49
Irene watched Lusca greeting Evie with a look of disapproval, and said in a tone of disapproval:
“Looks like you don't really need to attend this class.”
But Lusca did not back down, but responded in a tone no less harsh:
“And you, aren’t you the one exaggerating in accompanying Evie to this lesson? Where are those girls who were always attached to you? What suddenly made you do this?”
Irene and Luska stood like fluffy cats, exchanging sharp glances and eyes burning with challenge. Next to them, Professor Mallis was placing his hand on his forehead, sighing regretfully as he muttered:
“Oh my God, what made the number of students suddenly double like this? I never thought of this...”
In the midst of the skirmish between Lusca and Irene, Irene pulled Evie towards her and said firmly:
“Anyway, Evie, let's change this lesson for another.”
Lusca's eyes widened in astonishment, and he said:
“Thinking about changing the lesson? So, what about Professor Rooster’s lesson?”
Arcel added, in support:
“Professor Rooster’s class is held in a hall on the first floor of the main building...”
“Just a moment!” Mallis interrupted them in an angry tone, “How dare you talk about another professor’s classes in my class, right in front of me?!”
Irene, Loska, and Arcel responded in unison:
“But it's too far!”
“Long distance!”
“The hall seems really far away.”
Mallis looked at Eppie, and said, begging her opinion:
“My little girl, what do you think?”
Ebby smiled shyly and said:
“Mmm...it's a little far away.”
Upon hearing her answer, the three spoke enthusiastically to Mallis:
“As you saw, Professor, if Evie keeps running around between lessons like this, she might stumble or get injured!”
“True, Professor, I may handle running, but a little girl like her will find it difficult!”
“I also think that this hall is not suitable for a smooth transition between lessons, so it is better to recommend lessons in halls closer to the main building...”
"Okay! Got it! Got it!" Mallis interrupted them, sighing in despair, "I will try in every way to move the lesson to the main building! But, please!"
Then he added, bidding farewell to his dreams in silence:
“Don't change the lesson, stop bringing in more students.”
Hearing his words, the three of them - except Evie - exchanged satisfied smiles, as they themselves did not want any more students to join this lesson.
—
Professor Mallis ended the lesson early, announcing that he would discuss the matter with the dean. Thanks to that, Evie and her companions were able to leave the hall earlier than usual and head to the main building.
“It's almost lunch time, let's go to the restaurant. My next class is free. And you, Evie?”
“I'm also free next class.”
The two were heading to the restaurant cheerfully, but Lusca suddenly stuck his head between them and said:
“I'll join you both, my next class is also free. Ah, Arcel, won't you come back?”
Lusca looked back at Arcel and replied:
“I will go with you.”
"What? You're going to have lunch with us?"
“Yes, why be surprised?”
“No, I mean...”
Arcel did not like others to see him eating. Even Luska himself took weeks to share food with him when they first met. How could he now decide to join so easily?
“What a surprise!”
What causes this boy to behave unusually? But Arcel was not the only one who felt strange. Lusca himself was aware that his behavior today was unusual.
“Today I woke up strangely early.”
Lusca, who had always said he would do anything to get five more minutes of sleep, was different today.
He opened his eyes in the morning, jumped out of bed, and ran to the bathroom. He washed himself from head to toe carefully. If his father had seen him, he would have thought something strange had happened.
Luska, who loves to play, often stays up late and stays up late.
Indeed, even when he decides to take a shower, he fidgets in his bed like a worm that refuses to emerge from its cocoon, complaining and complaining.
But today he woke up before Arcel woke him up, took a shower, got dressed, and even knocked on Arcel's door to urge him to hurry.
“I was constantly excited.”
Since the first day he saw that little girl at the academy, her image had been dancing before his eyes.
“I don’t know why, but I felt as if I was meeting an old friend after a long absence.”
But that is impossible. Evie comes from an orphanage far away, so how could they have met before? Why then did he feel that she was dear to him from the first moment, and wanted to take care of her and protect her?
Suddenly, a memory of a name that he had buried deep inside him for a long time came to his mind:
“Lillian?”
Loska stopped walking, shocked.
“It can't be.”
The day Lillian left, Lusca cried all day. The next day, he was laughing again, as if he had completely forgotten Lillian's existence.
Later, when Cloyce became emperor and built a tomb for her in the palace, he said to Lusca and Arcel:
“Lillian loved you both very much. If you want, you can visit her grave.”
But they never went.
“Maybe Arcel was thinking like me.”
If they had gone to the grave, they would have had to accept the truth of Lillian's death. And even the death of her child, whom she had entrusted them with to care for. So, since then, they never mentioned Lillian.
This was rather effective, as no one seemed to remind them of her. Lillian was... Lillian.
“But why...”
It's not just the similar color of the eyes that brings her memory, there are many green eyes in the world.
“So, what does it look like?”
At that moment, his eyes crossed with Eppie's. Green eyes looked at him without the slightest caution, sparkling with a bright smile.
“Ah…”
Lusca let out an involuntary sigh.
Now understand what it's like.
He paused for a moment, realizing it was a weak idea.
But he couldn't stop himself from wondering:
What if Lillian didn't die? What if Princess Evbian, who was looking forward to meeting us one day, was still alive?
“Mr. Lusca?”
He might have looked strange standing still. Eppie let go of Irene's hand and ran to him, standing in front of him with green eyes filled with worry. But he couldn't continue talking.
“Um, Evie, are you...”
But he stopped. Princess Evpian's body was brought back by the Emperor himself and buried in the palace. All these fantasies are nothing more than ridiculous fantasies.
“Nothing, let's go.”
Luska felt his throat tighten, so he smiled knowingly, then pushed past Evie and walked in front of her. Normally, he would have shared every detail of his thoughts with Arcel, but he couldn't share this idea with him. Arcel, like him, misses Lilian terribly.
“Perhaps...”
If he told him, he might rebuke him and ask him to stop this nonsense, and he might even stay away from Evie.
This is the last thing Lusca wants.
In the end, Loska and Arcel walked, not knowing that they shared the same thoughts, following Evie front and back.
—
“We came at the right time!”
Lusca entered the restaurant, saw the empty seats and whistled. Thanks to Professor Mallis finishing class early, they arrived before the restaurant got crowded.
The fourth placed their bags and headed to the food distribution place. The name of the lunch was written on the front.
Evie stared at the list for a long time.
"What's wrong? You can't choose?" Irene asked her.
Evie nodded.
In fact, Evie wasn't used to choosing her meals carefully. Breakfast was always the same: salad, fruit, juice, and an omelet with mushrooms and cheese.
As for dinner, she ate the remaining options. At lunch, she would avoid eating with other students, so she would grab a sandwich and eat it alone.
So, you have never experienced the variety of lunch options.
“Too much food!”
She did not imagine that the menu would be so diverse, as crowds always prevented her from approaching the plate.
Evie quickly scanned the list with her eyes. There were more than seven types of food. Rather, it is…
“I don't know what it is!”
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