The Squirrel Will Raise the Baby Tiger — Chapter 10

I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR AN ORANGE FLOWER...

BUT ISN'T THAT A YELLOW ONE, LADY DURHAMS?

NO. THIS IS UNDOUBTEDLY AN ORANGE FLOWER.

OR MORE PRECISELY, IT WAS AN ORANGE FLOWER.

WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT?

BEATS ME...

I ALWAYS GO OUT AT DAWN FOR MORNING EXERCISE AND A WALK.

THEN ONE DAY,

...I NOTICED AN ORANGE FLOWER BLOOMING IN A GARDEN.

WOW, I'VE NEVER SEEN A FLOWER LIKE THIS BEFORE! IT'S SO PRETTY~

I SHOULD BRING MY LITTLE SIBLINGS TO SEE IT LATER! THEY'RE SURE TO LOVE IT.

BUT THEN, WHEN I PASSED BY THAT SAME SPOT AGAIN LATER IN THE AFTERNOON...

HUH? THAT FLOWER...

...WAS IT ALWAYS YELLOW?

THAT WAS WHEN IT HIT ME.

COULD THAT ORANGE FLOWER ACTUALLY TURN YELLOW ONCE IT'S BATHED IN SUNLIGHT?

AM I MISTAKEN?

THAT IS CORRECT, LADY DURHAMS.

QUITE HONESTLY, I NEVER EXPECTED ANYONE TO SOLVE IT. TO THINK YOU WOULD PROVIDE SUCH A PRECISE ANSWER...

TRULY REMARKABLE.

THANK GOODNESS. I GOT IT RIGHT!

THIS FINAL TEST WAS DESIGNED TO GAUGE DILIGENCE AND POWERS OF OBSERVATION.

YOU CLEARLY MAKE A HABIT OF BEING ACTIVE FROM THE BREAK OF DAWN, LADY DURHAMS.

ON TOP OF THAT, YOUR ATTENTIVENESS NEVER ALLOWS EVEN THE SMALLEST DETAIL TO SLIP BY. IT'S NOTHING SHORT OF FLAWLESS.

TH-THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I NEVER THOUGHT I'D RECEIVE PRAISE LIKE THIS AT MY AGE. IT'S A LITTLE EMBARRASSING.

WITH THIS, ALL TESTS HAVE CONCLUDED.

YOU HAVE ALL WORKED EXCEPTIONALLY HARD THROUGHOUT THIS EXAMINATION.

AND NOW, I SHALL ANNOUNCE THE FINAL RESULTS.

AT LONG LAST!

THE YOUNG LADY WHO WILL SERVE AS YOUNG MASTER HOKAN'S TUTOR IS NONE OTHER THAN-

CONGRATULA- TIONS.

LADY LULUBELL DURHAMS.

ME?!

DID I REALLY...

LADY DURHAMS WAS CHOSEN AS THE TUTOR?

LADY DURHAMS? DO YOU TRULY MEAN THAT SQUIRREL LADY?

YES. THAT IS CORRECT, YOUR GRACE.

WHILE THE OTHER YOUNG LADIES WERE ALSO SPLENDID...

...LADY DURHAMS WAS BY FAR THE MOST OUTSTANDING AMONG THEM DURING THE TRIALS.

WELL, WELL...

THE OTHER LADIES HAVE ALL RETURNED HOME SAFELY AFTER RECEIVING A MODEST GIFT...

...AND LADY DURHAMS WAS INSTRUCTED TO REPORT FOR WORK STARTING NEXT WEEK.

VERY WELL, MAURICE. YOU’VE DONE WELL.

YOU MAY TAKE YOUR LEAVE AND REST.

THANK YOU, YOUR GRACE.

TO THINK SHE ACTUALLY PASSED THE TEST.

SHE BOASTED WITH SUCH CERTAINTY... WAS SHE TRULY CAPABLE ENOUGH TO BACK UP THAT CONFIDENCE?

COME TO THINK OF IT, IF SHE PASSED...

JUST ONCE.

JUST THIS ONCE, I WILL GRANT YOU COMPLETE FREEDOM OVER YOUR LESSON.

YOU MAY CONDUCT YOUR VERY FIRST LESSON HOWEVER YOU SEE FIT.

TRULY?! DOES THAT MEAN IT'S FINE FOR US TO VISIT THE NORTH?!

ONLY ONCE. AND THAT IS STRICTLY IF YOU PASS THE EXAMINATION.

I, Lulubell Durhams,

...promise to stand before you, Duke Khun Russell, as the officially appointed tutor!

I will never let you down!

I DID MAKE SUCH A PROMISE.

LADY DURHAMS'S FIRST LESSON WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE TAKING HOKAN ON A TRIP TO THE NORTH.

SOMETHING LIKE THAT WILL ONLY WEAKEN HOKAN'S RESOLVE, SO IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD RATHER HE DIDN'T GO...

A PROMISE IS A PROMISE, SO THERE IS NO HELPING IT.

FAILING TO HONOR EVEN A TRIVIAL PROMISE LIKE THIS WOULD TARNISH THE BLANTIGER FAMILY NAME.

THUS, THIS IS NOT FOR THAT YOUNG LADY'S SAKE.

FOR THE HONOR OF THE FAMILY, THIS PROMISE...

...MUST BE UPHELD AT ALL COSTS.

GALE, ARE YOU OUTSIDE?

YES, COMMANDER.

TELL HOKAN TO PREPARE TO HEAD OUT TOMORROW.

UNDERSTOOD, COMMANDER.

BUT WHERE ARE YOU HEADING, IF I MAY ASK?

TO THE NORTH.

WE ARE GOING TO BLANDUS.

THE NEXT DAY

BIG SIS LULU... GOOD MORNIIING~

ARE YOU AWAKE, CHIRPIE? GOOD MORNING~

SIS, YOU LOOK SUPER HAPPY!

AH, CAN YOU TELL?

Well,

...BECAUSE I NEVER IMAGINED I'D ACTUALLY PASS THE FINAL ROUND!

I CAN MAKE TONS OF MONEY NOW!

I WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUR FAMILY'S MEAL EXPENSES EVER AGAIN!

WORKING INSIDE A TIGER'S DEN IS A BIT TERRIFYING, OF COURSE, BUT I HAVE TO DO MY BEST.

IT'S BECAUSE YOUR BIG SISTER GOT A JOB AT A WONDERFUL PLACE, SO I CAN EARN LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY.

AND THAT MEANS OUR CHIRPIE CAN EAT MORE THAN TEN ACORNS!

REALLY?!

CAN I EAT TEN, AND THEN TEN MORE?!

OF COURSE BUT WHILE I'M WORKING, I WON'T BE ABLE TO STAY HOME VERY MUCH...

...SO CHIRPIE, MAKE SURE YOU LISTEN TO YOUR SECOND OLDEST BROTHER AND GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE. DEAL?

CHIRPIE LIKES SECOND BROTHER, TOO, BUUUT... I WANNA PLAY WITH BIG SIS LULU SO, SO MUCH...

I'M SORRY. BUT BEFORE I ENTER THE TIGER'S HOUSE, I PROMISE TO PLAY WITH YOU AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!

REALLY?

THEN WILL YOU RACE ME UP A TREE...

...AND BET ON WHO CAN GATHER THE MOST ACORNS FIRST?

Look at this, Chirpie~! It's a super shiny, giant acorn!

OF COURSE~! AS MUCH AS YOU WANT~

WE'LL HUNT FOR GIANT ACORNS, AND I'LL DO LOTS OF ORIGAMI WITH YOU!

Yaaay~! woohoo!

I knew it, Big Sis Lulu is the absolute best! I wuv you!

I LOVE YOU TOO, MY SWEET CHIRPIE~!

AS NOISY A PAIR OF SQUIRREL SIBLINGS AS EVER, I SEE.

D-

DUKE KHUN RUSSELL?!

IT HAS BEEN A DAY, LADY DURHAMS.

I HAVE COME TO FETCH YOU.

PARDON? COME TO FETCH ME?

BUT I WAS TOLD MY WORK DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL NEXT WEEK.

NOT FOR THAT.

HAVE YOU ALREADY FORGOTTEN THE WAGER YOU MADE WITH ME?

THE PROMISE TO TAKE HOKAN TO THE NORTH...?!

DID HE REALLY COME IN PERSON JUST TO KEEP THAT PROMISE?!

SINCE YOU WERE HIRED, I CAME TO GRANT YOUR WISH...

...BUT IT SEEMS YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR IT.

Ah, nooo~~!! Wait just a second~~~~!!!!

NOT AT ALL!!! I REMEMBER NOW!!!

I NEED IT, I DEFINITELY NEED IT!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING ALL THIS WAY SO EARLY JUST TO KEEP YOUR PROMISE!!!

BUT DUKE KHUN RUSSELL, ARE YOU COMING ALONG AS WELL?

I COULD HARDLY SEND ONLY YOU AND HOKAN ON YOUR OWN. DO YOU HAVE AN OBJECTION?

NO, NOT AT ALL! HOW COULD I POSSIBLY~?

TO BE HONEST, HAVING HIM AROUND WILL BE A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT I HAVE TO ENDURE IT...

THEN LET US MAKE HASTE. WE HAVE A LONG JOURNEY AHEAD, SO WE MUST DEPART IMMEDIATELY.

Huh?

RIGHT THIS SECOND?

IS THERE A PROBLEM?

OF COURSE THERE IS!

WELL, THE THING IS...

BIG SIS...?

WHERE ARE YOU GOING AGAIN? WHERE ARE YOU GOING WITHOUT CHIRPIE?

YOU PWOMISED TO PLAY WITH CHIRPIE LOTS AND LOTS BEFORE GOING TO WORK!

DON'T GO, BIG SIIS~!

C-CHIRPIE, CALM DOWN FOR A SECOND...!

WHAT AWFUL TIMING.

I LITERALLY JUST PROMISED CHIRPIE I'D PLAY WITH HIM...!

WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO DO...?!