The Squirrel Will Raise the Baby Tiger — Chapter 6

I'M AT THE PERFECT AGE FOR MARRIAGE PROPOSALS TO START COMING IN ANY DAY NOW.

BUT I'VE GONE AND SHOWN A STRANGE MAN HALF OF MY NAKED BODY...

IF WORD OF THIS GETS OUT, EVEN THE MARRIAGE PROPOSALS I'VE BEEN RECEIVING WILL DISAPPEAR.

I CAN'T MARRY YOU!

IF I CAN'T GET MARRIED, I'LL HAVE TO WORK FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE,

AND WHEREVER I GO, PEOPLE WILL SPREAD NASTY RUMORS ABOUT ME BEING THE DUKE'S MISTRESS OR SOMETHING.

AND ON TOP OF THAT...

WAIT. COULD THINGS REALLY GET THAT BAD?

OF COURSE! DO YOU THINK THAT'S ALL? IT WOULD BE A HUGE STAIN ON THE DUKE'S OTHERWISE NOBLE REPUTATION, WOULDN'T IT?

IT WOULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE BLANTIGER FAMILY TOO!

AS I SAID, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

AND I DIDN'T LOOK. DON'T MAKE BASELESS ACCUSATIONS.

BASELESS ACCUSATIONS?! WE HAVE A WITNESS!

A WITNESS?

THE HEAD MAID!

PROOF SUBMITTED

GOOD. I'VE GOT HIM CORNERED!

WELL, YOUR GRACE?

YOU CAN'T DENY IT ANYMORE, CAN YOU?

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'D RESORT TO SUCH AN OUTRAGEOUS SCHEME...

SO, IN EXCHANGE, YOU WANT ME TO GRANT HOKAN'S WISH?

NO. I WANT YOU TO APPROVE OF MY TEACHING METHODS.

YOUR TEACHING METHODS?

IF I'M HIRED, MY TEACHING WILL NATURALLY PLAY A PART IN SHAPING THE CHILD'S GROWTH.

YOU MAY NOT APPROVE OF MY METHODS, DUKE,

BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO WATCH HOW THE CHILD CHANGES.

I'M SURE THE RESULTS WON'T DISAPPOINT YOU.

YOU'RE QUITE CONFIDENT.

OF COURSE. I'VE TAUGHT ALL OF MY YOUNGER SIBLINGS MYSELF.

AND THEY'VE ALL GROWN UP TO BE ADORABLE AND WELL-ADJUSTED!

SO, AS PART OF YOUR LESSONS, YOU WANT TO TAKE HOKAN TO THE NORTH?

YES, EXACTLY!

FINALLY, WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE!

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

NO. WE'RE STILL NOT GETTING ANYWHERE.

He's so stubborn, seriously.

I CANNOT APPROVE OF ALL OF YOUR TEACHING METHODS, YOUNG LADY.

YOUR TEACHING METHODS MAY BE RIGHT,

BUT I CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THEY WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR OUR BEASTS AS WELL.

WE MUST BECOME THE STRONGEST BEASTMEN OF ALL,

NOT MERELY WELL-ADJUSTED AND GENTLE BEASTMEN. WE MUST BE STRONG ENOUGH TO RULE OVER EVERYONE.

JUST ONCE.

I'LL ALLOW IT JUST THIS ONCE.

YOU MAY CONDUCT THE FIRST LESSON HOWEVER YOU WISH.

RE-

REALLY?! DOES THAT MEAN IT'S OKAY FOR US TO VISIT THE NORTH?!

JUST THIS ONCE. AND ONLY IF YOU PASS THE EXAM.

LEAVE IT TO ME!

I, Lulubell Durhams,

will soon be back to greet you as your official tutor!

I absolutely won't disap- point you!

...I'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE RESULTS.

HER EMOTIONS CHANGE SO RAPIDLY.

FIRST, SHE WAS TREMBLING LIKE A LEAF, THEN SHE GOT FURIOUS AND STARTED SNAPPING AT ME.

I'VE COME TO ESCORT YOU TO YOUR QUARTERS, LADY DURHAMS.

OH, THE WITNESS- I MEAN, THE HEAD MAID!

I DON'T UNDERSTAND. DID SHE REALLY WANT TO INDULGE HOKAN'S WHIMS THAT BADLY?

WHAT IF HOKAN ENDS UP GETTING HURT SO BADLY THAT HE CAN NEVER RECOVER?!

WHAT IF HE LOSES HIS TRUST IN THE DUKE, THE ONE PERSON HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO RELY ON?!

IT'S NOT AS THOUGH THAT CHILD COULD EVER COME TO TRUST ME IN THE FIRST PLACE.

I AM...

NOT HOKAN'S FATHER, AFTER ALL.

THIS ISN'T THE MAIN PROBLEM,

I'M MORE WORRIED THAT THE YOUNG LADY'S TEACHING MIGHT END UP MAKING HOKAN WEAK.

HM?

IS THAT...

ISN'T THAT THE NIGHTGOWN LADY DURHAMS WAS WEARING?

DID SHE FORGET IT AND LEAVE IT BEHIND?

AH, HER FAINT FRAGRANCE STILL LINGERS ON THE FABRIC...

A-AHEM!

I SHOULD RETURN IT TO THE YOUNG LADY LATER.

LADY DURHAMS...

SHE CERTAINLY KEEPS ME ON MY TOES IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.

AHH~ TODAY WAS EXHAUSTING.

MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SO TENSE ALL DAY, BUT MY WHOLE BODY ACHES.

I'VE HAD A HEARTY DINNER, SO I SHOULD GET SOME SLEEP AND PREPARE FOR TOMORROW.

THEY SAID I'D BE TAKING BOTH THE SECOND AND THIRD EXAMINATIONS TOMORROW.

I WONDER WHAT THE TESTS WILL BE LIKE. I HOPE THEY AREN'T TOO DIFFICULT...

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME...

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP IN A STUFFY PLACE LIKE THIS?!

HUH?! WH-WHAT?! DID SOMEONE STEAL MY SNACKS AGAIN?!

THEY EVEN GAVE ME SUCH A TINY BED,

AND THE BLANKET ISN'T EVEN SOFT!

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SLEEP IN SUCH A CRAMPED, SHABBY PLACE?!

OH, RIGHT. THIS ISN'T MY HOUSE.

I thought someone had stolen my snacks again in my dream...!

BUT WHY IS LADY DATERS SO ANGRY?

A CRAMPED ROOM...? ISN'T A ROOM THIS SIZE PERFECTLY FINE FOR TWO PEOPLE?

*THE CANDIDATES WERE ASSIGNED TWO PEOPLE PER ROOM.

IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ALL CRAMMED TOGETHER WITH THIRTEEN PEOPLE SLEEPING IN ONE ROOM.

PLEASE CALM DOWN, LADY DATERS.

THEY SAID THIS PLACE WAS ONLY PREPARED TEMPORARILY FOR THE EXAMINATIONS.

EVEN IF IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE, WHY DON'T YOU JUST PUT UP WITH IT FOR ONE DAY...

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PUT UP WITH THIS?!

YOU CLEARLY DON'T UNDERSTAND. I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO SHOULD BE TREATED LIKE THIS!

I WON'T TOLERATE IT!

YOU MIGHT BE FINE WITH WEARING SHABBY CLOTHES AND BEING TREATED LIKE A COMMONER EVEN BY THE DUKE, BUT I WON'T STAND FOR IT!

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

WATCH YOUR WORDS. THE DUKE ONLY SAID THAT TO ME BECAUSE HE WANTED TO VERIFY MY IDENTITY PROPERLY.

EITHER WAY, IT'S TRUE THAT YOUR MANNERS ARE RATHER LOW-CLASS, ISN'T IT?

LADY DATERS! I WON'T TOLERATE ANY MORE INSULTS!

AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?!

AAH!

GO AHEAD AND TRY ME!

YOU'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LOWLY FAMILY LIKE YOURS DARES TO CROSS OURS...

EXCUSE ME FOR A MOMENT.

HEAD MAID?

HEAD MAID!

I HEARD RAISED VOICES, SO I CAME TO CHECK ON THE SITUATION....

YOU'RE JUST IN TIME! I WAS ABOUT TO CALL FOR YOU ANYWAY.

CHANGE MY ROOM. I WANT A SPACIOUS PRIVATE ROOM!

I REFUSE TO STAY IN THIS TINY, CRAMPED ROOM ANY LONGER.

AND THERE'S NO WAY I'M SHARING A ROOM WITH SOME SMELLY, BARBARIC BEASTFOLK.

BARBARIC?!

HEARING LADY DATERS SPEAK LIKE THAT MAKES ME QUESTION WHETHER SHE TRULY HAS THE MANNERS OF A NOBLEWOMAN!

WH-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!

AM I WRONG?!

YOUNG LADY. I'M AFRAID

PARDON?

YOU HAVE JUST BEEN DISQUALIFIED.

YOU MAY RETURN HOME NOW.