CICN 38

Chapter 38

Evy was still attending classes alone.

When she went to her history class, the students who had arrived before her made it blatantly clear with their expressions that they didn’t want her to sit next to them.

Even though she had arrived fairly early, Evy ended up having to sit in the very corner of the classroom.

It was the same after class.

While everyone else left in small groups with their friends, heading to the dining hall, Evy entered alone.

Because lunch hour was short and everyone poured in at once, there were no seats left in the cafeteria.

In the end, Evy took a packed sandwich and drink meant for takeaway and stepped back outside.

She looked for the quietest place she could find and sat down.

There were people watching her from afar.

“Hey, there’s Evy.”

Lusca, who had been looking out the window, suddenly pressed close to it and tugged on Arsel’s sleeve.

Arsel coldly brushed Lusca’s hand off his collar and straightened his uniform.

“So?”

Despite his indifferent tone, Arsel’s eyes drifted toward the window.

“Over there, under that tree. See her?”

Evy was sitting alone under a tree, eating her sandwich.

“Ah.”

When Arsel acknowledged her, Lusca clicked his tongue.

“Even the last time I saw her, she didn’t seem to be close with anyone. She’s still alone.”

“She’s a commoner student, and it’s not like she had any friends before coming here. It’s no surprise she’s being excluded.”

The gifted institute had only just reopened after a long time. Nobles had done everything in their power to get their children or relatives admitted.

So when a commoner took a spot they couldn’t get, it was only natural that they resented her.

Even if she had earned it purely through her own ability.

“Let’s go to her.”

“Why?”

“Why else? It’s pitiful. And besides, you came with me to look for her last time—so why are you acting all cold now?”

Arsel looked at Lusca as if he were pathetic.

“That was only because I thought something serious might have happened. And we spent two days with her afterward. I think that’s enough.”

“Wow, cold-hearted much?”

When Lusca commented with exasperation, Arsel replied with a still-expressionless face.

“Even just being with us last time probably made the other students resent her more.”

“I know.”

“Then don’t push it. If you stick your nose in again and try to look after her, it’ll just make things harder for her. Are you planning to stick with her all the time from now on?”

Even as he said that, Arsel’s gaze remained fixed on Evy, sitting alone.

She was nibbling on a sandwich as big as her head—probably from the cafeteria.

Despite being alone, she didn’t look dejected.

In fact, she looked natural, as if she were used to this.

That fact irritated Arsel.

Since when was being treated like that something one got used to?

Just as annoyance began to bubble inside him, Lusca responded in a light, carefree tone.

“Maybe I will. Doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You asked if I planned to stick with her, right? Maybe I do. Hey, I’m going to go talk to her. You stay here. Bye.”

Lusca patted Arsel’s shoulder, slung his school jacket over his shoulder, and quickly dashed outside.

“Lus… haah…”

Arsel started to call him back but sighed deeply instead.

He kept pestering me, asking if I was the one interested in her…

But clearly, the one interested was Lusca.

Arsel knew very well that it would be best to leave Evy alone.

In a situation like this, any attention from him or Lusca would only do her more harm than good. He knew that better than anyone, and yet…

“Damn it.”

Trying to focus back on what he was doing, Arsel looked over and saw Lusca already trotting up to Evy, chatting away.

In the end, Arsel got up from his seat.

Before that idiot makes things worse, I’d better go stop him.

* * *

‘This reminds me of my time at the upper school.’

As she munched on her sandwich alone, Evy recalled the past.

At first, she had been sent to the upper school to help with cleaning duties, to contribute to the orphanage.

At that time, the students of the upper school had no particular interest in her.

She was just a pitiful orphan who came to clean.

But when she started memorizing their lessons through the windows, and the principal found out and let her attend classes, things changed.

From then on, the students openly showed hostility.

She was younger, started studying late—

And yet, this orphan with no support at all was suddenly surpassing them at a terrifying pace. That frightened them.

Their fear manifested as both subtle and blatant violence.

First, they threw wads of paper at her. Then it escalated to small stones.

They bumped into her on purpose in hallways, and even smeared sticky resin on her chair.

At the time, Evy realized she had actually preferred it when they treated her like air.

‘I ate alone back then too.’

While she was attending the upper school, the orphanage director would always pack her a lunch of boiled potatoes.

During the students’ lunch break, Evy would sit outside and eat her potatoes alone.

If she stayed inside, she would only hear harsh words or have her food snatched and tossed away under the guise of a “joke.”

‘Compared to then, no one’s throwing things at me now—and I get to eat more.’

Evy looked down at her sandwich with satisfaction.

The reason she came to the gifted institute—something she could never admit to the director—was the food.

Back at the orphanage, she had to share food with many children. She always tried to eat just a little, suppressing her hunger.

But not here.

The cafeteria was stacked with foods she had never seen in her life.

There was enough for everyone—students and staff alike—with leftovers to spare.

For the first time, she let herself take as much as she wanted.

And the result was this sandwich in her hands.

Stuffed with ham, cheese, butter, egg salad, and vegetables, it was too thick to bite into in one go.

‘So tasty.’

But her expression soon drooped.

‘It’d be nice if they could send the leftovers here to the orphanage.’

To her, this food was heavenly. But some students wouldn’t even touch it, claiming it wasn’t to their taste.

As a result, lots of food was wasted every day.

Every time she saw perfectly good food being thrown away, her heart ached.

The things she and her friends once struggled so hard to get were now considered trash here.

‘Maybe I should sneak back some cookies later.’

Just as Evy was thinking that—

“Hey, Evy!”

Startled by the sudden voice, she turned her head.

There stood Lusca, smiling and waving.

Evy jumped up and bowed her head.

“Sir Lusca!”

“How’ve you been? Feels like forever, even though it’s only been a few days. I’ve been super busy over in the boys’ dorm, so I haven’t had time to ask what classes you’re taking. Who are your professors?”

As Lusca casually chatted, Evy found herself flustered.

She had assumed that after their last encounter, they wouldn’t meet again.

She never imagined he’d come looking for her.

“Didn’t I tell you not to go overboard, Lusca?”

“Oh, you’re here?”

Arsel’s voice came from behind, and Lusca raised his hand half-heartedly, as if he’d been expecting him.

Evy’s eyes grew rounder at the sight of Arsel too.

Though she hadn’t interacted much with people over the past few days, she had heard plenty of rumors.

The heirs to the most powerful families in the empire.

And the ones most likely to be adopted by the emperor himself.

To Evy, they were people so far above her that speaking to them—no, even looking at them—felt inappropriate.

She worried she might have unknowingly done something rude.

As she stood there, unsure how to react, Lusca asked again.

“What classes are you taking? Oh, and by the way, don’t take Professor Eindel’s math course. I heard it’s super boring, even though it’s still math.”

“Ah, I-I’m not taking that one. I’m in Professor Malles’ class…”

“Oh, nice! What about history? And philosophy?”

With questions pouring out of Lusca’s mouth, Evy unintentionally listed out all the classes she had registered for.

Then Lusca turned to Arsel and said,

“You heard all that? Since the course add-drop period isn’t over yet, let’s switch our classes to hers, yeah?”

“Why would I—”

“Huh? Why?” Evy interjected, startled before Arsel could even respond.

She looked genuinely confused, as if asking why on earth they’d do something like that.

And that reaction stirred something in Arsel—something close to frustration.