You Don't Dislike Me, Right?

Cui Ciyou watched as Alice stopped struggling.

He slightly loosened the force pinning down Alice's knee.

Changing the subject, he showed her some goodwill.

"Originally, according to your father and grandfather's wishes, you were supposed to have lessons every day."

"I discussed it with them and secured you the right to rest one day out of every three."

"On those three school days, lessons are only scheduled after breakfast, with two classes each in the morning and afternoon."

"Noon and evening are both your free time."

"That's a pretty relaxed arrangement, isn't it? But what happened?"

"Over the past half month, you haven't attended my reading, writing, or arithmetic classes even once."

"You skipped class every time with all sorts of excuses. Alice, tell me yourself, does that make any sense?"

Hearing Cui Ciyou clearly list out her "crimes," especially when he mentioned skipping class,

the anger on Alice's face seemed to fade somewhat, replaced by... shyness and guilt.

She huffily turned her head away and stopped looking at him.

Yet she still muttered in a quiet, unconvinced voice,

"You... you did it on purpose. You just don't want me to have an easy time. That's why you deliberately arrange those boring classes every day to torture me."

"It's not like you don't know that I don't like arithmetic or reading and writing at all! They're boring to death!..."

"I know you don't like them."

Sensing the softening in her tone, Cui Ciyou released her wrist as well.

He sat down beside her, his tone becoming gentler.

"To be honest, Alice, it's not as though I personally want you to take those classes that badly."

"Your father Philip and your grandfather Sauros are the ones who asked for you to learn these things."

"And as the tutor they hired,"

"I'm theoretically responsible for carrying out that task."

He paused. Looking at Alice's pouting, unwilling expression, he changed tack.

"However... I've noticed that when it comes to the teacher who teaches you noble etiquette,"

"although you seem to dislike her classes just as much,"

"at least you don't skip them every day like you avoid me, right?"

"So perhaps the problem isn't just the classes themselves. It might also be that... you have a major issue with me as your teacher."

As if he had hit the nail on the head, Alice's cheeks reddened slightly. She gave a humph but did not refute him.

"I know you like swordsmanship,"

Cui Ciyou said with sincere admiration in his voice.

"And I admit that you have outstanding talent for the sword. Even Ghislaine sings your praises."

"But, Alice, a person can't only do the things they like and are good at."

Seeing that Alice seemed somewhat moved, Cui Ciyou made a tentative suggestion.

"Actually... Alice, if you really hate me that much,"

"perhaps... we can try another way."

"I can resign to your father."

"Although... honestly..."

"getting such a generous salary like this, while spending most of my time freely reading in the library,"

"and only occasionally dealing with your nighttime attacks... this feeling of being paid for doing nothing is rather comfortable."

He said it in a light, self-deprecating tone.

"There's a saying: 'Better to part ways than tire of the sight of each other.'"

"If the two of us look at each other every day and find each other unbearable, if we both feel miserable, then why force it?"

"Why not... simply part ways here, and have your father find you a teacher you might find a little easier on the eyes?"

"No!"

To his surprise, the instant he finished speaking,

Alice immediately lifted her head and loudly objected, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

There was a rare trace of panic on her face.

"I... I don't want anyone else teaching me!"

"Those people are even more annoying, more long-winded, and more useless than you!"

She seemed to recall the "miserable fates" of all the teachers she had previously driven away or beaten away.

"Just... just you. You can keep being my tutor."

"You... you don't have to care whether I listen in class or not. Anyway, you're the teacher."

Her tone was forceful, but beneath that forcefulness hid a measure of panic.

Heh, compared to replacing me with a new teacher who might be stricter and even more unbearable to her...

She would rather put up with me, this pretty boy she can't stand but can at least handle?

Cui Ciyou secretly laughed to himself, believing he had seen through Alice's thoughts.

"All right, since you insist that I stay..."

Looking into Alice's red eyes, widened even further with agitation, Cui Ciyou deliberately paused before slowly asking,

"Then, Alice, may I ask you something? Do you... hate me?"

The question seemed to catch Alice off guard.

She looked at Cui Ciyou's face, which appeared even more refined beneath the moonlight yet showed little expression.

Then she recalled how, over the past half month, he had seemed indifferent yet had been unusually "tolerant" of all her provocations and attacks.

And... what he had just said, which seemed to have considered things from her perspective...

Her cheeks uncontrollably flushed, and her gaze began to dart away.

"I..." She opened her mouth, as though she wanted to say something, but did not know how to put it into words.

"What about you, pretty boy! Do you hate me?"

Alice suddenly raised her head. As if to hide her embarrassment, she threw the question back at him instead.

Her tone returned to its earlier fierceness.

"Me?" Cui Ciyou seriously considered it upon hearing that.

Do I hate Alice? Honestly, at the beginning, a little.

After all, who would like a brat who insulted him and threw a punch at him the first time they met?

Not to mention that she later bit me hard.

Her unruly, willful, lawless personality really was a headache, too.

But... after spending the past half month with her, especially after witnessing that almost obsessive perseverance of hers, as well as her straightforward, beast-like nature that never knew how to hide what she liked or disliked...

He pondered for a moment before finally looking into Alice's eyes, slightly widened with nervousness, and saying,

"Although our first meeting really wasn't very pleasant, and you... really aren't what anyone would call likable."

"Still, you're unexpectedly straightforward."

"If you like something, you like it. If you hate something, you hate it. It's all written on your face, and you never beat around the bush."

"That... well, while it can be infuriating sometimes, it makes you much easier to understand than people who act one way to your face and another behind your back."

"So... do I hate you? Probably... I don't dislike you."

Cui Ciyou ultimately gave an answer that perhaps even surprised himself.

"You...!"

Hearing that assessment, which she did not know whether to take as praise,

especially that final "I don't dislike you," Alice's little face instantly turned crimson.

She suddenly clenched her fists, as if she wanted to argue.

But after opening her mouth, she only huffily snorted in the end. She turned her head away, while the tips of her ears took on a suspicious red hue.

Watching her adorable appearance, a hint of amusement entered Cui Ciyou's black eyes.

"All right, Alice,"

Cui Ciyou stood up and stretched, breaking the slightly awkward atmosphere.

"Since you insist on having me continue as your teacher, shouldn't we reach a new agreement?"

Alice kept her head turned, but her ears pricked up. She was clearly listening.

"It's simple." Cui Ciyou continued,

"Starting tomorrow, you can't skip my reading, writing, and arithmetic classes anymore."

"You have to come to the study on time every day, and at least try to listen."

"In exchange, I'll do my best to make the lessons less dull."

"And I'll make sure you have plenty of time for the swordsmanship training you love most. How about it?"

Alice remained silent for a long time, seemingly engaged in an intense inner struggle.

In the end, she let out an extremely faint "Mm," like the buzz of a mosquito.

"Very good." Cui Ciyou smiled in satisfaction.

"Then the agreement is made."

"Now... it's late, Lady Alice. Shouldn't you return to your own room and sleep?"

"Hmph!" Alice snorted heavily.

As if to regain a little dignity, she suddenly jumped off the bed and swaggered toward the door.

Just as she was about to cross the threshold, she abruptly stopped.

She turned around and glared viciously at Cui Ciyou.

"You, you pretty boy! Next time... if you dare hit my butt with your sword sheath again,"

"I... I absolutely! Absolutely won't let you off!!"

After saying that, she ran away without waiting for Cui Ciyou to respond.

Cui Ciyou watched her vanish through the doorway and helplessly shook his head.

"Sigh... has my relationship with Alice gotten better?"

Cui Ciyou murmured to himself, though he also felt a trace of relief in his heart.

Though the process had been winding, at least this job as a "tutor" seemed like it could... finally get on track?

It looks like tomorrow's first class should be able to begin smoothly.