Chapter 38 - The Duty of a Teacher
Chapter 38 – The Duty of a Teacher
Chapter 38: The Duty of a Teacher
The Academy, located in the capital of the Sourne Kingdom, was increasing its reputation day by day based on its long history.
The cradle of the holy intellect, both in name and in reality. All the people of the kingdom knew that the outstanding talents who passed through here were supporting the kingdom today, and it will continue to do so for a long time to come.
Naturally, there were a lot of big names that the academy has produced since its establishment, but if you had to pick one of the best talents of this century, it was Alan of the Leopold family.
No one dared to deny this fact. It was even more surprising considering that Alan was a young boy who had not even become an adult during his school days.
It must have been a huge loss for the academy that he chose to drop out and pursue business in earnest instead of graduating, but couldn’t help but cheer for the members of the Leopold family, who are the pillars of the royal family.
Alan Leopold, who not only showed continuous interest and affection for the academy with a large amount of donations sent every year, but was still a model for many students, and certainly the pride of the academy.
Clarissa Tudor, who served as both the Dean and professor from before his (Alan’s) school days until now, also deeply acknowledged this fact.
Although I had a slightly different perspective of him.
“Sir Alan.” (Prof. Noh)
Professor Noh’s calm voice reverberated in the dean’s office.
“It is a great honor to have you participate in the screening in person. I am truly grateful.”
Leopold’s successor sat face to face in front of him. With an impeccable elegance.
“But, except for sir, the nine judges completely agreed with each other. This is the principle. So please,” (Prof Tudor)
“Mrs. Tudor.”
Clarissa stopped breathing at the gentle word.
There was a time when he called her a professor. But now he was a sponsor, not a student so he was able to call her by her last name instead of her title.
Mrs. Tudor.
“It’s a shame, I don’t like to say it twice.”
Alan spoke with an accent without the slightest distraction. The tone was elegant, but it had a somewhat chill in it.
“Give me that manuscript.”
“….that”
“You can choose the second manuscript that you have been thinking about until the very end.”
I already knew that Alan Leopold was very good at hiding thoughts and feelings for his age. As the dean of the academy she had to read people and understand them
Clarissa Tudor read a dense emotion from the person sitting opposite her.
It was a clear desire.
His usual arrogant figure with uninspired eyes as if there’s nothing in the world that could satisfy him—she couldn’t believe he’s showing such a blatant attitude. It was a difficult situation to believe in easily.
Clarissa’s head was filled with questions.
‘Did you call yourself a judge to take that manuscript? Could it be that noble Alan Leopold?’
The reason was unknown, but no matter how great Leopold’s successor is, he is a twenty years old young man. Sometimes he could be clumsy.
“Did you know that … I can see all the feelings out of you, Sir Alan?”
“Yes.”
The young patron slowly pulled up his picturesque lips. The scene where the silent smile was infested with pressure gave a strange feeling.
“Because I didn’t hide it.”
“…….”
The dean felt goosebumps running down her spine. Alan whispered slowly.
“The Academy has been innovating in many ways lately, Mrs. Tudor.”
That was true. The academy started repairing outdated facilities and at the same time began to expand some facilities.
In addition, the scholarship system was greatly increased following the founder’s desire to give more young people the opportunity to learn, and thanks to this, many students were able to knock on the door of the academy with enthusiasm for their studies.
All of this was possible thanks to the full support of the Leopold family, the largest supporter. There is no doubt that it is truly something to be grateful for.
The only thing that bothered her was that Alan’s attitude was unfamiliarly explicit. What on earth is his intention?
Clarissa gave a strangely repressed answer.
“……Yes, thanks to you.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s my joy.”
Alan, who was sitting upright, suddenly looked satisfied. The sculptural jaw seemed to tilt gently, but soon it was lifted slowly.
“The academy has a significant meaning to me.”
“…….”
“So I don’t want to end this sponsorship.”
Seriously. Alan smiled a little.
Faced with that smile, an old memory naturally popped up in the head of the dean. The day when Alan entered the academy years ago.
‘My son, Alan Leopold.’
The boy who entered the dean’s office with his father was so beautiful that she forgot her words. She even had the illusion of seeing an angel. The feeling of that day remained elusive no matter how many years passed.
But his appearance now is similar to…….
“…….”
In fact, after thinking about it, this guy… Clarissa had already noticed that Alan, who only looked fair and beautiful like snow, was strangely twisted. It wasn’t long after she watched him.
Facing Alan’s bizarreness, she felt obligated as a professor to guide her student. His great family didn’t matter to her
‘Mr. Leopold.’
Sticking to her principles. It was one of the few guiding principles she held as the Dean of the academy.
‘It would be better to throw away the idea that you can do everything in the world as you wish.’
She couldn’t remember what the young student’s response was that day, who hadn’t even lived half of his life, but it was certain that he still has the same twisted aura he had back then.
However, it was now dark enough to be incomparable to before.
“There is no reversal of the vote, Sir Alan.”
“Is that so?”
His cold eyes stared into the air. Clarissa spoke in a calm but solemn tone.
“I don’t know why you’re asking for that manuscript, but it clearly goes against the purpose of this novel contest.”
“Aren’t you going to ask why?”
“Because hearing the reason won’t change anything.”
“Whoo…”
Alan let out a windy laugh, but the Dean couldn’t laugh along. At first glance, he seemed to have a gentle face, but he did not hide his strangely overbearing gaze.
“If you’re trying to point out that Melissa Collins’ work is reminiscent of a classic novel…….”
“…….”
“The appearance of characters with the same name and the flow of some kind of Fugitive play is similar, but it is not unreasonable to judge that it is an expression of respect for masterpieces.”
(T/N: the Dean means by using the characters of a famous play—here the novel Fugitive— can be seen as a respect to the masterpiece, to use characters from a masterpiece novel in your own novel is like showing your respect to the masterpiece novel)
“I had no intention of telling such a lame thing, Mrs. Tudor.”
Alan shrugged his outstretched shoulders a little, and buried his body deep in his backrest with a languid expression on his face.
“I was just deeply impressed by her writing.”
“……It is a good novel. Objectively.”
“Isn’t that the same for the second novel?”
His silent eyes lit up again.
“If you give me her novel, I’ll bet the name of my family and be responsible for supporting her beyond what the royal family can do. Eventually, the two people* will be born, but I don’t know what the problem is. Wasn’t it a great purpose of promoting the culture of the kingdom?”
(* He means two great authors could be born and get support)
Clarissa gasped and managed to answer.
“Would Miss Collins want that, Sir Alan? Do you think she sent her novel to the academy only hoping for an enormous support?”
“…..I’m sure she would want it.”
The dean continued without hearing Alan’s murmur.
“Even if all she wanted was the prize money and large amount of subsidies, there was no such thing as giving options to the winning work. It’s written to the Academy, and it belongs to the Academy.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Clarissa, who was watching the young sponsor cross his legs slowly, added in a rather shaky voice.
“Even if we receive donations from your parents this year…… There will be no change in this decision, Sir Alan.”
Then cold eyes stared straight at his teacher of the past. The dean held her breath.
It was also at that moment that she finally remembered what kind of answer her promising disciple in the distant past had given her.
‘What’s wrong with doing whatever I want? I don’t know why it’s wrong to want to do whatever I want.’
Alan of that day also had the same beautiful smile like the man in front of her.
‘If the intention is not bad, there will be no problem, Professor.’
His face, which is so beautiful and strangely eerie, seemed to be the same as it had been a few years ago. Clarissa closed her eyes in embarrassment.
After a brief moment of silence, an unexpected answer entered my ears.
“I understand, ma’am.”
Her wrinkled face, which felt like the years had passed, shone in surprise.
“Uh, err, could you say that again. What I’m saying….”
“And I can’t believe you’re asking for donations. I’ve told you over and over again what the academy means to me.”
Alan stood up in an attitude that seemed to have no suitable words other than that he was supremely gentle. While tightening the lapel that covered his wide upper body.
“Your attitude has not changed at all compared to when you were in the academy.” (Dean)
Alan Leopold, who left the field of learning and flew into society, was certainly more mature than the image she had in her memory. It is no longer unreasonable to assume that this man will soon become a businessman who will rule the kingdom.
“That stubbornness is what makes the academy an academy.”
“…….”
Clarissa sincerely thought so.
“I know what you mean, so I’ll get up now.”
“Sir Alan. What happened today…….”
Professor Tudor abruptly stood up after him. The hem of her neat gray dress poured down with a sound.
“The carriage is right in the front, so you don’t have to come out.”
“Oh, then—”
“Of course.”
Respectfully, polite Allen turned and left with elegant steps. While leaving the dean’s office, he never looked back, but Clarissa couldn’t take her eyes off until he completely disappeared.
Alan Leopold was the disciple that Professor Tudor was most concerned about in a sense. That’s why she had been concerned about him even after he left the academy.
If by any chance he causes a scandal in society with his excessive perfectionism and natural power……. As a teacher who taught him for a while, she might suffer from guilt all her life.
And it wasn’t until today that she felt as if some of the burden she had been carrying as her dean had been lifted. It seemed the same as then, but it was because of Alan, who was clearly different.
“Leopold, you may have learned more in society than here.”
Clarissa smiled quietly with benevolent eyes.
“Whoa, I’m ashamed of myself as dean.”
The woman’s quiet whisper was scattered in the empty dean’s room.
But she didn’t even notice. The moment when Alan Leopold’s eyes turned into a stylized light as he stepped out the door. Contrary to what she thought, this young patrons knew how to perfectly hide his anger.