You Can Drop the Act Now

Mr. Morris composed herself upon seeing Lily Evans, walked over and greeted, "Mr. Morris greets the Princess Consort."

Lily Evans maintained her composure and smiled, "Mr. Morris, you must be the foreign language instructor recommended by Edward, right? Are you settling in well here?"

Mr. Morris nodded quickly, "Yes, Edward recommended me. Everything is fine here, thank you for your concern, Princess Consort."

"Oh, as long as you're comfortable. Please continue teaching, Mr. Morris. After class, come see me—we'll discuss adjusting the students' schedules," Lily Evans said.

"Yes, Princess Consort," Mr. Morris replied respectfully and politely.

Lily Evans addressed the children, "Students, make sure to follow Mr. Morris in class. Starting this afternoon, I will also begin teaching you again."

The children burst into cheers, leaving Quentin Lin stunned. He tugged at Lily Evans's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, can I join their class too?"

Lily Evans looked at Quentin Lin and smiled, "Sure, but they're learning a foreign language. Since it's your first time, you might have trouble keeping up."

Quentin Lin replied, "It's fine. This is my first time hearing about foreign languages. I want to listen and see."

Lily Evans nodded. Quentin Lin was the youngest and shortest in the class, so Lily Evans found an empty seat in the front row for him. Then she said to Mr. Morris, "This is my little brother—I'll leave him in your care."

Mr. Morris nodded quickly.

Lily Evans led Bella Bell out of the classroom, deliberately pretending to walk ahead without looking back, though she kept an eye on Bella Bell and Mr. Morris from the corner of her eye.

She saw Bella Bell and Mr. Morris exchange glances several times; the two seemed to know each other quite well in private.

Lily Evans noticed but said nothing. She simply joined Bella Bell in her private courtyard to discuss the students' progress with other teachers, then the two rested in her room.

Bella Bell seemed distracted, glancing toward the classroom window from time to time.

Lily Evans calmly sipped her tea, then suddenly asked, "How long have you known Mr. Morris?"

"The two of us..." Bella Bell blurted out, then stopped, her face turning bright red as she realized she'd used such a familiar phrase.

Lily Evans smiled and stared at Bella Bell, who buried her head in her arms, completely unlike her usual bold and cheerful self.

Lily Evans didn't press further, just drank her tea. When the morning class ended, Mr. Morris came to find her in the room.

"Princess Consort," Mr. Morris stopped at the doorway and knocked.

Lily Evans looked up and glanced at him, her tone annoyed: "Hmph, keep pretending! Why weren't you ever this polite before, even knocking on the door?"

At Lily Evans's words, both Bella Bell and Mr. Morris blushed deeply.

Mr. Morris stood at the door, stunned for a moment, then came to his senses, scratched his head, walked in, and plopped down on the chair next to Lily Evans. When he spoke, his voice changed: "Lily, when did you recognize me?"

Lily Evans shot him an annoyed look. "Come on, I'm a properly trained disciple of disguise techniques! My skills may not be better than my teacher's, but if I couldn't spot your mask at a glance, all my training would be for nothing!"

Upon hearing this, Mr. Morris dropped his dignified demeanor and grinned mischievously. He stuck out his tongue, his bearded middle-aged face suddenly looking quite childish.