Chapter 10

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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For a moment, Clois suspected whether Evi had realized that this was the grave of the Empress and the Imperial Princess and had tried to look good to him.

It was because there were those who had done such things in the past.

Those who harbored vain expectations that if they pretended to commemorate the Empress and the Imperial Princess, whom the Emperor could not forget, he would look at them as praiseworthy.

He wondered if Evi was also that kind of person.

However, even with just a little thought, he could tell it was an absurd idea.

Evi was a child from the orphanage whom he had personally picked. Furthermore, she would have entered the imperial palace for the first time today.

Such a child coming to the space the Emperor cherished most through a bush path in the forest that even others did not know about to look good?

It was an impossible thing.

‘I should block the road for now.’

While the Gifted Center had been empty for a long time, it seemed that large animals had made a path while coming and going.

If it was left as it was, another child from the Gifted Center might come here again.

Clois felt strong displeasure at the fact that it was dangerous and that others could visit.

‘Except for that child.’

Clois, who was thinking that it was okay for Evi to visit, was surprised by his own thoughts.

She was a child who had no relation to him anyway, and yet, just because he saw her once, was he making Evi Alden an exception? Why?

While Clois was agonizing, the sky became gradually darker.

And a long time later, a bell was heard from the side of the Gifted Center again. It was a bell announcing the complete curfew following the preliminary bell.

Clois, who came to his senses at that sound, stood up from his seat and approached in front of Lilian’s grave.

And looking at the wreath still full of the scent of wildflowers, he spoke in an affectionate voice as if his wife were there.

“Lilian, would Evbien have been like that if she were alive?”

If she were alive, she would have been 7 years old, the same as Evi.

Clois recalled Evi’s appearance he had seen a moment ago.

Now she was small and thin, but if she stayed well at the Gifted Center, she would surely gain weight like children of her age soon.

Then, her golden hair, which had looked dry, lank, would regain its luster, and her green eyes would sparkle more.

Clois’s body flinched as he thought that far.

Somehow, he had felt a familiarity as if he had seen her for a long time even though she was a child he saw for the first time, and it was because the child’s eye color was the same green as Lilian’s eye color.

Furthermore, if her hair color became a bit darker, it seemed it would be a golden color similar to his.

Just like his child he had briefly imagined long ago when Lilian was pregnant…

Get a grip.

Clois, who was soaked in a lingering emotion, scolded himself.

He had recovered Lilian’s corpse with his own hands. And also the corpse of Evbien, whom she was holding.

All those who remained in the castle at that time said that Lilian, to save the people inside the castle, went to the castle wall while holding young Evbien and threw herself as the enemy ordered.

And after that, the enemy mutilated the corpses…

“……Gasp!”

Clois woke up from his thoughts while wiping away cold sweat.

It was clear that if he stayed more like this, he would only have more useless thoughts. After checking the graves once, Clois turned his body toward the Imperial Palace again.

A long time later, Clois, who returned to his quarters, sat on the sofa and looked at the flower bouquet he had ended up bringing.

After fiddling with it for a long time, he took out the beautifully decorated flowers in the vase in the room and then put in the bouquet he had brought.

Then he realized that he had ended up bringing the handkerchief Evi had given him as it was.

“Oh dear.”

It was surely an item she had newly received today, but because she had handed it to him, hadn’t she ended up losing the item all of a sudden?

‘I should return it.’

Returning it was not difficult. Because he could send it through his subordinates. He could hide as much as he wanted that the Emperor had sent it.

Nevertheless, Clois kept thinking about how he should go to the Gifted Center to return it.

Then he realized.

The fact that he wanted to see Evi Alden once more rather than returning the handkerchief.

Clois gave a bitter smile.

“It seems I’ve become too weak.”

So he was probably repeatedly trying to find Evbien’s appearance in another child.

He set the handkerchief down on the table.

Thinking that when day broke, he should have a subordinate return it appropriately.

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Ding. Ding. Ding.

The bell announcing the complete curfew rang at the Gifted Center.

Evi caught her panting breath in the lobby of the dormitory.

Thanks to quickly getting out of the forest when the first bell was heard, she was fortunately able to return to the dormitory before the bell announcing the complete curfew rang.

As Evi breathed heavily, the staff members who were organizing documents inside spoke with a smile.

“It seems you ran in a hurry? It would be better to go a bit earlier from tomorrow.”

She wondered if they would say something because she had come in just in time, but contrary to her thoughts, perhaps because it was the first day, the staff were kind.

Evi, who was about to go up after replying that she would be more careful from tomorrow, suddenly remembered something and went to the staff to ask.

“Excuse me, but is it possible to check one’s guardian here?”

“Guardian? It’s not a difficult thing to check, but… did you enter without knowing?”

Most children entering the Gifted Center are bound to meet and greet their guardian at least once before entering.

Even if they hadn’t met, they knew the name.

“Yes. I didn’t know such a system existed, but I saw in the book that everyone is mandatory to have a guardian. I want to know who my guardian is.”

“What is your name?”

“I am Evi Alden.”

At Evi’s words, the staff member brought a file where students’ information was written and began fumbling through it.

“Let’s see… Evi Alden… ah, here it is.”

The staff member soon found Evi’s document and replied.

“Miss Evi’s guardian is Professor Sian Roshen. He is someone with the title of Baronet.”

“Pardon? Sian Roshen?”

At the name the staff member spoke, Evi’s voice became loud.

Then she realized that she had made too loud a sound and quickly shut her mouth.

“Why is that? Is there some problem?”

“No, it’s nothing. thank you for checking.”

Evi gave a bow to the staff and climbed the stairs toward her room.

‘Sian Roshen!’

The moment that name came out of the staff member’s mouth, Evi had to doubt her ears.

The name of the stranger she had met in the forest until a moment ago was Sian Roshen.

Furthermore, hadn’t that person also clearly said he was a professor of the Gifted Center?

‘But why did he become my guardian?’

Just as Evi did not know Professor Sian, Professor Sian also seemed not to know her.

But how did he end up being registered as her guardian?

‘Did the Gifted Center ask the professors because there was a child without a guardian?’

No matter how much she thought about it, that was the most likely thing.

Recalling Professor Sian she had met in the forest, Evi’s steps toward her room were light.

They had met for the first time, but he was a person she felt she had known from a long time ago.

Furthermore, it was the first time such a large adult man was not scary.

Far from being scary, she wanted to talk more if there were more time.

Although she had returned in a hurry at the sound of the bell, the regret she could not erase all the way back had continued to remain in her heart, but to think that person was her guardian.

If so, there was a chance to meet again.

‘Furthermore, since he is a Gifted Center professor, wouldn’t I be able to meet him once during class someday?’

Then Evi recalled an important fact.

“My handkerchief!”

Thinking about it, she had just returned while giving the handkerchief to Professor Sian.

Just in case, she fumbled through her pockets here and there, but there was no way it was there.

‘Although it said more supplied items would be given if desired…’

To Evi, who always had to use everything sparingly at the orphanage, one new handkerchief was a huge asset.

Just receiving such a thing for free was something to be grateful for, but thinking that she had lost it on the first day she received it, she somehow felt like she had done something wrong.

Yet on the other hand, she thought it was a relief. Because a justification to confidently visit Professor Sian had been created.

‘Professor Sian’s lab was not written on the Gifted Center guide map.’

The locations of the professors’ labs were also written on the map she had memorized. But surely, Professor Sian’s name was not on that map.

‘I should ask other staff members tomorrow.’

It was the moment Evi opened the door to Room 305 and entered with an excited heart at the thought of meeting Professor Sian again.

“……!”

Evi met the gazes of a dozen or so female students standing in the room and stopped as she was.