Chapter 82
* * *
Translated by Sylph
Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
* * *
If someone else had been there, it was a situation where their eyes would have widened, asking what in the world that meant.
To call the Emperor by his name.
An Emperor is a person who, upon ascending the throne, loses the person who would call him by his name. Who would dare to call the Emperor of the Empire by his name?
Therefore, calling him by his name was a privilege allowed only to a very small number of people.
Until now, Clois had allowed that privilege only to his friends, Duke Kaylan and Marquis Lagselve.
However, even they, though they had received permission, never called him by his name.
He was giving such a privilege to Evi.
“Then…… Lord Clois?”
Wondering if it was right to call him like that, Evi peeked at his reaction.
Then Clois smiled and stroked Evi’s head.
“Do so. At least it sounds much better than ‘Your Majesty’.”
Evi also preferred calling him that rather than the title “Your Majesty”.
When she called him “Your Majesty”, it felt as if Professor Sian, who had been kind to her, had completely vanished.
“Soon the Imperial Physician will bring the medicine you are to take. In my heart, I wish you would rest here more before leaving…… but it seems you wouldn’t find this place comfortable.”
At his words, Evi nodded cautiously.
Even when seen from the outside, the Main Palace was so cool and magnificent.
But not only had she come inside, she was guided to a flamboyant room in its depths, and her head felt like it was spinning.
So when she first came here, she couldn’t easily approach, saying, ‘Really, is it okay if I lie on this bed?’
At Evi’s question, the Imperial Physician and his assistants told her not to worry and to lie down comfortably, as it was a place anyone who was sick could use.
The ceiling she saw while lying down made Evi even more nervous.
They said it was a place any sick person could use, so why were such delicate, flamboyant, and cool paintings drawn on the ceiling?
Even the bed was much larger than the one at the Gifted Center, and the blanket was soft.
Since it was the most luxurious place she had seen in her life, Evi could hardly calm down.
“A contact came from the Gifted Center. First of all, the five who wielded violence against you, including Ezriella, have moved to another building of the Gifted Center.”
Seraphina reported the contents that were processed as a priority to him.
Ezriella and her friends were sent to rooms in another dormitory that were scheduled to open next year.
“So you won’t see them in the dormitory. Furthermore, since they all received probation orders there, you won’t see them elsewhere either.”
There was a procedure for disciplinary action as well. Thus, for now, movement for taking exams during the academic schedule was permitted, but even that had to be done with an employee of the Gifted Center, and as soon as the exam ended, they had to return to the dormitory and stay only in their rooms.
It was a kind of confinement.
However, since they knew before whom they had committed the atrocities, it was said that everyone followed the disciplinary action quietly in fear.
Clois didn’t care what happened to those students.
He was just worried that Evi might run into them.
Evi is the victim. There was no way a victim could be comfortable while facing the perpetrators.
Right then, with a knock, the Imperial Physician entered.
On the tray he brought, there was a cup filled with a dark-colored liquid that gave off a strange smell.
“You must drink it all at once. That way, the swollen parts can subside quickly.”
Evi made a tearful face at the medicine that looked unappetizing to anyone looking.
Then, as if she had made up her mind, she grasped the cup with both hands and drank it all at once.
*Gulp, gulp.*
The liquid in the cup disappeared quickly. After a while, Evi put the cup back down on the tray with a tearful face.
“It’s a bit bitter, isn’t it? Would you like to eat this?”
As if he had expected that, the Imperial Physician gave Evi a candy he had brought along.
The problem was that the candy was wrapped very firmly.
With gauze attached to her face and being out of it after taking the very bitter medicine, Evi couldn’t quite undo the wrapping.
Then Clois took it, quickly peeled off the wrapper, and put it in Evi’s mouth.
“Here.”
Evi accepted and ate it as if it were natural.
Seeing that sight, the Imperial Physician smiled without realizing it.
Because the appearance of the Emperor and Evi now was just like the appearance of a very close father and daughter.
Of course, he wasn’t so stupid as to blurt out such a thought.
Because he knew better than anyone else what a sensitive topic the story about a daughter was for the Emperor.
Clois stroked Evi’s head again as if saying she did well and stood up from his seat.
Evi also stood up following him.
‘I do have to go back.’
The Main Palace was burdensome, and she also had to go back and meet Irene.
If Irene hadn’t run over when she was being hit by Ezriella, she would have been hit much more.
‘Furthermore, I have to study.’
Evi’s exams were concentrated in the next week.
Therefore, she had to go back and study for the exams again.
“Ah.”
Then she remembered that her first exam was in a foreign language.
“What’s wrong?”
Before Evi’s exclamation, Clois, who was walking ahead, turned his body in surprise.
“Are you in pain somewhere else by any chance?”
“No, it’s not like that……”
Evi answered with a weak voice, letting her shoulders slump.
“I, I have to study for exams. Because it’s a foreign language……”
“Ah.”
At Evi’s words, Clois also made a similar sound.
He, who was about to take Evi outside, hesitated for a moment and then said to Evi.
“Th-that, there is a book like the one I was teaching you with here as well…… If it’s okay, would you like to study a bit before going? I’ll also teach you the things I couldn’t explain last time.”
Clois, who had said that far, realized what kind of nonsense he was saying and wiped his face with his hand.
To tell a child who was hurt to study before going. He must have been out of his mind.
When he was about to apologize for saying something ridiculous, Evi answered.
“I want to! I want to study here before going!”
Contrary to thinking she would be troubled, Evi ran and grabbed him.
Clois looked at Evi and then turned his gaze to the Imperial Physician.
“Is Evi’s condition okay for her to study?”
“It’s something done while sitting, so there shouldn’t be a problem, but……”
Doubt was full in his eyes, asking, ‘She’s going to study in this state?’.
Honestly, both Evi and Clois knew well that it was a bit much.
However, it was something that had to be done, and Evi wanted to learn from Clois if possible, and Clois also wanted to teach the child even a little more.
“Can you do it?”
“Yes!”
Evi answered as if she had been waiting.
The Main Palace was not a place where her heart was at ease, but still, she felt she would be okay if she was with Clois.
And didn’t he say he would only help with foreign languages until this semester?
If so, there would be almost no opportunity to learn. Perhaps this could be the last time.
If so, she didn’t want to miss this opportunity now.
‘Until today, he’s Professor Sian.’
At Evi’s reaction, Clois smiled broadly and reached out his hand to Evi, just as he had done at the festival.
Evi took his hand as if it were natural and stepped out of the room.
The Imperial Physician, who was watching that sight from behind, blinked his eyes and only belatedly came to his senses.
“The Emperor…… smiled?”
Until a few months ago, he was the one who cautiously told the Minister of State that the Emperor’s depression was getting worse.
However, from some time ago, it was visible that the Emperor was becoming bright enough to be recognized at a glance.
He had wondered what the reason was for that……
‘It was that child.’
The Imperial Physician looked at the door through which the two had exited.
For now, it was a joyful thing. But……
‘Things will be difficult from now on.’
Hearing the story, it was said that the Emperor personally revealed his identity for that child.
Since he did so, everyone would now know the fact that there was a child the Emperor cared for exceptionally at the Gifted Center.
‘Her life will change a lot.’
Looking at it from the child’s perspective, it was a good thing.
Until a few hours ago, she was just a commoner child who was good at studying, but now she had become a child the Emperor cared for exceptionally.
She had risen to almost the same position as Arcel or Ruska.
However, a child with no family.
Therefore, how many people would approach her to take that empty space and share in the Emperor’s favor together?
‘But still……’
The Imperial Physician thought of the two who went out holding hands tightly.
The Emperor, who could count the number of times he smiled in a year on one hand, couldn’t hide his joy while wearing such an unguarded smile.
The child also must have been tired and surprised by the incident just a moment ago, yet without any such sign, she followed the Emperor with quick steps.
The Emperor and Evi looked very happy at this moment.