Chapter 81: The Charming New Teacher

Teresa was pushed all the way into the bathroom by Betty, and when she finally finished washing up and stepped out, she was greeted by a delightful surprise—

“Big brother, what are you doing here?” In the dining room, aside from Amos and Betty, who were supposed to be at Stormhold, there was also Pedia. Clad in military attire, Pedia sat beside Amos, equally dressed in uniform. From their looks to their temperament, the two seemed to have been cast from the same mold, differing only in age.

Pedia rose and looked Teresa up and down, then nodded, saying, “You’ve recovered quickly.”

Teresa laughed sheepishly at his words, not daring to dwell on her injuries, and instead asked, “Why are you here, big brother? What about Archil? He couldn’t possibly be content being left behind in Cervantes alone—did he come too?”

“I’m here on military business. Archil is completing his academy assessment task and has already gone south to Mishutan.” As he spoke, Pedia sat back down and gestured for Teresa to take her seat and eat.

As soon as Teresa sat, she was met with another round of Betty’s nagging. Unable to retort, she buried herself in her meal, eating with such focus that she forgot her earlier curiosity about Pedia.

After dinner, the Aubrion couple each chose a junior to accompany them. Pedia joined Amos in the study to discuss affairs, while Teresa kept Betty company, chatting and playing cards to pass the time…

In the study, father and son sat across from each other, discussing a transfer order—

“Whoever decided to transfer your ‘child soldiers’ to Stormhold, I can’t quite say, but since you’re here, be cautious,” Amos, though a stern father, was thorough and meticulous in imparting life experience. “Stormhold is entangled with the Beastmen Alliance and the vast heartlands of the Icefields, long a gathering place for various military factions. Since you’ll be stationed here for three years, the first thing you must learn is to assess situations wisely. You have a steady temperament, so impulsiveness isn’t a problem, but you’re still young. If anything arises, consult Uncle Barman—don’t be fooled by his silent demeanor and apparent brute force; he’s actually quite shrewd.”

Pedia listened intently, valuing his father’s rare, lengthy advice. Amos then meticulously analyzed the distribution of forces at Stormhold and detailed the resources at his disposal. Their discussion lasted the entire night, and only when the assembly whistle sounded the next morning did father and son finally tear themselves away from the massive map in the study. Though they had spent the night talking, both were lively and showed no signs of fatigue.

That day, each had their own duties, and the two naturally left the study side by side, heading toward the dining room. Passing through the small flower hall, an unusual sound caught Pedia’s attention. He paused and saw Teresa in the garden, practicing some form of exercise with remarkable focus. Pedia stopped and watched for a while before collecting himself and continuing on with Amos.

A few steps further, Pedia couldn’t resist asking, “Father, have you truly not found out who harmed Tess?”

Amos continued striding forward, eyes straight ahead, replying, “Investigate? These things always get more convoluted the more you dig. What’s the point? I won’t investigate!”

Such a decisive response left Pedia stunned for two seconds before he came to his senses. Watching his father’s imposing figure, Pedia stroked his chin and, for once, smiled—Amos said he wouldn’t investigate, but he never said he wouldn’t act. They weren’t going to court; justice didn’t require evidence or outcomes. Judging by Amos’s tone, he likely already had an idea. Pedia began pondering how to get his father to allow him to intervene.

Lost in thought, Pedia didn’t notice Amos’s covert gaze and amused eyes…

…

On the third day after Pedia arrived at Stormhold, the Aubrion couple, together with Teresa, were set to return to Cervantes. The couple had only been specially assigned to Stormhold due to urgent military affairs; Amos’s official position remained as commander of the Cervantes Corps. Now that the mission was complete, they were obliged to return to Cervantes at once. Because it was an official military transfer, Teresa got to experience the convenience of a military magic transit—what would normally take half a month by land was reduced to just two days thanks to two linked spatial magic arrays. Thus, although Teresa set out several days after Carol and her grandson, she arrived in Cervantes ahead of them.

☆☆☆

“Ahhhh, Tess, you rotten scoundrel, you heartless scoundrel!” As soon as Benita saw Teresa, she didn’t care that they were still in the living room, surrounded by servants. She rushed forward, grabbed Teresa’s shoulders, and shook her vigorously, protesting loudly, “You left me all alone in Cervantes! You have no idea, I almost suffocated from boredom these past weeks! You were gone for more than half a month and didn’t even send word—I thought you’d died on the Icefields! You owe me! You owe me! You owe me!”

Teresa, shaken so fiercely, didn’t get dizzy; instead, she burst out laughing, her bright smile only provoking Benita further. Benita let go and switched her target to Teresa’s cheeks, twisting them as she muttered, “How dare you laugh at me! That’s another crime, another crime!”

Teresa retaliated, grabbing Benita’s hands, and the two girls tussled, pinching and rubbing each other until, panting, they collapsed onto the sofa. Benita, annoyed, grabbed a cushion and threw it at Teresa, demanding, “Confess! Did you bring me any gifts from your trip?”

“Of course I didn’t forget you, my little ancestor,” Teresa replied with a mischievous grin, pulling a delicate curved dagger from her leather pouch. Slightly longer than a palm, shorter than a forearm, its gentle curve resembled a crescent moon. The sheath and handle bore exquisite, ancient designs adorned with sparkling gems. Unsheathing it, the blade gleamed, its edge sharp—a perfect blend of practicality and beauty.

Benita fell in love at first sight, grabbing the dagger and swinging it through the air, striking several mock combat poses, her excitement growing. After a thorough trial, she tucked the dagger away with care, snuggled up beside Teresa, and slapped her shoulder, declaring, “You really know my tastes. You don’t know what my father and brothers bring me every time they travel—clothes, jewelry, pearls, gems, all so annoying!”

“I’ve seen through you long ago~” Teresa laughed, matching Benita’s enthusiasm. “You’re a violent girl! No wonder the Duchess sent you to Saint Albert Academy on a bet—otherwise, you’d be a menace to the capital~”

Benita was unfazed by her friend’s teasing. “There are plenty of playboys and wanton ‘ladies’ in the capital—one more or less wouldn’t make a difference. My father’s just old-fashioned and can’t stand it… Anyway, never mind all that. Tess, I have to tell you, you picked the worst time to go to the Icefields! You missed the arrival of a super~~~ handsome guy at school! Everyone’s been feasting their eyes!”

Teresa blinked in curiosity. “Super handsome? A new teacher? How handsome could he be to make you swoon like this?”

Benita wrapped her arms around Teresa’s, giggling. “Yes, a new teacher—he’s temporarily covering our continental history and aesthetics classes. I hear he’s a relative of Director Felina, supposedly a half-elf. Handsome, definitely, but even more captivating is the sunny aura he gives off—even in the dampest weather, being near him feels like basking in sunshine. Tess, you can’t imagine how popular he is! He’s only been here a month, and we’ve changed classrooms three times. Now we can only have class in the great hall!”

Teresa raised her brows in surprise. “Why move to the great hall?”

“Too many auditors!” Benita winked. “You don’t know—some seniors who could have graduated this year stayed just to attend his classes, skipping the graduation exam. I bet the school administration is having headaches, haha~”

Teresa, hearing this, was now eagerly anticipating meeting him herself—after all, everyone admires beauty. Benita, having bottled up gossip for nearly a month, was delighted to have someone to share it with, and poured out all her stories, making the two girls laugh and chatter merrily. Meanwhile, the super~ handsome guy they discussed was facing a stern elder—

“Lambert!” Felina glared at the radiant, sunny Lambert, her teeth practically itching with frustration. “If you keep flirting with my students, I’ll complain to your mother!”

Lambert, facing Felina’s anger, continued to smile lazily, half-hugging her in a gesture of appeasement. “Aunt Felina, anger is bad for your health. You’ve always been good at staying youthful, but be careful not to wrinkle from stress—if Uncle Ike sees, he’ll chase me around with a knife, and that would be embarrassing for me.”

His words made Felina laugh despite herself. She stomped hard, twisted out of his embrace, and shot him a glare. “Forget it. You’ve always had skin thick enough to deflect arrows. Even if I complain to your mother, she’d be happy for you to finally settle down and marry. Here, catch!”

Lambert caught the heavy black tome Felina tossed to him, flashing a brilliant smile. He bowed exaggeratedly, kissed the cover, and asked, “So, do you still want me to keep teaching?”

Felina rolled her eyes. “If you suddenly disappeared, how would I explain it to all those students you’ve bewitched? You started this mess, you fix it—no matter how many admirers you have, you’re not allowed to borrow my ‘Magic Ban Chapter’ again!”

Lambert grinned, making a “no problem” gesture, and left contentedly with the black book, leaving Felina, faced with a desk piled high with complaints and protests, regretting her earlier “wolf-inviting” decision…

On New Year’s Day, I wish everyone a happy belated New Year, a prosperous Year of the Dragon, family health, all wishes fulfilled, and every success~~~ (To be continued)