Chapter 47

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.

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He recalled the mana stone he had sent.

It was the very mana stone that had caught his eye for a long time when he entered the mana stone warehouse with Seraphina.

After overhearing the conversation of the ministers, Clois had spent the whole day agonizing over what kind of gift to send.

While working, while having tea, while reading a book, and even right before falling asleep.

At first, he had only intended to fulfill a formality.

In any case, she was a child who had come here because he had selected her.

He couldn’t look after her meticulously one by one, but shouldn’t he at least take care of the basic things that should be done?

If he had also entrusted this to the Minister of Internal Affairs, it would have been resolved on its own just like when he chose the guardian.

‘But…’

The appearance of the small child handing him the handkerchief kept flickering before his eyes.

If they had been a pair who hadn’t even seen each other’s faces once, it would have been a different story.

Since he thought of that child knowing him as Sian Roshen, he couldn’t send the gift haphazardly.

‘Furthermore, I should at least repay the handkerchief.’

If he just sent back the handkerchief on its own like this, he felt somehow it would be an unworthy thing to do.

Once he made up his mind to give a gift, the agonizing continued.

‘Fountain pens seem to be what everyone gives.’

Since he had decided to give a gift, he wanted to give something good if possible.

Obtaining good items was not the problem.

‘I don’t feel like giving the same thing as others.’

So he thought about giving clothes or accessories.

But he didn’t know much about them.

What her clothing size was, how big her feet were. What colors she liked and what accessories she preferred.

Furthermore, he had never seen or bought a child’s items in his life.

‘If I send it and she doesn’t like it much, that would also be a regrettable thing.’

Therefore, wouldn’t it be better to go together and choose directly?

‘But there’s no way we can go together.’

He had no intention of meeting Evi Alden anymore.

No, he shouldn’t.

On the spur of the moment, he had ended up lying that he was a professor.

He couldn’t say on the spot that he was the Emperor and that she had entered the tombs of the Empress and the Princess as she pleased.

Even if he had said that, there wouldn’t have been a problem, but… Clois didn’t want that child to be startled.

In any case, that child had seen him. Perhaps she heard about the guardian’s gift and was expecting it.

‘At least, I hope it becomes a joyful memory as much as the other children are happy.’

If she receives a gift, wouldn’t she think the professor she encountered once was a good person?

He thought that would be enough.

The problem was that he couldn’t quite decide what to gift.

No matter what he chose, nothing particularly appealed to him.

‘At least as much as what other ministers send, no, I want to send more than that.’

Rather than not sending at all, since it would be the first and last time he would send something, he wanted to send something that could be used for a long time and had value.

‘What on earth is that?’

Clois wrestled with the problem that had no answer all day.

Perhaps that had shown on his face.

“Your Majesty, are you alright? I’m worried because you seem to be dazed all day. If there is something wrong, I will call a doctor…”

The Minister of State said to him cautiously with a very worried face.

It was understandable.

Clois was someone who never overlooked meetings related to national affairs haphazardly, no matter how tired or lethargic he was.

But anyone could see he was in a state where he couldn’t concentrate, and he seemed to be deep in thought about something.

That wasn’t all. He would chuckle to himself, and then suddenly frown and mutter, “I don’t think this is it.”

At that appearance, many ministers’ eyes widened.

Clois was always a person with an expressionless face.

Occasionally what he revealed was only anger, contempt, and severe boredom.

But a smile on such a face.

So the Minister of State had urgently come to ask about his health.

“No, it’s not like that.”

Only after hearing the worried words of the Minister of State did Clois realize.

That he was thinking only of Evi’s gift all day.

Since ascending the throne, he had never worried about such a trivial matter.

And he had never agonized over a problem for this long.

It was not a normal situation.

Even while being aware of that fact, Clois didn’t feel like handing this matter over to someone else.

As he agonizing over the gift for several days, he continued his agonizing even after returning to his bedroom.

Then he turned off the light to sleep. In the room that had instantly become dark, he recalled the content Seraphina had reported a few days ago.

That day, Evi was discovered in the room where the portraits in the museum were hung.

It was a time long after it had already become dusky. How much would the child have trembled alone in that dark and cold place until then?

‘She must have been afraid.’

He was worried if she was still having a hard time because of that matter.

Then it would be hard every time she fell asleep… if there was something like a lamp to keep by her side…

At that moment, Clois jumped up from his seat and came outside.

The attendant standing outside followed him in surprise.

He strode toward the mana stone storage.

The guards, startled by the sudden appearance of the Emperor, saluted with stiff postures. Receiving their greetings reasonably, Clois went inside.

As soon as he entered, he found what he wanted.

That mana stone which had no power other than emitting a faint light and warmth.

The next morning, he requested it to be processed again.

So that the child wouldn’t be hurt even a little when touching it.

After commanding it to be packaged and sent, he couldn’t hide his sense of pride.

‘This much should not be lacking as a guardian’s gift.’

He didn’t know that it wasn’t just not lacking, but was enough to turn everyone upside down.

Even though it was a precious item that could remind him of short memories with Lilian, he didn’t feel even a bit of regret sending it to someone else.

Lilian would also have thought that rather than being quietly neglected in the storage, it would be a better use if it could soothe a small child’s fear.

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The next day.

The girls’ dormitory had a different atmosphere than usual.

Every morning, students gathered in front of Irene’s room to go to class with her.

But today, as if by a lie, there was no one.

At that appearance, Evi didn’t know what to do and glanced at Irene.

“What is it?”

“Well, because no one came…”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? That Ezriella must have gone around busy all day yesterday telling them not to visit me first.”

Irene shrugged as if it were natural.

Evi was honestly relieved by Irene’s attitude.

‘Because if you regretted that it became like this because of me… I would have been sad.’

Irene tapped Evi’s shoulder as if she knew what she was worried about and said.

“More than that, today’s first class is math, right? I also changed mine to Professor Malles, so let’s go together. Of course, before going, let’s eat together. Wow, I’m starving!”

Perhaps because Evi’s worrying was on her mind, Irene deliberately made a loud voice and reached out her hand to Evi.

Evi grabbed the hand Irene reached out and smiled brightly.

“Yes, I’d love to!”

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Professor Malles hurried toward his classroom.

The classroom he had deliberately chosen to tease the students was a place that required a good ten-minute walk at a fast pace from the main building.

‘That detestable Seraphina! She said she would look into it!’

Seraphina said it would be hard to get a new classroom, saying there were no classrooms left.

“No, can’t a Dean even obtain something like that!”

“Shouldn’t I act according to the rules since I’m the Dean!”

He shouted out in anger, but there was no way to create a classroom that didn’t exist.

Then she peeked at Malles and said.

“But… there are no classrooms, but there are Head Professor rooms left. There’s exactly one left. If you apply, Master, you could get it…”

“Head Professor? Isn’t that a position you can’t quit for several years once you take it?”

“Didn’t you say you’re going to work longer anyway? Then wouldn’t it be better to just apply and get a good classroom?”

Seraphina’s words were not wrong.

‘If I work until Evi graduates…’

Since he had to work for several more years, it wouldn’t be bad to apply.

But being tied to the Gifted Center in this way felt somehow like falling for Seraphina’s bait.

So he said he would think about it a bit more and was on his way back.

When he entered the hallway, he felt a presence inside the classroom.

‘How admirable.’

It was certain that Evi had arrived first.

Malles opened the door. At that moment, instead of Evi, another female student’s voice was heard.

“Indeed, the classroom seems too far. Why don’t you change to another math class?”