Chapter 65
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Translated by Sylph
Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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“Keueooo…”
“…”
“Keueo…”
“…”
“Eueueu…”
“It’s noisy as hell, seriously!”
Eventually, Irene, unable to bear it, lightly kicked Ruska’s chair under the desk.
“Ah, don’t kick!”
“It’s because you keep making strange noises!”
“Then say it with words, with words!”
“Would a person who would understand if said with words do this kind of behavior!”
“Where is it that you go for the foot first even so! Who on earth would call someone like this crazy water buffalo a Princess of the South… Ack!”
At the sight of Irene and Ruska bickering as usual, Arcel let out a sigh and said to Evi.
“Evi. Don’t specifically watch them. Because stupidity is contagious too.”
“Ye-yes…”
At Arcel’s words, Evi, who had been watching the two, quickly turned her head.
“Let’s finish the studying we were doing. In the Tenelton Theorem here earlier, this part was confusing, right? For this, the substitution…”
As Arcel pointed to the formula he had written in the notebook again and spoke to Evi, Evi listened to his explanation with frightening concentration.
At that time, Ruska, who was being held by the collar by Irene, lightly tapped her hand and pulled himself out, then ran to Arcel.
“Arcel, you! You only teach Evi! How can you do that while watching me suffer because of the midterm exam!”
“Was that the image of suffering? I thought you were imitating a monster hit by a sword.”
Irene also spoke from the side as if it were absurd.
“Was it that? I thought it was a bug that took medicine.”
At the cold evaluation of the two, Ruska flopped down on the desk again.
“No one understands my suffering… How long has it been since the classes officially started, why is there an exam already.”
At Ruska’s muttering, Irene lightly flipped her hair and said.
“It’s the fault of the person who didn’t even check the academic schedule. We already knew and were preparing. Right, Evi?”
“Yes!”
When Evi answered, Irene stroked Evi’s head with an expression as if she were proud.
At that appearance, Ruska muttered.
“It’s a correct statement, but why do I feel so bad… Ah, Evi, not you, I’m talking about Irene over there.”
Then as Irene’s gaze went up, he hurriedly stood up and stepped back.
Just then, a bell rang from afar. The class time was over.
Arcel closed the book and notebook he was showing to Evi.
“Let’s go to eat lunch for now. I’ll explain the parts you don’t know again after that.”
“Yes sir!”
At the energetic answer, Arcel chuckled.
Originally, this time was naturally Professor Malles’s class time.
However, because he had caught a bad cold, today’s class was changed to self-study.
It was natural for Evi, who had been excited at the thought of learning a new theorem today, to have a tearful face.
To such an Evi, Arcel said that if she was okay with it, he would teach her himself and told her to come to his side.
Evi was greatly delighted and quickly sat in the seat next to his.
Irene put on a tearful face at the sight of her scurrying away, but unfortunately, she could not explain the parts Evi was curious about.
In the meantime, Irene became even more annoyed because Ruska was making strange noises saying he hated the upcoming exam so much.
The four of them tidied up the classroom and came out.
While heading to the cafeteria holding Irene’s hand, Evi said to Arcel.
“Right, the book you gave me the other day. I’ll bring it to you at the next class.”
“There’s no need to return it urgently.”
“No. I finished reading it all.”
When Evi answered with a chuckle, Irene glared at Arcel.
During the last outing, Arcel had brought several books.
Then he handed them over to Evi, saying he brought them because he thought she would like them.
Evi’s reaction was truly explosive.
“Really? Me? Can I look at all of these?”
“Of course. I brought them for you to see.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!”
A 7-year-old being so moved by a scientific theoretical book and bowing her head.
‘More than that, Arcel is treating Evi too well.’
If it were his temperament as she had heard until now, it would be normal for him not to pay any particular attention to a child like Evi, but he uniquely took care of Evi to a strange degree.
Just a moment ago was like that too.
Since Evi was looking at a math book alone and worrying, before he knew it, he approached her side, naturally looked at the book together, and explained the parts Evi found difficult.
‘It’s frustrating.’
Even though she wasn’t bad at math, she wasn’t as good as Arcel, so Irene could only watch the scene.
As the four of them entered the cafeteria, students’ gazes poured in. However, there were no longer any gazes of looking with surprise like at first.
Because the sight of the four of them going around together in the Gifted Center had now become a very natural and obvious appearance.
While the four of them were taking seats and bringing food, there was someone staring at them from afar as if they would kill.
It was Ezriella.
‘Why has it turned out like this?’
Ezriella bit the nail of her thumb unconsciously.
Even when she first stood against Irene, it wasn’t like this.
How many female students came to her that day and said their hearts felt really refreshed?
Actually, she didn’t like her acting all high and mighty as the Princess of the South or whatever, so she gossiped about Irene.
The target of the gossip was not only Irene.
“I hope that child leaves quickly. I’m to the point of being worried about the level of the Gifted Center.”
“Exactly. How can she be so clueless… Why doesn’t she know that quitting on her own and living quietly at an upper school in the countryside is a matter that fits her station.”
“I heard even His Imperial Majesty doesn’t care. He really picked her on a whim. Perhaps because the rumors have all spread, not a single person speaks to that child in the cultural classes I attend.”
Those who spoke that way didn’t forget their praise toward Ezriella either.
“As expected of Miss Ezriella. If it’s not Miss Ezriella, who would have maintained discipline so sharply like this?”
“Right. Actually, the person who has been the center of the capital’s preliminary social circles is Miss Ezriella. We look forward to your continued support.”
While doing so, they blathered on about how she was as expected of a noble, and that Ezriella was the only person who understood their hearts.
Because of that, she gradually became confident.
‘I’ll kick out both Irene and that brat.’
It’s not a hard thing either.
Even if they say the two of them are going around holding hands now, there will be a limit to enduring if they continue to be ignored.
However, as Arcel and Ruska appeared, the situation completely changed.
“To be on close terms with those two… is it really confirmed that Miss Irene is the Crown Princess candidate?”
“Let alone Lord Ruska, Lord Arcel hates other people coming near him very much. I heard those among the male students who can greet him closely are few enough to be counted on one’s fingers. And yet, the fact that they are together…”
“He even takes good care of that commoner kid. I heard them talking while sitting nearby the other day…”
The students who had flocked to Ezriella’s side disappeared like a receding tide as if they had never done so.
Then they began to greet Irene first again as if to show off.
And now.
The atmosphere of the Gifted Center had become similar to the beginning.
The female students watch each other to approach Irene.
In the midst of that, Ezriella happened to overhear the conversation of the students who used to act friendly with her.
“If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just stayed on close terms with Irene.”
“Exactly. I thought Ezriella would be able to do something, but she only acted bossy and in the end, nothing was helpful, was it? The fight with Irene was also just because she hated Irene, she wouldn’t have stepped forward if it were someone else.”
“Hmm, but I feel a bit sorry for Ezriella.”
“Why do you feel sorry for her?”
“Why? If she had just stayed well with Irene, Ezriella would be in that spot, not the commoner kid. Didn’t she lose a good opportunity because she fought for no reason because of that kid?”
“Why is your mouth smiling while saying you feel sorry?”
At the burst of giggling ridicule, Ezriella bit her lip and turned her body.
Since hearing those words, the students’ words kept lingering in Ezriella’s mind.
If she hadn’t fought with Irene.
If that commoner kid hadn’t acted out.
If so, by now, as a child of a great noble, she would have been able to stay reasonably close with those three.
No matter how she thought about it, that was the correct image.
They are the main characters of the Imperial social circles, of course, and furthermore, they are those who might become the Emperor and Empress.
Ezriella gradually thought that everything in the Gifted Center was a mess.
And all of this was because of that orphan girl.
Thinking about it, standing against Irene happened because of Evi.
‘That young thing might have intentionally separated me and Irene.’
If it were Irene, she would have wanted to become closer with me, who is also a noble.
Yet, seeing how she continues to only keep that child by her side, did that cunning thing continue to say bad things to Irene about me and drive a wedge between us?
Students left Ezriella’s side more and more.
The more it happened, the more Ezriella was convinced. That if only Evi were gone, it would return to the Gifted Center she had originally thought of.