My Princess - LINGORM

4

I wasn't looking forward to this tutoring session.

My mom had sprung it on me last night during dinner, and despite my protests, her decision had been final. "Orm, your grades in economics are unacceptable for someone in your position. I've hired the best tutor available. She'll be here tomorrow."

I had tried everything to convince her otherwise, but nothing worked. In the end, I was left with no choice but to accept the inevitable. The idea of some stranger coming into my apartment to lecture me about things I already found boring was not my idea of a good time. But what really bothered me was the fact that I had failed in the first place. I was a princess, and failure wasn't supposed to be in my vocabulary.

When 3:45 PM rolled around the next day, I found myself pacing around my apartment, trying to mentally prepare for what was about to happen. I had spent the last few hours sulking, and even now, as I walked back and forth across the living room, I couldn't shake the irritation gnawing at me. I wasn't in the mood for this. At all.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I froze for a moment, taking a deep breath before walking over. This was it. The dreaded tutor had arrived.

I pulled open the door, ready to greet her with the same frustration I'd been carrying all day—but when I looked up, the words I had prepared died in my throat.

Standing in the doorway was a woman. A stunning woman.

She was a few inches shorter than me, but that didn't make her any less intimidating. She had this... aura about her, something cool and untouchable. Her black hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, and she wore a tailored blazer over a sleek white blouse. Her eyes were cold—dark and piercing—but it was her features that caught me off guard. Sharp cheekbones, full lips, and skin that was flawless in a way that almost didn't seem real. She was... beautiful.

For a moment, I forgot to be annoyed. My heart did a weird little flip, and I found myself standing there, staring like an idiot.

The woman raised an eyebrow, her expression as icy as the chill in the air. "Are you going to let me in, or should I start the lesson out here?"

Her voice snapped me out of whatever trance I had fallen into, and I quickly stepped aside, trying to compose myself. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. Come in."

She walked past me without so much as a thank you, her movements fluid and purposeful. She didn't bother with pleasantries, didn't ask me how my day was or try to make small talk. Instead, she immediately scanned the apartment, her sharp eyes taking everything in like she was already judging me.

I shut the door and followed her into the living room, feeling slightly off balance. I had expected someone strict, maybe a bit older, someone who would lecture me and treat me like a child. But this woman—this gorgeous woman—was cold in a different way. She didn't care about who I was. She was here to do her job and leave, and somehow, that made everything feel worse.

"Sit," she said, motioning to the couch as she dropped her bag onto the coffee table. Her tone wasn't harsh, but it was commanding, like she was used to people obeying her without question. I hesitated for a moment before sitting down, feeling oddly nervous.

She sat across from me, pulling out a stack of papers and what looked like some economics textbooks. Great. Just what I wanted to see. She flipped through the papers, completely focused on what she was doing, like I wasn't even there.

I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention. "So... you're Ling, right? My tutor?"

She glanced up briefly, her eyes meeting mine with an unreadable expression. "Yes. And you're Orm, the princess who's failing economics."

I winced at the bluntness in her voice. She didn't even try to soften the blow, didn't bother with niceties or flattery like most people did when they spoke to me. It stung, but I tried not to show it.

"I'm not failing," I muttered, though the D+ on my last exam said otherwise. "I'm just... behind."

Ling didn't respond. She merely raised an eyebrow, as if to say, Same difference. She flipped through the papers again, finally pulling out what looked like my recent test scores.

I watched her as she scanned the results, her face giving nothing away. For some reason, her silence made me feel small, like I was being silently judged. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, waiting for her to say something, anything.

"D+," she finally said, her voice flat. "You know, for a princess, this isn't exactly impressive."

I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment. It wasn't like I didn't know that. But hearing it from her—hearing it in such an impersonal, almost dismissive way—hurt more than I expected.

"Look, I know it's bad," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But that's why you're here, right? To help?"

Ling leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "Help?" she repeated, her tone almost mocking. "I'm not here to hold your hand, Princess. I'm here to teach you. Whether or not you actually learn is up to you."

I blinked, taken aback by her words. She was rude. No, she was worse than rude—she was cold. Distant. Like I was just another client she had to deal with, not a person. Not a princess.

I nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Okay. Fine."

For the next hour, Ling went through the basics of the last chapter we had covered in class. She explained things clearly, efficiently, but there was no warmth in her voice, no encouragement. She didn't ask if I understood, didn't offer any kind of reassurance. She just... taught. And I sat there, trying to keep up, trying to focus on the material instead of the fact that she was sitting across from me, beautiful and indifferent.

At one point, I asked a question, something about the supply and demand curves, and she answered it without looking at me, her voice clipped and to the point. There was no patience, no sympathy. Just facts.

By the time the session was over, I felt drained—not just from the material, but from the coldness that hung between us. Ling packed up her things without a word, and I stood awkwardly, not sure how to end the session.

"Same time next week," she said, already heading toward the door.

I nodded, though she wasn't looking at me. "Right. Tuesday."

Ling paused at the door, turning to face me for the first time since the lesson had started. Her dark eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker behind them—something softer. But then, just as quickly, it was gone.

"Goodbye, Princess," she said, her tone formal and distant.

And with that, she was gone, leaving me standing in the middle of my living room, feeling cold and... sad.

I sank back onto the couch, staring at the door she had just walked through. For some reason, I had expected more—more warmth, more connection. But I guess I had been wrong. Ling wasn't interested in me, not as a person. To her, I was just another failing student.

But why did that bother me so much?

I sighed, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling. It was just the first session. Maybe things would get better. Maybe she'd warm up. Or maybe... this was all there was to Ling.

Either way, I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that lingered long after she had gone.