Chapter 91

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Translated by Sylph

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net.

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Signature?

Why would Evi suddenly need his signature when she wasn’t even the Minister of State?

As Clois put Evi down in surprise, she rummaged through her bag and took something out.

Clois soon realized what it was.

“A report card?”

“Yes. According to the Gifted Center’s rules, it says to receive the signature of a parent or guardian until coming back after the vacation is over.”

There surely was such a regulation.

As for Clois, since his grades were reported immediately to the Emperor, there had been no occasion for him to go and receive it personally.

However, the Duke of Kaylan or the Marquis of Lagselve, who were his friends at that time, used to sigh deeply whenever they received their report cards.

“I’m 3rd overall this time. I think I’ll get an earful.”

“Ugh, how annoying. I’m 405th overall.”

Thinking about it now, it seemed his friends’ personalities were inherited exactly as they were by their children.

Evi showed the signature space at the end of the report card.

“I thought about sending it to the Director to receive it. But in case the letter gets lost while going and coming back, and since it says a guardian is also fine, I wondered if I could receive it from Your Majesty… and…”

Evi peeked at the Chief Chamberlain’s expression.

There was surely something that was difficult to say in the presence of the Chief Chamberlain.

Noticing that sign, the Chief Chamberlain quickly left the room saying he would prepare tea and snacks before Clois could even give a hint.

Once the Chief Chamberlain left, Evi soon made a crying face.

“What’s wrong? Is there some problem?”

Since it was the first time seeing such a dejected look, Clois asked in surprise.

‘Are her grades not good?’

In fact, the words of others that it would be difficult for Evi here because her scores were from a rural advanced school were not entirely groundless.

It was because there were many cases where students actually came up with scores from far-off provincial estates only to be shocked by receiving low grades at the Gifted Center.

So, before applying to the Gifted Center, it was also common to come to the capital and study more with teachers here.

Since Evi didn’t have the leisure for that, he thought she might have been surprised by receiving low scores for the first time.

While Clois was looking for appropriate words of consolation, Evi spoke with difficulty in a crawling voice.

“I’m 2nd in total rank…”

“What? 2nd?”

Unknowingly, Clois jumped up and made a loud sound.

2nd place? This was a child who was mistreated and looked down upon in a rural school and studied without even proper notebooks, let alone decent textbooks.

No matter if they only took exams on basic things for the class placement of the second semester, this was a surprisingly amazing grade.

‘No wonder Seraphina was smiling broadly while reporting the Gifted Center’s matters.’

Clois had been continuously concerned about Evi’s grades.

He wasn’t concerned whether her grades were high or low.

It didn’t matter to him at all whether Evi was 1st or last.

‘Isn’t it amazing just to have entered the Gifted Center?’

She had even entered by her own efforts despite being in a much more disadvantageous condition compared to other students. Just for that, Clois felt like he could praise Evi for a lifetime.

The reason he was concerned about Evi’s rank was the worry that she might be discouraged after receiving low scores for the first time.

She was the youngest but came alone from a far place.

For other children, if their homes were far, they either moved to the capital altogether or at least one parent stayed in the capital and met the child every time they went out.

But Evi had no one to meet.

Furthermore, after admission, she had to go around alone among those who treated her coldly as a child from an orphanage, and after she finally made friends to go around with, the Ezriella incident happened.

So there was no way she could have studied properly.

Even if she did, she wouldn’t have been able to focus on the exam due to the shock she received…

So when Seraphina came, he subtly probed her as if telling her to say something.

Thinking of preparing some consoling item or event for Evi if her scores were low.

But Seraphina said she couldn’t inform him until the students were notified according to the school rules, and told him to ask Evi directly if he was curious.

‘Then she will surely send it to the Director of the orphanage who is registered as her guardian.’

As Clois agonized, Seraphina said, ‘Wouldn’t it be burdensome if Your Majesty is concerned this much?’

At those words, Clois thought that also made sense.

So he had been staying silent, but to think she brought it to him to sign.

In fact, Clois was more pleased with that fact than the total rank.

The problem was that the person herself, Evi, was discouraged.

“Evi. Being 2nd is a rank anyone would be amazed by and celebrate. But why are you so dejected? Are you disappointed because it’s not 1st?”

At Clois’s worried voice, Evi opened her mouth cautiously.

“I got… one question wrong in foreign language.”

“…One question?”

His voice cracked in surprise.

In fact, Clois had received the foreign language exam questions after the exam was over by ordering Seraphina.

Because he was curious whether the parts he taught came up. Also, what level of difficulty the exam had.

When he checked the exam paper, it was an appropriate basic difficulty.

Since he also saw problems that Evi would find difficult here and there, Clois also hadn’t expected her to get a good score.

‘Isn’t she a child who is learning it for the first time now?’

Even if they said they gave basic problems because it was the first semester, it was by no means easy.

Furthermore, since foreign language was an elective subject, children who were confident would have applied for the class.

Among them, he thought it would be truly nonsense for Evi, who just learned it for the first time, to produce good results.

But one question?

While he couldn’t close his mouth due to continued amazement, Evi bowed her head further.

“I’m sorry. You taught me a lot…”

“No, what are you talking about. Sorry? Why you?”

“Because I got wrong what you taught me…”

Clois swept his face with his hand.

My goodness, for a child to bow her head like she had committed a capital crime because of such a thing.

“Evi. You learned this foreign language for the first time this time. But to get only one wrong in the Gifted Center’s exam is… truly an amazing thing.”

“But… you taught me even though you were busy…”

She wouldn’t have known when he was Professor Sian.

It seemed she had come to know how busy a person he was as she found out he was the Emperor and frequented the main palace to meet him.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I did it because I wanted to, and no matter how busy I am, wouldn’t I have time to teach you one?”

As Clois spoke in a sweet voice as if coaxing her, Evi finally lifted her head little by little.

“Anyway, for the child I look after to be 2nd in the Gifted Center. Well now, I can even brag about it at the Monday meeting.”

“Bragging? About me?”

“Yes. I don’t know if you know, but most of the ministers of the Imperial Palace take on the role of guardian for the Gifted Center students. They bragged so much at every meeting… now I can also chime in.”

Was it strange for her to hear the fact that she became the Emperor’s pride?

At those words, the dejected sign had disappeared before she knew it, and there was a child smiling happily and beaming.

Just in time, the Chief Chamberlain entered with snacks and tea.

“Wow…!”

Evi let out a sound of surprise as she looked at the trolley the Chief Chamberlain pushed in.

Because it was full of all kinds of snacks and food from the very first tier to the very bottom of the trolley.

Through the transparent glass lids, various cookies could be seen. At this rate, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had brought all the cookies existing in the Empire.

“Since it’s snack time, you should eat snacks.”

When the Chief Chamberlain served cool tea without bitterness that is good for children to drink, Evi soon began to eat cookies along with the tea.

In the meantime, Clois had already begun to brag about Evi to the Chief Chamberlain.

“Evi took 2nd place overall in the Gifted Center. Even in the foreign language she learned for the first time from M. E. this time, didn’t she get only one question wrong?”

Clois purposefully spoke with emphasis, highlighting that she had learned from him.

“Oh, my goodness! Since you always worked hard, you’ve obtained truly proud results.”

As the Chief Chamberlain looked as if it were amazing while being in awe, Evi couldn’t hide her happy look while wearing an awkward smile.

It felt somehow good to see Clois liking it this much and the Chief Chamberlain also being surprised.

Furthermore, her shoulders were even shrugged with pride.

In the past, when she passed the advanced school, the Director had liked it like this. At that time too, she really liked the sight of not only herself but also others being happy.

She was happy to have people who rejoiced with her here as well.