Chapter 7

『 Chapter 7 』

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Why is he here?

He looked much younger than I knew, but that was clearly Clarivan Pellet.

He is tall and straight as if he had a cast on his waist, and his eyes with raised ends.

Few people can maintain such a haughty attitude in Lombardy.

"What brings you here, Clarivan?"

My father was scratching his head, too.

Clarivan Pellet was a very capable but very busy man, overseeing the top of Lombardy.

At least he did in the future I know.

To what extent was he busy, it was one of the two times that I saw Clarivan's face properly while I was working next to my grandfather.

Most of the reports as the top general were replaced in writing.

"May I come in?"

"Sure. Come on in."

My father still had a puzzled look on his face and led Clarivan to the center of the drawing room, and I quickly pretended to read.

I don't know why.

I thought I should just do that.

He fixed his eyes somewhere on the characters that filled the bookshelf tightly, and instead stood his ears up.

Mindful of me, Clarivan, who glanced at me once, sat across from my father.

"What's the matter? Maybe my father told you in a hurry...…."

"It's not like that."

"Then…."

Even though he was an employee of the same family, his father's attitude was very different from when he treated Dr. O'Malley.

That alone gave me a rough idea of the location of the Clarivan in the current family.

It was clear that at least he's not a person the son of the patriarch could treat recklessly.

Why would such a man visit his father?

"Today's call lies not with Lord Gallahan, but with Lady Firentia."

Huh? Me?

It took all the patience in me not to look at you.

"Firentia... You're here to see her?"

"Yes, I am."

I could feel the eyes of my father and Clarivan.

No wonder my forehead was stinging, but I turned over a page as if I were still reading.

"Then it's about class."

Class? What class?

Unlike me, who is still confused, my father nodded.

"It's not confirmed yet. I'm here today to talk to you for a while."

"Well, I see."

Apart from understanding why Clarivan came today, my father seemed quite embarrassed, coughing a couple of times in vain and calling me.

"Tia, come here."

"Yes."

Like a child reading a book all the time, I approached with a face that I didn't know anything about.

And I thought about where to sit for a while and sat on my father's lap.

I'm seven years old now.

A real seven-year-old child would try to stay close to his father as much as possible in a space where there are strangers.

My father lifted me up and put me on his lap as expected.

And there was a moment of silence.

To be exact, I and Clarivan said nothing while facing each other.

He came to talk to me. I just stared at Clarivan, who didn't say anything.

It was because I, who was seven years old, was not aware of whether I had met him or not before, so I couldn't say hello first.

"..."

After a while, he looked at me with his cold eyes and murmured an unexpected word, and bowed his head slightly while sitting.

"Never seen you, Firentia. I'm Clarivan Pellet."

That's a relief. We've never met before.

I bent down with a sigh of relief inside.

"Hello, I'm Firentia Lombardy."

His body was reeling as I had bowed my head too much to greet the influential figure of my future family as politely as possible.

As expected, the body of a child with a big head is very uncomfortable.

"Mr. Gallahan, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Form is a question, but it wasn't really asking for my father's consent.

In short, he said, "Go out."

"Tia. Clarivan says he has a few questions for you.

Dad will be in the room for a while, so you have to answer politely. Okay?"

My father kindly patted me on the head and explained it to me.

"...yes."

I expected it to some extent, but I'm a little nervous that I have to talk to Clarivan alone.

It's also very burdensome to look at me like he's dissecting off my head, chest, and stomach.

I felt as if I were on the experimental table.

When the door to his father's room closed, Clarivan stood up and brought something from over there.

It was a book I was reading a while ago called "People in the South."

"Do you know what I do in Lombardy?"

I wouldn't be this nervous if I knew that.

What kind of job did he take as a young man?

I shook my head quickly.

"I am teaching young successors of families who will lead Lombardy in the future."

Oh! Class!

Finally, I understood the conversation my father and Clarivan had.

I have also been taught by an education officer for a while since I was nine years old.

But the teacher back then wasn't Clarivan.

Did he move to another position before that?

Anyway, what Clarivan calls a "class" was the first official evaluation of Lombardy's children as a kind of successor class.

According to the education officer's plan, the children of the family are gathered and taught together.

At first glance, it may sound like a light home education, but it wasn't at all.

Rather, there were many cruel aspects.

First, there was no fixed age for the class.

Regardless of how old they were, only children who were deemed ready to follow the class were eligible to attend.

The level of children is revealed according to the age at which they naturally begin to take classes.

Secondly, the age has not been set even when quitting class.

It was just one day that you are told, "You don't have to come to class anymore."

That was my case in the past.

Of course, I was disqualified from attending classes anymore, not graduating.

And finally, the evaluations made during each class are reported to the grandfather.

In short, it meant that the current Clarivan Pellet was like a direct line that could connect me and my grandfather.

And that he came here separately....

'Grandfather sent you.'

I barely suppressed the laughter that seemed to burst out because I remembered the face of my grandfather, who was shining his eyes at me.

When I was staring at myself without any particular response, Clarivan, who frowned slightly to see if he didn't like something, asked, putting the book down in front of me.

"I heard you're reading this book."

"Yes, I've been reading since yesterday."

"Is that so? Then what is it about?"

I think he's testing if I can really read this book.

I'm glad I read it in advance last night.

I answered after pretending to think for a moment.

"I've only read a little, but there are some fascinating people who live in the woods south of the Empire. It's a book that tells stories about them."

After hearing my story, Clarivan seemed a little embarrassed.

You probably thought I carried a book around like a toy.

I understand.

Of course, it was suspicious that a seven-year-old who should read a fairy tale book or a book that would make adults bored.

I looked at Clarivan with a smile in the pose of 'Ask Anything'.

"What is the name of the author who wrote this book?"

"It says "Rophilly" on its cover."

"What was chapter one about?"

"Someone called Rophilly was telling how they heard rumors about the southerners."

"Hmm…."

It was Clarivan who was rather speechless to my unblocked answer.

I asked with an innocent look that I didn't know anything while I was giggling inside because the appearance was savory.

"Are you here because you want to read this book? Do you want me to lend it?

He said, handing Clarivan a thick book with a green cover.

"I'm curious about the background, but I can read it later."

"Hmm. It's not like that. I've already read it, so you can keep reading it."

"Oh, thank God!"

I held the book in my arms as if I were really happy and laughed.

It's fun to tease that cold human eyes are shaking wildly.

He was flustered for a moment.

Clarivan, who came back with a blunt face, asked me another question.

"There are three rumors that Rophilly has heard. He is…."

"Wait a minute, Mr. Clarivan."

"...What's wrong?"

"You're wrong."

I rolled up my mouth and laughed.

"Rophilly isn't him. It's her."

"What?"

"If you look at the front cover, it's out there.

Her full name is Ava's Rophilly. She's a female scholar."

"Well, what the hell is that...…."

Frustrated, Clarivan opens the book and reads the preface urgently.

Oh, it's fun.

I added one more word to Clarivan, who couldn't hide his embarrassment.

"I heard you already read it. You must have read it roughly."

His shoulders flinch and his ears turn red.

I had to bite the inside of my cheek so I wouldn't burst into laughter.

Clarivan, who covered the book to make a sound, looked at me with a relaxed expression and said frighteningly.

"It's hard to keep up with the class at first."

"I'll learn a lot of new things!"

I nodded and said brightly as if I were welcoming.

"We don't give you special treatment because you're young. You will be taking classes with your cousins who are older than you."

"It sounds like fun!"

The moon looks brighter when the night sky is dark.

I'd look smarter next to them!

Clarivan, who sighed softly while looking at me hanging my short legs excitedly, said as if he had given up.

"...and it's not you. Call me teacher."

I've finally gotten my permission!

I quickly answered loudly before Clarivan changed his mind.

"Yes, sir!"

I can't believe I'm taking a class at the age of seven!

Perhaps the fastest in Lombardy's history?

How will Clarivan report what happened today to Grandpa?

The imagination made me feel better, so I smiled at Clarivan.