366 Chapter 366 A Jealous Woman
But every time she tried; it was as if the congested heat popped off the lid of her brain and her thoughts scattered everywhere until she was unable to form a single coherent thought.
"I...I...I wnt...I don...th-this...whaa...what are you saying?"
Blushing profusely, she hid her face from him by turning to the side and her voice grew sheepish as if she didn't want her thoughts to leak out.
…
Classes for all the servants and soldiers of the Smith family commenced promptly the very next morning, just as Zach had assured them. The estate buzzed with a newfound energy and purpose, each member excited and eager to learn and improve themselves under the guidance of their newfound leader.
The announcement of these educational endeavors sent ripples of joy and gratitude through the community. The people of the Smith family were beside themselves with delight, not only for the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills but also because Zach had proven his commitment to keeping his promises. This bolstered their faith in him and further fueled their dedication to the family's cause.
The moment they reached the location that had been designated as the classroom, they found a list of names on the entrance. They had been divided into morning and night classes. Those who had their names in the morning class were able to enter and learn while the remaining turned around to go back to their respective stations.
Those who couldn't read the list asked the others for help and came to know whether they had been placed in the morning or the night class.
No matter who was placed where, the day was bound to be hectic for all of them. Because those attending classes would need to devote themselves entirely into learning something beyond their usual means and their potential, while those working for the Smith family would have to do twice the work due to the non-availability of half the usual manpower. Not only that but they would also have to attend the classes later on.
The basic classes began after everyone was seated.
Diana had been given the task of teaching them the basics. She had to improve their reading and writing ability which would give a boost to their learning capability and in turn their peak potential.
Unlike normal classes, there was no need for everyone to introduce themselves on the first day. Therefore, Diana didn't bother with the pleasantries either because they were short of time, and she had lots of things that she needed to teach them. She skipped directly to the topic of the day and began to talk non-stop until someone raised their hands to ask a question.
No one could tell if the question was meant to stall her so the class could breathe or if that person really wanted to ask that question.
Diana was a bank of knowledge compared to anyone else in her world. She had learnt and mastered everything directly from Zach who brought with him otherworldly knowledge and was far ahead of this world in terms of scientific technology and theoretical knowledge.
Still, she was forced to teach them how to read and write because starting from advanced knowledge from the beginning would only make all their efforts, all of Zach's efforts, counterproductive.
Finishing up the class, Diana walked out with a weary look on her face.
The sight that greeted her was not a welcome one at all. It soured her mood further.
"What is she doing here?" Diana muttered to herself, seemingly dissatisfied with the person she had seen.
Obviously, there weren't many people that Diana held a grudge against. The only reason she had even shown a reaction to someone was because that someone was none other than her rival in love, Clara.
She was busy joking around with some of the soldiers who had just finished taking their classes. Even though she wasn't a part of the Smith family, she spent most of her time in the Smith family household and was therefore familiar with most people. During the time she hovered around Zach, she had taken a liking to several like-minded people and had gotten on talking terms with them. She was now comfortable enough with them to joke about all kinds of things. Most of these people were her kind of people, the kind that believed in strength above everything else.
Diana wasn't a possessive person per se. But when it came to Zach, she didn't want to tolerate even a single woman around him. Her jealousy, though harmless on the surface, churned within her like a tempest. Every time she saw another woman interact with Zach; a tinge of unease clenched her heart. It was not born out of malice but out of a profound affection for him.
The sight of Zach's laughter and easy camaraderie with others always sent a pang of insecurity through her. She feared the possibility of another person capturing his attention, stealing even a moment of his time from her. It was an irrational fear but not exactly unfounded. After all, emotions often defied logic. Diana wanted Zach all for herself, but that was not possible. And she knew it as well. There was that succubus, Luna, and then there was also Christina. Both of them had been ahead of her in earning Zach's affections and had managed to solidify their relationship with him already.
But she didn't hate the succubus because she had been with Zach before Diana even met him.
On the other hand, she was filled with indignation towards Christina and Clara because she had met Zach before both of them and it was her place that Christina had usurped through her slutty and shameless behavior.
While Clara hadn't done anything to topple her position as the next in line, Diana couldn't rest at ease with the woman due to how impulsive she was. It would only take a single oversight on her part for Clara to snatch her right away from her.
Diana didn't hate Clara. They had obviously gotten along with each other when they travelled together to Byzantium city. Back then they had even slept in the same room.
But now that Clara had set her sights on Zach and had even become his fiancée, Diana couldn't hold it in any longer. She felt irritated every time she thought of the other women who were vying for Zach's affection along with her, even if it was someone she liked otherwise.
Before she could rush out to meet her head on like two fighter jets due for a fatal and explosive collision, she was held back by Bruce who had seen several changes in her expression from far away.
He was her elder brother, but he had brought her up as if he were her father. He knew the meaning of even the micro changes in her expressions and was able to infer what she was thinking of based on them.
As a result, it was quite easy to figure out that she was about to confront Clara for being in her 'territory'.
Thankfully, he was close by and managed to stop her from creating a scene that might mortify her in the future. Moreover, he knew that Clara wasn't here of her volition but had been invited by Zach to teach these people just like Diana.
"What are you planning on doing?"
Bruce was slightly amused at the murderous look that had come over his sister. He had never found her so overbearing before. A woman's jealousy was truly a thing from nightmares and needed to be feared.
"What do you think brother? I want to ask her what she is doing here." Diana's anger vanished slightly at the sight of her brother but the look in her eyes didn't change at all.
"Don't be impulsive. She was called here by Zach. Don't cause trouble with her now or you might regret it later on." advised Bruce gently as he let go of her slowly, thinking that Diana had already understood his concerns.
"Why would he call her? It must have been because of her. She must have been pestering him again." Diana bared her teeth angrily but could only growl and roar like a chained beast instead of pouncing on her target.
"She is here for the same purpose as you. He has asked for her assistance as a magic teacher for the new students. So, you two are on the same boat."
"Whaat?"
Diana was shocked to hear the reason for Clara's appearance. Previously she had slightly disliked how Zach had thrown such a responsibility on her shoulder even though it was beneath her status to teach those people. But now she felt like Zach had betrayed her by giving such a responsibility to someone else even though her logical mind understood the reason behind it.
She knew that Clara was the best choice as the magic teacher compared to her who barely knew healing magic of the lowest tier, but she was a woman before anything else and she could not control her jealousy.
"Since you two are going to be working together for some time, try to get along with her and don't go around provoking her for no reason. Zach wouldn't want his newly recruited teachers fighting each other instead of teaching his people."
Bruce knew his sister and was certain that she wouldn't do anything that might ruin her chances with Zach. By this point, his sister was addicted to Zach and could barely survive without him. She wouldn't do anything that might bring her Zach's ire.
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