The Northern Duke’s Eldest Son’s Tutor

“Uh…. so this is the magic instructor?”
“Yes!”
Crazy woman.
But I didn’t say that out loud.
I couldn’t use such vulgar language in the presence of nobles.
How does she manage to speak informally even to Catherine whom she’s meeting for the first time?
At this point, it’s simply amazing.
“Hello. You’ve heard of the Oldenburg Count’s family, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, they’re super rich!”
“…..”
A sigh is about to escape from my mouth.
Certainly, the Oldenburg family is a wealthy family.
Their domain is definitely different from Eristirol.
Unlike Eristirol, which literally symbolizes the north, Oldenburg is located slightly to the north, with a cool climate and a livable domain.
Despite not collecting high taxes, they also have enormous capital through business.
“Hmm… that’s not wrong. Our family is indeed quite wealthy?”
“When I went to Oldenburg before, I was really surprised! The domain was full of buildings that looked as expensive as those in the capital.”
“Hehe.. you’re quite knowledgeable. Would you like to visit our domain later?”
“Would that be okay?”
“Of course.”
The two of them are having a pleasant conversation during the meal.
Kyle was keeping his mouth shut and just eating between the two women.
Is he still not very skilled at conversing with the opposite sex?
If I were a man, I would have been unable to hold back my laughter and would have kept talking if I were dining with two beautiful women.
He talked normally with Catherine, so why is he not speaking at all just because Louise has been added?
If he could converse well even in situations like this, he would be more popular.
No.
With looks like Kyle’s, he would be plenty popular just sitting still.
The cold prince of the north.
Women are naturally a species that go crazy for such settings.
Just when I was at boarding school, there were girls who said they wanted to get a job as a maid in some family and have “that kind of relationship” with the young master.
“Ah, Sebastian? Please bring that thing we prepared.”
“Yes.”
When Catherine said that, Sebastian left the hall.
I couldn’t tell what kind of item she had prepared to mention it at such a dining occasion.
I hadn’t heard any information about it.
“What have you prepared?”
Kyle asked first what I was curious about.
It seems I wasn’t the only one curious.
“Just, a bribe… well, not quite, just a gift. A gift for you, Young Lord.”
“Ohhh….”
Louise was showing curiosity while listening to such conversation.
I was also excited to see what kind of gift it would be.
Could it be a sweet, innocent gift that gives the impression of lovers?
I thought for a moment about what gifts a woman might give to a man.
In my past life, I could only think of something like a necktie.
To begin with, men are creatures who are happy with any gift from a woman.
Right now, I would also happily accept a gift from anyone.
As long as it’s not a really strange kind of gift.
“My Lady.”
“Thank you, Sebastian.”
Sebastian gave Catherine a small box.
I couldn’t tell what was inside.
Since it was a sealed box, I would need psychic powers to know.
“Here, Young Lord. Please open it.”
Catherine smiled and gave the box as a gift to Kyle.
Kyle received the gift with an expression that seemed to say he didn’t understand what was going on.
“….”
Kyle opened the box without saying anything.
Inside the box was a necklace.
“It’s a necklace made with gems from our domain. It doesn’t have any special meaning, just a gift given as a token of friendship?”
“Thank you. I will keep it safe.”
Kyle said that, then closed the box again and placed it on the table.
Why doesn’t he wear it?
“Young Master, may I put it on for you?”
“No. It’s fine.”
I thought it would be good to wear it since it was a gift.
I asked in case he was uncomfortable putting it on himself, but I was immediately refused.
It’s just a necklace, why doesn’t he wear it?
“Ahem.. I understand.”
Catherine said that and resumed her meal.
It seems she was disappointed that Kyle didn’t wear the necklace she gifted.

Afterward, morning tea time with Catherine and swordsmanship training with Elin continued.
And magic lessons with Louise too.
I feel like I’m spending less and less time doing things with Kyle.
How should I put it… I felt like a mother who is sad because her time with her son is gradually decreasing.
I wonder if my mom felt this way when I entered boarding school.
Probably not.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have suddenly sent me there.
“Miss Sofia.”
“Yes?”
I was walking alone in the corridor since Kyle was in the middle of another lesson, when suddenly Sebastian called me.
Always in the same formal attire with neatly arranged hair.
I had become somewhat familiar with him as Catherine had been staying at the castle for a while.
“My Lady would like to have a conversation with you.”
“Ah, yes.”
Catherine is calling me to talk with her again today.
I don’t know why she wants to talk with me.
I thought she might be trying to extract information about the castle, but there was no indication of that.
“Sofia, could you go outside the castle with me tomorrow?”
“Outside the castle..you say?”
Outside the castle.
Why is she suddenly asking me to go outside?
She could just order the servants to do it.
“Yes, I’m just bored staying only in the castle. While we’re at it, I’d also like to properly see what the Eristirol domain is like.”
“I will ask the Young Master first and let you know.”
Kyle will probably give permission since it’s not a big deal.
After all, it’s just looking around the domain briefly, there’s no reason to refuse.
“And also, could I borrow some suitable clothes to wear when going down tomorrow? My servants didn’t prepare anything like that.”
“I understand.”
Clothes…
Lending my clothes wouldn’t work.
The sizes wouldn’t match at all.
Especially the sizes of the chest and hips would clearly be too big for Catherine.
She’s still a growing child.
There’s no way her clothes size would match an adult like me.
I should ask other maids.
If there aren’t any, I’d have to ask them to go down to the domain and buy some.
The conversation with Catherine ended like that.
Rather than a conversation, it was just a request.
“Young Master, is it alright if I go look around the domain with Lady Oldenburg tomorrow?”
“Look around the domain?”
“Yes.”
Upon my saying so, Kyle fell into contemplation for a moment.
Since I, his personal servant, would be absent, it was a matter that required some consideration.
I was essentially handling the paperwork that Kyle should be doing, and I was taking care of everything except for bathing.
Even now, I’m sitting in Kyle’s study handling the paperwork that Kyle should be processing.
I wondered if this was the right situation, but since I’ve been doing it for years, it was already too late.
I needed to properly teach Kyle how to handle paperwork before he became an adult.
“Well, since I’ll be having classes as usual tomorrow, I don’t think it matters.”
“Is that so.”
“Yes, let’s call tomorrow a vacation. Miss Sofia, you haven’t had a proper vacation until now, have you?”
“Ah.”
Come to think of it, that’s true.
“Take this opportunity to rest. I’ll explain to the other teachers.”
Kyle answered with a smile.
Thanks to this, it seems I’ll be able to spend tomorrow comfortably without being a servant.
No, thinking about it, it seems like it would be more uncomfortable to be with Catherine.
I’ve known Kyle for years, but I’ve only known Catherine for a few months.
And crucially, we’re not friendly at all!
I truly just treated her as a servant would, and Catherine treated me pretty much the same.
Naturally, we couldn’t be friendly.
It would certainly be more fun to go down to the domain with Kyle.
Going down with Kyle and looking around the domain would really be fun.
I should go down with him sometime.
“Young Master, how are your lessons with Louise?”
I deliberately didn’t observe the lessons with Louise in case my presence might be a burden.
Still, I was curious about how Kyle’s lessons were progressing, so I had to ask.
“They’re fun. It’s still the beginning, but it’s a different kind of fun from swordsmanship.”
“I see.”
I’m glad that Kyle seems to be interested in magic as well.
I had felt like I was forcing him to do it, but hearing him say it’s fun makes me feel good.
“That’s good.”
“Uh.. Miss Sofia?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you suddenly stroking my hair….”
“Ah.”
Without realizing it, I was patting Kyle’s head.
“I apologize.”
Is it because I’ve thought of him too much as a younger brother, or because my relationship with Kyle has become too close?
Even though I knew I shouldn’t do such things, I stroked his head without realizing it.
“I will be careful not to let this happen again in the future.”
I bowed my head to Kyle and said that.
Fortunately, Kyle said it was okay and forgave my mistake.
*
“Sofia! What’s that over there?”
“Just an ordinary skewer.”
“Ohhh…. I should try it! Sebastian?”
Catherine was wearing warm clothes that looked as ordinary as possible.
Of course, her appearance wasn’t ordinary at all, and the people around seemed to have noticed that she was not an ordinary person.
Well, Catherine seemed completely unaware of this situation and was just asking for skewers.
“Yes, My Lady.”
If she’s going to be like this outside, why did she ask to borrow suitable clothes for going out?
Anyone can see she’s a noble.
“Sofia, what’s that over there?”
For now, my mission was to help Catherine explore the domain.
It didn’t seem like it would be a vacation as Kyle had said.
If Kyle had come down too and I could have watched Kyle and Catherine playing together, that would have been a vacation.