Where am I?

I see a white ceiling.

The bed under me is really soft.

The walls were still decorated with paintings of bad taste.

Oh, right.

I am Owen Pepper now.

I was practicing magic when I collapsed, right?

“Ouch…”

My head is pounding as if I had a hangover from my previous life.

“Bochama.* It looks like you got up.”

*Son, or boy

Next to the bed, Sebas was waiting for me.

“… Sebas-san. Eh? Where is Katherina-sensei.”

“She is now in the presence of our Lord.”

“Um, why is that?”

“You will know if you go.”

Does that mean I should go?

Hmm.

Is it because I collapsed?

Surely, then, my father must be swearing at sensei.

He must be swearing like a monster parent.

However, in my father’s case, he was never saying this out of love for me.

You have an object to target, so you just abuse it.

You want to make your opponent feel that you are superior by dominating them by force.

I, Owen, understand that my father is a selfish man.

“Where is Katherina-sensei?”

“She’s in the reception room,” Sebas said, standing upright.

When I heard that, I immediately started moving.

My head hurts a little, but Katherina-sensei is more important.

My father is the kind of person who would not hesitate to use corporal punishment.

To relieve stress, he attacks his servants.

Seeing this, I, Owen, began to think that it was okay to harm the servants.

As I reached the front of the parlor, I heard a voice inside.

“I paid a lot of money for this shit. What the hell are you doing? You can’t even educate people properly!”

“That is…”

“You injured my son! I don’t see any signs of remorse.”

“I am so sorry.”

“Hmph. Do you think an apology will get you forgiveness? You vulgar barons! I’d like to know the face of the parents who raised an incompetent person like you.”

“Please don’t mock my parents.”

“Shut up! Do not talk back to me! That is right. I will educate you. Come here!”

“Pl-Please stop!”

I will not tolerate violence against Katherina-sensei!

I open the door with a bang.

“Father!”

In the reception room, my father was holding the teacher’s arm firmly.

“What’s the matter, Owen?”

I opened it with a bang and marched in confidently, but I didn’t think anything of it.

I just wanted to stop him from harming Katherina-sensei.

It would be useless to simply say, “Please let the teacher go” here.

If that is the case, it means that I dare to stand on the same ground as my father.

“I’ll educate her. She is a lowly baroness, she hurt me, and she even disobeyed my father. Let us make sure she knows her place.”

I gave him a villainous grin.

Fortunately, I, Owen, am used to being the villain.

“You huh…?”

“Yes. I’ll make sure that she never dares to disobey again.”

“I see… Don’t do anything sloppy.”

“Of course.”

“Then remind that little girl exactly how low she is.”

“Yes. Father”

My father and I grinned at each other.

It must be a very unpleasant sight to see a fat person and another fat person staring at each other.

As my father left the room, I turned to Katherina-sensei.

“Wha- what do you want to do…?”

Katherina-sensei said with a frightened but resolute look on her face.

She is distancing himself from me because I summoned the old Owen.

Rest assured.

I am me.

Well, of course, I am.

“Katherina-sensei”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“I’m not going to do anything. Anyway, is sensei okay?”

I move my facial muscles, trying to keep a gentle smile on my face.

There was a lot of fat on my face, and I was not sure if I could smile well.

“I am…fine…”

Katherina-sensei looked like she was thinking for a moment, and then she said, “You helped me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say I helped you.”

The education my father said might have been a proper education.

No, how could he be proper?

I think he’s going to do something bad by saying, “Buh-hi-hi.”

For some reason, Katherina-sensei suddenly has a gentle expression on her face.

“Owen-sama is very strong.”

Hmmm?

“I’m not strong. Just a moment ago, I collapsed right away.”

“It’s about the strength of the mind. But Owen-sama, you can be more childlike and innocent.”

That is what she said.

In my previous life, I lived to be twenty-six.

It’s hard for me to act like an eight-year-old kid now.

“Like a child?”

“I know. You’re too grown up for that.”

That would be true.

My life experience is different.

Compared to other kids my age, it was only natural that I was more mature.

“…I see. Isn’t that painful?”

“No matter how hard it is, this is who I am.”

With that, Katherina-sensei looked down and began to ponder for a moment.

I was looking at her eyelashes, thinking about how long they were when she looked up.

“—I’ve made up my mind. I’ll protect you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I will protect Owen-sama so that he can be a child and become someone who can handle magic properly.”

“Eh… Ah… Yes?”

Katherina-sensei had a look in her eyes as if she had made up her mind about something.

How did it come to this?