Chapter 30

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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Trudge, trudge.

Seraphina watched the back of Rimora, who was returning powerlessly with her shoulders drooping.

“I, I hate that! I’d rather receive a different punishment with penalty points!”

‘She must have thought she was acting quite smart herself.’

But she wasn’t really a child with the brains to act cunningly.

If she had been, she would have bowed her head at her instructions, saying she understood and that she would visit every day until Evi forgave her.

But Rimora flatly said she hated it and turned her back on Evi just like that.

One could tell just by that attitude.

Rimora had absolutely no intention of sincerely apologizing to Evi.

Seraphina clicked her tongue and returned to the room. Then she said to Evi, who was inside the room.

“It has unfortunately turned out this way, even though you were considerate enough not to draw the attention of other children.”

At the word ‘considerate,’ Evi gave a sheepish smile.

In fact, Seraphina had intended to tell Rimora to come down because she had something to say regarding a matter related to Evi when she called her.

However, when she gave that instruction to the staff, Evi grabbed her clothes and shook her head.

“You shouldn’t do that. Because then everyone else will find out too…”

While saying so, Evi asked her to call Rimora here as if looking for her for another matter.

So that other students would not know that Rimora was related to this incident.

At Seraphina’s praise, Evi smiled awkwardly.

‘Because the Director always did it this way.’

There were many children at the orphanage. Therefore, disputes never ceased.

Among them were children who secretly did ‘bad things’ in this way.

Especially children who stole things or made a mess of other friends’ belongings.

When such things happened, the children looked for the culprit with fire in their eyes.

At those times, the Director occasionally used to call certain children, saying ‘help me with work.’

Evi had really thought those children were called to help the Director with her work.

Until she forgot to knock and was about to enter, only to overhear the conversation inside.

Then, how surprised was she to find out that the children called that way were actually the culprits?

Later, when she was alone with the Director, Evi asked why she had called them with such a lie.

“That’s because that is the greatest punishment and reflection.”

Evi couldn’t understand the Director’s answer.

As she wore a face that seemed to have no idea, the Director stroked Evi’s head and spoke again.

“For the things you did wrong, you must reflect yourself. An apology made by force while mindful of others’ gazes is meaningless. It is very painful and anxious to not be able to open your heart to anyone and worry about when your fault will be caught. Even while friends are laughing and playing, a person who did wrong cannot truly laugh.”

Evi told Seraphina the words of the Director she remembered.

Then Seraphina laughed and patted Evi’s shoulder.

“She’s a good teacher.”

At that moment, a voice was heard from behind the wooden partition that divided the space.

“It’s all good, but can we leave now?”

“Ah, sorry. I had forgotten about the two of you. Come out.”

When Seraphina laughed, Ruska came out from behind the partition grumbling. Naturally, Arcel was with him.

“Now you two may return. Even if this is a building for staff, it’s still an annex to the girls’ dormitory. No matter what privileges you’ve received from His Majesty the Emperor, entering the girls’ dormitory is still a bit much, isn’t it?”

“We didn’t come in for that!”

Ruska raised his voice loudly as if asking if she saw him as a pervert, then hurriedly shut his mouth.

“No, we were here in case that Rimora or whatever her name is would lie until the end…”

It was true.

The reason the two remained was to prepare for when Rimora would flatly deny it until the end, saying she had never done such a thing.

“I’m glad it ended before that.”

While Ruska muttered, Arcel spoke to Evi.

Evi lowered her head upon seeing that the jacket he was wearing again was folded and wrinkled.

“Ah, thank you for lending me the clothes. And thank you for making it so that Rimora would speak first.”

When Rimora entered, it was Arcel’s opinion to deliberately turn off the lights and make her fall into a panic before making her see Evi.

“Probably with just that, she’ll likely get angry on her own and speak of her own fault first.”

It certainly turned out just as Arcel had said.

Seraphina clicked her tongue inwardly while looking at Arcel, who spoke calmly.

‘To think that young thing suggested something similar to a prisoner of war interrogation method from somewhere…’

She didn’t stop him. Honestly, Seraphina also hoped for at least this much corporal punishment for Rimora, who had done such a thing.

‘One must experience fear themselves to know that others are also afraid.’

At the very least, from now on, she wouldn’t be able to think of things like trapping others alone in the dark.

“Anyway, it’s too late, so you two go back. I won’t see you off, is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“Certainly.”

“Then let’s do our greetings slowly later. Go on.”

At Seraphina’s words, the two gave a bow and waved their hands to Evi.

“See you tomorrow!”

Ruska laughed cheerfully.

“It was hard, wasn’t it? Go and rest.”

Arcel in a calm voice, politely.

Evi bowed deeply to the two who were waving their hands to her.

“Thank you so much for today.”

At Evi’s greeting, the two waved their hands until the door closed.

Watching that, Seraphina thought that all sorts of things happened.

‘Those fellows aren’t ones to take care of others like that.’

Since Seraphina was also a close associate of Clois, she was also an acquaintance of the two since they were young.

‘I wonder what’s going on with those guys who seemed like they would only have each other as friends in the world.’

Then her gaze went to Evi, who was picking up her bag.

Come to think of it, she herself was strange today.

‘Magic casting was much easier and faster than I thought it would be.’

The entire Imperial Palace is made so that magic casting is difficult due to an ancient power.

So even though she had cast the magic by even borrowing a mana stone, she had not been confident in finding her at once.

However, not only was it cast more strongly than usual, but didn’t she find Evi at once as if someone was leading her?

‘I was able to use magic exactly like this back when Lilian was here…’

Then the faces of Arcel and Ruska suddenly came to mind.

When she thought that the two children she saw after a long time were somehow unfamiliar yet familiar, the two were smiling just as they did when Lilian was alive.

‘Why?’

Same for herself. Same for the two fellows.

What was the reason for them being different from usual?

“Then I shall be going as well. Thank you so much for using magic and finding me today. The light coming down like stars was really pretty!”

Evi laughed brightly, perhaps recalling that moment.

“Uh…”

At that moment, Seraphina realized.

That the thin child in front of her was wearing a familiar smile.

It was the same smile as Lilian in the portrait she had seen while bringing Evi out.

Seraphina’s eyes scanned Evi.

Dry but bright blonde hair. And deep green eyes.

‘They look alike.’

“Director?”

“Ah, sorry.”

Seraphina woke up from her thoughts at Evi’s call.

Imperial Princess Evbien died. At the time, everyone inside the castle testified to the death of the two, and Clois personally recovered the bodies.

Even knowing that, Seraphina’s eyes momentarily turned toward the back of Evi’s hand.

Then, she gave a bitter smile upon seeing the clean back of the hand with nothing on it.

‘What was I thinking?’

Why did she look for the appearances of the Emperor and his wife in a child from the orphanage?

Seraphina left the room with Evi.

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“Phew…”

Evi went up the stairs and quietly opened the door to her room, Room 305.

Seraphina said she would take her to her room, but a staff member of the Gifted Center looked for her outside.

Listening to the complaints, it seemed that an enormous pile of work to be done had accumulated.

Seraphina repeatedly said she was sorry and that she would see her later before trudging back, and Evi also returned to her room alone.

She had to wash up quickly and prepare for tomorrow.

‘I should go in quietly.’

It was already a very late hour. Irene might have already fallen asleep.

Evi, who was about to open the door very quietly, found a paper bag placed in front of the room door.

“…?”

When she opened it to see what it was, inside were sandwiches and fruit that were clearly brought from the Gifted Center’s cafeteria, as well as cookies and candy.

‘I guess the staff members packed them for me.’

If she had known in advance, she would have also said thank you for this.

Evi went into the room with the paper bag in her arms.

A moment after Evi entered.

The room door across from hers opened slightly and Irene subtly poked her head out.

Then, after confirming that there was nothing in front of Evi’s door, she closed the door again with a satisfied expression.

The noisy second day ended like that.