~*~
A few days passed and it was already the day for Rosh to meet his private tutor.
''Young master, Sir Diego Jyulde have arrive.'' Yves said. Rosh smiled.
''Okay! I'll meet teacher now.'' He said.
Rosh looked at the mirror once again. He was wearing a white polo shirt, light brown pants and a red vest with a black tie.
He went out of the room with Yves near behind him.
Yves looked at her young master's back with calculative eyes. She is sure that he have been acting strange these past few days.
Before, Rosh was always quiet and almost never spoke to her and Hugo, but now he always talks to them as if it was a natural thing to do.
Yves wanted to know if her suspicions about the young master knowing about him being monitored by them is true.
''Uhm..young master?''
''Yes?'' He looked back at her.
''Do you perhaps..'' Yves hesitated.
What if her conclusions are wrong? If she asks, her young master will be more aware.
''Perhaps?''
''Ah..no, it's nothing, young master.'' She said.
''Okay..'' Rosh looked infront again but smiled.
He knew what she wanted to ask. He knows that Yves is now suspecting him and his father is fastening his 'fault finding' so that he could make Josh the heir.
But, Rosh knew everything and plans to do everything perfectly so that they could never find him any flaws.
They stopped at the library where the tutor was waiting.
''I'll manage myself here, Yves.'' Rosh said.
Yves panicked. She was trying to follow him everywhere today but..
''Wh-at? Eh? Y-young master..?''
Rosh almost showed his evil smiled because of her reaction.
''Don't worry. I'm just gonna study, I will call you if I needed something.'' He said.
Without anymore reasons, Yves nodded and sighed because of her failure.
''Yes, young master.'' She said before she bowed lightly and left.
Rosh arched his brow and sneered.
''Is she really a knight? She can't even be composed in such situations. Tsk.''
He rolled his eyes. Then looked back at the door and opened it.
Stepping inside the library, Rosh saw the only man who he felt neutral with.
When the man noticed Rosh, he stood up with his lazy eyes and bowed slightly.
''Greetings, young master Rosh.'' Diege Jyulde said.
''Yes, it's nice seeing you again, Sir Diego.'' Rosh answered.
Diego's forehead curled and his brows furrowed. He was confused of how Rosh was acting. Did he hit his head?
''Ehem. Yes, of course. Anyways, here are the new lessons I have prepared for you, please read them all.'' He said as he stacked a pile of thick books infront of Rosh.
''All of them?'' Rosh asked.
''Yes. All of them.''
He wanted to complain. Reading wasn't a problem at all, his mind have extremely sharpened in the past few days causing him to acquire eidetic imagery.
He was now able to memorize anything with a single glance as if he was staring at a picture.
But, he knew that this teacher of his will just take a nap if he starts reading all of those books.
Rosh needed to gather, not powerful, but wise allies for him to succeed his plans. And his first target is his teacher, Diego Jyulde.
As one of the most intelligent scholar in the kingdom, Diego is naturally wanted to be feasted by the nobles who wanted him to teach their children. Unfortunately, he fell into Rosh's hands.
''But, teacher I——''
Before Rosh could finish his words, Diego was already in the couch, leaning his body and ready to relax.
''Make sure to learn all of the lessons inside. Those books are all about the things we skipped to learn two weeks ago.''
More like I skipped to learn two weeks ago. You never did anything but sleep.
Rosh have a long temper, but he doesn't tolerate those who tries to shut him up or control his actions or words. He doesn't like being the one below.
He then immediately started his first step.
''Therese Nackario.''
With those words, the temperature of the library dropped by a hundred degrees.
Diego slowly stood up and looked at him menacingly.
''Where did you hear that name?'' The man asked. Diego unleashed more aura and killing intent.
Rosh didn't even twitch at the sight and the atmosphere. He have felt things more than this puny little aura trick, so it was not even a surprise for him to be infront of someone who intends to harm nor kill him.
Seeing that the child wasn't fazed by him, Diego knew that something's not right.
He was gone. That child he is facing wasn't the same.
Or was he? Did he really change or... is this perhaps his real self? He was mad, he didn't see through his innocent and aloof mask. How could he be so stupid and not even suspect such a possibility?
But, how would he know her?
Confused with the unanswered questions and helplessness, Diego has no choice but to put his guard down while his killing intent disappeared. He have to know more.
''... How do you know her?'' The man asked.
Rosh wanted to laugh. How did he know? Why? Simple. Because he knows everything.
Therese Nackario.
She was a beautiful woman with ash blonde hair and light green eyes. Diego Jyulde's beloved. She was his first love. However, she died because of an attack-accident, or more like, a planned assassination. She is the favorite daughter from a very wealthy family of merchants in the neighboring country, the Rhodes Kingdom. It was an inevitable fact that she will be targeted.
But, in Rosh's past life, Diego found out that the accident was planned by his parents themselves, Diana Shero-Jyulde and Emmanuel Jyulde.
The family of Jyulde have come solely from the generations of Ainchleim people, they are possessive believers that the blood of being an Ainchleimian must be pure. Whether you're a commoner or not, for them, being a person from Ainchleim is the main recquirement for their approval.
This is why his parents never accepted Therese for she was from another country and is not from Ainchleim.
They planned to cover up the assassination as an accident of being attacked by bandits. When Diego heard of this incident, he broked. He continued being a tutor, but he became lazy like someone without a purpose. His only reason of proceeding on being a tutor is because Therese loved that side of him.
''Hmm..but I still have a lot of books to read, teacher. I don't have time to do a story-telling yet.'' Rosh grinned.
Looking at his grinning face, Diego clenched his fist and didn't answer.
''Then, I will start reading all of these, teacher. After that..we can talk.'' He said and started opening a book about History.
Diego can only supress his frustration and wait for his dear student to finish reading all the books he gave. He went to the sofa again and leaned.
''Wake me up when you're finished.''
''Of course.''
When Rosh had made sure that the man was already asleep, he started turning on the pages while memorizing every word in a single glance. His reading speed was fast and it could be seen as if he was only turning pages for fun. But in Rosh's perspective, every content of the pages have been carved in his mind and can never be erased again.
He read everything about History, Mathematics, Theology, Literature, Creative Arts, Etiquette Rules, Magic Research and even Military Strategics. After an hour or so, Rosh have even finished reading the books from the shelves. Satisfied of the numbers of books he have read, he returned them all to their proper arrangement.
''Done.''
Rosh stretched his arms and breathed deep. He looked at his tutor and snickered. He went to him and raised his palms in his neck.
His hands produced a dark smoke. It went inside Diego's neck and created a red magic circle that soon became invisible to everyone except Rosh.
''Trust is something I cannot give even if I needed your knowledge, teacher. I won't apologize for this.'' He said, only muttering is first sentence.
''..hmm.''
Rosh retracted his hands away from his tutor and coughed fakely.
''Ehem! Teacher, wake up.''
Diego opened his eyes and saw Rosh looking at him deadpanned.
''You're done?''
''Yes.''
''I....I see.'' Diego stood up from the sofa and looked at the moving clock near the library exit.
Then he looked at his other side where the books he gave Rosh was all neatly arranged.
'This average child finished reading all of those for less than three hours?'
Diego thought it was impossible but realizing that Rosh changed just earlier, he was convinced that this maybe was his real potential.
He looked at Rosh with mixed expressions. Seeing the new face his tutor made, Rosh smirked causing Diego to flinch at his behavior.
'Pretender. Manipulative. Dangerous.'
Diego knew now that his meek student, Rosh, isn't as ordinary as he thinks he is. There was something behind his shy and foolish facade. Even he, a famous scholar, couldn't have the speed to read all of those books in days, not to mention, hours.
But, why did Rosh hide his genius intellect and skills? Why did he hide his real personality? Does he dislike attention? Or..is he just waiting for the right time to show it?
All of those questions showed in Diego's thinking face, not noticing that Rosh is staring at him, reading his actions and guessing everything he's thinking.
Rosh grinned. ''How amusing.''
***