04
"Arcel? Lusca?"
Evie looked at the two people who helped her.
She didn't know, but they were members of the most prestigious families in the empire currently.
Arcel Cairne was the third son of the Duke of Cairne's family, which fully supported Emperor Cloys, and contributed worthily to his ascension to the throne.
Since his childhood, Arcel showed extreme genius in all fields, and there was no worry about family inheritance, as he had two older brothers.
Because he had often met the emperor since he was young, people were saying that the emperor might adopt him.
In addition, Arcel was the student with the highest grades among those enrolled in the elite institute this year.
From literature to mathematics, physics, and even tactics and sword arts.
Arcel was truly a boy for whom the word “genius” is not enough.
So was Lusca. The fourth son of the Marquis of Lagselp, one of the other powers that supported the Emperor alongside the Caelern family.
In contrast to the always calm and polite Arcel, Lusca was known to be short-tempered and short-tempered, often saying harsh words.
But he only got angry when he defended the weak on their behalf.
So the Marquis of Lagueselb, famous for his integrity, took great pride in the character of his son, who was exactly like his own.
Lusca may have been inferior to Arcel in academic aspects, but his physical abilities as a knight were outstanding.
He was overwhelmingly superior to his peers, and could even duel with the knights of the Imperial Palace.
They were the two most likely children to become the Emperor's adopted sons, and the sons of the most powerful and influential families in the Empire.
Therefore, everyone who joined the elite institute aspired to get close to these two boys.
But to be hostile to one of them from the beginning!
“What's going on there?”
One of the employees who was leading noticed the commotion in the back, and approached.
Arcel said to the boy who had fallen:
“Nothing of note, right?”
The boy nodded vigorously at Arcel's words.
He understood that Arcel wanted to get over the matter quietly.
"Yes, yes! Nothing! I just tripped!"
The clerk looked at him a little suspiciously, but he had to transport the students to the elite institute quickly, so he turned around and went back to his place.
As soon as the employee left, Lusca stood next to the boy, put his hand on his shoulder, and whispered:
“Know that you are lucky today.”
His words were clearly threatening, but the boy nodded forcefully again, then ran off to where the other children were.
After the boy disappeared, Evie bowed to the two.
“Thank you for your help.”
As Arcel was about to respond to Evie's greeting, the staff waiting in front of the elite institute welcomed the arriving children.
"Evie! Evie Aldean! Where is she?"
When her name was called, Evie looked at the two in confusion.
Arcel looked at the employee and said to her:
“They seem to be calling you, go.”
At Arcel's words, Eppie bowed again in thanks, then rushed to the clerk.
Lusca approached Arcel and said:
"Something strange? I see you care about someone?"
Loska was truly surprised.
Who is Arcel?
People are mesmerized by his beautiful appearance and describe him as an angel or perfection, but they do not know Arcel's true nature, which does not know mercy.
A young man who only cares about what he has to do.
Soft words like compassion and kindness have no place in Arcel's life.
How could this person suddenly help a poor girl he had never seen before?
Lusca looked at Eppie, who went to the clerk, and put his arm on Arcel's shoulder.
“Do you like this little girl? If you knew the girls who were attached to you, they would dress like her and make a noise.”
“Stop this nonsense.”
Arcel said coldly, removing Lusca's arm from his shoulder.
“So, why did you help her?”
"curiousity."
“Curious about what?”
“…”
Arcel was silent at Lusca's question.
On the day it was announced that he had been accepted into the elite institute, his father, the Duke of Cairne, summoned him and said:
“I got first place.”
"Good."
Arcel was not happy. He saw this as a natural consequence.
There was no one higher in rank than Arcel among the sons of nobles his age, and even those who were years older than him.
So his first admission to the elite institute was to be expected.
Then the Duke of Caillern continued:
"But you have to stay vigilant. There are those who might outperform you if they were in the same circumstances as you."
"from?"
“A girl from the orphanage, she got second place after you.”
"Who is she?"
“I don’t know her name. I heard that she is a commoner. It is said that His Majesty the Emperor personally selected her in the entrance exams this year.”
“His Majesty?”
“Yes. He did not choose it carefully. Rather, it was a warning to the ministers because of their disappointing behavior, but it is undoubtedly a smart gesture.”
The Duke of Caillern smiled at Arcel and said:
“She seems younger than you... I think she would make a good friend of yours.”
“Don't you think she'd be a good opponent for me?”
“It's the same. Aren't you getting along well with Lusca?”
“That kid is just annoying.”
“What a pity. If the Marquis of Lasseilb had heard, he would have jumped up angrily, wondering about this slander against his son.”
Arcel did not respond to his father's joke.
He didn't ask more, but ever since that day, he had been thinking about the child chosen by the Emperor.
"From the common people, from an orphanage. And yet, you passed the high school exam at the age of seven, with near-perfect grades?"
Arcel also got a perfect score, but he took the test at a high school in the capital, while the child took the test at a high school in a rural city.
So, even though their scores were equal, Arcel's score was calculated higher, so he got first place alone.
The more Arcel thought about it, the more curious he became about that little girl.
Could he have achieved the same result if he had lived in an orphanage and studied there?
So he decided that when he joined the elite institute, he would look for that little girl.
Today, he did not need to search, as he knew that child at first sight.
A little girl, hugging a cloth bag tightly, looks around with a nervous face.
Her appearance was clearly different, and the other children looked away from her slightly while walking.
Therefore, Arcel could approach her more easily.
“Is she really seven?”
The youngest age to join the elite institute is seven years, but the girl looked younger than that.
Under the sleeve of her coarse, but carefully ironed, shirt, a thin, fragile wrist was visible.
Arcel sighed unconsciously upon seeing her.
She was said to be from an orphanage in a rural town, and her living conditions were apparently not good.
When he got closer to see clearly, it happened.
“Hey Arcel?”
Lusca was surprised by Arcel's silence, so he called him.
“Are you really interested in that little one?”
“I prevented a girl chosen by His Majesty the Emperor from getting into trouble on her first day.”
Arcel replied in a firm tone, and Lusca laughed indifferently, clasping his hands behind his neck.
“Okay, okay. It seems like you've been loyal now.”
Then, the employee called the names of Arcel and Luska.
“Stop chattering, and let's go.”
“Okay. By the way, I heard that the Elite Institute’s rooms are for two people. Can we share a room?”
Loska shrugged, then ran excitedly toward the clerk.
As Arcel followed him, he unconsciously turned to look at where the girls were gathered.
He saw Evie standing alone, no one approaching her.
“This way, it will be difficult for her to adapt.”
Arcel cocked his head.
If word got out that the Emperor had chosen her, she would be subject to the jealousy and envy of the other children as long as she stayed at the institute.
She is so young, can she bear to be ignored by the nobles?
“However...”
Arcel hoped that Evie would stay at the elite institute for a long time.
Then he surprised himself with this thought.
“Why me?”
When had he seen this girl to be so worried about her?
"If I leave early, it will look like His Majesty's will has been ignored, and that will make me angry. It's not in line with the principles of the Elite Institute either."
Thus Arcel convinced himself, invoking even the principles of the Institute.
Now, she is a girl he has nothing to do with.
But in his mind, the ghost of the little girl carrying a bag the size of his, bowing in gratitude, kept dancing without stopping.
°. • .✦ . ◌ ⋆ ° ✬ • ✫ ⋆｡ .° ◌ • .●