06
“Then, I will leave now. If you need anything, ask the residence staff on the first floor for help.”
"Good!"
At this enthusiastic response, Melody nodded contentedly.
“Then, arrange your things well and enjoy your rest.”
"Okay! Thank you very much for today."
Evie bowed politely to say good-bye, and Melody let out a slight laugh as if she found the sight pleasant, then waved her hand and closed the door.
Evie looked around the now quiet room 305, examining every corner carefully.
Maybe because this place was used by children of aristocratic families?
Although the room was one, the two parts were completely separate as independent spaces.
The entrance is the only thing they have in common.
Each room has its own bathroom and toilet, meaning that if checkout time varies, it may be possible to live without ever meeting the person staying in the room opposite.
Evie returned to her room, opened the bag Melody had left and took out its contents.
School uniforms, notebooks, pens, ink...
As if by magic, the bag was constantly bringing out everything she needed for her daily life.
Evie handled the items carefully, as if she were holding a treasure, placing them one by one on the desk.
A new book, a new notebook, a new pen...
Things that she had never had the opportunity to have in her life before, and now they were piled up in front of her, she could not contain her joy.
Evie grabbed the pen first and wrote her name on the inside page of the book Melody had given her.
Then she started arranging the items one by one.
I moved it from one place to another, until things gradually began to find their proper locations.
“This is the last one.”
When I opened the last bag, I found the academy's school uniform.
Not just the outfit, but the socks, shoes and ribbon too.
Today, since it was the first day, everyone was wearing their own clothes from their homes, but from now on, everyone would have to wear school uniforms for the academy.
Most likely, this is to clearly distinguish the academy students.
Evie almost put it on right away, but she carefully placed the clothes down and kept touching them with her hands.
Clothes made of soft, clean fabric.
On the inside of the garment, the name “Evie” was carefully embroidered in place.
Evie played with the clothes for a while, then got up and finished arranging her things.
There was still time before dinner.
Evie sat at the desk and opened the book Melody had given her.
She felt that she should read the academy's rules more carefully when she found the time.
But suddenly, her gaze stopped at a certain point.
"Wait? Guardian?"
* * *
Cloyce was looking out the window.
The sky, which had been clear all day, was now bathed in an orange sunset.
It was a magical sky that attracted the viewer with its beauty, but his face was filled with distress.
The inner palace he resided in was too far from the academy, so he could not hear the children's voices.
However, he knew that today was the day the academy students arrived.
The looks with hidden expectations directed at him since the morning were the reason.
“I have to make up my mind soon.”
Even though he shouted that whoever said he would choose an heir from among the academy's students this year, Cloyce knew that he could not delay any longer.
Now that he had become emperor, he could no longer ignore the question of succession.
If he continued to delay choosing an heir, it would eventually lead to new chaos in the empire.
Cloyes lived through the horrific war of succession to the throne.
The chaos of a senseless war should never be repeated.
Cloyce mentions baby names that resonate with people.
The first to come to mind, as expected, were Arcel and Luska.
Children of the family of the Duke of Caeleron and the family of the Marquis of Lagueslab, who helped him.
Having known them since they were young, Cloyce was well aware of their talents.
People considered Arcel the best, but Cloyce also saw Lusca as a special child.
If Arcel becomes Emperor, he will be an Emperor that everyone will obey and respect.
But if Lusca becomes emperor, he will be an emperor with a strict atmosphere, but closer to the ministers, and more concerned with the hearts of the people.
Both children have sufficient qualifications.
Moreover, both families were loyalists who helped him, and the blood of the imperial family had mixed with their families many times, so there was no problem with their eligibility.
All that remained was his decision.
However…
“Haaa…”
A long sigh escaped that he could not hold back.
Lately, Cloyce has been drowning in absurd daydreams.
He imagines what if his wife and daughter were still alive.
“Lillian.”
His wife, who he met while inspecting the countryside, far from the barren imperial palace, was like a forest fairy.
She was the daughter of a baron who ran a small province, but that did not matter to Cloyce at all.
Cloyes left the imperial palace, in which there was not a shred of affection between parents and brothers, and moved to the territory of Lillian.
He never cared about the throne.
All he wanted was to live a happy life full of joy with the one he loves.
But the world brutally trampled on his wish.
When he returned from the battlefield, where he had gone to protect his wife and their unborn child, he was greeted by two mangled corpses.
His daughter, whose face he had never seen because it was not there when she was born, was rotting next to her mother.
One of the servants who barely escaped said in tears that the child Lillian had given birth to was a girl, and was named Evpian.
Cloyce hugged the bodies of his loved one and cried for a whole day.
When he buried them, he buried his heart with them.
He thought the sadness would ease with time, but he was completely wrong.
One day ago, he started having hallucinations.
When he heard a laugh pass like a breeze and turned around, Lillian was there.
Next to Lillian, there was a little girl holding the hem of her dress.
“Ephebian.”
Cloyce called his daughter's name with a sigh.
Lillian's face was clear, but his daughter's face was blurry as if it was covered in fog.
He had never seen her face, so it was normal, but this reality hurt his heart deeply.
I'm your father, but I don't even know what your face looks like.
He thought the hallucinations would disappear with time.
However, contrary to his expectations, hallucinations became more frequent.
As the years went by, Evbian gradually grew more and more into hallucinations.
As if she was really alive.
Cloyce speaks with the Imperial Palace doctor who keeps secrets about the hallucinations he sees.
The doctor said with a serious face that he was suffering from severe depression.
Tell him that medications may relieve symptoms and prevent hallucinations.
But Cloyce rejected his advice.
His life, which held no joy, these hallucinations were the only joy he had left.
“If Evbian were alive, would she have joined the academy?”
If she were alive, she would be seven years old by now.
Of course, she may not be smart enough.
But in his hallucinations, where he still couldn't see her face, Evpian was a very smart child.
At that moment, he heard a knock at the door, followed by the voice of the Minister of State asking if he could come in.
“Come in.”
The Minister of State entered immediately.
As usual, he placed papers on Cloyce's desk that required his signature.
But, contrary to custom, he did not leave immediately.
“Do you have something you want to say?”
Cloyce noticed the Secretary of State's hesitation and asked him.
The minister bowed as if apologizing.
“I would like to confirm with Your Majesty regarding the matter of guardianship.”
“Guardianship?”
“Yes, about Evie Alden’s guardianship...”
“Evie Alden?”
It was a name he had never heard before.
Cloyce mumbled the name into his mouth. Evie Alden. Evie, Evie...
For some reason, even though it was a new name, his tongue was pronouncing it smoothly.
As if it was the name he had been repeating until that moment.
Then Clowes remembered that the minister mentioned the word “guardianship” with the name, so guess who the name’s owner was.
“Is it the name of the little girl you chose at the meeting?”
"exactly."
“But what about guardianship?”
“Every child who attends the academy must have a guardian.”
“Didn’t I say these things should be managed automatically?”
Cloyce felt strange because of the name that kept recurring in his mouth, so he answered in a sharp tone.
“Of course, I remember. So I thought about how to handle the guardianship issue...”
“Why? Is there no one suitable?”
“No, the problem is that everyone is competing to be the guardian.”
The Minister of State remembered what had happened before his arrival.
Every child who attends the academy must have a guardian.
And Evie Alden is no exception.
So he tried to look for a suitable person, but, contrary to his expectations, there were many who volunteered.
The problem is that their intentions, in everyone's eyes, did not seem good.
°. • .✦ . ◌ ⋆ ° ✬ • ✫ ⋆｡ .° ◌ • .●