll be coming with me to the Council next year, which will keep you very busy.”
“Yeah. Alright.”
“By the way, Alec. Any good news?”
“When you say good news, You mean…….”
“Until now, I didn’t force you to because you didn’t want to, and because of your passion for learning… However, at your age…”
“Madam, Alec won’t take care of it.”
“Oh my goodness, don’t say that. You know how things can get out of hand when men get lazy when it comes to matrimonial matters.”
“Mother don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
“I was once invited to a tea party at the Ortega’s, and I found the daughter of their family to be very clever and thoughtful. She is eighteen this year, isn’t it just the right age?”
The Countess gently nudged her son as she regaled him with stories of Beatricr Ortega, who was “Just at the right age” to be attached to him.
Alberic’s expression did not change much compared to before the meal began, but Eve was quick to notice that he was very displeased.
Whether she realized it or not, the countess still kept bringing up the subject of miss Ortega’s recent coming-of-age. Eve watched them with interest as she chewed on the buttered asparagus that had been served as a garnish.
Her niece, who rarely came down to the dining room to avoid being seen, had long since been forgotten by them, so no one cared about her demeanor in the dining hall.
“Besides,” she said, “It seems like they might be looking for a marriage partner for the Young lady…”
“Mother.”
Alberic called her out coldly. Placing his fork and knife down on his plate. The countess who belatedly realized that Alberic was in a bad mood since he rarely interrupted his parents when they talk, smiled grimly at Alberic’s call.
“I will take care of it.”
“…Yes. I’ve must have been nagging you for a long time.”
And a silence lasted for a while. Eve swallowed back a laugh at the sudden chill in the air and scooped up some mashed potatoes with her fork.
There was something odd about this family. At first glance, it seemed as if the son was polite to his parents, but in reality, their son, Alberic, seemed to dominate the couple.
Eve suspected that the couple’s squandering of the Vermell’s family property was due to the face that Alberic has been away from home for a long time. If he had stayed tethered to the manor, it might not have come to the point where the two of them were spending a lot of money, and even coveting their dead sister’s inheritance.
Eve, who had been suppressing a laugh, curled her mouth in a strange way. When she looked up, she accidentally locked eyes with Alberic, who had turned his head to her direction for a moment.
She tried to hide it, but as if he had read the interest in Eve’s expression, his face hardened even more.
“How long has it been since Evelyn became a member of the Vermell Family?”
“Huh?”
“Evelyn. How old are you this year?”
In response to Alberic’s sudden question, with a pretentious face calling her a name that he had never used before, Eve hid her bewilderment, and answered,
“I’m Twenty.”
The Count and Countess were equally puzzled by Alberic’s sudden interest in the cousin, whom he had never seen before. Not even when Eve just left the orphanage to live at the Count’s house.
“Are there any problems?”
“It’s just that, even though she’s already come of age, she still doesn’t seem to have the dignity and grace befitting of a count’s family. So, who’s the tutor in charge of Evelyn right now?”
Eve was silenced by his reproachful voice which seemed to be asking her what she had been doing this entire time, and Mrs. Adelaide answered for her instead.
“Madame Artois comes once a week.”
“Once a week.”
He repeated his mother’s words in a subtle tone, as if he was displeased. He seemed to think about it for a moment, and then he spoke again.
“Anyways, since I was planning on staying at the manor throughout this vacation. I’ll take over Evelyn’s education for a while.”
“Huh…Alec, you might be busy too. Is that really necessary?”
“Yeah. If you are so anxious, I can arrange for a visit from Madam.”
“Due to circumstances her debut was delayed, but since she is a part of the Vermell Family, we have no choice but to show her off to society. I’m afraid she might bring the family name into disrepute.”
The couple glanced at each other as Alberic spoke, his face sensitive, as he spoke those words unsparing. They seemed to think that the Young Count, who had a regard to the name Vermell, was being hysterical because he was afraid of being embarrassed by his younger cousin. It was a very reasonable assumption, given his usual demeanor.
“I take it, then, that you have given me your permission, Evelyn.”
“… Yes.”
“Come to my parlor in time for Low Tea tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll be there before four o’clock for Low Tea”
Eve nodded her head thoughtfully. The Count and Countess looked at the two of them, unable to hide their embarrassment.
The couple did not impose too much pressure on Eve’s Education. They hired a tutor who taught her about culture and etiquette, but she would only come once a week, and was not really very rigorous or demanding. The couple had graciously said that they didn’t want to put too much pressure on Eve, who was used to living so freely, but Eve sometimes wondered if they were just trying to rear her.
Eve seemed to play and eat all day long, and the laissez-faire2Laissez-Faire: was a philosophy or practice characterized by a usually deliberate abstention from direction or interference especially with individual freedom of choice and action atmosphere encouraged her to do so. There was something ambiguous about the freedom given to her without any obligation. It was no wonder that Eve, who had grown up under the neglect that bordered to abuse in some ways, was only enjoying the bare minimum of what a count’s daughter was entitled to, would be unable to fulfill the “Noble Bearing” that Alberic demanded.
All they needed in the first place, was someone named Evelyn Vermell, Rosaline Vermell’s daughter. They didn’t need the Evelyn Vermell, the real noble lady. If Elver didn’t show up, they’d probably keep her around until she was old enough to be labeled as an old maid, and then try to marry her off to a small family that didn’t have to pay a large dowry.
Even in the game, it was never mentioned that Evelyn made her debut. Either she didn’t have a debutante at all, or she held it on a very small scale, inviting only those closest to her just to save face.
In essence, debutantes were young ladies of noble blood who went to the palace to greet the emperor and empress. They then demonstrate their well-learned court manners. Since the Empress Charlotte’s untimely death eight years ago, the custom had not been practiced, but merely passed as nobles gathered to introduce themselves to one another.
Besides, the people of this house had no intentions of introducing her to other noble families. I don’t think the Eve in the game would have considered that an insult to herself. She wouldn’t have been properly taught about socializing.
The current Eve didn’t put much effort in her social debut either. She was going to leave the country for real someday.
And even if she does, she’ll be kicked out by the time she turned twenty-two, so it’s all kind of pointless after anyway.
The luncheon ended in a very quiet atmosphere. Eve decided to stop by the study for a moment before heading back to her room, and she paced cautiously, trying to organize herself for what lay ahead.
The first day would probably be nothing more than light intimidation. In other words, overpowering the baseline. Perhaps he would spin around with all sorts of aristocratic and archaic expressions. He would ridicule her as if she were a gluttonous bastard, and then manipulate her into doing his bidding.
From what she understand about the Alberic in the game, he seemed to be very good at gaslighting. So maybe he’d brainwash her to such an extent that it would undermine both her ego and self-esteem. Making her think that she deserved to be whipped by him, for even the slightest mistake.
It’s an approach that didn’t really worked well with Eve. The EvenIn the game, was a strong person who feared the pain of violence, but didn’t succumbed to being dominated by it. Of course, it wouldn’t work with the current Eve either.
“Evelyn.”
Startled by the sudden, unexpected grip on her wrist, Eve unknowingly turned her gripped arm outward, and then slapped at the hand that was holding her wrist fiercely with the other hand. She quickly shook off the grip, then took a couple of steps backward. Only then did Eve saw Alberic break off his stoic expression and raise his hand awkwardly, looking somewhat confused.
Since she was thinking about something else, she instinctively performed a textbook self-defense move. Eve tried to put on a calm expression, as if nothing had happened, then asked.
“Brother Alberic, what can I do for you?”
“…….”
“Brother?”
“Ah…”
“No.”
Alberic spoke vaguely, in an almost inaudible voice, quickly turned around and left. Eve watched his hasty departure, and instead of scratching the back of her head out of habit, she reached down to pull her hair back into an expertly arranged ponytail.
What do you think you’re doing, asshole?
It was the second time I’ve seen the usually stoic Alberic, change his expression to one of bewilderment. Eve who just witnessed the sudden outburst, was stunned for a moment. However, she then regarded it as just a case of 2D becoming 3D and headed back to the study.
When she opened the door to the study, she immediately felt a strange sense of discomfort and hesitated.
Is there someone around here?
Although she couldn’t see it, her keen senses was still able to picked up something. Someone was hiding inside the back of the study. His presence was completely obliterated. After a moment’s hesitation, wondering if she should feign ignorance and return to finding a book. Eve slowly walked forward, and then, rummaging through her memory, she pulled out ?Thirty Ways to Cook Absinthe?, and four or five other books with other titles, from the same spot where she’d found them in the morning.
Be Natural… Natural…
Eve strode out of the study, clutching the books in her arms. She ignored the unrecognizable stranger, and pretended that she wasn’t aware of his presence. From the moment she closed the study door behind her, Eve’s pace gradually accelerated. She walked at a brisk pace, feeling confident that if someone came at her from behind, she would be able to shake them off and escape in an instant. Fortunately, nothing happened until she reached her room. Eve let out a long sigh of relief, her body finally relaxing from the tension.
That person seemed to have mastered the art of stealth and covering their tracks. But he didn’t smell of blood or feel alive, so he was probably a undercover, the kind of person who is trained to be a spy.
Why he was rummaging through a study where anyone could have entered was beyond her comprehension, but Eve decided not to care. Even if the stranger’s identity was that of a sinister spy, it would be someone else’s house in a few years anyway. For Eve, it was more important to prepare for tomorrow than to uncover the identity of the mysterious intruder.
Eve turned to Tilda, who was sitting still at her dressing table, while removing the ribbon that adorned her hair.
“Tilda, where did you put that thing I ordered before?”
“Before… Oh, the horse whip, just give me a minute. I’ll be right back with it.”
When Eve explained that she wanted to order a horse whip as a gift, Tilda gave her a slightly strange look, but she still obediently placed the order in the workshop on her behalf. Eve took the reddish-purple silk pouch, that Tilda brought over, and pulled out a well-dyed, dark-colored crop whip3Crop whip: A thin stick with a square piece of leather on the end. and examined it.
It had a thin wooden core that bent and flexed with each swing, which would snap back quickly into shape. This showed that the craftsman had put a lot of work into it.
Eve smiled in satisfaction as everytime she swung her hand, and struck the opposite palm a couple of times, with the three-finger-long strip of leather, that was attached at the end of a rod. She was pleased with the condition of the firmly tanned leather as well.
“Are you going to present it to the Young Count?”
“Yes.”
“From what I know, he doesn’t really enjoy horseback rider that much…”
“Well, even if he doesn’t enjoy riding, a fine horse whip or two should be a must for a gentleman. Originally, it’s a shame to buy this gift with my own money, but it’s still best to receive something nice once in a while.
“Is that so…”
Eve rattled off a few more random words, then returned to tucking the whip neatly into her silk pouch. It was a specially ordered design, so the length and appearance were somewhat ambiguous to use on a horse, but Tilda, who lacked equestrian knowledge didn’t seem to be bothered by it.
“I could use some exercise to help with my digestion. Would you mind taking off my makeup?”
“Again?”
“Ugh. Don’t freak out, I’ll do it lightly so I won’t break a sweat.”
Tilda looked disgruntled, but still gave up. She then went outside to get a face wash.
nita
thanks for the double update