//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: Yes, My Lady 
// by Tatsurou 
//------------------------------//

	Sebastian once more sat behind the teacher's desk as the classroom sat empty, the students in the playground for lunch recess the following day.  His current job was to be the ultimate butler pretending to be the ultimate teacher, and he was bound and determined to carry that out to the fullest extent of his abilities as per the contract.  He'd already finished the backlog of grading papers, and had now gotten to work on the backlog of paperwork Cheerilee had been unable to get to due to there not being enough seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, and hours in the day.  Sebastian getting to it didn't mark him as being more efficient than her though, as she had done an admirable job worthy of the vacation she'd been awarded.  It was simply a matter that said limits that had hobbled Cheerilee had never applied to Sebastian.

As he worked, he was rather unsurprised to see the office door open yet again, though this time to admit a brown stallion with a slicked back black mane and tail, blue eyes, and a Cutie Mark of three cartoonish bags of money.  He had honestly expected this arrival.  "Do come in, Mr. Rich," he said without bothering to look up from his paperwork.  "I take it your wife talked at you about me?"

Mr. Rich winced slightly as he stepped in and took a seat.  "You are...rather perceptive, Mr. Seba-"

"Just Sebastian," he interrupted diffidently.  "Teachers and parents should have a certain familiarity, after all.  The only reason I didn't refer to you by your first name to encourage that is because I know you prefer to be addressed by your last name...not that I blame you."

Filthy Rich smiled weakly.  "Well, yes there is that," he agreed.  He managed to straighten himself.  "Now, I admit I've learned to take most of what my wife says with a grain of salt..."  In a low mutter he added, "If not a pound..."  Shaking his head slightly to dispel those thoughts, he focused on Sebastian.  "Still, there's also the matter of my daughter and this...field trip she's been denied..."

"Mr. Rich, who has done your daughter's homework for most of her schooling?" Sebastian asked calmly.

Filthy blinked a few times.  "From your tone, I'm guessing I won't like the correct answer..."

"You presume correctly," Sebastian confirmed.  "Mr. Rich, how much truth do you want regarding what's been going on with your wife and your daughter when you haven't been looking?"

Filthy clenched his teeth.  "All of it," he stated firmly.  "If there's a problem here, I need to know all of it before I can properly fix any of it."

"A good attitude," Sebastian confirmed as he took out a copy of Cheerilee's file on Spoiled Rich, as related to Diamond Tiara.  "I told your wife that if Diamond didn't meet the same requirements of the other students during my teaching period, I'd be sending a copy of this file to the parents of each and every student in this school.  Since you requested, I can give you your copy early."  He then turned back to his paperwork as he let Filthy Rich make his way through the file.

It took a surprisingly short amount of time for him to finish.  "W...how did this all happen?" he asked, his voice quiet and his eyes lowered, plainly shocked and appalled at the extent of his wife's ruthless duplicity.

Sebastian was quiet for a time.  The Rich family were not his charges.  He had no reason to interfere with their lives, and it went against his grain to lend aid without getting something in return.  Still, he had been instructed to be the best substitute teacher he could be, and his performance that first day had greatly pleased his Mistress.  Eventually, however, the scales were tipped with the realization that his interference would likely cause a great deal of frustration and suffering for Spoiled Rich, and that in and of itself was worth it.  "I don't mean to put too fine a point of it, but it seems to have started around the time you started taking more and longer business trips away from Ponyville...away from your daughter."

Filthy visibly winced at that.  "A...pointed barb," he admitted finally.  "Still...what can I do about it?  I...I don't want this to be all my daughter ends up!"  He smacked the closed file derisively.

"Generally speaking, I should think the solution is obvious," Sebastian pointed out dryly.  "The situation arose because you prioritized being Mr. Rich over being Diamond's father.  A reversal of said priorities ought to go a long way towards fixing things."

Filthy swallowed.  "I...I suppose you're right...but how do I begin?"

"Spend time with her," Sebastian explained.  "Make time in your schedule to be with your daughter, take interest in what she does and what she gets up to, and work to correct your wife's influence on her."  He put his papers down and interlaced his talons.  Oh, he did so love that this form he'd taken had talons instead of fingers.  They were surprisingly as flexible and versatile as fingers, but so much more viciously cruel!  "That should make a good start.  Though if you are interested, I do have a few suggestions regarding long-term repairs..."

Filthy frowned, lifting his head to stare at Sebastian.  "Why go this far?" he asked firmly.  "I get as a teacher, you want what's best for your students...but this goes above and beyond what's technically your purview.  What do you get out of it?"

Sebastian grinned.  So he wasn't as much of a fool as he seemed, so much the better.  "I admit I have quite a few motives here...though the one you should find readiest to accept...I don't like your wife, and if you actually carry out this plan it will be good for your daughter and bad for your wife, and she won't be able to do anything about it, and I'm looking forward to the face she'll make when she's so thoroughly thwarted and overset."

Filthy Rich struggled to control his expression.  "I really shouldn't find that amusing.  That's my wife we're talking about, after all..."

"Perhaps it simply means you made the wrong choice of wife, if her frustrations amuse you?" Sebastian suggested mildly.

Mr. Rich made a very rude noise deep in his throat.  "Now you sound like my mother," he groused.  Getting himself under control, he pasted a polite smile on his face.  "Now, about these long-term suggestions..."