Chapter 42

* * *
Translated by Sylph

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

Her desperately honed self-control fortunately caught the words that were about to burst out.

She wanted to hug her right away and rub her cheeks against hers, but the opponent was not an animal but a person and her roommate.

‘I can’t ruin my image as soon as we meet.’

So Irene composed her mind and observed Evi.

Then she saw the small height and body, and the skeletal thin wrists.

The youngest age in the Gifted Center was 7 years old.

But no matter who looked, Evi only looked about 5 years old.

The moment she recognized that, her eyes rolled.

What? What is it? From what kind of place did she come that she is so thin?

Wondering if it was a trace of abuse she had only heard of, she almost picked her up right away and went to find the security forces.

No, should she take her right away to the South where she lived and fatten her up?

Anyway, this was definitely not normal.

Then she heard the words spoken by the students who were attached next to her. That she was a commoner and from an orphanage.

Irene also knew well what kind of place an orphanage was.

They said there were many well-operated places, but a large number of directors embezzled support funds and abused the children.

Especially, it was said to have become even worse as too many orphans were born after the war.

So she thought Evi was also from such an orphanage.

“Hair, skin, body. Everything is a mess. Do they starve the children in the orphanage where you are?”

While grinding her teeth inwardly, determined not to leave such a place alone, she asked, and Evi jumped and said it wasn’t so.

Listening to her cry out that the place she was in was not like that, she observed.

Certainly she was small and thin, but no wounds or bruises were seen anywhere on her face or body.

Irene quickly realized her mistake.

So she was about to apologize for her speculation when the other students intimidated Evi.

In her heart, she wanted to shout, “Shut up and stay still! Evi can’t speak!” but the things she had promised her sister before leaving came to mind.

Anyway, since she had to live quietly here for at least a few years, she couldn’t act toward the students as she had in the South.

So she took them and left the room. Because that seemed better for Evi.

‘I must face her properly separately and apologize.’

But she couldn’t meet Evi again that evening, and the next morning, the other students who came to find her sent Evi out as they pleased.

She felt like tears would come.

‘This is not it! Why did I say such a thing! As my sister said, should I fix my way of speaking first!’

She shouldn’t have spoken carelessly from the beginning. But even if she regretted it, it was already too late.

So she was eyeing a chance to apologize, but because the team was split after going to the museum, she missed Evi.

And they hadn’t found Evi until night, causing a fuss.

With the self-reproach that she couldn’t take care of her roommate properly, Irene couldn’t lift her face.

So she stayed by Evi’s side from the next day, but she could hardly strike up a conversation.

‘That Ruska Lagselve!’

Whenever she tried to sneakily say something, Ruska always cut in.

So Irene could hardly strike up a conversation. Moreover, Evi somehow seemed to find her difficult.

It was the same when seen from outside.

Seeing Evi eating alone in the distance, she wanted to run to her right away, but the children next to her discovered Evi and their expressions hardened as if they didn’t want to see her.

So Irene couldn’t approach Evi’s side.

Because it seemed like Evi would be bitten again because of her if she went now.

‘After some time passes, wouldn’t she at least say hello in the room…?’

So she tried to wait for more time to pass and for Evi to let down her guard…

‘Ruska and Arcel are coming find her again and playing together?’

The moment she heard from students running up that Evi had become close with Arcel and Ruska, she felt her patience crack.

‘These thieves! She’s my roommate!’

To think they became close with Evi before her.

In the end, today, Irene couldn’t hold back and followed Evi early in the morning.

It was a time when the sky was only just beginning to brighten.

Coming out and looking at the dormitory, there were no rooms with lights on.

Irene also felt drowsiness crowding in, but she continued to follow Evi.

‘Just where is she going from such dawn?’

Then she suddenly headed for the garden. She wondered why on earth she would enter there at this dawn.

She went into the greenhouse and came out holding flowers from the gardeners who were there.

In an instant, Irene remembered the vase in the common entrance used with Evi.

Surely she hadn’t seen the vase on the day she first entered, but at some point there was a small vase and the flowers changed every day.

She had naturally thought it was something done by the Gifted Center.

She thought the sense of decorating was a bit lacking, but it was enough because she could smell the good flower scent in the morning.

But looking at it now, it seemed Evi had been changing those flowers every day.

Irene continued to pursue Evi. She thought she would return to the dormitory right away, but this time she headed for the cafeteria.

‘At this time?’

There might be students who eat breakfast early, but even so, it was too early an hour.

Following her in, as expected, the only student inside was Evi.

Watching Evi go while holding the meal given abundantly by the staff, Irene also hurriedly received a meal.

Then she purposefully sat in front of Evi.

As expected, Evi was greatly flustered and didn’t know what to do.

The meal began, but the only thing heard was the small sound of the fork and knife occasionally hitting the plate.

“…”

“…”

In an awkward atmosphere, the quiet meal continued.

Evi wanted to cry.

‘Why is this happening?’

After receiving warnings from Irene’s friends, she had spent her time carefully.

She came out early and went in late so as not to be seen as much as possible.

Even within the Gifted Center, if Irene was seen in the distance, she purposefully went a long way around.

At that moment, Irene opened her mouth.

“The flowers in the entrance, did you put them there every day?”

“Y-yes!”

Due to tension, a loud answer came out.

‘Was it something I shouldn’t have done after all?’

Because many flowers were left over after taking them with the thought of making Professor Malles’ classroom pretty, she had obtained a vase and put them in the room as well.

At first she thought of putting them just once, but the gardeners gave more and more beautiful flowers.

So she had changed them every day…

“…If it was uncomfortable by any chance, I won’t do it starting from tomorrow.”

When Evi wore a troubled expression, Irene hurriedly shook her head.

“It’s not that! I just asked because they’re pretty!”

At those words, Evi let out a sigh of relief. It was the same for Irene.

‘This won’t do.’

Misunderstandings would only pile up if she hesitated.

“First of all, I apologize.”

“Pardon? For what…”

“I’m sorry for misunderstanding about your orphanage’s circumstances last time. Because I’ve heard bad things, I thought of it as I pleased. I never intended to insult the people who looked after you.”

Irene spoke honestly of the mistake she made and apologized.

Listening to Irene’s words, Evi wore a surprised expression.

Even in Elam, such things happened occasionally.

People used to look at her and sympathize, thinking she was certainly pitiful if she was a child from an orphanage.

Even though the Director tried her best for the children, people didn’t believe it and continued to believe she was a ‘pitiful child,’ and while she thought it couldn’t be helped, how upset she had been.

But Irene was the first person who said she had misunderstood that thought and apologized.

“I just, because you were so small… ah, this is not it.”

Irene, who was mumbling, realized she made a mistake again and covered her face with both hands.

At that sight, Evi let out a giggle and ended up laughing.

Until now, whenever she saw Irene, she always thought she was like a princess in a fairy tale she had read.

Beautiful appearance and cold attitude. And perfect etiquette.

But the Irene before her right now took a very comfortable attitude, unlike when she was with other people.

The atmosphere of the table became softer than a moment ago.

* * *

After that, the meal ended in a comfortable atmosphere. They didn’t have a great conversation, but at least the initial awkwardness disappeared.

Moreover…

“Then is it okay to say hello in the morning?”

“Of course. You’re my roommate. You can do it at night too.”

Irene nodded as if it were natural.

Evi’s face brightened at that answer.

At that moment, Irene said as if she had forgotten.

“Ah, I think it would be better not to talk to me when other people are around.”

Irene’s expression while saying so was not good.

‘It can’t be helped.’

The students who swarm around her side will surely badmouth Evi to the point of being tedious if Evi talks to her.

But she couldn’t push them all away. Wasn’t the goal when entering the Gifted Center a successful entry into the capital’s social circle?

So even if she didn’t like them, she had to keep them by her side and force herself to act close.

That was the work she had to do here as the daughter of the Terence family.

‘So I should pretend not to know when they are around and get along well when the two of us are alone in the room.’

“That is a good thing for me and also for you.”

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Listening to Evi’s disappointed answer, Irene agonized.

She wants to get along well with Evi.

But she also has to build relationships with nobles.

If she has to choose one between the two, what should she do?

At that moment, the sight of several carriages arriving in front of the dormitory was seen.

Perhaps because of that bustle, children who would usually still be asleep opened their windows and looked outside to see what was happening.

At that moment, someone shouted.

“The gifts from the guardians have arrived!”