Leave the Villainous Second Male Lead Alone - Chapter 2.10

“Then, how about I teach you to read separately? Without anyone else knowing.”

He probably wouldn’t want the other kids to know he didn’t know how to read. Since we were already sleeping together every night, I could teach him for an hour or two before bed, and he’d catch up quickly. After all, Callisto was sharp and intelligent, as was clearly stated in the original story.

I continued to soothe him, adding:

“Don’t cry, okay?”

At my words, Callisto suddenly lifted his head.

“…Hyung will teach me?”

He had stopped crying completely. Was he this surprised?

Though I was a little confused, I was glad that Callisto was calming down. I gently wiped away the moisture under his eyes with my finger.

“Yes, I’ll teach you, and I won’t tell anyone. Let’s study together starting tomorrow.”

“…Every day?”

“Yes, every day.”

I wondered how upset he must have been to ask for daily lessons. Callisto looked at me with his tear-streaked amber eyes, blushing and nodding. He held my hand tightly and mumbled.

“Don’t let that fox join us. It’s just going to be me and you.”

“Hmm? Of course. Why would I study with Lawrence?”

It seemed that Callisto really didn’t want Lawrence to know that he couldn’t read. He had been crying because he wanted to do it alone. I felt so sorry for him. I responded casually, but Callisto, as if not entirely trusting me, extended his pinky finger.

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise. I won’t tell Lawrence anything.”

“No, you can tell him, but don’t let him join us. Just say it’s only going to be me and you. Got it?”

“Huh? Well…”

It seemed he didn’t want Lawrence to know, after all. I was a little confused, but I knew I couldn’t fully understand the mind of a seven-year-old. Regardless, I hooked my pinky with his, and Callisto smiled brightly, his tears still hanging at the edges of his eyes.

With his plump cheeks puffed up, he smiled so wide that his eyes disappeared. He looked incredibly cute. I couldn’t help but press my lips to his eyes and cheeks, showering them with kisses. Callisto, laughing and saying I was tickling him, blushed.

I could see how raising children could feel this way. How could something so cute and precious, like Callisto, be left for Lawrence later? Time seemed to pass too quickly, and I found myself wishing Callisto would grow up more slowly.

That night, I didn’t return to my room but fell asleep with Callisto in his bed. The child, who had been crying non-stop, must have been exhausted. He fell asleep in my arms, not moving until morning.

“Master, Young Master! We’ve been looking for you! Where have you been?”

“Oh, Elsie. Sorry…”

Elsie called to us, and I woke up to the sound of the curtains opening. Since Callisto and I usually slept in my room, Elsie must have been looking for us.

The sunlight streamed in, tickling my eyelids. As I stretched and tried to sit up, Callisto, who was stuck to my chest, wouldn’t let me move. I couldn’t push him off and had to stay lying down.

Elsie approached the bed and looked down at us. I smiled and pointed to Callisto.

“Doesn’t he look like a little koala?”

“A koala…? What’s that?”

“Oh, nothing.”

It seemed there were no koalas in this world.

Callisto, clinging to me like a baby koala, showed no signs of wanting to wake up. I poked his soft, sticky rice cake-like cheek with my finger.

“Little one, it’s time to get up.”

His long, dense eyelashes fluttered, and his eyelids lifted to reveal his clear amber eyes. Callisto looked up at me with a dazed expression. His cheek, which had been pinched, was slightly puffed, while the other cheek was still pressed against my chest, pushed up.

As the sunlight caught his amber eyes, the focus slowly returned, and my reflection appeared in them.

A smile slowly spread across his face, and his large eyes turned into crescents as his lips curled.

“Hyung.”

Despite his swollen face from crying, Callisto gazed at me with a smile that seemed to light up the world.

In Callisto’s little world, which had lost both his mother and nurse, I seemed to be everything to him.

I remembered how he had quietly sat and cried the night before, and I couldn’t help but hug him tightly. Callisto wriggled in my arms and then clung to my waist with his short arms.

It was so cute, sweet, and heartbreaking, all at once. The warmth filled my heart.

“Master, Young Master! It’s already midday, please wake up!”

Before Elsie started her usual stream of scolding, I couldn’t let go of Callisto, holding him tightly.

I asked Elsie to bring over the old books I used to learn from when I was younger. And from that day, I began teaching Callisto immediately.

The joint lessons had already been held several times by then. Every time I thought about how Callisto must have felt sitting alone, not knowing how to read, my heart ached.

Without realizing it, I spent more time focusing on Callisto. He seemed to enjoy it; instead of focusing on the books, he stared at my face as I taught him, smiling whenever our eyes met.

I couldn’t help but pinch Callisto’s round cheek with my finger. The soft rice cake-like cheek stretched sideways.

“Little one, focus, okay?”

“Zi-ckandoi-tta.”

With his cheek pinched, Callisto’s pronunciation was a bit muddled. His big golden eyes were full of frustration. Still, with his cheek being held, Callisto repeated his emphasis.

“Ditta-ya.”

“…”

I intentionally scrunched my face to avoid laughing. Callisto, with a sad expression, stared at me quietly before slumping his shoulders. I tapped the notebook in front of him with my finger.

“Write ‘Callisto’ here.”

Callisto’s small hand, holding the pen, moved sluggishly. When he looked at the notebook, it read ‘Etienne’.

“……”

It was impossible not to laugh when I saw Callisto looking at me with round eyes, rolling them around as if trying to gauge my reaction.

Throughout our lessons, Callisto had distracted himself and played around, but he quickly learned how to read and write. It wasn’t for nothing that he was described as a genius in the original story. Whenever I taught him something, he grasped it almost immediately. The time spent praising him was longer than the time spent teaching.

After just a few weeks, every time I taught him, I was clapping in admiration.

“Really, you’re a genius. How did you learn so quickly? You’ll catch up with everyone in no time.”

“Ugh… Stop saying that.”

“It’s true, though. Why were you crying, huh?”

“I wasn’t crying…”

Callisto blushed deeply, avoiding my gaze. Elsie, who had been preparing Callisto’s snacks, giggled from the side.

“Master, if you say ‘genius’ one more time, I think you’ll say it a hundred times.”

“Well, what else should I call a genius but a genius?”

I shot Elsie a playful glare.

While I was concerned that Callisto might get exhausted from all the lessons, both the joint ones and the extra reading lessons, it seemed that Callisto actually enjoyed learning.

After some time, Callisto started to adjust to the joint lessons. He had become quite close with the other children. On a sunny day, we went on the picnic that Lawrence and I had planned. The Gilloth twins and Brienne also joined us as we headed toward the most beautiful lakeside village in the Wynyeats estate.

“Wow, this estate is huge! My dad’s estate is so tiny!”

“It’s so pretty! I want to make a lot of money and buy an estate like this for my dad!”

The Gilloth twins were running around excitedly, shouting near the lake. It was a beautiful autumn day. The trees along the lakeshore had turned vibrant shades of red and orange, creating a stunning view. Callisto, sitting next to me, took out a thermos of warm tea from our picnic basket and poured some for me. Watching him, so sweetly taking care of me with his tiny, fern-like hands, I couldn’t help but forget the other children around us. I kissed his cheek, overwhelmed with affection.

“You and Callisto get along really well, Etienne.”

Brienne, who had been silently watching us, spoke up. I nodded absentmindedly, then our eyes met. Her gaze was unusually calm for someone her age. That’s when I remembered the downfall of Brienne’s family, the Beringham family.

Brienne’s father, the Marquess of Beringham, had an illegitimate younger brother—the bastard son of the previous Marquess. The previous Marquess had treated him well, but the younger brother, dissatisfied with his status, betrayed the Beringham family with the Empress. Through treachery and slander, he caused the downfall of the family that had raised him. In the end, the vast assets of the Beringham family became the property of the Empress and her accomplice.

For Brienne, an illegitimate child of the family, that was the painful legacy.

I pulled Callisto closer with one arm and replied.

“How could I ever hate him? He’s so beautiful.”

“Hyung, don’t say that in front of others…”

Callisto lowered his gaze, embarrassed. Brienne laughed softly, her expression brightening.

“You’re right. I guess I understand. You look good together, Etienne.”

“Thank you.”

In the original story, Brienne’s life was tragically hard. Her family had fallen due to the betrayal of her half-uncle and the Empress, and she died miserably in a dungeon after having her copper cannon designs stolen by the Empress.

But this time, things would be different. Brienne and Callisto shared the same goal: revenge on the Empress and Duke Harrington. I would do everything I could to help them achieve that.

The picnic was a rare time of joy and relaxation. Watching Callisto, who had been so busy learning to read, happily playing with his new friends made me feel content. Even Lawrence, who had often been at odds with Callisto, seemed to enjoy the picnic, laughing loudly as they bickered.

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