I instinctively felt that I could not let him leave the room.
But still, no sound came out of my mouth.
He turned his body with a mocking smirk.
Every time his foot touched the wooden floor, it groaned under his weight.
All I could do was freeze and watch as he reached for the doorknob.
I ran away so the original plot wouldn’t catch me, but is this how my life ends anyway?
Everything moved in slow motion—the scene of him turning the doorknob, the door slowly opening.
Of all people, why did I have to run into the final boss!
It was then.
Just as the door cracked open, someone outside grabbed it urgently.
A moment later, that someone poked his head through the narrow opening and shouted:
“Your Grace! Y-your young master!”
The duke wordlessly flung the door wide open. The man holding it lost his balance instantly.
Had the duke not caught him, he would’ve slammed face-first onto the floorboards.
Oof, that would’ve hurt.
“What are you talking about.”
The duke’s low voice rumbled.
His tone seemed calm, but even from our brief interaction, I could tell he was furious.
The subordinate, still awkwardly held in place, stammered.
“T-the young master, h-he…”
“Speak quickly.”
“The young master spoke!”
At those words, the duke turned his head toward me.
Our eyes met.
His eyes, slightly but noticeably wider than before, showed real surprise.
Some of my tension eased. I shrugged as if to say, See? If I could talk right now I’d tell you I was right.
But I was still too shocked to speak.
The duke, displeased with my expression, turned back to his subordinate.
“Is that true?”
“Yes! I clearly heard the young master—”
But the subordinate didn’t finish.
Because—
“Mom!”
Lewin squeezed through the door gap and threw himself into my arms.
His face drenched in tears.
“Mama, mama, mama…”
As if proving my earlier words, he rubbed his face into my skirt over and over.
Poor thing, he must have been terrified.
The duke seemed equally stunned. I stared at him, frozen, as he stared between me and his brother.
Then I opened my mouth.
“I managed something even the Empire’s greatest physicians couldn’t. Shouldn’t I be treated like royalty in the ducal estate now?”
I tried imitating that creepy smile he’d shown me earlier.
No mirror, so I wasn’t sure how good it was, but oh well.
“I suppose you’ll have to serve me now, Your Grace.”
Watching his face slowly twist in anger, I lifted Lewin gently and beamed.
…But I didn’t actually mean I wanted to be served.
Since all the duke’s knights had come on horseback, we borrowed a carriage from the village to head for the ducal estate.
The carriage rattled violently on the unpaved road.
My butt hurt, but I couldn’t show it.
Meanwhile Lewin, sitting beside me, had fallen asleep with his head resting on my lap.
Even asleep, he looked like an angel!
Look at those long eyelashes. And that tiny button nose.
If not for the man sitting across from me with a perpetually offended expression, I might have enjoyed this trip.
I spoke to the duke, who hadn’t stopped staring at me.
“Why do you keep looking at me? Feeling guilty?”
“Well… haah… yes, I suppose.”
“That’s not a guilty expression, though.”
As my tension faded, the fear I experienced in the office morphed into anger.
Which is why I was now mocking the duke like I had nothing to lose.
How I cured Lewin’s mutism when even the Empire’s best doctors failed.
“Anyway…”
I trailed off, and he gave me a look that screamed, What nonsense are you about to say now?
I shamelessly continued.
“You don’t look anything like your brother. Fraud, maybe?”
“Are you insulting my family? I take after my father, and my brother takes after our mother.”
“I just asked. Why are you accusing me of insults? Are you slandering me now?”
The final boss roughly ran a hand through his hair. Judging from his bitten lip, he was annoyed but couldn’t talk back—probably because he knew he’d done wrong.
Well, who told him to behave like that?
Dorian Eberhardt von Brecht, known as Duke Brecht, stared at the woman glaring at him.
The sole teacher of a small but inexplicably well-reviewed tutoring center.
Even in a rattling carriage, she sat upright with her arms crossed, balanced and composed—almost admirable.
This woman saved my brother.
Dorian bit his lip.
Seeing his younger brother sleeping on her lap, after so many sleepless nights, stirred complicated emotions.
The duke’s cherished little brother had been kidnapped.
He had to find him immediately, but he could not make the incident public.
Because he’d hidden the truth, the outside world believed the boy had not survived the train accident.
Only those who knew he survived—and the one who caused the accident—would come looking for him.
But I didn’t expect them to move this quickly…
The dogs have caught the scent.
That sentence flashed through his mind, chilling him.
Dorian had immediately ordered the knights:
“Search the surrounding area and sweep the capital thoroughly. We must find him before sunset!”
By evening, the culprit would have already fled the capital with the boy.
That had to be prevented at all costs.
Then, on the fourth day—when his blood felt drained and fire burned in his veins—a disguised informant reported that he’d found related records from the outer capital guards.
I stared back at the duke, who looked deeply offended.
My arms were starting to ache from keeping them crossed, but I refused to uncross them.
Our first meeting was already the worst. Saying a few rude things wasn’t going to change anything.
He had all the power and wealth; this was the only way I could scratch his pride.
Then, the duke spoke.
“Did my brother—no, Lewin—say who took him?”
His expression didn’t change, but his voice was gentler, more cautious.
Realizing how serious this was, I answered properly instead of snapping back.
“…No. He didn’t say.”
If the duke hadn’t abandoned him, then a six-year-old couldn’t have left the estate alone.
The maids would have caught him at the door.
Seeing the duke’s frown deepen, I added:
“It’s like he forgot.”
“Then it wasn’t someone he knew.”
“Who knows? Maybe someone erased his memory on purpose. He even forgot his mother.”
I rolled my eyes, watching the capital pass by through the window. The roads were paved now, so the carriage no longer bounced as violently.
“Do you have any suspects in mind?”
He shook his head. Probably still suspicious of me.
I sighed internally.
Socially inept, picky bastard.
“I learned at the academy about an invention from the Mage Tower—a memory-erasing pen using mana crystals. It’s an improved version of the original device, and because of the mana crystal, even people without good mana control can use it.”
I traced a finger along the window frame.
“Since it only needs a mana crystal, anyone can use it. That’s why it was banned. But honestly, doesn’t that sound perfect for kidnappers?”
I explained everything I knew. He annoyed me, but the thought of Lewin being in danger pushed me to speak seriously.
But instead of focusing on the memory-erase pen, the duke latched onto something else.
“…Did you say the academy?”
His furrowed brows relaxed for the first time. For a second, I thought my theory impressed him…
“Yes. I’m a graduate of Rembrandt Academy, Class 112.”
I placed a hand on my chest proudly. His eyes gleamed with new interest.
Even the corner of his mouth rose maybe… 0.5 millimeters.
“Good.”
“Good? It’s impressive.”
“For the ducal estate’s new governess and nanny.”
He stroked his chin as he said that—in such a casual tone that I momentarily couldn’t process what I’d heard.
Governess and nanny.
I pictured my beloved tutoring center—the neatly renovated house, the adorable children who came every weekday.
And the future I’d have if I stayed there… versus the future awaiting me in the ducal estate.
Even if the misunderstanding was cleared, it seemed I wouldn’t die peacefully.
I quickly schemed for a way to dissuade him.
Only one strategy came to mind.
Smiling sweetly, I asked:
“Governess and nanny? But I’m Lewin’s mother. If Lewin calls me ‘Mom,’ then shouldn’t you call me Mom as well, Your Grace?”
His face froze instantly.
It was exactly the same expression I saw when difficult parents caused scenes at the kids’ café I worked at—pure disbelief at a lunatic.
But I’d already steeled myself. Too bad!
“Lewin already thinks I’m his mother. Whether it’s side effects of the memory wipe or dissociative amnesia, if I suddenly tell him I’m not his mom, it could cause severe emotional trauma—”
“Memory loss? I thought you were speaking seriously, but you’re back to this nonsense?”
He growled, unable to take any more. But that didn’t stop me.
I straightened my tone.
“Dissociative amnesia refers to memory impairment caused by psychological shock. You understand ‘psychological’ and ‘memory loss,’ right?”
At my chatter, his expression gradually cooled.
Alright, enough teasing. I value my life.
“And I am being serious. If you think offering me a position will make me cling to you—well, I already have a perfectly fine job running my center.”
“How many students do you have?”
“Six. Why? Are you going to tell me to throw them away? Do you know how important trust is in a local business?”
“No. I will sponsor all of them so they can enter the academy.”
My eyes widened.
Toby immediately came to mind.
My kids were still too young for the academy, but the academy had early enrollment programs for children recommended by nobles.
It was an amazing opportunity—too good to reject out of spite.
“…Of course, to enter Rembrandt as you did, they’ll need to be truly exceptional.”
Seeing me remain stiff, he added in a slightly less confident voice.
I struggled not to grab his hand on the spot.
But I couldn’t look like I was swooning. I was still outmatched in status, power, wealth!
So the words that came out of my mouth were—as expected—nonsense.
“So are you going to call me Mom now?”
“…That is not what I meant.”
