71
Looks like it's time to say goodbye.
Cloyce stopped at a place a little away from the dormitory.
As the curfew hour approached, children who were studying in classrooms or teachers' offices began to flock back all at once.
Perhaps there were those among them who saw him at banquets to which he was invited with his parents a few times.
“This is embarrassing.”
He did not want to be discovered to be the Emperor.
If that happened, he wouldn't be able to meet Evie so freely. Every action he takes will be interpreted with unnecessary meanings.
Remember the past. There was a baby girl born in the same year as Evpian, and when he saw her, he wondered if his daughter, alive, would reach this size, so he paid extra attention to her several times.
During that period, the imperial palace turned into something like a nursery, with people bringing children as young as Evpian.
Rather, those who did not have children borrowed the children of their relatives or even the children of strangers.
“I can't go through that experience again.”
That was a disaster for him, and it certainly wouldn't have been good for Yvette. If it was discovered that a child was receiving special attention from the Emperor, how many people would cling to him?
“What about you, Professor? Are you going straight out of the palace?”
“I think I have to stop by the main palace for one more thing before returning.”
Cloyce handed the bag back to Evie. At that moment, he smelled a sweet smell again, the smell of cake he had felt in the professor's office.
“There doesn't seem to be any cake in the bag.”
If there had been cakes, he would have heard a rustling sound when he picked up the bag, but it was only filled with books.
“I probably put it in the bag earlier today.”
This explains the smell of candy that lingered in the professor's office.
“Next time, I should bring some food.”
Since the academy receives a lot of support, there is no shortage of sweets for children.
However, not to be excessive, the types of desserts in the restaurant are somewhat limited.
Even when he was a student here, the quantity was plentiful, but the variety was not great.
Cloyce recalled how the chef, who was eager to increase his portion of food, began offering him all kinds of desserts.
“Master Servant, do you think this amount can be eaten by one person?”
Cloyce, looking at the dozens of desserts with distaste, asked the head server, who replied that he would order only one type in the future.
“If I could take her to the main palace.”
If that had happened, he would have been able to feed her all the imperial sweets in the beautiful, spacious garden until she said she could no longer eat. Cloyce swallowed his regret as he waved his hand.
“Okay, come in carefully. I'll see you later.”
“You too, Professor!”
Despite exchanging greetings, they kept looking at each other calmly.
“Aren't you coming in?”
“I want to see you leave first, Professor!”
“No, you should go in first.”
“But I'm going to the dormitory, while you're going back to work, right? I'll wave to you.”
Ebby was not satisfied with this, but added another promise as if that was not enough.
“So I'll see you again, Professor.”
Cloyce tried to hold on longer, but her gentle suggestion of waving made him give up.
“Okay, I'll go now.”
He raised his hands as if to announce his defeat, then turned around. After a few steps, he turned back to find Evie raising her arm and waving excitedly.
Seeing her keep her promise made him smile subconsciously. Evie continued to wave until he was out of sight at the corner of the road, and even after he was gone.
"Evie? What are you doing?"
“Irene!”
When she turned around at the sound of a voice behind her, she saw Irene standing with her eyes wide open.
“I was waving to Professor Sian.”
Irene looked at where Evie was looking. Nobody is there.
“I should have gone out earlier. If I had, I would have been able to greet him too.”
“Do you want to go together tomorrow?”
Irene shook her head.
“No, I will be busy tomorrow with extra lectures and studying. I will visit him after the exams are over.”
Irene was not uninterested in Professor Cian.
“That magic stone was real.”
That professor caused a huge uproar. Even now, she couldn't understand why he would give something so precious to a girl under his care. It was strange, but Evie was very attached to it.
“She seems to love him more than us, and we see her every day.”
According to Effie, he was a very kind shepherd. When they returned home and left Evie, he took her to a seasonal festival for them to have fun.
“He gives her a lot of gifts.”
Evie showed off a wooden squirrel doll, which she bragged that she had chosen, as if that doll resembled the squirrel that Irene had chosen.
“Evie didn't spend much time with Professor Cyan.”
However, how did she become so attached to him? Irene abandoned her suspicions that he might be a bad person.
Even now, Evie was quick to catch on to anyone who harbored ill intentions toward her. If Evie trusts him and follows him like this, he must be a good person.
“Let's go in. It's still cold at night.”
Irene rubbed her arms, then took Evie's hand and they walked in together. After a while, Izriela came out from behind a tree.
“Well, I have confirmed that that person is Professor Sian.”
As she headed to her room, she remembered Professor Sian's appearance. He seemed more than just an ordinary person, he was extremely handsome.
His body did not resemble that of a professor, but rather was closer to that of a knight, tall, graceful, without any excess fat.
“No matter what you think, he doesn't look like a professor.”
At that moment, one of the dormitory staff called out to her.
“A letter has arrived from your home. They said it is urgent and you should check it quickly.”
Urgent matter? When she opened the letter, she found it was from her brother.
“He seems really interested in this.”
She thought she knew why. Most likely, the story of the magic stone aroused her brother's curiosity.
Her father owned many magic stones, and her brother, who considered collecting them an aristocratic hobby, would frequent auctions to obtain stones of his own.
Therefore, it is not surprising that he was interested in the story of a magic stone that caused an uproar in the academy.
“Moreover, he seems to know something about Professor Sian.”
Ezriela entered her room and quickly opened the letter.
[To Ezriela,
Is there really someone called Professor Sian in the academy now? I checked and found that Professor Sian Ruochen, who is registered with the academy, specializes in geology, and is currently in his hometown.
Moreover, he is sick and over seventy years old, so it is difficult for him to recover, and he has postponed his return to the academy. If the situation continues like this, he may leave his position and retire permanently...]
Ezriela's eyes widened.
“A person over seventy years old?”
This is impossible. The man whom Eppie had called Professor Sian a moment ago did not look, even if she had exaggerated his age, more than late thirties.
It is impossible for him to be seventy, much less for him to be in his hometown. The message continued with her brother confirming many times that Professor Sian Ruochen was indeed the academy's registrar.
So, who was that man she just saw? A smile appeared on her face.
“Who is he, what does it matter?”
Of course he is not a professor. He poses as a professor, roams the academy freely, and even claims to be Ivy Alden's sponsor.
“That little girl is hiding something in the professor’s office.”
Just like before, Eppie was sneaking around the school, bending down to pick something up and putting it in her bag. Today too, I did the same thing.
When she entered, her bag was full of something, but when she came out and Professor Sian carried the bag, its size had obviously shrunk.
“Moreover, there are many students who have lost their belongings.”
Like that student who lost a bracelet in class, there were many students who reported losing their items in different places.
Ezriela imagined Evie surreptitiously putting the missing items into her bag. It was just a fantasy, but in her mind it became a definite reality.
She suddenly stood up and looked for the academy's rule book. Her hand stopped as she frantically turned the pages.
[Article 17, paragraph 1:
Whoever steals his colleague's belongings will be expelled from the academy.]
This rule was exactly what Ezriela had longed for.
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