Chapter 46

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.

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Irene and Ezriella glared at each other, and tension filled the air.

Evi didn’t know much about noble society, but she could tell that the current situation was by no means a good thing for Irene.

Normally, many people would have taken Irene’s side.

Hadn’t everyone been trying to get even a single glance from Irene?

But now, not a single person took Irene’s side.

Instead, they slowly approached Ezriella’s side and added their words.

“Indeed. To tell someone to bow their head over such a thing?”

“I agree. I think Miss Irene is being a bit too much.”

The problem that started with a guardian’s gift was now growing into a conflict between nobles and commoners.

As the atmosphere turned toward the students taking her side, Ezriella puffed out her chest and assumed an arrogant expression.

Meanwhile, students drew closer to Ezriella’s side.

Even the children who were busy following Irene around.

They knew they should strive to win Irene’s favor.

‘But…’

They could not tolerate poking at their basic pride, the privileges of the nobility.

Furthermore, not all students desired Irene’s favor.

‘Just because she’s from the south.’

Children who had lived in the capital all their lives, like Ezriella, considered the south to be the countryside.

So no matter how much money she had, they thought Irene was also below their level compared to themselves.

However, because the power of the Terence family was so strong, they just couldn’t show it.

But now, they had a reason to drive Irene into a corner for what they considered a legitimate reason.

‘I also don’t like how the southern nobles act too boldly.’

‘Maybe it’s better to press her down a bit now.’

Moreover, to tell a young lady from a noble house like Ezriella to bow her head to such a wretched child.

Students who thought they wanted to stay out of this matter altogether pretended not to see and hurriedly returned to their rooms.

Now only Irene was standing next to Evi.

To anyone, it looked like the sides were completely divided.

Evi glanced at Irene.

Irene was the one who told her not to talk to her in front of people when they were eating.

So she had intended to be careful, but to think she would step forward and protect her like this herself.

When the children of noble families came to her side, Ezriella crossed her arms and said confidently.

“Miss Irene? Why don’t you think about it again?”

At Ezriella’s confident voice, Evi lightly grabbed the clothes of Irene, who was protecting her.

Then Irene looked at Evi.

Evi shook her head.

It meant that there was no need to do this because of her.

So it meant she should reconcile with Ezriella reasonably even now…

“It’s the same even if I think about it a thousand times. I have no reason to apologize to someone who doesn’t know what they should and shouldn’t say.”

Irene completely dropped even the polite tone she had maintained and glared at Ezriella.

At that moment, the staff, realizing the problem was unusual, approached.

“What’s going on there?”

As the staff came, the children turned away as if nothing had happened.

Completely separated like that, the matter ended.

* * *

*Thud.*

When the door closed, Evi slumped down while hugging the mana stone in her chest.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere? Did you get injured? Ezriella, she really…!”

“No, it’s not like that… why did you… if you fight with others like that!”

She remembered the gazes of the students who turned away from her and Irene.

From tomorrow, Irene would surely be ignored by people just like her.

“Ah, the ostracizing? Don’t worry about it.”

“Still, I’m used to it, but you, Irene…”

“I told you to just call me Irene. And I have no intention of getting along with those who take others’ things as they please and say such things. Let them ostracize me if they want. Hmph!”

Irene continued to speak as if she felt refreshed instead.

“I was full of annoyance from holding it in, but it’s actually more comfortable. Ah, my sister will say something… eh. I don’t care.”

Irene grumbled while checking on Evi.

Seeing how she meticulously checked even the inside of the arm that had been grabbed by Ezriella to see if she was hurt, Evi thought of the Director.

The Director was the person who had worried about her and looked after her for the first time in her life.

After that, she thought there would be no one else who would worry about someone she had no relation to as much as the Director…

Evi felt her heart warming, so she hugged the mana stone in her chest and lowered her head.

‘I’m glad I came here.’

Irene might regret it as early as tomorrow. Because being ignored by people is a very sad and difficult thing before getting used to it.

Even so, today Irene helped her. Just that fact made Evi happy.

“Thank you.”

“Hmm? For what?”

“For helping me. Thanks to you, I could keep the gift.”

Evi smiled and took out the mana stone from her chest.

“Even if it were a fake, it was the first gift I ever received. So I hated having it taken away…”

“What are you talking about?”

“This mana stone. You said it was real to take my side…”

“Huh? That’s real.”

Irene, who was listening to Evi, blinked as if asking what she was talking about.

At Irene’s words, Evi’s eyes also widened.

“It’s real?”

“Yes. Let me tell you in advance, people of our family do not lie about items no matter what happens.”

As she said that, Irene tapped the mana stone Evi was holding.

“This isn’t a crude fake like the ones that appear in markets. It’s a mana stone with truly proper power dwelling in it. But all strong mana stones are in the Imperial Palace, so it won’t have incredible power. It’ll probably just emit light and that’s all.”

“Aren’t mana stones precious things?”

“Precious, indeed. This much would fetch at least 10 million gold at an auction house, wouldn’t it?”

At those words, Evi’s mouth fell open.

“Your guardian seems to cherish you quite a bit. To send you something like this.”

“Th-that can’t be true…”

Professor Sian was someone who didn’t even know who she was.

So it was surprising enough that he sent a gift, but there was no way he would give such an expensive and precious thing.

‘I did lend him a handkerchief, though.’

That matter was not a grand enough thing to receive a precious mana stone for.

It was her first gift, and it was also her first time holding something so precious.

Evi’s hands, which were holding the mana stone, trembled.

‘What if he contacts me later to ask for it back?’

If so, it would be understandable. There was no way he would give such a precious thing to her to keep. Perhaps it was sent by mistake and he would come to find it soon.

‘Then I should keep it well until then.’

Evi dearly hugged the mana stone, which was still warm. It was a pleasant warmth.

* * *

That night, Evi placed the mana stone on the nightstand next to her bed.

The mana stone settled naturally as if that spot had been its place from the beginning.

Evi placed her hand on the mana stone. Then, the mana stone, as if waiting, emitted light and became warm.

It was a stone that became more fascinating the more she looked at it. When she touched it, light and heat flowed out. When she touched it again, they disappeared.

Evi stared for a long time at the mana stone emitting a soft light in the dark room.

“It really keeps shining…”

Even though she had heard it would continue to have power since it was a real mana stone, she kept being mindful of it.

Rather than whether it was real or fake, she was regretful of what if this beautiful color and warmth disappeared.

But the light and warmth of the mana stone remained the same even after she touched it several times throughout the day.

Evi, who continued to look at the mana stone, got under the covers. Now it was really time to sleep.

Normally, she would have covered herself up to the top of her head with the quilt. Because she was afraid of the dark.

Furthermore, after the day she was trapped in the museum, she occasionally thought that if the room was pitch black, she might be trapped again.

‘But now I’m okay.’

She thought of the time before she came to the orphanage.

She had to work for a long time even after the sun went down.

When she finally finished work, went to the shed, covered herself with straw, and tried to fall asleep, she thought of what the innkeeper and people had said during the day.

That at night, people who died during the war become ghosts and roam around.

So if they discover a living person, they take them away.

Whenever they said that, they would chuckle while seeing Evi terrified.

At the same time, they would get annoyed, saying, “Even so, she doesn’t cry. How stubborn.”

Even while thinking that such things don’t exist in the world, Evi was afraid of the night when there was not a single light.

That didn’t get much better even after entering the orphanage.

At first, for Evi who was afraid of the night, the Director would light a candle next to her and stay with her.

But she couldn’t do that every day.

Candles were expensive and the Director also had to rest.

So Evi pretended to be okay, saying she was no longer afraid.

‘It got a bit better after falling asleep with my friends, but…’

When she came to the Gifted Center and had to sleep alone again, she thought of the scary stories she had heard when she was young.

‘I’m seven now, so I’m okay.’

Even if she clenched her fists while thinking that, in the end, when she fell asleep, she had to pull the quilt over her head.

But not today.

Evi’s eyes closed softly at the pleasant soft light that was neither blinding nor dark.

Today she became friends with Irene and received a wonderful gift.

‘Really…’

I’m glad I came here.

Thinking so, Evi comfortably fell into sleep.

* * *

At the same time.

“I wonder if she liked the gift.”

Clois was muttering while sitting by the window.