03
* * *
Was it the power of a falling star? Or is it the first time she begged her parents?
A few weeks later, she received news of the success.
Eppie couldn't believe the certificate of success she held in her hands, so she looked at it again and again.
Then she saw the Emperor's name written at the bottom.
Cloyce.
“Clues...”
Even though she knew the name well from her studies at school, Eppie kept looking at it on the paper even before she fell asleep.
* * *
While the shelter director was talking excitedly about Eppie's accomplishments, the carriage arrived at the gate of the Imperial Palace.
Normally, it was a quiet place, with only those with permission passing through, and heavy security. But today, the palace was crowded with people.
“Oh my God, it seems like the entire population of the empire has gathered here!”
The director held Eppie's hand tightly, her mouth opening in surprise.
Evie, who had never seen so many people in her life, took the manager's hand and looked at the crowd.
In front of the main gate of the palace, the place was filled with countless carriages and people dressed up in luxurious clothes.
"My dear boy, if you miss me, write to me anytime. I will ask to visit you immediately. I may even make a request to visit every day!"
“My beloved daughter, your father believes that you will surpass everyone in the elite academy.”
“Brother! Come back! Next year I will study hard and I will succeed too!”
The main gate was bustling with families sending their children to the elite academy.
Evie and the principal stood on the sidelines of the crowd, waiting for someone from the academy to arrive.
“They said someone would come out to guide us at the main gate.”
When the appointed time came, people wearing academy uniforms accompanied by guards came out from inside the palace and shouted:
“We will now move inside. Follow our instructions! We repeat, no one other than those affiliated with the academy are allowed to accompany the students!”
Upon hearing this, the children waved to their families and headed towards the staff.
But some children, afraid to go alone, clung to their parents and cried.
In the midst of this commotion, Eppie looked at the director and said:
“I'll go now.”
She was only seven years old.
The youngest person to join the elite academy.
However, she did not cry, nor did she show any sign of fear.
It was always like this.
Unlike babies who cry several times a day, she never cried once.
When the manager met her at the hostel, she saw the hostel owner deliberately hitting her head while saying, “This one isn’t even crying. What a stubborn girl.”
Baby girl doesn't cry.
The director knew why.
When a child cries and no one listens to him, he quickly learns to give up.
Before coming to the shelter, Evie had learned to surrender, which is why the director cherished her even more.
She was always bright, and when she started studying, she showed a genius that amazed everyone.
At the same time, she was constantly caring for the other children of the shelter and helping the adults with their work.
It was admirable and sad at the same time.
It could have been more childish, clinging and crying.
The principal opened her arms and hugged Eppie to her.
"Evie, we will always be thinking of you. If you encounter any difficulty, let us know immediately. I will come to get you. Understood?"
Evie laughed as she hugged the principal's neck in response to her sudden hug.
“Okay. Thank you, Madam Director.”
Even at the moment of farewell, her words were very mature, and the principal rubbed her back tenderly.
“It's time to go in now. Get ready, everyone!”
When she heard the employee's hurried words, the manager let go of Evie and stood up.
Evie didn't cry, but the principal's eyes reddened.
“Go now.”
"Okay! I'll write to you often!"
Evie laughed as she waved her hand, then walked towards the clerk.
As she watched Evie's back, she called out to the director in her heart.
So that you can live happily in the academy.
And to grow there as a child capable of crying.
* * *
The palace was entered quickly.
Except for some children who cried and held out their desire not to go, everyone entered as instructed by the staff.
Evie gripped her bag tightly, nervous.
She pretended to be still in front of the director so that she would not worry, but standing in a strange place, surrounded by nobles, inside the imperial palace, inevitably made her feel nervous.
At that moment, there was a boy constantly looking at her from afar.
“There is no doubt that this girl is the commoner chosen by His Majesty the Emperor himself.”
The boy was the youngest son of the minister who crumpled Effie's papers.
On the day the meetings ended, his father returned home and began cursing the child who had applied for admission without knowing her status.
The boy bit his lips.
She is clearly the most neglected child among those entered.
In the eyes of the noble boy, she looked like a beggar.
“Laughing happily because it worked by luck!”
He remembered his father's worry that the Emperor might ignore him because of this, and his anger flared up.
Didn't they say her mind was unnecessarily sharp?
“You may attract the attention of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Of course, the Emperor would not adopt her as a daughter, but if she gained his affection and acted arrogantly, it would be annoying.
If she were the daughter of a noble family, it would be different, but she is a commoner with no support.
So, no one would complain if she was harassed. Isn't everyone here a competitor?
“I heard that Amiya’s entry upset some people.”
Indeed, he noticed that those who recognized it as colloquial frowned and deliberately turned away from it.
Maybe the other nobles would thank him if he kicked out this annoying girl.
The boy smiled sarcastically and snatched the bag that Evie was holding.
"Yes!"
Feeling a sudden grab, Evie instinctively grabbed her bag.
But she could not resist the strength of the boy, who was much taller and stronger than her.
While Evie was staggering and almost falling,
Bam!
She heard a kick, and the boy who had snatched her bag let out a groan as he sat down on the floor. Evie straightened up.
Evie realized that someone had grabbed her to keep her from falling.
“Who caught me?”
When she turned, she saw two blue eyes looking at her.
"Are you well?"
The one who caught her was a boy with blue eyes and black hair.
“A…?”
Evie looked at him, forgetting for a moment what was happening.
His blue eyes were cold, but their color was as beautiful as his smooth black hair, and his skin was pure white.
His straight eyebrows and slightly long hair were carefully styled.
A face that comes to mind as “beautiful” before it can be said “handsome”.
But the straight lines of his beauty make it impossible to confuse him with a woman.
Evie looked in surprise at who had grabbed her, then quickly regained her composure and straightened up.
"Yes, yes! Sh, thanks."
His clothes were simple, without decorations, but even Evie, who knew nothing about luxurious things, realized that they were more luxurious than other people's clothes.
Even his simple movements exuded elegance and discipline.
Realizing that he was a noble of a class she couldn't reach, Evie hurriedly lowered her head.
At that moment, I heard a cheerful voice from the side of the fallen boy.
"Arcel! What do we do with this?"
Evie learned that the name of the boy who caught her was Arcel.
Arcel, as he was called, looked away from Evie and said to the red-haired boy:
“Lusca, we have no authority to punish anyone inside the palace.”
Loska, the red-haired boy, clicked his tongue regretfully, then kicked the fallen boy gently with his foot.
“Now I remember, I suddenly heard a moan.”
It appears that Lusca was the one who kicked the fallen boy.
When she realized this, Evie's face turned red.
This is inside the Imperial Palace.
Making noise in such a place!
If the fallen boy complained, wouldn't they be kicked out of the academy before even joining?
It was true that the fallen boy had started, but she didn't think anyone would listen to a slang like her.
"What do I do!"
While Evie was frozen with fear, the fallen boy got up, looked at the two boys who had helped her, and stammered:
"A, Arcel? Arcel Cailin? And Loska...Loska Ragslep?"
“What an honor, do you know our names?”
Lusca responded sarcastically, and the fallen boy's face turned white.
“Oh my God, of all people!”
Arcel Kaylin and Luska Ragsleb.
No student entering the Elite Academy this year could not know these two names.
They were the most likely to become the Emperor's adopted children.
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