*61**
Evie was cradling her toy in her arms, looking around with surprise and worry.
"Mr?"
Because she was holding the toy with both hands, she couldn't hold his clothes.
As the crowds passed by, the stream swept them with them into a side alley.
Fortunately, the place was not far away, so she thought that if she returned to where she was standing a while ago, she would find Professor Sian again.
But when she returned to the same place, there was no sign of him.
Evie was startled and looked at the faces around her.
But no matter how closely you looked at the passersby, you only saw the faces of strangers.
"Mr!"
She shouted loudly, and some passers-by turned to her with questioning looks, as if they were wondering what was happening.
“Where did he go?”
It was very fast. Not even thirty seconds had passed since she had gone and returned.
“He must still be close.”
Evie took a step back and stood between the shops, watching the passersby with worried eyes.
Just moments ago, she was feeling ecstatic because she had received an award.
The shops decorated for the festival were sparkling with charm, and it was fun to wander among the crowds.
But now, in the midst of her growing anxiety, those shiny shops and smiling faces seemed eerie, as if they did not concern her, as if they belonged to another world.
"decent."
Evie bit her lip, trying to reassure herself.
“The shelter director taught me what to do if I got lost or lost my companions.”
She had been advised not to move if she lost her companions.
No matter how afraid or anxious she feels, she must remain steadfast and wait for whoever will come looking for her.
By now, Professor Sian must have noticed her absence, and he would soon return to find her.
So…
“Fear will only last a little while.”
Evie remained standing, cradling her toy, waiting for him to return.
* * *
“Are you coming back now?”
When Arcel told him that he would be returning earlier than expected, Duke Killern looked disappointed.
“Is there something you haven't finished yet?”
The Duke knew his son's character well.
Arcel was incredibly calm and rational for his young age.
He always moved according to a precise plan, and his order was rarely disturbed.
"No, he didn't inherit the nature of you and me. Where did this boy come from?"
"Is that talk? He looks just like you!"
The Duke, smiling sadly, remembered how his wife had jokingly stabbed him in the side when he said something similar. Then he looked at Arcel worriedly.
“If you intend to return early to study, I will not disturb you this evening. You can stay in your room comfortably...”
“It's not like that. I've been studying enough, there's no need to rush.”
* * *
How did my thirteen year old become so boring?
Duke Killern wondered to himself, shaking his head in astonishment.
“He looks exactly like His Majesty the Emperor in his childhood.”
Maybe that's why Arcel was always the first candidate when it came to the question of adopting the Emperor.
“Then why are you in such a hurry?”
"Good…"
Arcel hesitated to answer, so the Duke looked at him in astonishment.
This was the first time he had seen his son hesitate like this.
“If the answer is difficult, there is no need to say it. At your age, it is normal to have secrets that you do not want to share with your parents.”
“No, it's not.”
Arcel replied in a serious tone, and the Duke laughed loudly and called the servant to prepare the carriage.
“What's the point of keeping you here if your heart is elsewhere? I'll wait for your next day out.”
Arcel thanked his father for his understanding, then quickly gathered his things, put them in his bag, and climbed into the carriage.
As soon as the cart moved, he glanced at the bag next to him.
In fact, there is no need for additional items in the academy, everything is available there.
But he brought something special: a book from his personal library.
A book he had read many times, and he did not allow anyone to touch it.
“She seems to like adventure stories, but she also enjoys basic theory books.”
Two completely opposite books, but Arcel loved both.
“Evie seems to like them too.”
Evie Aldean.
Arcel remembered the little girl who was waving goodbye to him excitedly.
At first, he only cared about her because the Emperor chose her.
Even when Lucas insisted on meeting her again, he felt it was just an inconvenience.
But he couldn't ignore it. Her eyes always followed him.
Therefore, when he learned that she was being bullied by other students like Irene Terrence, he said nothing, even though he knew that he and Lucas were being used by Irene.
I think that their presence with her in classes or during meals might improve her situation, and that in itself is a good thing.
But suddenly, he had a question: Would I have done the same thing if she had been someone else?
He looked at the bag again.
As soon as he arrived home, he rushed to his library, and spent the day carefully selecting books.
He chose the best and most enjoyable thing he read.
“Will she like it?”
Remember how Evie would sparkle with joy whenever Professor Mallis showed her a new book.
If dry mathematics books interested her, then the books he chose would undoubtedly please her even more.
Imagine her round green eyes sparkling, and her little face filled with a smile.
How he wishes she would always stay like this, smiling...
“!”
Suddenly, Arcel jumped out of his seat as he looked at the street crowded with the festival.
“I have…”
He thought he saw Evie.
Next to a food stall, wearing the shabby clothes in which he first saw her, she stands with teary eyes.
He almost stopped the cart, but he poked his head out to make sure.
But the carriage had passed, and Evie had disappeared into the crowd.
“Did I miss seeing?”
Arcel thought. Evie can't be here.
I decided to stay at the academy, and students under ten are not allowed to go out unaccompanied.
Who will take her?
“Professor Malis said he would visit his family, no one could be with her.”
So, he must have imagined it.
But despite this, he kept looking back, and a strange feeling of anxiety washed over him.
* * *
“Mom... huh... huh...”
Evie looked at the child sitting next to her in the chair, crying and calling for his mother.
He was her age, and had been in tears ever since he arrived.
Evie looked at the sign pinned in front of the chair:
[Shelter for Lost Children]
After missing Professor Sian, Eppie remained standing there for half an hour, but he did not appear.
She thought about returning to the academy on her own, but some people approached her.
I felt wary.
She knew that there were those who kidnapped orphans after the war to sell them.
At the shelter, the director was searching for the missing children with great concern.
“Did you lose your parents?”
“No, I…”
“Don’t lie, I saw you alone a while ago.”
A rough-looking man said, and took her hand.
Before Evie could scream for help, the man shouted:
“Security men! Here is a lost child!”
The security men rushed to her, and the man bid her farewell, saying: “I hope you return to your family safely.”
That's how she ended up here.
Security personnel were offering hot cocoa to the crying children, reassuring them that they would return home soon.
As they said, parents were coming to pick up their children.
Children were throwing cups of cocoa and running to their families' arms, crying.
Evie looked at this scene silently.
After a while, the family of the boy sitting next to her came to pick him up.
Evie saw him leave, holding his parents' hands, and she shrinked in on herself.
“Everyone goes back with their mothers and fathers.”
But she has no family. Who will come for her?
Evie buried her face in her knees. She didn't cry.
She knew that crying wouldn't change anything except wear him out.
There was no one to comfort her, and she might be beaten if she disturbed anyone with her tears.
She knew this since she was young.
“I will come back alone.”
Professor Sian must have already returned.
All she has to do is tell the security personnel that she is a student at the academy, and they will take her there.
So…
“I'll just stay here for a little while...”
Evie was holding her wooden doll, shrinking further, when she heard a voice:
“Evie!”
She suddenly raised her head and was lifted off the ground.
She looked forward and found Cloyce, covered in sweat, standing in front of her.
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