“Here’s a gift for you. “It’s a medicine that increases talent.”
“!!”
Joanna’s complexion turned pale when she saw the item that Duchess Bess held out.
‘I don’t like it.’
Joanna had already taken all of these types of medications.
I didn’t see much effect and only suffered terrible aftereffects.
Moreover, just looking at it now, it looked like it was a medicine made from a forbidden secret technique.
I was afraid that there might be some unpleasant ingredients in it, and the side effects would be even more terrible.
“Are you sure you don’t believe in this mother’s love?”
“Oh, no. “Well, I’ll eat it.”
Joanna looked at her mother’s cold gaze at her and thought of a question she could not put out loud.
‘Is it true that you really love me?’
I suddenly asked that question.
Mother loved herself.
clearly. certainly.
‘It’s all because I’m not good at it.’
But why?
Suddenly these words came to mind.
-You didn’t do anything wrong. So, don’t beat yourself up unnecessarily.
What Ban had told her before.
Joanna bit her lip.
‘What do you know? ‘I can talk about things like that comfortably.’
Does he know?
How much trouble did the story he told make him.
‘If it weren’t for that story back then, it wouldn’t be in so much pain right now.’
It’s just because I’m not confident enough.
So, I probably ended up gritting my teeth and saying I should try harder.
But now it hurts.
The chest. too.
‘Let’s forget about that and try harder. If I do a good job, my mother won’t be mad at me.’
I swallowed my saliva and looked at the disgusting colored medicine.
I never wanted to swallow it, but I had to eat it.
But why?
At that moment, Ban’s face appeared again.
‘I don’t need you!’
It was the moment when I was gritting my teeth and trying to pour the medicine into my mouth.
“stop. “Make it stop.”
“!!”
Joanna’s eyes widened as if torn.
Half showed up.
It’s really funny.
I resented it so much, but the moment I saw Ban’s face, the tears I had been holding back poured out.
I felt like crying.
* * *
‘also.’
I lamented.
It’s as expected.
It was also a familiar sight that I had seen many times in scenarios.
“Ban, what dare you do here?”
“I visited because I felt like student abuse was happening. “Looking at the situation, I don’t think I guessed wrong.”
“under!”
Duchess Bess burst out laughing.
“As a mother, I only disciplined my daughter for her education.”
“Do you mean discipline?”
I looked at Joanna, who was still bleeding from her forehead.
“Okay, what’s the problem with that? “It’s not a crippling wound.”
I was speechless at the confident retort.
‘It’s absurd, but for the sake of reason, I’m at a disadvantage. ‘This is not modern Earth.’
In the past, even on Earth, there were times when parents were not punished for beating their children to death under the pretext of discipline.
Although it was not to that extent here, corporal punishment by parents was widely accepted.
What is more difficult than anything else.
“Joanna, you tell me. Did I abuse you?”
Joanna bit her lip and stood up.
The tears that had been shed when I first appeared had already stopped.
“no. My mother never abused me. “I only disciplined him because I wasn’t good enough.”
Joanna frowned and glared at me.
“I have never asked you for help, Professor Ban. “I’m not happy about your foolish behavior, so please go back quickly.”
“Did you hear me well? “If you don’t want to be behind bars for home invasions and child-rearing interference, get out of here!”
It was a difficult situation.
If Joanna came out like this, there was no reason for me to intervene.
but.
‘under.’
I clenched my fists.
Joanna didn’t stop crying.
The tears had stopped, but I was crying deep inside my eyes.
Please go.
Leave me alone.
My heart sank heavily as I cried out in my heart.
I ended up making an impulsive choice.
“‘contract’.”
Joanna looked puzzled at the unexpected word.
However, it was not Duchess Bess.
“… what?”
“You should know better what I’m talking about, right?”
“!!”
Duchess Bess’s eyes fluttered.
Looks agitated.
“Yes, how did you tell that story?”
“Can we talk here and now? In front of Joanna? “You must be in trouble, right?”
“What are you talking about, all of a sudden?”
“Joanna, you go back to your room! hurry!”
“!!”
Joanna was startled, then immediately lowered her head and disappeared.
Eventually, only the two of them remained.
Faaah!
I took a deep breath.
A tremendous force weighed down on me.
“How do you know that story?”
Duchess Bess’ eyes sparkled.
It was on a different level from the few times we argued a while ago.
‘This is the true power of the Witch of Cruelty.’
I swallowed my saliva.
An instinctive fear arose, but you must not back down.
The black flame dragon helped me.
Rather, he lifted the corners of his mouth as if mocking him.
“What are you surprised about? “What’s so great about signing a contract to fulfill your greed by selling your daughter?”
“!!”
Yes.
The reason Duchess Bess scolded Joanna like this was not because of love, but because of her own greed.
“this guy… “Do you really want to die?”
The momentum became more and more intense, and I felt suffocated, but I gritted my teeth and held on.
‘are you okay. You can’t kill me. So don’t be scared… But, you really can’t kill me, right?’
The look in his eyes was so cruel that for the first time in a long time, I was starting to feel like a scaremonger, but I held back.
It wasn’t just because of the Black Flame Dragon.
To be honest, I too am angry at what Duchess Bess did to Joanna.
“under!”
In the end, it was Duchess Bess who took a step back.
“So what do you want to talk about? “If you’re going to tell me to keep my hands off Joanna, I’ll cut out your tongue.”
I know very well that even if I say that, it won’t work.
Instead, the story was told differently.
“Do you think you can fulfill your contract?”
“Of course.”
“You know it’s impossible like this, right?”
I shut my mouth.
It means she knows it well.
“Joanna, that’s not enough. “Why did such a Mojiri come out even though I inherited my blood?”
“Speak clearly. “The reason Joanna can’t grow is not because of your talent, but because your education is poor.”
“!!”
The moment when Duchess Bess’s face was about to turn red.
“I will prove how poor your education is during this lecture competition.”
“under?”
“If I lose, I will no longer interfere in Joanna’s affairs. Instead, if I win, you give up your right to education.”
“What nonsense?!”
“I think it’s an offer that won’t cost you anything? Isn’t your goal anyway, to ensure that Joanna achieves the terms of the contract? “It would be better to admit your shortcomings as soon as possible and leave it to a better teacher.”
“… … .”
“If you don’t want to, I’ll have to discuss this matter with His Excellency Duke Alfonso. Even if Duke Alfonso is not interested in his daughter, it is doubtful whether he will tolerate submitting his daughter, who is his descendant, to the terms of such a contract.”
Duchess Bess gritted her teeth at my threat.
“good night. Instead, once you are defeated, as promised, stop interfering with Joanna.”
I nodded.
“Okay, instead, I have one more condition.”
“what?”
“I know you have no affection for Joanna as a parent. But please don’t show it outwardly.”
I looked straight at Duchess Bess and continued.
“Even if your child doesn’t seem to know, they feel it.”
“… … .”
From Noble mtl dot com
After coming out of the mansion, I sighed for a moment.
I managed to handle it pretty well, but I felt dirty.
Is it because Joanna’s appearance reminds me of myself when I was young?
Unlike usual, my mood did not ease easily.
That was why.
“Professor, where have you been? “Here’s to tomorrow’s lecture!”
Hans showed video magic tool materials.
Since the opponent was different from that Extra Lanian guy, I prepared hard in my own way.
I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to write this material later. “A new course topic came to mind.”
“Suddenly now? You probably don’t have time to prepare, do you? Are you going safely? “This course alone should be enough to win.”
The quality of the course I prepared was so high that Hans was so confident.
but.
“Just winning is not enough.”
“professor?”
okay.
I don’t think that amount will be enough to relieve this feeling.
“So what kind of course do you want to take?”
and.
Hans jumped after hearing my explanation.
It was natural.
“Isn’t that an open fight?”
Those were accurate words.
‘I will crush you overwhelmingly.’
No, go beyond that.
‘I’ll give you a piece of sh*t.’
I am a good citizen by nature, so it is rare for me to be hostile towards someone like this.
This means that I am so angry about this incident.
Duchess Bess will pay the price tomorrow for upsetting a good citizen like me.
Just like that, the final day of the special lecture competition dawned.
* * *
The middle floor of the Amethyst Tower.
There was a large auditorium with five floors.
It was a large auditorium that rarely filled all the seats, but there were a lot of people crowded around it.
“Duchess Bess’s lecture today, right?”
“I’m looking forward to it. “It’s a manipulation method used by the witch of cruelty.”
“But the Witch of Cruelty is the villain of the Abyss, right?”
“Who cares? She’s a duchess now. Above all, the teachings of magic don’t matter whether you’re a villain or something?”
Duchess Bess’s status as a wizard was so great that even the arrogant Amethyst acknowledged it.
“I feel a little discouraged because my opponent is half-legged.”
“No, I’m not ignoring it. Did you not see the lecture yesterday? “The nickname ‘anti-legend’ may not be a mockery.”
“Oh, but it’s nothing compared to Duchess Bess.”
“Shh. “This is a secret, but there are rumors that VL, the divinity of the Street of Truth, is a semi-legend.”
“no way?”
“All the senior professors who are here now came to check with their own eyes whether the Van Legend is really VL.”
Originally, it was rare for arrogant senior professors to attend external special lectures in such large numbers.
“Shh, let’s begin!”
Duchess Bess was the first.
It is said that the order was requested by the class.
-You seem scared. Let me help you understand the difference in level.
Duchess Bess glanced at Ban with a downcast look and then went up to the podium.
The lecture started next.
It was great.
No, it seemed great.
‘You, it’s too difficult.’
No matter how outstanding Amethyst’s students are, they are just students.
On the other hand, Duchess Bess’ lecture was at a level that was difficult for even a formal wizard to understand.
However, not everyone was dissatisfied.
‘Teachings of a high state are inherently difficult to understand.’
‘You should be grateful just for giving me those lessons.’
Eventually, after the lecture ended, thunderous applause rang out.
Next it was Van’s turn.
A mixture of curiosity, anticipation, and suspicion flew into my eyes.
“Professor Ban, what is the topic of your course?”
“This is ＜Critical Lecture＞.”
“yes?”
Van’s eyes turned to Duchess Bess.
“I will criticize one by one how stupid the lecture was just now and correct the prejudices and misunderstandings about manipulation magic.”
Thank you for the translation