Baby Prisoner of the Winter Castle

Class the next day.

Clarisse sat across from Teacher Lockhart today in her room.

He said, ‘I did a one-day investigation for you yesterday.’ He took out a file called a fact-finding investigation of Grezekaia.

“Do you see this amount here? The things the Grezekaia royal family collected from each region were converted into gold coins. Crops, gems, and raw materials, as well as cash, are all included here.”

Clarisse quickly wrote down in her own notebook what he was pointing to.

“That’s right, and this is the cover of the total production of each region converted into gold coins.”

Clarisse, who had been writing diligently this time, put her pen down for a moment before asking her question. 

“It’s strange. The amount you first showed is bigger, Teacher.”

“Right? So what can we learn from this?”

“H, huh…?” 

After thinking hard, the girl carefully talked about the results of her thoughts.

“The record… was wrong?” 

“Haha, maybe, we don’t know. However, I don’t think there is anything wrong with the actual situation of Grezekaia.”

“But the royal family can’t take more money than it produces, Mr. Lockhart.”

“Right? So people had to give up all of their personal wealth to pay excessive taxes to the royal family. Even the tableware you normally use.”

Clarisse didn’t know how to react, so she just listened to the shocking story with her mouth open. 

“There were also people who gave birth to children because they couldn’t make enough money and sold them as slaves to noble families. That way they can pay their taxes.” 

“T, that…” 

It’s too much. It’s really cruel.

Clarisse tried to answer, but she bit her lip quickly.

She remembered who she was.

She was a princess, even though she lived almost confined in the palace.

It also meant that she had no right to say that it was too much for the suffering of the people. 

“It is said that some nobles took the lead, but in the end it happened because of the greedy royalty. It is you.”

Mr. Lockhart put his thoughts into words. Clarisse nodded her head helplessly.

“I… Is there any way I can apologize to them?”

Clarisse asked cautiously, looking at the cruel tax revenues. It was a question that came from the heart.

“That, of course.” 

At his hopeful reply, Clarisse looked up at Mr. Lockhart with her eyes shining.

“Please let me know. I really want to know!”

“Yeah, about that. You…” 

It was when Lockhart was about to talk with a big smile.

With a hard sound ‘Tack!’, something flew from afar and struck Mr. Lockhart on the back of his head.

“Argh!” 

He clutched his head in pain, but soon found the one who hit his head. 

It was a small pebble of red color.

“What is this…” 

Lockhart picked it up, slowly got up from his seat, and looked around.

Then he noticed a boy sitting crookedly on a window sill he apparently thought no one was there.

‘What is that strange mask?’

While he hesitated for a moment at the strange boy he had never seen before.

“Noah, you promised to stay quiet!”

Clarisse rushed out from behind him and grabbed Lockhart’s arm.

“Teacher, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“So, that means he’s your friend, Clarisse. Right?”

“I, it’s my friend. But he said he would stay quiet…”

“I stayed quiet.”

Noah got down from the window sill and replied in a voice that was full of confidence and had no shame.

“Didn’t you show enough patience to endure and listen to the teacher who dragged on matters that would not even appear in the public official exam?”

“W, what?!” 

Lockhart, stunned by Noah’s point, shouted.

“But you should be ashamed of yourself for forgetting your duty as a teacher.”

“What are you talking about?!” 

He glared at Noah sharply, his face flushed with anger, then violently pushed Clarisse away from him.

As the girl was pushed to the floor, Lockhart ran in front of Noah and grabbed him by the collar.

“This pale young brat?!”

“Although I am young, I know that you are not suitable as a teacher. Yes, it’s difficult to let go of personal emotions, so it’s not that I can’t understand it.”

“What are you talking about right now… Wearing a mask like this!”

Lockhart grabbed Noah’s collar and shook it wildly, screaming.

But for a while.

Lockhart, who seemed ready to hit him at any moment, stopped ruthlessly and froze on the spot.

“W, what?” 

Clarisse, still on the floor, raised her head to look at them.

But all she could see was Lockhart’s back.

“M, monster…!” 

After saying that in a trembling voice, Lockhart let go of Noah’s collar and took a few more steps back.

Strangely, his fingers seemed to be trembling.

“Teacher, are you okay?!”

It wasn’t until the moment Clarisse asked that, that he suddenly came back to her and started screaming at her.

“You, someone like you, will live miserably for the rest of your life! Do you think there is such a thing as a teacher who teaches a murderer’s family?!”

He hurriedly left Clarisse’s room without taking any textbooks or files he had brought with him.

“…Teacher.” 

As she looked back at the door where he left, Noah came right in front of Clarisse and held out his hand.

Clarisse looked up at him.

“Girl.” 

The usual cat mask covered his face.

* * *

Lockhart ran into the room, opened his bag, and randomly stuffed his belongings into it.

He was thinking of leaving this unpleasant mansion right away. In the first place, he had nothing to gain here.

Moreover, rumors of this far-away north would not reach the ears of other nobles, even if he caused some commotion before leaving. 

If so, he had a legitimate excuse.

Lockhart was the victim.

What’s wrong with being angry with his enemy’s family?

Anyone will take his side.

Not to the cheeky prisoner kid who’ll die at 18.

Before he knew it, he had put all his belongings in his bag. He hurriedly pressed the cover shut.

However, the bag didn’t close easily because of the luggage he crammed into it without order.

He pressed the bag forcibly several times, but then, he couldn’t control his anger, so he picked it up and threw it on the floor.

“U, ugh…”

His entire body shuddered with the sudden rush of breath.

He knew he was furious, but also very frightened.

The fear was caused by a boy wearing a cat mask.

No, to be exact… 

As soon as the boy’s mask slipped off, he could see it.

A real monster.

It had the appearance of a human being, but it could never be called a human being.

‘Just… what is it?’

He couldn’t get the answer from his wisdom. But one thing was certain.

Just being with that nasty thing proves how sinister a child named Clarisse is.

He couldn’t waste his life teaching such a thing. Lockhart had a mission left by his brother.

｢My brother would raise our family a lot more.｣

He began to re-arrange the dropped bag with his trembling hand.

It was then that a knock was heard.

It’s probably Clarisse.

She would have come to apologize, but he didn’t respond on purpose.

Then there was a knock again.

“Mr. Lockhart?”

This time, there were a series of gentle butlers’ voices.

He hurriedly stopped organizing his bag.

“…Ah.” 

He suddenly remembered the fact he had forgotten after experiencing momentary fear and rage.

It felt like cold water had been poured on his head.

This was the Duke’s mansion.

The mansion of the King’s older brother, the Duke of Sheridan, who, his brother said, had a fairly good relationship with the King.

But what did he just come up with…? 

‘Oh my…’

Harassing Clarisse should have been done secretly.

Not to stupidly show his inner bottom and scream!

Today he was going to say this to Clarisse, who said she wanted to atone. 

‘All you have to do is live a life where you suffer directly from their suffering and die.’

If he say this, the child won’t even be able to smile carelessly in the future.

Lockhart didn’t think it was a terrible thing to do.

All the people of the damn kingdom lived hard lives, and some even died of hunger. Besides, his brother…he died because he got caught up in the Prince’s madness.

There was no way that Clarisse, who could be said to be the remnant of that kingdom, deserved to live happily.

No, it was right to say that she didn’t even deserve to be alive in the first place.

“Sir, I came after hearing Clarisse’s story.”

Lockhart smiled bitterly and slowly opened the door.

He had lost his temper the last time he appeared and had revealed his true colors, so it was easy to guess what Clarisse would have said about him.

She didn’t even know her subject, and she must have been whining as if he had done something very bad.

“Sir.” 

The butler, with an urgent face, asked.

“I heard you hurt your head. Are you all right?”

“…Yes?” 

Lockhart stupidly asked a question that was slightly different from what he thought.

“I hear you’ve been hurt very badly, and Clarisse is very concerned.”

In response, Lockhart narrowed his eyes and asked the butler a question.

“…Did you not hear anything else?

“Yes, of course, she also said that you needed to be treated quickly. I will take you to the hospital.” 

There was no emotion other than worry in the face of the butler who was talking like that.

‘Really…… You didn’t hear anything?