8. 可哀そうな少年
カザリーナは家庭教師としてペッパー家に行くことになった。
ペッパー家は良くない噂ばかり聞く。
彼らは選民意識が高く、貴族でなければ人ではないと豪語する人たちだ。
貴族は少なからず、選民思想があるが、その典型とも言えるだろう。
ただ、信頼も能力もない人間が権威を振りかざすのは、どうかと思っている。
それに、ブラック・ペッパーは同じ貴族でも、自分たちよりも爵位が低いとみると、途端に見下すような人という噂だ。
カザリーナは男爵家の令嬢であり、ペッパー家よりも身分が低い。
少しでも問題を起こせば、面倒なことになるだろう。
面倒を起こさずとも理不尽を要求される可能性すらある。
正直言って、関わりたくない人たちだと考えていた。
オーウェンも子供であるものの、性格に難があるらしい。
わがままで、横暴。
気に入らないことがあれば、すぐに癇癪を起す。
子供の癇癪といって侮ってはいけない。
殴る蹴るといった暴力に加え、どこから覚えてきたのか、子供とは思えない暴言の数々。
それによって辞めていった使用人の話を聞いたことがある。
そんなオーウェンのもとに、なぜ魔法教師として行くのか。
それは、ひとえにお金だ。
カザリーナの家は貴族とは言え、貧乏だ。
下には5人の妹弟がおり、カザリーナが少しでも稼ぐ必要があった。
両親にはたくさんお金を払ってもらい、魔法学園にも行かしてもらえた。
その恩返しをしたい。
だが、魔法学園では、優秀な成績を残すことができず、良い職につくことはできなかった。
友人に王都での仕事を斡旋してもらえたのに、意地になって断ってしまった。
あのときのことを少し後悔している。
そういった事情でお金が必要だった。
そんなときに、破格の報酬が貰える教師の話が来たのだ。
彼女は迷わず、飛びついた。
否、飛びついてしまった。
そのあと、あのペッパー家の家庭教師だと知り、自分の浅はかさを呪うことになったのだ。
こういうわけで、オーウェンの家庭教師になった。
最初は、とんでもない子供が出てくるのだろうと考えて、憂鬱になっていた。
だが、実際にオーウェンと会話したところ、彼はとても素直で良い子供だとわかった。
噂の方が間違っていたのだろう。
8歳児とは思えないほど大人びている。
さらに、礼儀正しく、純粋に魔法を学びたいという姿勢も好感が持てた。
(とてもいい子なんだけど......)
カザリーナは彼を不憫に思った。
オーウェンはずっと自分を偽って生きてきたのだろうか。
子供の身では親に逆らえない。
だから、ブラック・ペッパーに合わせてきた節がある。
おそらく、それがオーウェンの悪評に繋がっているのだ。
彼の境遇はあまりにも不憫だ。
オーウェンがカザリーナを助けたあとの、彼の引き攣った笑み。
上手く笑えていなかった。
きっと、誰にも愛されてこなかったのだ。
だから、素直に笑うこともできない。
そして、子供なのに大人びた性格。
誰にも頼ることができなかった彼は、大人になるしかなかったのだろう。
8歳であれば、無垢で無邪気な少年時代を過ごせるのに。
カザリーナがその歳の頃は、もっと子供らしく遊んでいた。
家族や使用人など、たくさんの愛情を受け、そして彼らに守られてきた。
その経験が今の彼女を作っている。
(はたして、この子は誰が守るのだろうか?)
オーウェンはすでに大人びている。
少しの会話からでも、彼の知性を感じ取ることができた。
オーウェンは誰かに守ってもらう程弱くはないのかもしれない。
しかし、子供とは本来、愛され守られるべき存在なのだ。
特に、魔法使いとして、これから歩んでいくのなら、愛され守ってくれる存在が必要だ。
正しい心を持つ者が正しく魔法を使うことができる。
才能あるオーウェンは、今後周りが驚くような活躍を見せてくれるに違いない。
でも、その心が満たされていなければ、いつか彼は壊れてしまう。
魔法教師として、彼を正しい方向に導いてあげたい。
そのために、今はしっかりと守ってあげなければならない。
Ch 8
Katherina was going to the Peppers' house as a private tutor.
She has heard nothing but bad things about the Pepper family.
They are highly discriminative and believe that if you are not an aristocrat, you are not a person.
There are many Aristocrats, but they are the ideal example of who the Peppers think are elite.
She just doesn't think it's a good idea for someone who has no trust or ability to wield authority.
Besides, it is rumored that Black Pepper is a man who looks down on noblemen as soon as he finds out that they are of a lower rank than him.
Katherina is the daughter of a baronet and is of a lower status than the Pepper family.
If she causes even the slightest problem, she will be in trouble.
She may even be required to do something unreasonable even if she didn't want to cause trouble.
To be honest, Katherina thought of them as people she did not want to get involved with.
Although Owen is just a child, he is said to have a very problematic personality.
Selfish and tyrannical.
If he does not like something, he throws a tantrum right away.
Do not underestimate the power of a child's tantrum.
In addition to punching and kicking, he also used a lot of abusive language that she couldn't believe had been said by a child.
Katherina has heard stories of servants who quit because of it.
Why would she work as a magic teacher at such a place and take on Owen as a student?
It is all about money.
Katherina's family, though noble, is poor.
She has five younger siblings, and Katherina needed to earn as much as she could.
Her parents paid a lot of money to let her go to a magic school.
She wanted to repay that favor.
However, she could not get a good job at the Academy of Magic because she did not get good grades.
A friend of Katherina was able to get her a job in the Royal capital, but she was so stubborn that she turned it down.
She regrets that moment a little.
So she needed the money for those reasons.
That is when Katherina received an offer to become a teacher that would pay an unbelievable amount of money.
Without hesitation, she took the chance.
No, she jumped at it.
But then she found out that she was the tutor for that Pepper family, and cursed her own shallowness.
Therefore, Katherina became Owen's tutor.
At first, she was depressed, thinking that he would be a terrible child.
However, when she engaged in a conversation with Owen, she found him to be a very honest and good kid.
'I guess the rumors were wrong.'
He was so mature that it was hard to believe he was an eight-year-old.
Furthermore, she liked the fact that he was very polite and genuinely wanted to learn about magic.
He is a very nice boy...
Katherina took pity on him.
Had Owen been living under a false identity all his life?
As a child, you cannot go against your parents.
So, there is a part of him that has adapted to Black Pepper.
Perhaps that is what gives Owen a bad name.
His situation is too unfair.
His twisted smile after Owen had saved Katherina.
He was not laughing properly.
She was sure no one has ever loved him.
So, he cannot even smile honestly.
And even though he is a child, he has such a mature personality.
He had no one to turn to, and he had to grow up quickly.
At the age of eight, he should have an innocent boyhood.
When Katherina was that age, she played a lot more and was very childish.
She had received a lot of love from her family and servants and had been protected by them.
That experience has made her the person she is today.
'Who is going to protect this child?'
Owen was already an adult.
Even from the little conversation they had together, she could sense his intelligence.
Maybe Owen is not weak enough to need someone to protect him.
However, a child is a being that should be loved and protected.
Especially if you are a wizard and you're going to go forward, you need someone to love and protect you.
He who has the right heart can use magic correctly.
The talented Owen is sure to surprise us all in the future.
But if his heart is not full, one day he will be broken.
As his magic teacher, she wants to guide him in the right direction.
'For that reason, I must protect him,' She thought to herself.
Reincarnated as the Son of a Vicious Lord! ~When I Was Having Fun Learning Magic, I Had to Get Rid of My Stigma~!
悪徳領主の息子に転生！？～楽しく魔法を学んでいたら、汚名を返上してました～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/reincarnated-as-the-son-of-a-vicious-lord-when-i-was-having-fun-learning-magic-i-had-to-get-rid-of-my-stigma/
Adventure Fantasy Romance School Life Shounen
Academy Adapted to Manga Age Progression Battle Competition Character Growth Cheats Child Protagonist Dense Protagonist Depictions of Cruelty Elemental Magic Fat to Fit Female Master Friendship Harem-seeking Protagonist Harsh Training Hated Protagonist Late Romance Loyal Subordinates Male Protagonist Modern Knowledge Naive Protagonist Nobles Reincarnated in Another World Saints Strength-based Social Hierarchy Sword And Magic Underestimated Protagonist
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6812gh/
米津