52
In his eyes, Clowes was rapidly collapsing at the beginning of this year.
He spent the whole day with no expression on his face, lost in thought, staring out the window.
Even in meeting times, this was the case. For seven years, he pushed the ministers very harshly, checking everything himself.
Thanks to that, things went smoothly and very quickly.
If the slightest suspicion of corruption or deception arose, the person involved had to prepare for actual death.
Thanks to this madness with which Cloys drove himself into action, the empire quickly regained its prosperity.
But Cloyce, on the other hand, was also quickly destroyed.
He thought he could handle it somehow...
“Now, you have reached the limit, Your Majesty. You are refusing the medicine, and if the situation continues like this, a disaster will truly occur...”
Thus spoke the palace doctor, looking anxiously towards the window at which Cloys often stood.
He didn't dare say it outright, but he was hinting that the Emperor might take his own life.
But even knowing the Emperor's condition and its causes, there was no way to cure him.
The dead do not come back to life.
So the Prime Minister tried by all means to delay the deterioration of the Emperor's condition, even if only a little.
But, as expected, he had no success.
“But...”
Not long ago, Cloyce's condition began to change.
He was sitting motionless, without any motivation or desire, but he began to move. The expression gradually returned to his cold face.
“When did this start?”
The Prime Minister tried to remember what had happened in the palace when Cloyce began to change.
He quickly remembered.
“The academy has opened.”
But Cloyce would not have liked it. Did he not repeatedly oppose its opening, despite the insistence of the ministers?
Moreover, Clouis was drowning in sadness whenever he saw the children, as they reminded him of the late princess.
So how could the opening of the academy be the reason for his improvement?
While the Prime Minister struggled to understand why, Cloys put down his pen.
“That's enough scrutiny. I'll leave the rest to you.”
said Cloyce, and rose from his seat.
“Your Majesty?”
The Prime Minister stood up in surprise.
It was really weird. Normally, Cloyce would make sure everything was done to the end, but now he made do with what was necessary and entrusted the rest.
“Do you have another appointment?”
“No, it's not that. I just... I'd like to take a walk. I'll entrust that to you.”
The Prime Minister nodded in agreement.
—
Cloyce was walking, thinking about his behavior a moment ago.
“Should I leave things unexamined until the end?”
Normally that would have been impossible.
He always occupied himself, even if he had to create imaginary works, to escape the sad thoughts that haunted him if he stopped.
But now he entrusted a lot to the Prime Minister and came out in a hurry.
And now, as if he had an appointment, he was heading towards the shrine of Lillian and Evpian.
At the entrance to the shrine, the guards recognized the emperor and bowed to him.
Cloys responded with a curt greeting:
“Your efforts are appreciated.”
“…”
The guards' shoulders trembled.
“What's wrong?”
“No, just… this is the first time you have spoken to us directly, Your Majesty… I mean, nothing.”
One of the guards answered in a confused voice, then quickly closed his mouth.
Cloyce was also confused.
“So?”
Think about it. Whenever he came here, he felt like he was crossing a deep, dark swamp.
He was finding it difficult to breathe, and every step required enormous effort, so he had no time to notice those around him, let alone greet them.
But now, for the first time, he saw them clearly.
Those who had always been here, he finally saw them.
Cloyce smiled bitterly and said:
“I am always grateful to you.”
The guards bowed more deeply. Cloyce responded with a slight wave of his hand and entered.
As he walked down the narrow corridor, he noticed a change. The sadness that overwhelmed him every time he walked here has lessened its intensity.
“Why?”
People used to say that time would erase his sadness. Oblivion, that blessing given to humans, would bury his past deep in his heart.
When he came out of the driveway, he was greeted by the shrine of his wife and daughter, as it always was.
But…
“…”
Cloyce ran his hand over his face.
strange. Today, his throat didn't choke. His eyes didn't heat up.
The sadness hasn't gone away. He still lives deep in his heart. But why…
As he stared at the shrine absently, he heard a rustling sound from the bushes behind him.
“!”
Cloyce hurried towards the sound.
A little girl appeared making her way through the bush.
The little girl got up, raised her head, and looked at him. Her green eyes sparkled, then bowed gently.
"Mr!"
The little girl extended her arms towards him, as if asking for a hug. Cloyce approached, enchanted, and lifted the child into his arms.
A small, warm body stretched out in his lap.
“Evie?”
"Yes! We haven't seen each other for a long time!"
A voice mixed with laughter echoed from his arms.
Cloyce tightened his arms around the little girl.
Did he squeeze it too tightly? When he heard a pained sound, he regained consciousness and quickly sat Evie down on a nearby bench.
Evie was a mess after making her way through the bush. Her hair was messy, and her clothes were stained with leaves and dirt.
Cloyce knelt down on one knee in front of her, caught her eyes, and began to clean what was stuck on them.
“Did you catch something?”
“No, I'm fine.”
He thought she was just saying that, but after removing the papers, he couldn't find any scratch.
“Whew.”
Her clothes were a little torn here and there, but her body was free of any injury.
It was as if the jungle had avoided it of its own volition.
He looked at the bush.
“I would have blocked the road.”
If he had issued the order, that road would have been closed that same day. Perhaps a wall would be built in the forest to prevent anyone from crossing.
But, in the end, he did not issue that order.
After he arranged her hair, he saw her appearance clearly.
“You've improved a lot.”
On the first day of the academy's opening, Evie's appearance was pitiful.
Her small stature, slender limbs, and cheeks devoid of any of the fat that should exist at her age.
Her dull, lustrous hair made her look even more miserable.
But now, that is no longer the case.
Do you eat well? Her skin and hair became shiny. Her cheeks were full and glowed with a healthy blush.
Even her clothes, which had been loose despite choosing the smallest size, now fit her, and her wrist bones no longer stuck out.
And…
“Right, thank you so much for the gift!”
Evie's smile at him held no shade of sadness.
Cloyce looked at her for a while without saying a word.
Even when he first met her, she was a child who smiled a lot.
Wasn't she the one who approached him, a stranger to her, offered him a handkerchief, and immediately introduced herself?
But at that time, tension was on her face even though she tried to hide it.
As for now…
“It's like she's lived here her whole life.”
There was no longer any tension in Evie's demeanor.
She was acting natural and relaxed, as if she was just walking around in her yard.
“The academy seems to suit her.”
Cloyce smiled too.
He was not enthusiastic about opening the academy, partly because of the nobles' problems, but more importantly because of his concern for the children.
He worried about young people who had to travel far from their homes at an early age.
So this year he ordered that vacation days be increased, holidays lengthened, and children allowed to go home on weekends.
But this is only useful for those with close families.
For children who come from distant cities, such as Ife, they can only see their families on long vacations.
Moreover, after leaving the academy, each child bears his own responsibility. For Evie, coming from a faraway place and in difficult financial circumstances, traveling to meet her family was almost impossible.
He'd thought she'd be worried about being so far from home, but Evie showed no signs of it.
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