44
Inside that box was the handkerchief I had once given to Professor Sian.
“Really, it's from him!”
Only at that moment, I could believe in my heart that this gift was really meant for me.
Evie carefully took the handkerchief, folded it carefully, put it in her pocket, and then hugged the gift box to her chest tenderly.
“I'll go back to my room and open it.”
The ribbon decorating the box was made of colorful fabric.
“If I take it apart carefully, I can use it later to tie my hair.”
So was the wrapping paper.
A fragrant red paper with charming patterns that the eye never gets tired of contemplating even if it looks at it for a whole day.
“I must open it carefully, fold it well, and then store it.”
Evie couldn't contain her joy as she walked up the stairs with light steps.
“What did he send me?”
Whatever it was, it was enough. Even if it was just one sheet of paper inside the box, I would have been happy.
The thought that someone thought of me, and prepared this gift with its beautiful packaging, alone was enough to fill me with happiness.
As she was rushing towards her room, she heard a voice:
“You are there.”
Evie stopped suddenly, interrupted by a sharp voice. She raised her head to find in front of her a group of female students, wearing school uniforms decorated with luxurious shawls, blocking her way.
They were about thirteen or fourteen years old.
At first glance, it was clear that they were daughters of wealthy and noble families.
In front of their condescending gaze, Evie hurriedly lowered her head.
One of them, a red-haired woman, came forward and looked at her with a skeptical look before opening her mouth:
“Is this gift really meant for you?”
"What?"
Evie was taken aback by the unexpected question, her eyes widening in surprise. The girl added:
“I'm just asking to be sure. It's strange that a girl from the orphanage, who has a guardian, would receive such a remarkable gift. Maybe the gift was sent to someone else by mistake. Or...”
The girl laughed lightly.
“Maybe you feel ashamed that you don't have a gift, so you pretend you received one.”
Evie couldn't comprehend what was being said. What is this girl trying to say?
At that moment, another student standing next to her added:
“Miss Isriela is correct. Frankly, I have felt a bit strange ever since this girl’s name was called.”
“Isn't it?”
Isriela.
The moment Evie learned the name of the girl who stopped her, she froze.
Just as Arcel and Luxa were popular among the male students, there were girls who were especially admired among the female students.
The first, without a doubt, was Irene.
Therefore, the girls followed her like a cloud wherever she went.
But Irene wasn't the only one popular.
“I heard Miss Isriela's name every day.”
Isriela, as I heard, was the granddaughter of an ancient aristocratic family that owned vast lands in the centre.
A family that has existed since the founding of the kingdom, and owns the most fertile lands in the region.
To have a person of that size suddenly stop her and ask her about her gift, was not a good thing at all.
Isriela looked at the frozen Evie with sarcasm.
“So, this is Erin’s roommate.”
Erin. When this word came to Isriela's mind, the corner of her mouth curled up bitterly.
Until last year, she was the flower of high society among the capital's children.
But the moment Irene, who was said to have come for a short time from the South, appeared, all the attention that had been upon her was stolen away.
Since then, people have only talked about Irene.
Even her parents, instead of comforting her when she feels down, repeatedly recommend that she get closer to Irene.
It was the same when she joined the Elite Academy this year.
“Make sure you become close friends with Miss Irene. Bow to her if necessary.”
So, when she first met Irene, she greeted her, feigning friendliness.
But her knotted heart could not be broken.
When she heard about Irene's roommate, she pretended to be worried and sneered:
"Didn't they assign you a commoner colleague? Aren't you worried? What if she enters your room in your absence and takes your things?"
She saw Erin's eyes light up with a sharp look when she heard those words.
Up until that moment, Isriela felt content. But from the next day, Irene began to openly ignore her.
“Miss Isriela, this tape...”
“Oh, you have a keen eye. This is a gift from my brother this time. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“Ah, I see.”
Then, with a look that seemed to pity her, Irene murmured in a clear voice for everyone to hear:
“A color that has gone out of fashion in the South…”
This was just the beginning.
Irene seemed uninterested in the conversations, but if Isriela tried to brag about something, Irene would turn her boasts into something trivial in an instant.
In the end, Izriela had to withdraw from the circle that followed Eren.
Since then, Izriela had only thought of a way to embarrass Eren.
But there was no way.
She couldn't find any way to outdo Eren.
So, I decided to target what triggered Erin's biggest reaction.
“Sure, she's embarrassed by her roommate.”
That's why, when she mentioned Evie, Erin stared at her with a fiery look.
She couldn't attack Eren directly, so she decided to provoke Eren by targeting this weak girl.
At that moment, she saw Evie holding a gift.
Her guardian, as they say, is an obscure professor whom no one has ever seen before.
Perhaps it was just a name given by the academy staff out of pity for an orphan girl who had no guardian.
“No way. Who would send a gift to such an orphan?”
Of course, she was pretending to receive a gift so she wouldn't feel embarrassed.
Even if that's not the case, it doesn't matter.
Can this girl complain about her?
All you need to do is say “Okay, then” and call it a day.
“If this gift is really yours, open it now in front of us.”
“But...”
Evie was confused by the decisiveness.
This was the first gift sent specifically to her.
She had planned to take it to her room and open it very carefully, but to be asked to open it here and now?
"Why the hesitation? Did you put something random inside it to pretend it was a gift?"
“No, it's not!”
This idea had never occurred to her.
“Then open it here. Let us see what this great guardian of yours has sent you.”
Under the pressure of Isriela's sharp words, Evie slowly placed the can on the ground.
“If you open it carefully, everything will be fine.”
With that thought, Evie began carefully untying the tape.
Meanwhile, the children gathered around after hearing the noise.
“What's going on?”
“I don't know exactly, but it looks like that gift might not be for her.”
As Eppie was about to open the wrapping paper, Isriela came forward impatiently:
“Why so hesitating? I can take it and open it myself. Do I have to do everything?”
She reached out harshly, snatching the gift from Evie's arms.
“Give it back to me!”
But Isriela didn't care, she pushed Evie hard with her hand.
"Yes!"
Eppie's little body fell backwards helplessly.
With an annoyed sound, Isriela tore off the wrapping paper that Eppie had been handling so carefully.
Then she opened the wooden box inside and turned it over.
Flash!
Something wrapped in cloth fell from the box.
It looked like an opaque glass ball with slightly unfolded fabric.
Ezriela caught her.
It was the size of an adult's fist.
"What is this?"
A wry smile appeared on Isriela's face.
“As I expected. You put a stone like that and pretend you received a great gift. How impudent.”
Then, as she spoke, she sarcastically addressed Irene, who was standing in the crowd, looking at her with a stiff expression:
“Miss Irene, this is your roommate, right? Seriously, how did you end up sharing a room with such a girl? If I were you, I would file a strong complaint with the academy out of sheer humiliation.”
Then, as if she did not want to hold him any longer, Isriela prepared to throw the stone away.
"No! Give him back to me!"
Evie ran quickly and tried to catch the stone that almost fell from her hand.
“…?”
The moment I caught him, I felt something strange.
“It's warm?”
When she picked it up, she thought it was just a cold stone, but the moment she touched it, she felt warmth emanating from it.
Then, suddenly...
“Ah!”
Voices of astonishment rose from among the students.
The stone Evie was holding began to emit a faint glow.
“It's a magic stone!”
With someone's scream, the hallway turned into chaos in an instant.
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