Chapter 16

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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Once all the students had gathered, the staff began to move with the children of the Gifted Center again.

Evi also moved along, buried among the people.

Rimora, who had been sticking to her side while pretending to be friendly until a little while ago, still had not returned.

Instead, she busyly whispered something with students who looked close, and kept glancing at Evi.

‘What are they talking about?’

Even if she couldn’t hear, it was certain that they were having a conversation with her as the subject.

So Evi deliberately hid her body among the people.

When Evi was not visible, the children who were with Rimora got annoyed.

“Ah! I don’t see her again. She’s so small that once you lose her, it’s hard to find her.”

“But is she the child you said, Rimora, who might be related to His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Um, that’s… oh my, let’s hurry or we’ll lose them.”

Rimora spoke evasively and walked forward with large strides, past her friends.

‘What should I do? I thought it was a good opportunity…’

She bit her lip.

Before entering the Gifted Center, she had heard the news that there was a child the Emperor had directly chosen.

So she heard that the narrow-minded nobles were thinking of that fact very unpleasantly.

Until now, the Emperor had never particularly designated someone.

It was said that even the famous Arcel and Ruska had not met the Emperor except when entering the Imperial Palace with their parents.

‘But there’s no way he would choose a child who has no relationship at all.’

She thought the child might be at least the illegitimate child of someone close to the Emperor.

‘Irene Terence is difficult, but a tiny little kid like that is no problem.’

In fact, the person she wanted to become closest to was Irene, but she was too hard to approach.

Especially, the noble students glared as if to tell them not to even dare come near.

No matter how confident Rimora was, she didn’t have the confidence to push through them and approach Irene’s side.

Furthermore, Irene seemed to have no interest even though students from such great families were trying to become close.

So Rimora decided to target Evi Alden first, whom she could easily pull in.

So she deliberately approached while pretending to be friendly.

She thought that if she brought up the story of His Majesty the Emperor while talking, Evi would gladly tell everything she knew…

‘To think she’s nothing.’

At this rate, she would be criticized by her friends for pretending to know things for no reason.

‘What should I do? I have to say that she lied…’

While Rimora was worrying, everyone arrived at the gate leading to the inside of the Imperial Palace.

At the sight of the guards strictly guarding, the students who had been chattering and talking became quiet.

At the huge white building visible beyond the gate, someone muttered.

“It’s the real Imperial Palace…”

At someone’s muttered words, Evi nodded her head.

The Gifted Center was within the walls of the Imperial Palace, but to be precise, it was an auxiliary institution.

Therefore, it was a place that was not included in the part people called the Imperial Palace.

The staff checked the number of students and then handed the list with names written on it to the guard.

The guard confirmed the names one by one and only then moved aside so they could enter.

From the mouths of the students who passed through the gate and entered, voices of admiration flowed.

“I really entered the Imperial Palace…”

“It looks even cooler seeing it up close.”

“Originally, it’s a place we could never enter.”

At the fact that they had entered the most glorious place in the empire, the students were at a loss for what to do.

Of course, not everyone was like that.

Some students mocked the other students who were moved.

“As expected, it must be strange for commoners.”

“Right. I’ve come with my parents to the New Year’s banquet once.”

“Me too. My father attended the Lunar Meeting, and I’ve entered after receiving a visit permit.”

The students of high noble families shrugged their shoulders and acted as if they were already familiar with this place.

The students who were admiring their boasting quickly tidied their expressions.

Because if they looked around as if it were surprising, they felt like they would somehow become a laughingstock.

In the meantime, the children of noble families bragged to each other about how many times they had entered or when they had entered.

Evi stood among the people and looked at the Imperial Palace.

It was said to be the most beautiful and huge among the empire’s buildings.

Even from the Gifted Center, the top of the building was visible, but it was the first time she properly saw the entire appearance like this.

‘It’s really cool.’

With this size, it seemed as if all the people of Elam City where she lived could enter and still have space left.

Then she saw that there was a blackish mark on one side of the building that could be said to be perfect.

Other students besides Evi also saw it and wore puzzled expressions.

When everyone’s gaze turned toward it, the Gifted Center staff member smiled and began the explanation.

“The building you see in front of you is the main palace of the Imperial Palace. Even though it’s the main palace, five more buildings are connected to the back.”

When the staff began to walk, the students also walked behind her.

The students who had never entered the Imperial Palace followed her closely to hear the explanation in more detail.

Evi was the same.

“And that stain everyone is curious about is a mark left as a fire occurred during the Succession War. Everyone knows that the Imperial Palace suffered great damage at that time, right?”

The students responded by nodding their heads.

Evi also knew the story of that time.

It was said that many places throughout the wide Imperial Palace were burned. Fortunately, the main palace only had a part burned and escaped great damage, but it was said that many other places were completely burned and collapsed.

The Gifted Center also suffered damage at that time and closed, and many places were repaired.

So when she saw a place that was especially cleanly painted, she thought that it had been burned at that time and newly painted.

At that moment, a male student standing near Evi asked as if he didn’t understand.

“But why do such traces still remain in this noble place? Even the restoration of the streets of the capital has all been finished…”

The staff member answered quickly as if she expected that question to come out.

“It’s because by the will of His Majesty the Emperor, the restoration of the city area was prioritized over the Imperial Palace. Everyone must have seen the broken bridges or ports being restored first at that time. Budget was also assigned to external facilities before the Imperial Palace.”

At the conversation going back and forth, Evi thought.

‘I’ve heard this story before.’

When she was in the orphanage, there were times when the director came back with a brightly smiling face.

When asked if there was something good, she stroked Evi’s head and said.

“His Majesty commanded the lords to take care of the budget for the orphanages first. Thanks to that, we were able to buy food this time too without much problem.”

After the war, naturally, the empire was a mess.

Many things were broken and many things had disappeared.

So people were not in the right mind to care about others while taking care of themselves.

In such a situation, who would look after the children of an orphanage they had no relation to?

If it hadn’t been for the Emperor’s command, the food for the orphanage would have become something people thought of last.

‘Thanks to that, we were able to survive the winter.’

As if the words that the Emperor said to pay attention were not a lie, when the cold became severe, the Lord came and provided more food separately before leaving.

Thanks to that, she was able to spend every winter without starving.

Even last year, she received new blankets.

While boiling potatoes in the kitchen, the director said in passing.

“Really, for the current His Majesty, there are only things to be thankful for. Thanks to him quickly settling the war, the number of people dying also decreased, and he even looks after the very bottom like this…”

At the same time, she said that long ago, when it was a different emperor, they could hardly receive any money.

But while munching on a freshly boiled potato next to her, Evi had thought.

Even the Lord of Elam City only repaired the bridges and took care of people after he had fully restored his own castle.

‘So His Majesty the Emperor must have also taken care of us after taking care of everything of his own.’

However, seeing the current Imperial Palace, it was different from what she thought.

To think that while the Gifted Center had also completely finished its repairs, the repairs of the main palace where the Emperor resided were still in progress.

“Now, let’s move again. Detailed explanations will be given while going. Today, you’ll be able to see the Jewelry Hall, of course, and even the History Hall, which is not yet officially open.”

The staff member clapped her hands shortly and then began to move with the students.

In any case, everyone wanted to see the extravagant Imperial Palace, not a building with the scars of war remaining.

So the students quickly followed the staff and moved.

“They said we can also enter there?”

“That place is closed on days when there’s a banquet, so this is the first time going!”

“I heard it’s a place even the people working in the Imperial Palace can’t go to as they please.”

At the fact that they were entering a place difficult to get permission for, everyone followed the staff in excitement.

In the meantime, Evi looked at the traces of war still remaining on the Imperial Palace wall and bowed her waist toward the main palace.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I spent the winter well.”

Naturally, she didn’t think the Emperor would see her.

Even so, she wanted to convey her gratitude of that time even like this.

When Evi lifted her head again.

“Eh…?”

She could see the curtains of a window, high up in the main palace, flickering.