Chapter 18

* * *
Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
* * *

When the students of the Gifted Center entered the main palace, many ministers and staff were standing there as if they had been waiting.

“Hello! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

There was no way they wouldn’t know.

The schedule for coming to the main palace like this today had already been shared since several days ago.

However, the students smiled as if it were truly a coincidence and greeted the ministers.

“Look, that’s Count Heres, the Foreign Minister.”

“Over there is… Sir Taran of the Imperial Knights!”

When the students mentioned who the people inside were, other students who heard the names also let out exclamations of surprise.

They were all high nobles whom everyone knew if just their names were mentioned.

Therefore, the students who were acquainted with them greeted and held conversations with them as if to show off.

At the behavior of such noble students, the commoner students had no choice but to shrink back relatively.

“Yes, how is life at the Gifted Center? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

It was only the second day since they entered, but the ministers who served as guardians had worried faces as if the children hadn’t been home for months.

“I’m doing well. Thank you for worrying.”

In fact, there were plenty of things to be dissatisfied with, but they couldn’t say those things in front of so many people.

They weren’t only talking to their own guardians.

The students deliberately greeted all the nobles they knew.

It was in order to brag that they were the children of such a powerful family.

Rimora bit her lip while watching that scene.

The staff of the Gifted Center treated them more fairly than expected.

So she thought there wouldn’t be a major problem if she just did well.

But seeing this scene now, it seemed she was at too much of a disadvantage from the start.

However, she only felt resentment; there was nothing she could put forward in front of them.

But as expected, seeing the nobles laughing and chatting among themselves like this made her stomach churn.

‘It would be nice if I also had connections.’

How great would it be if she knew someone like the Minister of State, who is said to be the Emperor’s closest confidant?

Then she would be able to flatten the noses of the other noble students who were showing off their connections in front of her like that.

While Rimora was rolling her head here and there, she saw Evi standing alone.

In an instant, Rimora’s eyes became sharp.

Even while coming here, she had been worrying.

‘I have to find out if that kid is really nothing or if she’s lying because she purposefully doesn’t want to introduce her connections to me.’

She thought that Evi would naturally brag about her relationship with the Emperor when she spoke to her while pretending to be friendly.

However, when she spoke to her, far from having a relationship, she didn’t even seem to know that she was picked thanks to the Emperor.

Even now, opinions were divided among her friends.

While there was a friend who thought Evi really had no relationship, there was also a friend who argued that she was cleverly pretending not to know while trying to keep her distance from them.

What was certain was that at this rate, she wouldn’t be able to know which side was the truth.

‘She’s young but doesn’t seem to open her mouth easily.’

However, it wasn’t that there was no way. She just had to make her tell the truth even by force, didn’t she?

Rimora immediately approached Evi.

And then she grabbed Evi’s wrist and spoke as if to let those around her hear.

“If His Majesty the Emperor were here, Evi would have greeted him too. It’s a pity, right?”

At the mention of the word Emperor, people’s gazes flocked in an instant.

Even the people who had been having pleasant conversations shut their mouths and looked at Evi and Rimora.

“Pardon?”

Evi looked at Rimora, unable to understand what on earth she was talking about.

Even when they first exchanged greetings, she asked questions she could hardly understand, so why was the story of the Emperor suddenly coming out here?

“Why are you pretending to be humble? It’s a story everyone knows that His Majesty the Emperor picked you separately.”

Rimora continued to speak, regardless of Evi being surprised.

Evi was truly surprised.

“Pardon? He picked me?”

It was truly the first time she had heard that story. Why would the Emperor pick her?

Elam City is a rural city far from the capital. Furthermore, the Lord also said he had no acquaintance with the center.

So when it was said that Evi would enter the Gifted Center, didn’t he have a truly surprised face?

But for the Emperor to have picked her. Such a thing would only be possible for children of high nobles…

While Evi was dazed and didn’t know what to do, Rimora gave a smirk and spoke clearly.

“So you bragged that you met His Majesty separately. I was so envious while listening.”

This was a lie.

‘But what are you going to do about it?’

Even if she claimed here that she had never said such a thing, people would think Evi lied anyway.

Since everyone knows she’s the child picked by the Emperor, they would think she bragged about it.

If she didn’t want to become a liar, Evi would eventually have to talk about the story of her meeting the Emperor.

‘I think I used my head well.’

Rimora looked at Evi while chuckling inwardly.

Evi, with a flustered face, looked around the noisy surroundings here and there.

That appearance seemed as if she were looking for someone, making Rimora’s words more plausible.

The students from commoner backgrounds also had faces of great interest.

At the expressions of everyone expecting how things would turn out, Rimora gained strength and opened her mouth again.

“That His Majesty would look after you well in the future…”

“I’ve been watching and watching, but just how far are you going to lie!”

While Rimora was continuing to list things Evi had never said, another female student suddenly raised her voice and interrupted.

“I was staying quiet because I felt sorry and pitiful in my own way, but this is too much. That child, she wasn’t picked because His Majesty had a separate connection, but he just picked her because he felt sorry for her from the discarded documents, that’s all! But why are you lying as if you meet and spend time with His Majesty?”

At those words, the surroundings became quiet.

When the story they were curious about came out, the students held their breath and continued to listen to the female student’s words.

“Really… know your place. Although various things happened that day, it was nothing more than being luckily picked while he was at it to refresh the atmosphere!”

The female student who spoke so shut her mouth after her gaze met her guardian’s surprised face.

Basically, it is forbidden to speak outside about what happened in the meeting room of the Imperial Palace.

But if she spoke so clearly like this, there would be nothing to say if she were interrogated as to where she heard those words.

The female student, who realized her mistake, turned her body and disappeared among the students.

The people remaining were only Rimora and Evi.

“What is that commotion there?”

The staff member, who had stepped aside for a brief conversation, was surprised by the high-pitched voice and approached.

It seemed she had not heard what kind of conversation went back and forth, as she had been away.

Rimora hurriedly let go of Evi’s hand, which she had been holding, and went back to the group of her close friends as if they were strangers.

When Rimora returned, her friends whispered.

“See that? I told you it was strange.”

“To think she has no relationship with His Majesty at all. Then she’s really a child who entered because she was lucky.”

“Even if it’s not His Majesty, if there were a noble family she was close to, she would have mentioned the name, but did you see her standing dazed without being able to say anything? She’s really a kid with nothing.”

Then they said to Rimora.

“It’s a relief we found out before becoming closer. As expected of Rimora. To think you found out all at once like this.”

“That’s right. It’s a relief we found out before going around with her more. Did you see the nobles’ gazes earlier? They were really gazes of annoyance.”

“It’s understandable. Who would like it when she tells lies like meeting His Majesty?”

At her friends’ words, Rimora shut her mouth.

Of course, Evi had never said such a thing. Since it was all a lie she made up herself.

However, she didn’t feel a particular need to correct it.

Anyway, who would listen to that kid’s words now.

At that moment, the student next to Rimora wore a smile similar to hers and whispered.

“Then that kid… there’s no need to become close or look after her, is there?”

“…?”

When Rimora looked at her as if asking what she wanted to say, the friend glared at Evi and said.

“Does a child who tells lies like that from the start really need to remain in the Gifted Center? Rather, it would be a relief if we don’t even get glared at for the reason of being the same commoners.”

At those words, Rimora thought for a moment and then spoke in a small voice.

“I have a good idea.”

* * *

And Evi, who was standing alone amidst the cold gazes of people, clenched her fists.

It wasn’t a feeling of resentment or sadness.

The words Rimora and the noble student had said continued to linger in her ears.

‘His Majesty himself picked me.’

Whether it was because he felt sorry or by coincidence, that was a clear fact.

No matter what people whispered, a smile was hung on Evi’s face.

In fact, she had been feeling anxious even after entering. Seeing such incredible students, she wondered if she had been chosen incorrectly.

She had felt such anxiety until today, wondering what if they told her to go back to the orphanage.

But it became certain with the event a little while ago.

The reason didn’t matter. She had entered this place because the Emperor had properly checked the documents and picked her.

The anxiety that she had felt just in case disappeared.

It didn’t matter what others said.

‘I can be here.’

That fact made Evi happy.