CICN 76

Chapter 76

“At first, I wanted to deny it. I couldn’t believe it myself. You know well how much I’ve despised and guarded against those who would push their children onto me with ulterior motives.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

There were those who would even rent children with money and then teach them to call themselves Ebbvien.
All in the desperate hope that the Emperor, who had lost his daughter, might come to love them blindly.

But to Clois’s eyes, they were nothing more than traffickers—people who bought and sold lives.

“I knew exactly what they wanted. And I laughed at them. What more could possibly come of me doting on a child? If I found one particularly endearing, I thought it would end at the occasional tea together. But that wasn’t the case.”

“……”

“You’ve raised children yourself—you understand. When a six- or seven-year-old looks up at you and says they want something, what did you do?”

“Shamefully, I gave them everything they wanted.”

“I became the same. No—worse. Even when the child said they didn’t need something, I would still go out of my way to buy it and press it into their hands.”

Clois remembered the festival.
Ivi had never once said she wanted something, never once asked for food or trinkets.

And yet, he had desperately tried to find out what she lingered on with her gaze, what sparked her curiosity, just so he could give it to her.

It felt as though he had to. As if cherishing and loving her this way was only natural.

“When I saw her smile at the things I bought her… it felt like I could give her the whole world. Just so she could keep smiling.”

“……”

“Listening closely to her wishes, buying her whatever she wanted… At this rate, I feared I’d do something that would terrify all of you—make her my adopted daughter, hand her power, wealth, everything.”

Clois dragged a hand down his face.

Ivi never wanted such things. But he wanted them.

As though he wanted her to enjoy everything his own daughter should have had.

“That wouldn’t be good for the child, either.”

He had only been annoyed, at first, when he saw the discarded paperwork left by careless nobles, and simply said she was qualified—let her be admitted.

But that single choice had changed the girl’s life completely.

She had left behind everyone she knew and lived with, coming here alone.

Even for an adult, such a move would have been difficult.
But she was only a child—leaving the place she had lived without even a guardian to protect her.

And now, among peers who looked down on her for her lowly status, she had to endure alone, relying only on the few friends she had managed to make.

There were still years left before she would graduate.

“Do you think she’s truly been happy here?”

“Your Majesty, admission into the Academy for the Gifted is a tremendous honor anyone would desire.”

“I know. But that’s only true for the ordinary—or rather, for children of noble houses. For a girl from an orphanage with no backing, was it truly a good thing to be thrust here? To be alone among those who scorn her?”

“……”

The Minister of State could not answer. Clois rubbed his face with both hands.

“If even you are worried enough to speak so boldly to me, then rumors of the Emperor’s interest in Ivi Elden will spread soon enough.”

The Minister, already fearing that, said nothing.

“I should end this.”

He had to.

“Ivi has already gained all she could—good teachers, good friends. She has managed well so far and will continue to do so on her own. But if the Emperor’s interest remains upon her, it will only become poison.”

He thought of Ivi, studying foreign languages.
Her progress had been frighteningly swift. Anywhere she went, she would be called a genius.

But if the Emperor involved himself… her talent would forever be questioned.

No matter what she achieved, it would always be said she only had it because the Emperor cared for her.

“There is another professor who wishes to become her guardian. If I pass it to him, it will resolve everything.”

Clois made up his mind.

I’ll remain her guardian only until this exam is over.

After the exam, Professor Sian Roshen would once again depart on his long journey.
And he would not return.

His belongings would be cleared from the office, and the name “Sian” would never again appear in the Academy of the Gifted.

Ivi would worry for a while. She would miss him.
But that would not last long.

To her, Professor Sian was someone she had only just met.
She would meet many more people, have many more experiences. A professor she had only seen a handful of times—she would forget him soon enough.

“This will be settled quickly, so do not trouble yourself further.”

“……”

The Minister bowed with a complicated expression and withdrew.

Left alone, Clois sat once more at his desk.

I’ll have Seraphina prepare to erase Professor Sian Roshen.

Once he had resolved himself, it was best to finish swiftly.

That was what he told himself…

Yet his gaze fell upon the foreign language book on his desk.

He remembered Ivi’s small voice, worrying about the exam since it was her first time learning the subject.

Just for today.

Surely it wouldn’t hurt to check on her one last time.

Before he knew it, Clois was on his feet, book in hand.

It was still daylight, and during exam week all the students were within the Academy.

Which meant there was a high chance he might run into someone who knew him—students like Arsel or Ruska.

He told himself he shouldn’t go. But his feet would not stop.

At least her classroom is in a secluded part of the Academy. That’s a relief.

There were other professors’ offices in that building, but most of them were away on frequent trips and taught almost no classes.

The chance of running into anyone was slim.

Besides, with students cramming for exams, there were fewer moving about than during regular lessons.

As Clois crossed into the Academy grounds, he realized his guess had been right.

It was quieter than usual—not as empty as during breaks, but quiet nonetheless.

It seemed possible to reach his office, see Ivi, and leave without issue.

But as he approached the building where his office lay, his instincts screamed something was wrong.

Other buildings were silent with studying students, yet before this secluded one, where it should have been even quieter, a large crowd of students had gathered.

And they were buzzing with agitation, excitement in their voices.

What’s happening?

Clearly, something had occurred inside.

Should I leave?

With this many students, perhaps it was wiser to come back in the evening.

He was about to turn away when one student burst out of the building, shouting:

“Somebody get the staff! Even a professor! Anyone!”

Then the student spotted him, eyes widening with relief, and ran over.

“You’re a professor, right? Inside—there’s a fight! They’re slapping, kicking—someone has to stop them!”

A fight.

So that’s why all these students gathered here.

The Academy had strict rules.
Anyone resorting to violence without extraordinary cause would face severe punishment.
Depending on the situation, even expulsion.

Perhaps another student had already gone to alert staff. Clois could see several employees rushing from the main building.

“Look, help is coming,” he pointed.

“Ah!”

At his words, the panicked students ran toward the staff.

“What’s going on? Who can explain who’s fighting and why?”

The student who had grabbed Clois shouted loudly:

“Izriella said she caught the thief! You know, the student who lost her bracelet last time? She said she knew who took it and told us all to follow her. Then she went into a professor’s office in this building and started yelling at Ivi Elden, calling her a thief and demanding she hand the bracelet over!”

“……!”

Clois froze mid-step.

The student kept talking rapidly.

“But Ivi was holding a box in her arms. When Izriella told her to give it up, Ivi said she absolutely couldn’t. So Izriella slapped her. Irene stepped in to stop it, but then—”

Clois didn’t wait to hear more.
In the next instant, he was sprinting straight into the building.