Chapter 89

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.

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“I’m really okay now!”

“Yes, yes. Thinking about it again, it’s a pity I couldn’t smack that wicked thing. How dare she do such a wicked thing to my disciple… Tsk.”

Professor Malles clicked his tongue as if his anger still hadn’t subsided even after a long time and glared at a far place for no reason.

Then he pulled the person next to him and introduced her.

“Child, this is my old disciple, her name is Lucy.”

Then the middle-aged woman called Lucy looked at Professor Malles as if it was a strange thing.

“Master. You finally recognize me as your disciple?”

“What else can I do? Even if you only picked things I hate to see, your grades were good, so I have to recognize you.”

“Geez. Are you still sulking that I became an architect instead of a mathematician? It’s already been 30 years. Please let it go now.”

“Who’s sulking!”

At the sight of Professor Malles raising his voice, Evi could tell.

The professor was indeed sulking.

Lucy ignored whether Professor Malles grumbled or not and approached Evi, leaning down.

“So you’re Evi. Even without seeing you, Master praised you so much in all his letters. I really wanted to meet you, our youngest.”

Lucy reached out her hand and asked for a handshake from Evi.

Since it was the first time an adult had asked for a handshake like this, Evi was flustered but cautiously reached out her hand.

A large hand full of ink stains held Evi’s tiny hand and shook it lightly.

Evi felt a strange feeling at the greeting, as if she had become an adult. Then she remembered the word Lucy had called her.

“But… youngest?”

“Yes, the youngest of our gathering has finally changed. How many years has it been? Is it 25 years?”

Lucy’s eyes became filled with overflowing emotion as she looked at Professor Malles.

“It’s 26 years.”

“Yes, yes. Master finally took in a new disciple after 26 years.”

As Evi looked at them not knowing what they were talking about, Lucy said.

“Looking at Evi, it seems you haven’t explained yet?”

“Of course. What would our child do going to a gathering full of uncute middle-aged people like you?”

“That’s too much. If Master had taken in just one new disciple every year, there would be people Evi’s age, and how good would that have been?”

“Enough! Students who meet my standards are not common.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll take it as that. Ah, Evi. What this means is that usually, professors of the Gifted Center or Academy have their own top disciples. Naturally, there’s a gathering among those disciples, and you’re the new youngest member who joined our gathering after 26 years.”

At Lucy’s explanation, she finally understood.

When Evi nodded, Lucy rummaged through her pocket and took out a small brooch-like thing.

“This is the crest of our gathering. You can wear it on your Gifted Center uniform or make it into a necklace and wear it. If there’s something you need help with, just show this at our office in the capital. Then everyone in our gathering, as well as everyone who knows this crest, will help you.”

While doing so, Lucy whispered into Evi’s ear as if telling her a very secret fact.

“If you come to visit, I’ll also buy you ice cream.”

“Really?”

Evi’s eyes sparkled.

Ice cream was served only once a week even at the Gifted Center for the reason that eating too much would cause a stomachache!

“No, why are you trying to call the child there!”

“Why else? Because everyone is curious. And it’s vacation soon, are you staying at the Gifted Center by any chance? Come and visit whenever you’re bored. Your seniors will all be waiting for you with their necks stretched out.”

“Me?”

“Of course. Even now, everyone is in an uproar wanting to come to the Gifted Center to meet you. Everyone is anxious to catch a chance to come to the Gifted Center. They even want to come as special lecturers. Everyone will welcome you. I thought there would be no more new members for our gathering like this, but to think such a small and cute junior would come in.”

Evi looked at the brooch in her hand.

When she attached it to the collar of her Gifted Center uniform, it sparkled in the sunlight.

The small crest painted in gold, silver, and blue was made of numbers and shapes.

‘They’re waiting for me.’

Other than the Gifted Center, she didn’t know any place in the capital.

But at the fact that there were now people and a place waiting for her, Evi somehow felt reassured.

Whether that feeling showed on her face, seeing Evi’s satisfied smile, Professor Malles stopped grumbling.

“If I had known she would like it that much, I would have taken her out for a day.”

“Ha, when we sent thousands of letters asking you to come, you didn’t reply once. Isn’t this favoritism too much?”

“Be quiet! I’ll visit once with Evi during the vacation.”

“Oh my, will you really come? Then please let me know for sure before you come. Seniors and juniors, everyone will gather.”

“Ugh, it’ll be noisy.”

Even while saying that, the corners of Professor Malles’ mouth were slightly raised.

He had cut off contact with his disciples for a long time.

It wasn’t because he disliked them. He just disliked being entangled in factional fights here and there.

If their master didn’t introduce them to other professors or nobles, they would have had many complaints, but his disciples banded together.

And now they had become a fairly prestigious gathering in the Empire.

He was proud at the fact that they had grown well on their own, but his feeling of sorry was greater.

But at the words that they were still waiting for him like this, his heart felt full. Furthermore, they were welcoming and waiting for Evi too.

‘I do have luck with disciples.’

While Professor Malles was soaked in emotion, Evi was glancing at the blueprint held in his hand.

“But what were you and Lucy doing?”

“Ah, right. We have to do our work.”

At Evi’s question, Malles and Lucy hurriedly looked at the blueprint as if they had just remembered.

“An academy in another city requested to build a building in the same format as the Gifted Center library, so we came to look at it.”

While doing so, Lucy taught her knowledge related to architecture.

What kind of stone was used here. Then how much height and weight it could withstand. How to calculate the space that can be made without pillars if designed like this.

Then Evi, who saw the calculation formula Lucy taught her, looked at the blueprint and said.

“Then this part can be built up to 15 leads without pillars?”

“…Did you just calculate that now?”

Lucy looked at Evi with eyes full of shock, then after a moment, she nodded.

“I see why Master took in a new disciple after a very long time.”

“Right? Right? Our child is this amazing!”

“Indeed. Then, after all, raising her as an architect whose name will remain in future Imperial history…”

“Uh-huh! I told you she’ll be a mathematician!”

Once again, Professor Malles and Lucy raised their voices in bickering, and their argument continued until a library staff member came and asked them to be quiet.

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At the same time, Clois was in deep thought with his chin on his hand.

The Chief Chamberlain entered, but he didn’t even turn his head once and still couldn’t take his eyes off the documents piled up on his desk.

“Your Majesty, how about resting for a moment?”

When the Chief Chamberlain spoke, Clois shook his head.

“No, there’s no time.”

He was truly feeling anxious.

There were only about two weeks left until the vacation of the Gifted Center.

In fact, most classes were in a state almost no different from cancelled, only doing supplementary lessons for interested students after the exams were over.

Students whose hometowns were far away received assignments from professors in advance and departed earlier than other students.

‘She said she’s staying this time.’

A week ago, after the exams were over, Clois called Evi.

Since it was the first time meeting again after the Ezriella incident, he was so nervous.

As soon as Evi entered following the Chief Chamberlain, Clois jumped up from his seat and approached the child.

Fortunately, the handprints on her face had all disappeared, and her expression looked as bright as before.

She still seemed to find him, the Emperor, difficult, but he was satisfied because she seemed less tense than the day he first knew.

Next, he told them to bring out the simple food and snacks he had ordered to be made in advance.

“Like a mountain…”

At the sight of Evi unable to close her mouth seeing the table full of food, he was so proud.

One, then another. Watching the child eating well, Clois asked several questions.

“Are you going back to the orphanage during vacation?”

“No… I’m just going to stay here. Because there are many things I have to study. I also want to see the capital.”

The moment Evi said she would stay here, Clois made a decision.

‘The child can’t just stay in the Gifted Center continuously. I should show her places where she can make good memories if possible.’

As soon as Evi went back, he gave an order.

“Bring me the list of Imperial villas near the capital. Every single one of them without exception!”

The documents that came up like that were the ones currently on Clois’ desk.