Philip and the butler led Rudeus and Ghislaine deep into a corridor.
They stopped before a large wooden door, and the butler opened it.
Rudeus glanced at Philip and saw from his expression that he was telling him to go in.
At that moment, he was incredibly nervous.
Once he crossed the threshold, he would finally meet the girl he had been longing to see.
What would she actually be like?
Did she really have such a violent temper?
Did she really lash out at the slightest disagreement?
With these questions and others on his mind, Rudeus finally stepped into the room and saw what lay beyond the door-
Several maids were inside, sporting all sorts of beast ears: some like cats', some like dogs', and some like rabbits'.
Among them stood a lovely girl with flaming red hair.
She stood straight with her hands on her hips, dressed in formal clothes befitting a noble, while a maid adjusted them for her.
Apparently hearing the door open, the red-haired girl turned straight around without the slightest regard for the maid working on her clothes.
The moment she turned, her eyes met mine.
He felt his heart pounding...
She really is cute... even that tsundere stance is adorable...
Her long, fiery red hair fell loosely over her shoulders, with a single, distinctive tuft sticking up playfully on top of her head.
Her clear, wine-red eyes were almond-shaped, their outer corners tilting slightly upward. Every long, black eyelash stood distinct, and tiny highlights shone in her pupils. Her gaze was sharp as a blade, full of a defiance that refused to yield.
Her small, oval face was fair, her lips pressed into a taut line and her cheeks puffed out slightly. She looked every bit like someone who had been provoked but was still struggling to maintain her air of authority.
Her arms were folded across her chest. She wore an off-the-shoulder black-and-white top with a standing collar and a black bow adorned with a golden T-shaped ornament at the neckline. Her slender, fair shoulders were bare, making her look all the more willful and lively.
"I am Rudeus Greyrat, a Saint Rank magician and an Advanced Swordsman! I hope to offer my assistance and humble advice in whatever areas interest you, young lady."
Rudeus introduced himself as courteously and humbly as he could.
Eris was briefly taken aback when she saw his face, but quickly returned to normal:
"What? Why is it a kid?"
"My deepest apologies, young lady! If you believe my abilities are lacking, please test me as much as you like!"
Afterward, Eris and Rudeus faced each other, each holding a wooden sword.
The butler, Ghislaine, and Philip watched from a distance.
Eris attacked first. Without a trace of technique, she swung her sword straight at Rudeus on instinct alone.
Rudeus held his sword in one hand and waited for the moment she struck.
When Eris's sword was halfway through its swing, he turned sideways in an instant and swung his own sword to block, perfectly deflecting the force of her attack!
The exchange clearly threw Eris off balance, and Rudeus followed up with another strike, knocking her wooden sword away.
Eris's eyes widened, but only for an instant. She quickly lunged at Rudeus like a rabid dog, trying to knock him down.
But even though they were close together, Rudeus still didn't let her have her way.
He gathered a little mana and sent multiple blasts of wind pressure at Eris from every direction, pinning her in place instantly.
Everyone present was stunned by the sight.
Eris looked equally astonished. Even when she tried everything she could, she couldn't break free.
"I... ugh... I give up..."
In the end, Eris reluctantly admitted defeat.
Only then did Rudeus withdraw his mana. Seeing Eris collapse into a sitting position on the ground, he hurried forward to help her up.
But just as he approached and reached out to place his hands on her shoulders...
Eris suddenly sprang up, her right hand clenched into a fist as she punched straight at Rudeus's face!
There was a loud smack!
Eris's fist struck the faint mana barrier in front of Rudeus. A honeycomb pattern immediately appeared across it as it held firm against the blow.
Philip, however, was visibly delighted, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
Ghislaine lifted a corner of her eyepatch and watched intently, a rare sight.
Eris, on the other hand, snatched her hand back with a wince. Her face twisted as she clutched her fist and rolled on the ground in pain.
"Are you all right, young lady? Young lady?" Rudeus went forward to check on Eris again, thinking that surely she had finally accepted defeat this time.
"Leave me alone!"
Eris slapped Rudeus's hand away, then buried her face in her fair knees and began to sob:
"Boo-hoo... boo-hoo..."
Oh no, did I go too far?
Watching her... Rudeus was at a loss for what to do.
For now, he had no choice but to take the plunge.
"Young lady, those techniques I used just now... if you want to learn them, I can teach you!"
Eris stopped sobbing the moment she heard that and looked at Rudeus in disbelief:
"Really? You'll teach me?"
"Mm-hm, of course!"
"If I learn them, I'm going to knock you flat!"
"I'd be happy to spar with you, young lady~"
Eris raised her injured hand and held it out in front of Rudeus. He was about to put his mouth to it when he suddenly realized that didn't seem to be what she meant.
A green light shone over it instead, and the wounds on her knuckles healed instantly.
"So, young lady, does this mean you're willing to let me be your tutor?" he asked with a faint smile.
Eris wore a complicated expression: forty percent anger, twenty percent shame, twenty percent unwillingness to concede, and twenty percent bashfulness.
She looked at me like that for ten-odd seconds before finally speaking:
"You can... stay for now. I'll... watch you for a month. If you don't satisfy me, then get lost!"
Yes! As long as I can stay, the plan is a success.
After watching Eris leave, Rudeus turned to Philip.
Philip gave him a satisfied smile, then told the butler to take him to his room.
Rudeus, however, walked over to Ghislaine and exchanged a few quiet words with her.
After she nodded, he followed the butler to a room in the mansion.
The butler handed Rudeus the key and was about to leave when Rudeus hurriedly called him back:
"Wait a moment, Thomas."
"Is there anything else, Lord Rudeus?" Thomas asked.
"There's something I'd like to ask of you concerning the young lady's education."
"If it is within my power, you need only ask."
"Please tell Edna, the young lady's etiquette teacher, that I'd like to discuss the lesson schedule with her this afternoon. Sorry for the trouble!"
"I'll pass the message along at once." With that, Thomas took his leave.
Rudeus turned to look at the small room where he would be staying for the next three years.
He pushed open the door to find a guest room furnished simply and elegantly.
He closed the door behind him, casually set the key on the low cabinet by the entrance, and let out a long breath. The anxiety that had weighed on him all the way here finally eased a little.
He raised a hand and opened his magic pocket, feeding a faint trace of mana into it with his fingertips. The pocket, originally no bigger than his palm, instantly opened into a softly glowing dimensional entrance.
He took out his belongings one by one: neatly folded changes of clothes, several magic and swordsmanship texts with curled pages, and parts for a simple homemade magic device.
He put the clothes in the wardrobe, neatly arranged the books on the shelf above the desk, and tucked the parts deep into a drawer. In just a short while, the unfamiliar guest room had taken on his presence.
Afterward, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest. Listening to the occasional birdsong outside the window, he passed the time until afternoon before he knew it.
Knock, knock, knock. A crisp knock sounded right on time. "Lord Rudeus, Miss Edna has arrived, and Lady Ghislaine is waiting in the sitting room as well."
The butler Thomas's steady voice came from outside the door.
Hearing him, Rudeus slowly sat up straight, smoothed out his slightly wrinkled collar, and opened the door.
He followed Thomas to a small reception room on the west side of the mansion. Ghislaine was leaning by the window with one hand on her hip, her gaze beneath her eyepatch sweeping sharply across the room.
Beside her stood a middle-aged woman in a fitted dark gray dress, her hair arranged in an immaculate bun.
She wore gold-rimmed glasses and a professional, serious expression. It was Eris's etiquette teacher, Edna.
"Lord Rudeus." Edna nodded in greeting.
Rudeus smiled and returned the greeting, then turned to Thomas:
"Thomas, sorry for the trouble, but please stay and listen in too. We'll need your help coordinating the details of the schedule, and having you here can prevent misunderstandings later."
Thomas bowed slightly. "As you wish, Lord Rudeus."
Everyone took their seats around the long table, and Rudeus spoke first:
"I've asked you all here today mainly to settle the young lady's overall course plan going forward."
"More specifically, I have one key proposal concerning days off." He paused, glancing at the three of them.
"I suggest scheduling one day off every seven days."
As soon as he finished, Edna's brow furrowed slightly. Before she could ask, Rudeus added:
"We all know the young lady's personality. She's full of energy, but she has very little patience. If we subject her to continuous, intensive lessons, she'll only grow more resistant to studying and may even come to hate it and skip class."
"If we give her one completely free day each week to ride, hunt, and do the things she enjoys to relax her mind and body, her learning efficiency over the following six days will actually improve considerably."
"We can also use the day off to give ourselves more time to plan the lessons ahead."
"Letting the young lady encounter more people and things will also be greatly beneficial to the development of her character."
Hearing this, Ghislaine took the unusual step of speaking up on her own. "Makes sense. Forcing her to study will only make her more rebellious."
Edna was silent for a few seconds before finally voicing her concern:
"Your analysis makes a great deal of sense, Lord Rudeus, but I have one question. If we reduce teaching time by one day each week, will our pay be reduced accordingly?"
Her tone was direct and frank, with a trace of barely perceptible concern in her eyes.
Rudeus smiled and shook his head, speaking with certainty:
"Please rest assured, Miss Edna. I've already discussed this with Lord Philip, and all the teachers' salaries will remain unchanged."
"Not only that, but if the young lady's progress and behavior improve noticeably, Lord Philip will also award bonuses."
At that, Edna's tense shoulders relaxed instantly, and she let out a breath of relief.
"Since you've already confirmed it with Lord Philip, I have no objections."
Ghislaine gave a brief reply: "Fine."
Rudeus stood and bowed slightly to everyone.
"Thank you all very much for your cooperation. Starting tomorrow, we'll follow the new plan. I hope that, through our joint efforts, the young lady can truly grow."
The meeting concluded successfully.
Edna and Thomas took their leave one after the other. As Ghislaine passed Rudeus, she raised a hand and gave his shoulder a firm pat, a trace of approval in her low voice:
"Good work." With that, she strode away.
Rudeus stood in the empty reception room, looking at the sky gradually turning orange-red outside the window, his heart full of a reassuring sense of accomplishment.
His first day at House Boreas had gone even more smoothly than he had expected.
As long as he performed well over the next month, he was sure he could earn the genuine acceptance of that difficult yet adorable red-haired girl as her tutor.
At the thought of seeing Eris's pouty little face again tomorrow, the corners of his mouth lifted once more of their own accord.