Chapter 83

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.
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The foreign language tutoring session, agreed upon by the two, took place in an atmosphere even more serious than expected.

It was because Evi had begun to sincerely worry about her exams.

‘My grades need to be high.’

She had heard other students whispering.

“She probably thought she was truly great because they recognized her grades from some rural upper school.”

“A few professors praise her as being smart, but won’t this exam reveal whether that’s true or not?”

“In my view, I think she’ll get an average at best. Outside the Gifted Center, she might have heard that she’s a genius enough with that much.”

Since she wouldn’t be expelled just because her grades were lacking, she wouldn’t be kicked out by the exams.

However, Evi hated the idea of being in a different class from everyone else.

‘For starters, Arcel will definitely take first place.’

The same went for Irene. Irene had said she wasn’t confident in remaining in the top-tier class, which was cut at 35 students.

However, seeing her study fiercely and read books from morning to night, she was certainly capable of getting in.

Ruska was also studying like crazy lately, saying he didn’t want to be left alone.

But if she alone came out with a low score after her ‘true skills’ were revealed as people said…….

Thinking that Professor Malles would snap at her for being worried about low scores, Evi sincerely hung onto her studies.

Not only was she not physically well and was in a strange place, and found him difficult, but when Evi suddenly burned with academic passion, Clois also became serious along with her.

“In the Resid language, you have to look particularly closely at verb conjugations.”

After several hours had passed like that, the voice of the Minister of State looking for Clois was heard from outside.

Clois was about to tell him to go back, but then he realized that it had become completely dark outside.

Looking at the clock, the curfew for the Gifted Center was also approaching.

‘I want to take her back myself.’

But the matter for which they were looking for him was urgent.

Furthermore, he had already turned the Gifted Center upside down once during the day, so it wouldn’t be good for the students there if he visited again.

However, he couldn’t just send Evi back alone either.

So Clois said to the Chief Chamberlain.

“Call Rommel and three knights under his command.”

“Sir Rommel?”

The Chief Chamberlain, who rarely gets flustered, made a surprised voice.

He soon regained his composure and delivered Clois’s command.

Before long, other knights arrived along with Rommel.

Clois commanded them in a serious voice.

“Take Evi to the Gifted Center. Ensure you escort her until she arrives safely at the dormitory.”

At that command, Rommel and the other knights were bewildered.

Who were they?

They were the Imperial Knight Order, who dedicated their loyalty only to the Imperial Family.

Yet, to be told to escort someone named Evi, whom they had never heard of before.

“Your Majesty, it is natural to follow Your Majesty’s will, but who is this person named Evi?”

If it were Clois’s command, they were ones who would die if told to die.

However, to have to escort someone they had never heard of to the Gifted Center, and to have the Commander himself along with the elite knights perform the escort.

Just who was Evi?

Even if an envoy from a neighboring kingdom came, they wouldn’t stand as escorts.

At least Rommel was better.

Hilde, standing behind, bowed to Clois and said as if resentful.

“Your Majesty! We are those who exist only for Your Majesty! Please, rescind such an order.”

As Hilde spoke, the other knights also bowed their heads.

They also thought Clois’s order was a bit excessive.

The Main Palace and the Gifted Center were within walking distance. It was even inside the Imperial Palace. Yet, to be told to stand as escorts for just that distance.

And for someone other than Clois!

When Hilde was about to appeal to him again, Evi entered, having her clothes and hair neatly rearranged by the maids of the Main Palace.

The school uniform she had hurriedly received again from the Gifted Center now had no bloodstains or creases.

Clois welcomed Evi with a smile.

“Evi, these people will take you to the Gifted Center.”

As he spoke, he looked at Hilde and said.

“Ah, not all of them.”

There was no need to send someone along who specifically didn’t want to go.

In that case, if he excluded Hilde and the other knights who didn’t want to and just sent the loyal Sir Rommel along……

“You’re absolutely right! It’ll be perfect as long as the Commander is excluded!”

At that moment, Hilde, who until just a moment ago had been asking for the order to be rescinded, quickly came to Evi’s side and bowed with a smile.

“Hello, little princess. Is your name Evi? My name is Hilde. I wear an eyepatch because my eye got a boo-boo a long time ago, so please don’t be too scared.”

At Hilde’s words, everyone, including Clois, froze.

Hilde was someone who, for the past dozen or so years, had only let out gruff curses or rough voices.

Yet, what was this voice trying to be cute now? Was she a person capable of making such a voice?

“Hello, I’m Evi Alden.”

As Evi greeted her with a bright smile, the corners of Hilde’s mouth went up.

“Aww, how cute. I’ll take you to the Gifted Center, so don’t worry too much. Since it’s become night, shall we go holding hands if you’re scared?”

“Yes!”

As Evi answered happily, Rommel, who was behind, stepped forward hurriedly.

“My name is Rommel!”

“I’m Uncle Sigmund!”

“I’m Aiden!”

The ones who had said until just a moment ago that they existed only for Clois were now surrounding Evi, leaving Clois as an afterthought.

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Evi poked her stomach, which was bulging out so much that her school uniform skirt felt a bit tight.

In the middle of studying, the Chief Chamberlain had come in pulling a handcart, asking if they would like some snacks.

And the moment the lid covering the plate was opened, colorful cookies neatly arranged inside appeared.

Clois, saying they were prepared just in time, had begun to feed them to Evi.

As savory tea and sweet cookies entered, she felt better, even though her body had been starting to ache a bit.

The problem was that she had eaten far too much.

“Phew……”

When Evi let out a sigh, realizing her mistake, a voice was heard from behind.

“How about having me carry you on my back if it’s hard?”

“No! I can walk, Sir Rommel!”

Despite Evi’s earnest words, Rommel seemed unwilling to give up his previous suggestion.

Then the other knights glared at Rommel.

“It is rude to tell a lady that you’ll carry her on your back, Commander.”

“That’s right. Therefore, wouldn’t it be better even now to prepare a carriage?”

“Yes. Indeed, it made no sense to walk from the Main Palace to the Gifted Center.”

“If His Majesty finds out that Evi walked, he might have our heads.”

At the mention of having their heads chopped off, Evi’s face turned pale.

Then Hilde, who was walking right beside Evi, whispered with a chuckle.

“It’s a joke. They’re people who always play around like that.”

At Hilde’s words, Rommel shouted abruptly.

“Calling your superiors ‘people who play around like that’, Hilde. You!”

Even at Rommel’s criticism, Hilde replied without even twitching an eyebrow.

“Commander, if you make such a loud noise, Evi will be surprised. Haven’t you heard the Imperial Physician’s words? He said she must take absolute rest.”

“That’s true, but……”

At the words that the Imperial Physician had said so, Rommel couldn’t raise his voice any further and grumbled as if he didn’t like it.

Evi couldn’t quite get used to the conversation of the people surrounding her.

‘These people are the Imperial Knight Order.’

Evi had come to know of their existence after coming to the Gifted Center.

A knight order composed of the strongest in the Empire and loyal only to the Imperial Family.

The person who told her about their existence in detail was Ruska.

“After I graduate from the Gifted Center, I want to join the Imperial Knight Order instead of the Academy.”

One day while having a meal, a conversation came up about what they would do after graduating from the Gifted Center.

Arcel said he would likely advance to the Academy, and Irene said she would likely stay in the capital and help with the Terence family’s business.

After Evi said she wanted to stay in the Imperial Palace and work, she spoke to Ruska.

“Then you’re going to the Academy with Arcel?”

Then Ruska jumped and shook his head.

“Don’t decide my future as you please! I’ve wanted to join the Imperial Knight Order since I was a child!”

And so, Ruska rattled off an explanation about the Imperial Knight Order.

Thanks to that, Evi knew of their existence and also how they were composed.

“……Everyone in the Knight Order is elite among elites who wouldn’t be lacking anywhere, but among them, Sir Rommel, who is the Commander, and Sir Hilde, who protected His Majesty until she lost one eye during the final battle of the Succession War, are the most famous.”

And so, Ruska continued to rattle off stories about those two.

It was long, but to summarize what Ruska said, the Imperial Knight Order was the strongest in the Empire.

The knights there were all ones who had surpassed human limits and were people who struck down enemies without blood or tears…… That was what he said.

It was certainly like that, but…….

“You don’t like it that Uncle Commander is carrying you on his back, right? Then how about having me carry you?”

The real Imperial Knight Order seemed very different from what she had thought.