69
The class ended, and the students left the class whispering among themselves. Evie, in her quiet corner, was slowly gathering her things.
If someone had been watching her, he would have realized that she was deliberately slow in arranging her place.
When the last student left the class, Evie's movements suddenly changed. She quickly put her books into her bag, then quickly bent down to examine the floor carefully.
Her gaze wandered from the teaching podium to the back of the classroom, until she finally found what she was looking for. She picked it up and put it in her bag, then went out into the corridor and headed to the next class to repeat the same action.
After going through several rows, Evie's face showed satisfaction. She picked up her bag, which was now fuller than it had been during class, and headed towards the restaurant.
“Today, everyone is busy, they said.” With exams approaching, everyone is busy.
Irene told her that she would take extra classes in the subjects she was finding difficult. Lusca and Arcel's situation was not much different.
“We're older than Evie, so we have more lessons!”
Lusca said in a proud tone.
“What an advantage…” Evie replied in a sad tone, and Loska shook his head and said that in such situations she was supposed to mock, not envy.
“I don't see why I should be sarcastic, that's Evie's style anyway… Now, Arcel and Irene, can you stop looking at me like I'm the dumbest, lazy student in the world?”
Lusca said, blocking the glances directed at him with his hand. Then he added that he would cancel the evening exercises to devote himself to studying, stressing his seriousness in studying.
Lusca was always with Arcel, but he preferred to spend time alone after dinner to play ball with his friends.
For him to give up this activity that he loved in order to study, was remarkable. Even Arcel was carrying more books than usual.
“It seems that the academy’s mid-year exam for geniuses is very important.”
The academy wasn't like Elram High that threatened to expel students if their grades dropped even slightly, but everyone was trying hard.
In fact, the terms of Elram High School were unreasonable, but Evie didn't know that.
Evie headed to the restaurant alone. Because everyone was busy with exam preparations, the restaurant was quieter than usual.
Even the students who entered would just grab a sandwich, something they didn't usually prefer, and then quickly leave.
Evie sat down and went to get her food. Suddenly, I noticed something different.
The first time she came to the restaurant, she could barely reach the forks and knives, as she had to stand on her tiptoes and reach out with all her strength.
Now, although she still needs to stand on her tiptoes, she no longer has to stretch her arm so hard.
“Looks like I've grown up!” Evie thought. Since she arrived here, she has always eaten plenty of food.
Here, she can eat potatoes and bread as much as she wants, choose from several types of soup, and even have snacks and tea whenever she wants.
It wasn't just about the food. Outside of school hours, she could sleep whenever she wanted.
As the weather warmed, Evie would return to her room on non-class days to nap on her bed.
Carrying the tray of food back, Evie decided to ask Irene to measure her height when she returned to the room.
Irene was always telling her that she should gain weight and grow taller, and that she should eat a lot more.
“I need to tell Irene quickly!”
Was her discovery that it was too long the reason? As she sat down, Evie noticed something else.
“My sleeves are getting short!”
The sleeves had been so long that they covered her hands, but now they fit perfectly, as if they had grown as they grew.
“It seems like my arms have gotten longer, too.”
Even her shoes, which had been comfortable when she first received them, were starting to feel a little tight on her.
Evie held her hands tightly as she sat on the chair, shaking her legs with joy at discovering that she was getting bigger.
She was still the youngest student in the academy, and people even knew her without seeing her face, just by her small stature.
Evie imagined herself growing up even more. She wanted to grow fast, to surpass Luska, who always bragged that he was the tallest among them.
“Lusca always puts his chin on top of my head and makes fun of me, calling me peanut!”
If she grows up, he will repay her double.
“And if I grow up, I won’t have to hold Irene’s hand anymore.”
She liked to walk holding Irene's hand, but she was the only one to do so at the academy, which made her feel shy sometimes.
“On rainy days, I will carry the umbrella myself.”
Just thinking about it was fun. She was always getting help, but if she grows up, she will be able to help others.
Suddenly, happily holding the spoon, Evie remembered some people.
“Director.” The director was not alone. She also remembered the other teachers at the orphanage, friends, younger brothers, older sisters and brothers.
“Are they all okay?” The principal's letters arrived regularly, every two weeks. Compared to the other kids who received letters almost daily, it wasn't frequent, but Evie knew the principal was doing her best.
“Sending letters here costs money.” Perhaps for this reason the letters arrived all at once, as if they had been written once and then collected.
Evie's legs stopped swinging on the chair in pleasure at her height.
“I am the only one who lives comfortably.”
She thought she was very young, but her friends at the orphanage weren't much older than her. She wished they could also eat more.
She slowed her hand as she ate, feeling guilty.
Suddenly, she felt like she was making a mistake by eating well and living comfortably on her own. Meanwhile, the students left, and the restaurant became quieter.
Staff may have noticed that students were not coming in more often, so they started cleaning the kitchen and food distribution area earlier than usual.
After she finished eating, Evie asked one of the restaurant employees as she returned the tray: “Is all this stuff going to be thrown away?”
“Yes, they are baked treats that can keep for a while, but those are our rules, we throw away what is left over.”
The employee answered and then returned to the kitchen. Evie looked at the pile of sweets prepared for throwing for a long time, her eyes glued to them.
—
Under a darkening sky, Cloyce was walking towards the academy.
As he quickly headed to the teachers’ room, he could not take his eyes off the book he was carrying, entitled “Rules for Conjugation of Verbs in the Lessid Language.”
He now understood why Serafina had scoffed when he said he would teach Evie a foreign language. At first, he thought she thought he had forgotten everything because he had studied a long time ago.
But he now realizes that “understanding something is very different from teaching it to others.”
Understanding the language was not a problem, but explaining it was a challenge. So, he quickly finished reviewing the papers and devoted himself to studying the books of Lycid and Arces intensively.
As he walked towards the academy, he unintentionally raised his head.
The road was surrounded by a forest that no one could enter. In an instant, he realized what was behind the forest, and he stopped walking.
"Oh, my God."
How could he completely forget to visit his wife and daughter's grave? Even on his busiest days, he would visit them every three days if he wasn't at the palace.
But now… “How long have I not visited them?” He tried to remember the date, but felt dizzy. Two weeks. Since his return from the festival, he has not visited their grave.
Cloyce hesitated. Should he now return to visit their grave, or should he go to the girl who is waiting for him? The answer was clear.
He must go to where his loved ones are confined, whom he has not visited for two weeks. This is the duty.
But, despite knowing this, he remained hesitant. He closed his eyes for a moment, and muttered in a low voice: “I’m sorry, I’ll come over as soon as I’m done...”
After repeating his apology while looking at the forest, he resumed his walk towards the academy. He didn't want to disappoint the little girl who was now waiting for him.
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