MTMLF ★ CH 43

Chapter 43

First Lesson 

 

“Of course, you can come.”

At Jaina’s permission, Noah’s nervous face brightened instantly.

“Shall we go now?”

“Yes!”

Noah grabbed Jaina’s hand right away.

The two of them smiled at each other as they walked back to the room.

But… I feel like I forgot something…

As Jaina walked, she tilted her head. Something felt off, like she had left something behind.

She realized what it was the moment she entered the room.

“Jaaaina!”

“Oh, Ella, you’re finally awake.”

Because Ella was still a baby, she slept a lot in the mornings. So Jaina didn’t wake her and had gone to eat breakfast first.

Before, whenever Ella woke up and didn’t see Jaina, she would cry right away. But recently she had gotten used to Mayan, Noah’s nanny, and didn’t panic as quickly.

However, the moment Ella saw Noah, her sleepy eyes sharpened like tiny daggers.

“I hate wolves! Go away!”

Ella bared her teeth (even though she wasn’t a beast-type person) and growled.

At this point, it was hard to tell who was the real predator—Noah or Ella.

Jaina shook her head.

“Ella, you can’t talk to Noah like that.”

“But…!”

“I told you before—Noah is a good wolf.”

Ella’s eyes opened wide again in shock.

Her trembling pink eyes looked Noah up and down suspiciously.

“T-that’s a lie… W-wolves aren’t nice.”

“That’s not true. Some wolves are nice. One is standing right in front of you.”

“Liiiies!”

Ella shouted dramatically, as though her peaceful herbivore worldview had just collapsed.

Jaina silently apologized in her heart to the royal family of the Loengreien Kingdom—who had surely worked hard to teach Ella to fear predators.

I’m sorry. Before she goes back, I’ll re-educate her properly.

But for now, they needed a good relationship with the wolf clan.

Besides, Ella would eventually live in the Empire anyway. Becoming friendly with the Grand Duke’s family was good for her future.

“Noah, you’ll be kind to Ella too, right?”

“Of course.”

“And Ella, what will you do?”

“Uuuh…”

Jaina hugged Ella and asked. Ella still glared at Noah, but her watery pink eyes were less fierce than before.

“But Jaina is mine!”

“Oh my.”

Ella shouted and wrapped her arms around Jaina tightly.

Her small body and weak strength made her look like a little cicada clinging to an old tree.

The sight was so cute Jaina almost laughed. Ella looked terrified that Noah would steal Jaina away.

“Ella will get along with Noah, right?”

“…Mmm.”

“I really want you two to get along. Be nice to him, okay?”

“…Uuuh…”

Ella’s long, white hair—bundled like rabbit ears—drooped sadly.

Herbivore-type beastfolk instinctively disliked predator-type beastfolk. It was natural.

Even without royal education, Ella probably would’ve been wary of Noah.

“Ella will… be nice. I’ll do what Jaina says.”

“Oh my.”

Ella answered in a tiny voice and nodded her little head.

Jaina happily kissed Ella’s cheek.

“My sweet Ella. Good girl.”

“Kyaa! I like it!”

And just like that, Ella completely forgot about Noah and giggled happily.

After eating her breakfast and snacks, she even started dozing off.

“Haa… Perfect timing. Teacher Vincent will be here soon. Let’s go, Noah.”

“Yes, Lady Jaina.”

Whispering like they were in a spy movie, Jaina signaled Noah to follow.

He nodded with a determined face.

“…”

Before leaving, Noah glanced at the sleeping Ella.

Jaina kissing Ella’s soft pink cheek was still vivid in his mind.

…I’m jealous…

Realizing what he was thinking, Noah stiffened, shook his head quickly, and hurried after Jaina.

***

Later…

“Good day, Lady Jaina.”

“Welcome, Teacher Vincent.”

Jaina and Noah waited in the drawing room.

Right on time, Vincent entered.

“You’re here too, Young Master Noah.”

Vincent’s yellow eyes glanced toward Noah sitting beside Jaina. Noah nodded politely.

“It’s been a while, Teacher.”

“…?”

But something felt strange.

Noah, who had been excited to meet Vincent, suddenly seemed uninterested.

When Jaina gave him a puzzled look, Noah quickly smiled brightly.

“I came because I have questions for you, Teacher.”

“Ah, I see.”

Behind his thin silver glasses, Vincent’s eyes narrowed in amusement.

He looked between Noah—who was smiling widely—and Jaina—who blinked innocently.

“If it’s nothing urgent, you may ask after the lesson.”

“Of course. Please teach Lady Jaina first.”

Jaina gasped.

“Noah, is your schedule okay today?”

As heir to the Grand Duchy, Noah must have a tight education schedule.

Waiting for her lesson to finish might take up too much of his time.

“It’s a light day today. And Father allowed it.”

“Rupert did?”

“Yes.”

“Well then…”

If Rupert had agreed, she couldn’t argue.

So Jaina started her first lesson with Vincent while Noah stayed beside her.

“Today we’ll begin with basic history.”

“Yes.”

Jaina felt confident—she had read a novel and already knew some things.

“How many continents do you think exist in our world?”

“Two.”

“Correct. The eastern continent, Granada, and the western continent, Elaina.”

In Jaina’s original world there were more continents, but here, there were only two.

“Granada, the east, is where the beastfolk live. Elaina, the west, is where humans lived.”

“And the humans from the west discovered the east, and that’s how the conflict began, right?”

“Correct.”

Vincent nodded with satisfaction.

There were thick textbooks in front of them, but so far everything was familiar to Jaina.

“Good. Your basic knowledge is strong. Then let’s skim the major events.”

“Yes.”

The beastfolk had lived peacefully in Granada.

They loved nature and lived without much technological progress, forming their own tribal cultures.

When predator beastfolk bullied herbivore beastfolk too much, they divided their territories to avoid conflict.

But then humans from the western continent discovered Granada and began an invasion.

The predators and herbivores—despite disliking each other—joined forces as one to fight humans.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

“Leading the invasion was the powerful human empire, Alister, along with several allied kingdoms. Even united, the beastfolk were few in number and were pushed back at first.”

The beastfolk were spread widely across the land.

Some still lived deep in nature, untouched by human influence even now.

“And the ones who resisted humans the most were the wolves and lions, right?”

“Correct.”

Vincent nodded vigorously.