20th Century, the United States

Cecil Carlton, a young boy of 14, received the news from his father that he would be homeschooled due to an incident in which he was nearly kidnapped. Being the son of a Duke, he felt that his opinion carried little weight in the matter. Despite his dissatisfaction towards the idea of homeschooling, he was told that he had no choice in the matter because, as his father pointed out, he was merely a child. Cecil, already disgruntled by the news of his upcoming homeschooling, felt an even greater sense of annoyance as he learned that his parents had hired a teacher. The idea of studying alone with a teacher sounded incredibly mundane to him. • • • Seated in the study room, he had been idly scribbling in his book when the creaking sound of the door announced the arrival of the teacher. He rose from his chair to greet the teacher, a gesture expected of him as the son of a Duke. However, he raised an eyebrow in surprise as he saw that the teacher was a woman. Given his father's aversion to women working, he surmised that his mother must have been behind this choice. Cecil's eyes swept over the teacher, noting that she appeared to be rather young. He felt no need to be overly formal or polite in her presence, as he thought this might work in his favor.

"Good day, madam," he said, his face maintaining a neutral expression. "I trust I don't have to introduce myself, do I?" he added, his voice carrying a hint of sass.