Chapter 124
For some reason, he seemed extremely tense.
Felice couldn’t help worrying that something might have happened between him and Lady Elise without her knowing.
“Claude… have you perhaps already met Lady Elise? Did something go poorly there—maybe her reaction wasn’t very good?”
At Felice’s concerned look, Claude shook his head.
“That’s not it. More importantly, what do you think? If a woman fails to see a man as a man even once, will she never see him that way for the rest of her life?”
It was another difficult question for Felice.
She had never experienced such a situation herself.
Hesitating, Felice studied Claude for a moment. His neatly refined features looked like a sculpture carved by a master craftsman, and the deep blue of his eyes—framed by sharp lashes—was captivating at a glance.
With his tall stature and solid build, he possessed plenty of masculine appeal. Above all… well, that part was also quite admirable— Ahem.
It didn’t seem like a question he truly needed to worry about.
“I’m not sure how Lady Elise herself would feel about that. But I don’t think you need to worry, Claude.”
Claude blinked and leaned forward slightly.
“Why do you think so?”
“Well… I imagine you already know the answer.”
“What part of it? I really don’t—that’s why I’m asking.”
He sounded almost urgent.
“Ah… well… um… I suppose it’s because your appearance is excellent. I think most women would naturally see you as a man.”
“Did you feel that way as well, Miss Felice?”
“…What?”
Felice flinched.
Logically, she should say yes for her previous answer to hold weight. But admitting that she saw her student as a man felt… inappropriate. It didn’t seem like something a proper teacher should say.
And if she answered honestly, it would feel as though she were confessing the feelings she had kept carefully hidden. Her lips refused to move.
“Then let me rephrase. Do you think I am sufficiently attractive as a man?”
That, at least, was something she could answer without hesitation.
“Of course. You should be confident. You are more than attractive enough.”
At her reply, the tension in Claude’s eyes softened. He wrote something down in his notebook.
“Next question.”
Now Felice began to worry what he might ask next. None of the questions so far have been easy.
“I imagine you prefer indoor lessons to outdoor ones, don’t you?”
“…Me?”
Felice blinked.
“Yes. I was wondering what kind of places Lady Elise might prefer.”
“Ah… Lady Elise… hmm. From what I’ve seen, even at the recent patron event, she didn’t hesitate to act boldly outdoors. Personally, I think she may enjoy thrills regardless of location.”
“I see.”
Claude nodded.
“And what about you, Miss Felice? Even if it isn’t your preference. Doing such things outside, I mean.”
“That’s absolutely not my preference. But if it’s for the sake of a lesson, I think it can’t be helped. You don’t need to worry about accommodating me when it comes to the lesson.”
Felice smiled gently.
“So everything is acceptable, as long as it’s for the lesson?”
“Ah… haha. When you put it that way, it’s a bit…”
“What about when we kissed outside back then? Did you dislike it?”
She knew he was asking out of consideration, but even so, it wasn’t an easy question to answer.
“Ah… haha. I didn’t dislike it.”
“Is that so? That’s a relief.”
“No, since we’re on the topic, did Lady Elise mention that incident in her letter?”
“Yes.”
Claude nodded easily as he wrote down her answer.
“Really? How did she phrase it?”
“She said she wanted to be certain of my true worth. But I have no intention of doing anything beyond that in front of her.”
He dipped his pen back into the ink.
“Instead, when the moment comes with Lady Elise, I want to be that much more skilled. Is that acceptable, Miss Felice?”
“Of course. That’s a relief, actually. I was worried, but it’s good that Lady Elise is showing curiosity. Congratulations, Claude.”
“…Thank you.”
Claude wrote one last note, then closed the notebook.
“Oh—Miss Felice.”
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.