"My na is Han Jester. Nice to et you again, Sir Dunn."
"You don't have to call 'sir'. Just called Dunn or Oldman Dunn. I'm a re gardener employed in Klover estate."
"Alright then, Oldman Dunn." Han complied.
"That's way better. People will be weirded out seeing a promising scholar talk respectfully to a re gardener," Dunn chuckled.
"Truth be told, I don't care about people's words. More importantly, I never expected you to be working here as I do. I thought you said you're gonna visit a relative."
"Well, that's half of the plan and this one is another half. I still need to make my living sohow." Dunn explained.
Han nodded his head. He understood that not everyone is fortunate like him. Had it not for Johann Klover, he would probably be living the sa life as the old man.
"Are you often coming here, Han?"
"Yes, It's part of my job. Oh, did I forget to ntion? I'm working as a tutor for the young master."
Perplexed, Dunn keeps asking, "How? How did you even get a tutor position?"
There's a disparity in status between commoner and noble. Usually, nobles wouldn't allow their children to interact casually with commoners, let alone hire one as a tutor.
Han replied, "You can say my luck is exceptionally good."
He then proceeded to recount the story of how he first encountered the young master.
In his childhood, Han frequently road the streets of Klover like many other kids.
One day, by sheer chance, he stumbled upon the young master—a child adorned in clean, high-quality clothing. It was an uncommon sight in his everyday experiences.
Nevertheless, that's not the important part. The main point is the kid seems lost.
Han didn't think much about it and decided to help. However, since the young master doesn't reveal where he lives, Han has no choice but to keep him company.
The kid looks so fragile and timid, unlike Han or his friends. Life in Klover, albeit peaceful, has its own dangers. He doubts this rich-looking kid would safely return ho on his own.
"Why don't you just leave him alone? Commoners like us will only face more trouble when we interact with nobles." Dunn interjected.
Han shrugged, "I don't know he was a noble at that ti. There's a possibility for him to be the son of a rich rchant. Moreover, the young master looks like he's about to cry if I leave."
"The young master probably sneaked out of the mansion out of boredom."
"I guess so. I can't imagine being confined in the mansion for years, surrounded by people who look at you with scornful eyes. Anyway, where was I at again..."
Han continued. The two of them spent hours talking with each other.
As the sun is about to set, Johann Klover appears.
He looked panicked with his eyes darting wildly. Sweat dripped down his forehead, indicating the old noble was frantically searching for soone.
Johann only calms down after he sees the young master who's waving back at him.
"You see... I was prepared to get scolded the mont I realised the kid beside was a noble. But what happened was out of my expectations. A noble actually thanked for keeping his grandson accompanied. He even invited to his mansion to befriend his grandson."
"That's truly unexpected." Dunn nods his head. "In my long life, I never t a noble inviting a commoner to their residence after eting for the first ti."
"Yeah, I know about that too. But I got invited at the request of the young master. Maybe because he finally ets with soone who treats him nicely. Based on the young master's words, nobody in his house is willing to be friends with him."
"So, you accept the invitation?" Dunn asked.
Han chuckled, "No, of course not. I may be a kid, but I'm not that dumb. Why would I do that? My mother has repeatedly told not to believe in noble's words."
Perhaps because he living in hardship, Han developed a keen sense and noticed desperation from the young master who yearned a companionship.
Han politely refused Johann but the old noble was adamant. Knowing he couldn't refuse, he sought to buy so ti to make his decision.
"I went ho and told my mother. She scolded for being unnecessarily kind and insisted I should mind my own business. At night, I got scolded again by my father."
Dunn nodded in agreent, "Your parents are right. You shouldn't stick your nose where you don't belong to."
"Yeah, I tried to argue but couldn't find a good point. Anyway, I was told to accept the offer since I can't undo my doings. They also don't want to enrage the noble."
On the next day, Han ets with the young master again. This ti his grandfather accompanied him.
Han stated his decision and Johann suggested he move into their mansion as a guest.
He was fine as long as no harm was done to his family.
"It has been more than a decade since then," Han said. "Looking back, I receive a lot of benefits. I even got paid for being friends with him. When Johann realised my exceptional learning ability, he even assigned tutors for and insisted I continue my studies so that I could teach the young master."
Contrary to Han's initial expectations, Johann was good to him.
But that doesn't change the fact about his commoner status. Han knows his place and never lets his guard down.
"What a lucky brat..." Dunn bitterly said.
After a long and boring backstory, Oldman Dunn finally found a chance to broach the subject he initially wanted to ask. "Do you think the young master is suitable to be the next duke?"
A complicated look erges on Han's face. He knows Johann fights for that spot for the sake of his grandson. But he has a different opinion.
"You don't have to answer, Han. Your expression already answered my question."
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