Published: August 15, 2025
After seeing lord Wilfried off as he excitedly headed to the temple, I went to his room together with Richarda.
Richarda checked that there were no major differences in the room’s furnishings, then called Wilfried’s chief attendant and had them prepare the study materials on the table before the teacher arrived.
“Oswald, if you don’t prepare quickly, the teacher will be here soon.”
“Lord Wilfried always tries to run away, so even if study tools are arranged, they’re rarely used. It’s actually nice to be able to perform ordinary attendant duties like this.”
“What a careless attitude... If he runs away, you have to catch him. Make the Guard Knights do their job.”
Richarda, who had raised Sylvester, knit her brows sharply. Oswald shrugged as if admitting his failure, then quickly prepared the study materials.
The teacher arrived shortly after.
“On the day of harvest protected by the goddess of wind Shutzelia, guided by the gods, may I pray for blessings upon this meeting?”
“Granted.”
“Goddess of wind Shutzelia, bless the new lord... It is my first time meeting you. I am Moritz, appointed as tutor for the princesses. Please remember me henceforth.”
I eagerly looked up at Moritz, ready to begin studying.
“What kind of lessons does Brother Wilfried take?”
“He is currently practicing the basic letters.”
“Goodness! So he can’t even write the basic letters yet? And he’s better at calculations, focusing all his effort there!?”
I knew Wilfried couldn’t write, but it seemed Richarda hadn’t been aware of his study progress. She strode up to Moritz with long steps, pressing him.
“…No, both are still… incomplete.”
Moritz muttered in a very low, hesitant voice, and Richarda’s eyes opened wide as she unleashed a massive thunderbolt of anger.
“Oswald! Moritz! What on earth have you been doing!? Do you even intend to educate Lord Wilfried!? Everyone line up here immediately!”
From that moment on, Richarda was unstoppable. She gathered the attendants and remaining guards and began lecturing them. Judging by her fury, Wilfried’s neglect was truly severe.
The attendants’ and guards’ defensive excuses were swiftly dismissed by Richarda, but piecing them together revealed major problems in Wilfried’s environment. To put it simply: “Almost all because of Sylvester.”
Sylvester apparently fought his older sister to become lord despite their age gap, but because he disliked such conflict, he chose Wilfried as his heir. Perhaps it was Sylvester’s own form of parental care, wanting to spare him the hardship he had faced—but it was a complete mistake.
Originally, all children born of the rightful wife had equal inheritance rights, and the next lord was chosen based on mana capacity and personal aptitude. For this reason, all attendants and teachers devoted themselves to raising the lord’s children together. Their futures and their family’s prosperity depended on whether their master became lord, after all.
Thus, in Sylvester’s case, whenever he tried to avoid studying, the serious Karlstedt would chase him down, and Richarda would glare and scold him. It was normal to force a child to do what was necessary for growth, even if they resisted.
However, Wilfried was already decided by Sylvester’s wish to be the next lord. Who would care enough to act seriously? Scolding a child only makes them dislike you. It’s easier and better for their future to let them do as they please to keep them happy, so nobody scolds Wilfried. They simply say, “He’s a troublesome one,” and leave it at that.
“Oswald, why do you think a high-ranking noble with blood ties to the lord is appointed as chief attendant to the lord’s child!? It’s to firmly stop a child’s spoiled whims who tries to flaunt their status! Lamprecht was assigned to Lord Wilfried too, wasn’t he? What has he been doing!?”
Though both Sylvester and Wilfried tried to run away, Sylvester was caught and made to study, whereas Wilfried could do as he pleased once he escaped. No matter how similar their tempers were, they could not have been raised the same way.