16. A Rose Dedicated to Dio (16)

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George watched them descend the stairs together, a satisfied expression spreading across his face. He smiled warmly and said to Dio and Mokumuno, “You’re both good children. Don’t be afraid when you go to school; it’s not a dangerous place. Jojo, you’re quite familiar with it and are more grown-up now, so remember to look after them.”

His relaxed demeanor undoubtedly helped ease the tension for the two children who knew nothing about school yet.

The school they were going to was a boarding school. Dio and Mokumuno would have to attend classes from Monday to Friday and could return home on weekends and during some holidays.

All four of them climbed into the carriage, their luggage pulled by the coachman as they headed towards the school in the nearby town.

The journey wasn’t very far, but it wasn’t close either; the carriage took nearly an hour to get there.

A round trip would take quite some time, so frequent trips home were unnecessary.

Along the way, George introduced the school to Mokumuno and Dio.

Unlike the traditional charitable schools run by religious groups in rural towns, this school was not operated by any religious or philanthropic organization, so its teaching staff was strong.

It was a patrilineal school, mainly teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, and Latin, while some noble children could also learn horsemanship and fencing.

After they reached high school, they would go to a school in London, with university being a matter for later.

In short, the school was a place completely different from home, but there was no need to worry.

If they struggled to keep up with their studies, George promised to hire private tutors for one-on-one lessons. He was truly considerate in every aspect.

Dio and Mokumuno thanked him sincerely.

George said, “No need to mention it. I genuinely care for you as if you were my own children, so this is only what I ought to do.”

As they spoke, the carriage soon arrived at the school.

George’s parting was to end here; what remained was up to the three children themselves. After the enrollment formalities were completed, the adults could almost let go.

Originally, the steward should have handled all these matters, but George had taken on most of the responsibilities personally, which could be seen as an act of great kindness and dedication.

George was most worried about Mokumuno. He said to Jojo and Dio, “I’m really concerned that this child might be bullied at school because of his appearance. You two must watch over him carefully and never let anyone bully him.”

Jojo and Dio agreed without hesitation.

However, Dio didn’t think Mokumuno would be bullied. Though he appeared soft and harmless on the surface, he was the kind who could stab even him without hesitation.

Mokumuno smiled sweetly, eyes curved, and said, “Don’t worry about me, uncle. If I can’t handle something, I’ll find someone reliable to help. After all, I’m a man. I can fight back when needed.”

They all laughed heartily, praising him as truly admirable.

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Mokumuno stepped down from the carriage and nestled closely beside Dio.

Jojo wanted to say something but opened his mouth and remained silent.

After all, Mokumuno and Dio were closer, and Jojo was somewhat an “outsider.”

Dio’s expression darkened slightly, but when Mokumuno obediently leaned against him, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

They carried their luggage inside, with Jojo leading the way, but soon Dio left Jojo behind.

Mokumuno glanced at Jojo, who stood there looking dejected and forlorn, and felt sympathy for the kind young man for about three seconds.

The school they reported to was larger than expected. As new students, they first had to register at the academic office. Mokumuno didn’t want to think much and simply followed Dio.

George’s prediction was correct: Mokumuno, being a genuine Oriental, was quite a curiosity to the other children. They all scrutinized him with curious eyes.

Compared to the tall and sturdy Westerners, Mokumuno’s smaller frame made him appear more fragile. Consequently, some of those gazes held malicious mockery.

Feeling timid, Mokumuno shrank closer to Dio and gripped his suitcase.

Dio noticed those blatant stares and suppressed his irritation.

When Mokumuno put on his usual soft and helpless act, clinging pitifully to him, Dio sneered coldly, “Putting on an act.”

His sharp gaze swept over those who had been staring at Mokumuno up and down. Some shrank back, frightened by his glare; others met his stare defiantly.

Dio stared at them for a long while, memorizing their faces.

Once they went upstairs and turned the corner, they no longer had to endure those nasty kids’ leering.

Dio looked at Mokumuno leisurely, his tone mocking: “What’s wrong, young master? Weren’t you very arrogant when dealing with me before?”

Suddenly, he spun around and slammed Mokumuno against the wall.

Pinching his cheek hard, Dio spoke with malice, “Oh no, it’s over. Young master, here it seems you can only survive intact by relying on me.”

Mokumuno’s chin was caught in Dio’s grip, his cheek slightly aching.

He muttered, “Ah, that was a mistake. I suddenly remembered that boys at this age are not fully developed physically or mentally. They’re immature and take pleasure in bullying those weaker than themselves.”

Dio sneered, “Done pretending?”

Mokumuno blinked and gave a flattering smile. “Because it’s you, Dio. You know me best.”

His eyes sparkled vividly, as if they could speak, shining with tiny stars.

Dio released him and sneered, “Should I feel honored?”

He slipped one hand into his pocket, grabbed his suitcase, and strode forward.

Mokumuno hurried after him, eagerly asking, “Dio, are you really not going to care about me anymore?”

Dio glanced at him coldly and said, “Use the tricks you used on me to deal with those guys, young master.”

Mokumuno replied, “I can’t. They’re just petty tactics, nowhere near your real fighting skills…”

Before he finished, they arrived at the registration office. Dio pushed the door open without paying attention to the quickly protesting little troublemaker behind him.

They reported directly to the principal. Since George Joestar had informed them in advance, everything went smoothly.

As transfer students, they didn’t rush to report; first, they needed to put away their luggage.

Besides, schools in this era were quite flexible—there were no fixed classrooms. Students simply took their books to whichever classroom the class was held in.

It was much like university later on.

Mokumuno and Dio shared a dormitory. The school offered many six-person and four-person rooms, and those who paid extra could stay in comfortable two-person rooms.

After entering, Dio efficiently unpacked his things. Mokumuno, however, did not hurry but instead lazily sprawled on the sofa, staring at Dio.

The little troublemaker couldn’t do such tasks properly; he fumbled and only managed to make a mess of his belongings.

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He turned his head and looked at Dio with a pitiful expression.

“Please, help me, Dio,” he pleaded.

Dio shifted his posture, crossing his legs. Resting his elbow on the sofa armrest and chin on his palm, he chuckled, “So, what are you offering in return, Mokumuno?”

Mokumuno walked over and plopped down beside him, sighing heavily.

Turning his head, he beamed brightly, “How about the title of your future wife? Didn’t you admit it yourself? At least help your weak and helpless little wife.”

Mokumuno clasped his hands together, looking at Dio with pitiful eyes.

His naturally adorable face made his plea hard to resist.

Dio had never met anyone as shameless as this before, which revealed just how cunning Mokumuno was. No wonder he had no qualms about pretending to be a girl before.

Unfortunately, Dio ignored his nonsense and turned away.

After Dio left, Mokumuno’s face fell and he muttered, “What a heartless guy.”

He was ultimately helpless with this room and his bed. Since there was still time, he decided to ignore it.

He casually pulled a leisure book from the bookshelf and read it with keen interest.

Fantasy novels of this period were quite impressive, and Mokumuno couldn’t help but get engrossed, forgetting even to go to class.

Just after finishing the first few chapters, the dorm room door was twisted open.

Mokumuno closed the book and looked at the few people filing in, his mouth slightly agape.

They were the very same ruffians who had given him hostile looks before. They seemed to be the troublemakers of the school, so even during class hours, they didn’t stay in the classroom like the well-behaved students.

The boys’ faces were grim, some limping, the most striking being one with a bruised and battered face.

At the back was Dio, hands in his pockets, walking slowly with lowered eyes. Then he raised his face, glanced at Mokumuno, and said to those boys, “Fighting here feels like child’s play. How boring.”

The boys he had beaten all wore expressions of endurance, mirroring Mokumuno’s earlier anger mixed with helplessness.

The little troublemaker felt immediately relieved.

Dio took a few steps forward and decisively sat on the sofa, crossing his legs arrogantly. One hand rested on the sofa back, the other on his knee, striking a domineering pose.

“By the way, since you have all this pent-up energy with nowhere to release it, clean up our room. We just moved in and haven’t tidied it yet. You came at the right time, so get to work,” Dio ordered.

These boys weren’t keen to obey him; all were eldest sons of noble families. Who would really listen to someone else?

However, Dio merely shot them an icy glare, and the teenage boys dared not resist further.

Now that Mokumuno was free of trouble, he sat beside Dio, his voice sweet and soft as he happily said, “Thank you, my dear Dio. You are truly a qualified ‘good husband.’ I definitely chose the right person.”

Dio snorted coldly, “Don’t flatter yourself. If those guys hadn’t arrogantly wanted to teach the newcomer a lesson, how could I have gotten involved? It just so happened I was there when the fight broke out.”

Mokumuno didn’t care how much Dio denied it; as long as he benefited, that was enough.