54
Seven deep, resounding chimes rang from a huge bell, announcing the arrival of seven o'clock in the evening.
Evie remembered Irene's face as she repeatedly insisted that they should have dinner together, and he felt drops of cold sweat running down his back.
“She's waiting for me now!”
Evie scurried toward the path tangled in the jungle from which she had come
“Professor, I will go now! I promised Irene that we would have dinner together!”
“Hey, wait a minute...this way...”
Cloyce was about to suggest that they go together along the main road for fear that Eppie would be hurt again, but he closed his lips silently.
If he had, Evie might have seen the guards standing at the entrance to the road.
If she saw the guards greeting him, it might surprise her, and if she started to wonder about his true identity, she might…
While Cloyce was hesitating, Evie had already sunk half her body into the bushes.
He thought she was going to continue walking, but she suddenly turned around and waved her hand at him.
"Okay, I'll visit you at your office next time! We'll meet there! Have a nice dinner!"
Evie repeated the word “goodbye” several times while waving her hand, and then completely disappeared into the bushes.
As before, today Evie also disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Cloyce looked at the way the boy had gone, then turned around.
Under a darkening sky, he spotted two tombstones.
A faint laugh escaped him.
Whenever he visited this place, Cloyce made sure to clean the surroundings of the tombstones of his wife and daughter with great care.
This mission was the most important thing to him.
But this time, he completely forgot about it until Evie left.
Under the darkening sky, he began to move his hands quickly.
He felt sorry, but he didn't regret the time he spent with Evie a little while ago.
After he finished cleaning the place, he quickly returned to his office and ordered his servant:
“Summon the Dean of the Talent Academy, Seraphina.”
Evie said she would visit him in his office.
So, he must prepare quickly.
* * *
A few days passed.
Evie was now holding Irene's hand normally and they headed to the dining hall together.
You no longer avoid people by going early or late.
The reason is…
“Ah, hello, Miss Irene!”
As soon as they entered the hall, a girl approached, as if she was waiting, and greeted them
“I am from the Lutibi family...”
"I know. Marie Lutiby, right? I think we've greeted each other before."
“Yes! Exactly, you remembered me!”
Mary seemed very happy, had a short talk with Irene, and then left.
Evie was watching the scene from the side:
“Now, the students are starting to greet her again?”
When Irene initially abandoned the children of noble families, she became a complete outcast.
Whether in the dining hall or in class, the noble students were ignoring her as if she didn't exist.
Evie felt angry about that.
Irene was always surrounded by a lot of people.
How could everyone turn their backs on her so quickly? How painful was that for her?
“What if you regret helping me?”
But, contrary to Evie's fears, Irene seemed calm and reassured.
After days of constant neglect, people gradually began to change their behavior.
First, it happened in the dormitory corridor.
While Evie and Irene were walking together, a girl passed from the opposite side.
Evie expected her to ignore them as usual, but after making sure the place was empty, she wished them a good day and quickly left.
Then, during lessons, some students started greeting them under the pretext of sitting next to them.
As time passed, there were those waiting for them to come and greet them, as Mary did.
Irene did not turn them away, although she did not welcome them with excessive warmth.
Therefore, the students greeted her moderately and then left.
“Someone even started greeting me, too.”
Evie remembered a day when she went to a mandatory class alone.
She deliberately sat in the corner of the front seats so as not to disturb others, but a female student approached her after inspecting the place.
She said quickly:
“I'm Mira Haniel. Nice to meet you!”
Then, as she looked around:
“I support you! Others may tease you a lot, but endure until the end!”
She then wished her luck as a fellow commoner and quickly returned to her seat.
She did not speak to her after that, but she smiled sweetly at her whenever their eyes crossed.
Meanwhile, Irene returned with food for them.
Evie sat in a sunny spot and received her plate from Irene.
Irene sat next to him as usual, and muttered with a satisfied smile:
“Well, everything is going according to plan.”
"What? According to plan?"
“The students are coming back to approach us. Things are going as I expected.”
Evie's eyes widened in surprise.
"What? You knew this would happen?"
For the past few days, Evie seemed to be afraid of Irene feeling lonely because she didn't talk to anyone.
But, contrary to her worry, Irene seemed fine.
She even chatted animatedly with Arcel and Luska during math class.
After lessons, she always took Evie with them to the dining hall.
She didn't talk to the others, so why did they suddenly start approaching her?
"naturally!"
Irene said, shrugging her shoulders confidently.
“Thanks, Arcel and Luska. I don’t like it, but I made a point of eating with them to make it work.”
Then I explained to him calmly.
From the beginning, she suggested eating with them to show people that she got along with them.
“Also, it may have sparked some rumors.”
“Any rumours?”
“Hmm, rumor has it that I might marry one of them one day?”
“You getting married?”
“Hush!”
Irene looked around warily, then whispered:
“Boring story. It says that one of them might become the emperor’s adopted son, and that I would marry the prince to shore up his legitimacy with the wealth of the south... something like that. You won’t understand it, okay?”
Irene sighed as she saw Evie's eyes spinning as if in a vortex.
"Good…"
Evie replied in a low voice.
“Intelligence does not mean understanding these things... In short, since they are important figures, people do not dare to offend us because we are close to them, and perhaps we will become closer in the future.”
Evie nodded.
“Just as no one dares to harass the friends of powerful people!”
That's why the children in the shelter always stuck to the stronger child, so that they wouldn't be bullied.
While Eppie was trying to understand the situation, Irene took a piece of fruit with a fork and put it in her mouth, muttering:
“But I don’t know why they helped me.”
Irene knew some things about them.
Arcel is cold and hard. Lusca is relatively friendly, but, like Arcel, he ruthlessly rejects those who approach him out of his family's influence.
They both lived in a world like this, so they must have realized that she was using them for her own benefit.
But, surprisingly, they helped her easily, even enthusiastically.
“They didn't necessarily help me. Rather...”
Irene looked at Evie as she chewed on the fruit she gave her.
“They obviously helped Evie.”
Loska was making some sense. The Ragslip family is known for its fairness and rejection of bullying.
“But why does Arcel Cailen keep accompanying us?”
It is true that he is Lusca's friend, but there is no need for him to continue with them like this.
“I heard he's very cold, calculates everything carefully, and cares about efficiency. What does he gain from spending time with us?”
While Irene was thinking, she put another piece of fruit into Evie's mouth.
She decided to focus now on fattening up the skinny girl in front of her.
“Evie, what did you find most delicious? Come on, let's get another plate!”
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