Chapter 13

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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The lobby of the dormitory was buzzing with children who had come down.

However, anyone could see that more than half had not yet come down.

“Why are they so late? It’s almost 8:30.”

“Why else? They’re noble sirs. They’ll come down after a long while.”

The children of wealthy commoner families stood with their arms crossed and looked up the stairs.

Nobles always used to appear late. Thus, they always used to come later than the designated banquet time, and the higher their status, the later they appeared.

That was still true now. Those with higher status used to appear last.

“But it doesn’t seem like the staff has any intention of going easy on them.”

“I guess so. My dad also attended the Gifted Center when he was young, and he said the rules here were really strict.”

“Then will there really be demerits or disciplinary actions for nobles too? Like expulsion.”

“I think so.”

At the words of the children chatting next to her, Evi became anxious.

It was now 28 minutes. Only two minutes remained until 30 minutes.

Fortunately, she saw Irene coming down the stairs. And the other students following hurriedly after Irene.

Seeing that, Evi tilted her head.

‘Did they… fight?’

No matter how she looked at it, Irene didn’t seem to like them very much.

As proof of that, wasn’t she turning her head like that and not even looking?

Compared to that, they were in a state of constantly trying to put in a word to Irene even a little bit.

At that moment, Evi’s and Irene’s gazes met. Irene seemed to hesitate for a moment, and just as she was about to take a step toward Evi.

Dong!

A short bell rang.

“Alright. It’s 8:30. All students standing inside, please move outside.”

The staff blocked the front of the stairs as if with a knife and moved only the students who had arrived in the hall by the designated time outside the dormitory.

Evi also walked outside with the other students. At that time, she heard the voices of the students who walked down late from behind.

“What is the meaning of this! Move out of the way!”

“Demerits? Who do you think you’re saying that to right now?”

“I walked down with my own feet! Do you think it’s easy to prepare without a maid?”

The children who came down late were in the middle of protesting fiercely at the fact that they would receive demerits.

Even though they came late, they were confident.

‘Who are we, that you dare.’

Until now, having been born, they had never once said a word of regret to others.

Whenever they met people, those people would bow their heads and watch their mood if they mentioned the name of their family and who their parents were.

They thought the Gifted Center would not be much different.

Of course, now that a day had passed, that thought had changed a little.

‘To think we really wouldn’t be able to bring maids in.’

But that was also only for a short time, they thought.

Not only their own families but also the families of other students were constantly lodging protests with the Gifted Center.

No matter how much it was an institution of the Imperial Palace, this place also ultimately existed under the management of nobles.

Even if they acted like this at first, they wouldn’t be able to help but watch the mood of the nobles eventually.

And above all…

One student glared at the staff member blocking her front and said.

“Do you think you’ll be okay after ignoring the Greeden family like this?”

It was a family that had performed some meritorious service during the Succession War.

Though they weren’t the emperor’s closest confidants like the Lagselve family, hadn’t they been granted a decent territory thanks to watching the mood well here and there?

So, if things went well, there was a possibility that her older brother would enter the Imperial Guard.

Therefore, people bowed their heads on their own outside just by mentioning the name of the Greeden family.

So even here, it was certain that they would watch the mood to some extent if she mentioned the name like this…

“The Greeden family?”

The staff member who blocked the student’s front nodded as if she understood.

“Then the student’s name must be Ella Greeden.”

However, it was not the respect, envy, and looking up voices that the student expected.

A voice as if mocking.

Because of that, the student flinched and took a step back.

The staff member didn’t ask further and turned her body to go elsewhere.

“W-what is that woman! I won’t just let it be!”

But there was nothing special the students could do.

“Next student, state your name.”

Because of the staff who didn’t budge even when they mentioned their family, the children of noble families retreated with their momentum slightly deadened, and the staff checked all the students’ names.

The late students could barely go out of the dormitory only after receiving demerits.

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The students who came outside moved much more promptly than before they came out.

It was thanks to confirming that the staff really didn’t go easy on them.

The staff led the students to the plaza.

Because they didn’t move in a line particularly, the students walked in pairs with other students they had become close to in the meantime.

There were students who had become close even before entering, but most were with their roommates.

Evi looked at such students with envious eyes and then slightly turned her gaze.

There, Irene was surrounded by many students.

There were many students who visited the room, but outside, even more students hovered around Irene.

To the extent that the staff member leading them had requested the students around Irene to lower their voices several times.

Nevertheless, the female students did not leave in order to somehow greet Irene or try to say one more word to her.

Evi looked at that scene and turned her gaze as if it were regrettable.

At that moment, a strange female student suddenly appeared and stood next to Evi.

“Hello? You’re Evi Alden, right? I’m Rimora Isel.”

The female student who identified herself as Rimora smiled brightly and reached out her hand.

“A-ah, hello!”

Since it was the first time a student had approached her so actively, Evi hurriedly held her hand.

Then Rimora smiled brightly and said.

“You might not know by looking at me, but I’m also a commoner like you. So it won’t be easy, but please treat me comfortably.”

As she said so, Rimora stroked her brooch as if to show it off.

Under the sunlight, the brooch studded with jewels sparkled to a burdensome extent.

She said to treat her comfortably, but at that sparkling, Evi had no choice but to become cautious again.

“I heard you’re from an orphanage; which orphanage is it? Truiden? Would it be there, as expected? Since it’s a place near the capital, His Majesty must have gone there several times.”

“Y-yes?”

Evi could hardly follow Rimora’s words.

Even if she put aside the fact that she comfortably asked about being from an orphanage, why did the name of a city next to the capital suddenly come out?

And suddenly His Majesty?

“By any chance, has it been decided where you will be adopted after graduation? If not…”

Rimora looked around slightly and then whispered in a small voice.

“Are you perhaps an illegitimate child of some family?”

“Pardon?”

At the word illegitimate child, Evi’s eyes grew round.

She knew what that word meant. And also how much people avoided it while spitting it out.

But to suddenly have such a question.

When Evi was dazed, not knowing what to answer, Rimora hugged Evi’s arm and continued to whisper as if they were very close friends.

“It’s okay. You can tell me everything. We’re friends, aren’t we? Anyway, you don’t have to hide things like that. If it’s a good family, you’ll receive help later, won’t you?”

Friends…?

They had only just exchanged greetings.

Furthermore, Rimora had only unilaterally spoken and thrown questions by herself.

But when she suddenly said they were friends, Evi could only be bewildered.

And…

‘If it were a friend, they wouldn’t ask such questions recklessly.’

Evi thought of her friends at the orphanage.

It was an orphanage with a large number of children. Therefore, to be honest, it was difficult to become friends with everyone.

There were children she only knew the faces of, and children she didn’t have a good relationship with.

Among such many children, Evi remembered well how the children she could call friends treated her.

Everyone always spoke while thinking of the other person’s feelings.

They didn’t say bad things and didn’t say things that would make them sad.

So, they wouldn’t have done something like Rimora was doing now, asking only what she was curious about and throwing questions while bringing up bad words.

After thinking for a moment, Evi shook her head.

“Um… none of that is true. I came from a city in the eastern part of the empire called Elam City. Naturally, I’ve never met His Majesty the Emperor. And I don’t know at all who my parents are. Not even one of them.”

When Evi spoke firmly, Rimora, who had been chattering while hugging her arm, let go of her hand in embarrassment.

“Eh? That can’t be… but in the rumors, definitely…”

She muttered something to herself and left Evi to go toward the students she had been with until a little while ago.

When she was left all alone again, the students buzzed.

At the moment Evi turned her head to see what was going on, Evi saw a face she knew.

Among the students coming from the male dormitory side, Arcel and Ruska were standing at the very front.