CICN 75

Chapter 75

In the end, Evi left the library without having studied a single thing.

Even leaving wasn’t entirely her choice—she only came out because the library was about to close. Otherwise, she might have stayed there until curfew.

“I wanted to keep looking at it…”

At the librarian’s insistence that she leave, Evi reluctantly remembered the royal family genealogy chart she had put back in its place.

“I can’t even borrow it…”

Later, when the library officially opened, she had planned to ask if she could borrow the book.

At Evi’s question, the librarian shook her head regretfully.

“This can only be borrowed by professors, and only when they need it for class. In fact, even looking at it like this requires permission. But I think you didn’t know, so it’s okay this time.”

After saying this, the librarian hung a rope across the door as Evi exited.

It truly was a place one needed permission to enter.

“When will I be able to see it again…”

The classes about the royal family wouldn’t start until the second semester. There was still plenty of time before then.

“I guess I’ll just have to wait until then.”

Otherwise…

“The professors said they could borrow it.”

Maybe she could ask Professor Malres or Professor Sian to borrow it for her?

“I don’t think Professor Malres would do it.”

He was the kind of professor who still preached, “Mathematics! Math is the truth of the world! Everything else is an illusion!”

He wouldn’t help with borrowing a genealogy chart. He’d probably say, “Why bother looking at dead people? Let’s use that time to study another math formula instead.”

“I should ask Professor Sian, then.”

Professor Sian was in charge of foreign languages, but she probably wouldn’t limit herself to just that like Professor Malres.

“I’ll show it to Professor Sian right away.”

She decided she would unfold the portrait of His Majesty the Emperor and show that the professor really did resemble him.

“She’ll be surprised too, right?”

Maybe even more surprised than herself. Then she might brag to others about how much she and the Emperor looked alike.

For a moment, Evi wondered if Professor Sian was the Emperor.

And then, a few seconds later:

“That’s impossible.”

Dean Seraphina knew Professor Sian too. She had even offered to deliver letters on her behalf.

“Adults like Dean Seraphina don’t lie.”

Evi thought of what Seraphina might say, “I wanted to live like that…” and continued thinking about Professor Sian.

“She even took me to the seasonal festival.”

Seeing that Evi was alone in the dormitory, she had taken her outside and let her watch all the events.

“The Emperor said he’s busy.”

Someone like that couldn’t possibly go out to play with a student.

Still, something about it felt strange.

When they first met at the tomb, she kept remembering the way he had been crying.

Maybe it was just because they were close… but still.

“The professor is just a professor.”

After thinking for a long while, Evi shook her head.

“Should I go back to the dorm?”

But there was still a lot of time before curfew, and she wanted to study a bit more outside.

“Irene’s not here either.”

Thinking that way, returning to the dorm felt even less appealing.

The main building closed early, so even Professor Malres’ classroom was inaccessible.

She didn’t want the dorm, the cafeteria was too crowded, and other buildings had students chatting in the hallways.

In the end, there was only one place Evi could go.

“I’ll go to Professor Sian’s office.”

It was somewhere that no one except herself and the professor ever came.

“I hope she’s here today.”

The foreign language exam was next week, so it would be good if she could ask about things she didn’t understand.

“If I’m going to Professor Sian’s office…”

Evi remembered the paper box she had secretly stashed under the bookshelf.

By now, the box was quite full. Thinking about how quickly it had filled up made her heart flutter.

“I can send it soon.”

She wanted to send it as quickly as possible. That was why she had been diligently filling the box.

“I’ll take another look around before I go.”

From a distance, she noticed a student throwing their notebook into a trash can.

Her face brightened at the sight.

Once the student left, Evi glanced around carefully and cautiously approached the trash can.

After some time, Evi arrived at the professor’s office with a bag so full it barely closed.

Knock, knock.

Hoping she might get lucky, she knocked, but, unsurprisingly, there was no answer.

“The professor must always come in the evening.”

Other professors roamed the academy from morning, but she had never seen Professor Sian then.

Evi entered, set down her bag, and sat in front of the bookshelf.

She bent down, took out the book from the lowest shelf, and retrieved the paper box she had tucked inside.

The box had become so heavy that she now had to lift it with both hands, unlike the first day she had placed it there when it rattled lightly.

“Good. If I put in what I brought today, I can send it.”

Just as Evi hugged the box with a satisfied look…

Bang!

The door burst open, and a group of students rushed in.

Pointing at her in surprise, one shouted,

“That’s yours! I saw you steal it!”

Chlois’ office was quiet.

The Minister of State, who had come to report, took the final document handed over by Chlois.

“The meeting is in two days. You’ll get some rest.”

“Thanks to Your Majesty. Lately, since you’ve been reviewing things quickly, I’ve had time to breathe.”

“That’s good. Sit for a while, then.”

The minister hesitated at the apparent suggestion.

Chlois gave a wry smile.

“You have something you want to say, don’t you?”

“…”

“These documents today could have been sent by the attendants without any real problem. But you brought them personally. So you must have wanted to say something under the pretext of these documents, right?”

“You can’t fool Your Majesty.”

The minister, realizing he had been caught, exhaled sharply and bowed, sitting across from Chlois.

“Exactly. What have you been trying to say all day?”

The minister was someone who knew how to clearly separate personal and official matters.

Also, he did not speak lightly, which was why Chlois trusted him deeply.

Yet here he was, hesitating and troubled.

“May I speak candidly?”

He bowed his head.

“I worry that you may be giving too much affection to the child at the academy.”

Having kept the thought bottled up, he finally voiced it and shut his eyes tightly.

“….”

Chlois said nothing. She remained silent for so long it seemed she might never speak again. Then she finally spoke.

“And you, how many children do you have?”

“One daughter and two sons.”

“They must be adorable.”

“Adorable? My eldest daughter is already over forty. My sons are well past thirty as well.”

The minister shook his head in exasperation, prompting a small smile from Chlois.

“Still, raising them must have had its joys.”

“It wouldn’t be a lie to say there were. Especially when the eldest was born, every day was hard but also enjoyable.”

His face softened, recalling the memory, and a smile returned to his lips.

Chlois watched him for a while before speaking.

“When I suggested reopening the academy, you opposed it to the end. You tried to postpone it as much as possible.”

“Your Majesty, that is…”

“I know. You did it out of concern for me. You worried that seeing children who might have been Evi if she were alive would break my heart.”

“Yes.”

“But I thought I could overcome it. No matter how foolish I was, I believed I wouldn’t try to see my daughter in another child.”

“….”

“You were right to worry.”

“Your Majesty.”

Chlois calmly admitted her mistake.

“The academy—or rather, the child I am a guardian for—affects me too much.”

“….”

Of course, he had already noticed. Since the academy reopened, the Emperor’s demeanor had changed.

At first, he had been sharper than usual, and the ministers dared not mention the academy in his presence.

But over time, Chlois’ mood softened.

The sharpness that could strike anyone at any moment vanished, replaced by gentleness.

The previously lifeless eyes now shone with vitality.

At first, he didn’t understand why, but when Seraphina frequently visited and spoke about the guardian, it became clear.

There was a child who had revived the spirit of the dying Emperor.