I Became The Tutor of The Royal Twins - CHapter 179

Ka-chak.
Barely managing to tuck the children to bed, Sera and Helios tiptoed out of the twins’ bedroom.
“Haaa.”
“Haa.”
At the end of yet another war-like day, the two of them breathed out a long sigh of relief at the same time. Noticing their unintended synchroneity, Sera and Helios smiled at each other.
“Um… Your Majesty…?”
“Well… Miss Popo…?”
They also spoke up at the same time. With a light smile, their gazes met, but they soon awkwardly looked down to the floor.
Whenever their eyes met, they both kept recalling Rosé’s flustering mention of ‘marriage’.
“Please go ahead, Your Majesty.”
Sera urged Helios to speak first.
“It’s nothing much, Miss Popo.”
As though embarrassed to even speak up, Helios rubbed his forehead beneath his silver fringe.
“Don’t pay any mind to what Rosé said earlier. It’s what children usually say.”
So they were thinking the same thing. Watching how Helios brought a hand to his chin, Sera answered him casually.
“Of course, Your Majesty. I know that those are the words of a young heart.”
Against her will however, Sera felt regretful. Those words could be understood perfectly by her mind, but her heart couldn’t seem to comprehend. She clutched a hand to her chest.
“What were you going to say, Miss Popo?”
His eyes, as languid as always, turned to Sera.
Sera, too, smiled at him as she usually did.
“It’s nothing much as well, Your Majesty. It’s just that… I feel a bit sad that next week is already the final class.”
In any case, she had only a week left as a tutor here at the imperial palace. So, she would not need to feel these emotions any longer.
* * *
‘Final class.’
Deep in thought, Helios closed his heavy eyelids. The words that Sera said a few days ago before she left the Star Palace lingered in his mind for a very long time.
“It’s sad that it’s going to be the final class, she said.”
He recalled Sera’s exact words as she had a light smile upon her lips.
It was the comfortable facial expression that his younger siblings were particularly fond of, but back then, she looked up at him with a hint of disappointment and contemplation in her eyes.
It was the same calm demeanor she always carried herself with, as if there was nothing special going on, however, her visage that day kept flashing across his mind.
The word ‘final’ was what disturbed him the most, and even more so whenever he thought about it. His thoughts were heavily conflicted.
Helios smiled for some time, trying to think of why he was reacting in this way.
But he could think of only one reason—that he was perhaps acting like a petulant child.
“I think Miss Popo truly is ready to say goodbye.”
He’s sulking because she seemed quite ready to bid them farewell.
Goodness, he’s not even Rosé or Ferre.
The promised day was looming just over the horizon, and she was merely abiding by her faithful duty.
So it’s ridiculous for him to feel this way.
Helios leaned back against his seat for a moment, wrestling with this indescribable emotion. He glanced at the clock.
It’s soon time for Miss Popo, who was wrapping up her final class with the children, to visit his office.
* * *
“Your Majesty, here’s a list of a few tutors that I’d like to recommend. And here is the progress chart of Her Highness Rosé and His Highness Ferre—I’ve updated it to reflect their progress until today. Then, here is the comprehensive list.”
Sera spread out various documents on Helios’ desk. These were files that she usually handed over to the parents or guardians of her students after the final class.
Just the children’s portfolio was a thick enough document, but she also prepared a few more documents for the next tutor who would be teaching the twins.
Helios was quite startled as he stared at the documents piled up on his desk, but he soon smiled.
“This is quite a lot.”
“It’s for six months.”
Sera explained each and every document one at a time. Helios nodded from time to time as well, listening to her intently.
“Did you finish the class well today?”
But Sera was startled as well when this sudden question came her way. She was in the middle of explaining Ferre’s progress, but she stopped at once and looked up at him.
“Today’s class?”
Helios rarely got sidetracked when talking to people.
Feeling her gaze on him, he also slowly shook his head, realizing that he had been rude just now.
“I apologize. It’s just that, after looking at all the documents, it’s really sinking in that today’s the day of your final class, Miss Popo. I couldn’t concentrate very well.”
At Helios’ honesty, Sera quietly set down the quill that she was holding.
“Actually, I feel the same way, Your Majesty.”
When she answered with a smile, Helios faced Sera with a gentle gaze.
As she thought back on today’s class, Sera spoke her mind briefly.
“Truthfully, I don’t quite know how I managed to get through today. Six months is both long and short, and I still can’t believe it’ll be over after today.”
Her mood dampening, Sera eventually stopped talking as she lowered her gaze.
She felt sad that she could no longer look forward to her life as a tutor here at the imperial palace, even as she started out this job half with apprehension but also half with anticipation.
Happy moments in life seem to pass by in a blink of an eye.
Now that she was looking back, didn’t the twins throw water bombs and flour bombs at her? And they even gave her that terrible cockroach as a gift.
But here and now, the troublemakers of that time were nowhere to be seen.
Before she knew it, Rosé and Ferre had changed a lot, and they were now consistent with wanting to follow everything Sera would say.
They could now read fairytales on their own, write sentences, and add and subtract, even though they’re not very skilled with it yet.
The notorious nickname of ‘Troublemakers and Villains of the Star Palace’ disappeared to a faraway place. Right now, they really were just two normal, adorable seven-year-olds.
In the end, Sera thought that she shouldn’t have said that to Helios. Just before the awkward silence could sink even further, Sera spoke up again.
With a bright smile, she looked up at Helios.
“Still, I was sad, but I don’t think Their Highnesses were. I was worried that they’d burst into tears again because it’s the last time we’re having class, but the two of them were entirely excited because tomorrow is the day to set off for the Imperial Villa.”
“They’re excited?” Helios asked with a slightly incredulous expression.
“Yes.”
At Sera’s firm answer, the two of them locked gazes and both chuckled lightly.
When Helios stopped laughing, he opened his half-lidded eyes, containing such a warm light, and looked at Sera.
“I guess it’s because Rosé and Ferre are still young. But what would happen when they’ll realize that you wouldn’t be teaching them anymore after the trip to the villa… I’m a little worried about that.”
“Are you consoling me, Your Majesty? That Their Highnesses will be sad, too?”
“Of course.”
A mischievous smile tugged up on his lips.
It was just an ordinary conversation, but somehow, Sera’s chest felt stuffy.
As Sera was fidgeting with Ferre’s portfolio again, Helios asked something else.
“When the trip to the villa is over, will you go back to teaching other children, Miss Popo?”