CICN 86

Chapter 86

‘What’s the point of power if not for times like this?’

This was exactly the kind of situation where she wanted to lean on authority and let things pass easily.

‘This is why I became a loyal subject in the first place.’

Seraphina smiled even more brightly as she looked at the count and his wife.

“You’ve said something wonderful. I imagine that Ivi Alden’s guardian would be very eager to meet the two of you as well. So why don’t you arrange a meeting and talk things over?”

“Excellent!”

The count had only heard a brief summary of the commotion at the academy. He knew nothing about the real scandal at the heart of it.

That was why he confidently agreed to summon the guardian.

‘What could be so great about the guardian of some lowly child?’

Whoever it was, they were surely beneath him in both status and connections.

The count was already planning to use his family name to crush that guardian flat.

Seraphina went over to the desk, scribbled something quickly on a slip of paper, and handed it to him.

“What is this?”

“What else? It’s the address of Ivi Alden’s guardian. I do hope you’ll have a fruitful conversation.”

—If you can get there, that is.

Swallowing the words before they left her throat, Seraphina rose from her seat.

Her first time conducting a parent–teacher conference was turning out to be more exhausting and irritating than she had imagined.

She resolved that, from now on, she would put a strict ten-minute limit on these meetings.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. The duties and responsibilities of a headmaster are endless, so there’s not a moment to rest. Once you’ve come to an agreement, please let me know. If I receive no word, I’ll proceed according to school rules.”

With that, Seraphina swept out of the consultation room like the wind.

The count and countess stared after her in disbelief.

In society, they were always treated with deference and respect.

But Seraphina had brushed them off as though they were the most bothersome thing in the world and had simply run away.

Never in their lives had they been treated so, and they trembled with humiliation.

Naturally, their fury shifted toward the guardian they considered far beneath them.

“We won’t let this go.”

Grinding his teeth, the count looked down at the slip of paper Seraphina had given him.

A moment later, he tilted his head and muttered.

“Did she write this wrong?”

For on the paper, Seraphina had written only: [Imperial Palace, Main Hall].

The count rose from his seat and stepped outside.

An academy staff member, waiting nearby as if expecting them, moved to escort them out. But the count stopped him.

“Hold on. I think the headmaster gave us the wrong address.”

“The wrong address? I don’t understand what you mean, my lord.”

“This says it’s the address of a lowborn orphan’s guardian. How could that make sense?”

At that, the staffer glanced at the slip of paper, then looked back at the count.

“You mean you still haven’t been told the details? Honestly, the headmaster…”

“Told what details?”

Seeing the count’s bewildered expression, the staff member sighed.

It seemed it fell to him to reveal the part of this matter that had caused the biggest stir.

“I mean the fact that Ivi Alden’s guardian is none other than His Majesty the Emperor.”

The slip of paper slipped from the count’s fingers and fluttered to the ground.

Moments later, from the far side of the academy came the anguished cries of the count and countess, unable to accept reality.

The incident with Ivi and Izriella had shaken the academy to its core, but that didn’t mean the exam schedule would be delayed. No such miracle occurred.

The real issue was that most of the academy was in a state of excitement.

Ivi himself was calm, but the other students were so busy gossiping about the affair that they had studied less than usual—a fact no one even tried to hide.

Perhaps because of that, when the day came for report cards to be handed out, the dormitories were heavy with tension from early morning.

Where normally there would have been laughter and chatter, now the faces of the students passing by were filled with nerves and unease.

Of course, a few looked eager.

“I think I did pretty well this time.”

Waiting in the lobby for report cards to arrive, Louska grinned as Arcel approached.

“That’s unusual. You’ve never looked forward to exam results before.”

Before entering the academy, Louska had attended the same upper-level school as Arcel.

Back then, on report card days, he acted as if he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.

Now the pressure was far greater than before—yet here he was, smiling brightly.

Arcel was surprised, but since Louska was his close friend, he couldn’t feel annoyed.

“This time, I studied hard.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t before.”

“Arcel, you… you really do only ever speak the truth.”

Though he looked as if the words had struck a bone, Louska still kept smiling.

“Let’s be honest, studying isn’t exactly fun. And it’s not easy to find someone who can explain things just right when you don’t understand. But this time, Ivi helped me a lot.”

“…What?”

“Before the whole Izriella incident, you and Irene were busy, right? During that time, Ivi helped me with math.”

“Ivi?”

“Yeah. I told him about the parts I didn’t get, and he explained them really well. He said he used to help his friends a lot before coming here. Thanks to him, I finally understood the sections I was stuck on. …What? Why are you glaring at me like that?”

Louska, who had been happily chattering away, jumped at the sudden chill in Arcel’s eyes.

Did he say something wrong?

But all he had done was boast that he thought he’d done well.

After a moment’s thought, Louska figured out the real reason.

“Oh, I get it now. I know why you’re sulking.”

“What?”

Arcel flinched slightly at his words.

Louska was right—he wasn’t in a good mood. And the fact that his friend had noticed was frustrating.

He had hoped Louska wouldn’t realize.

Arcel stared at him tensely.

But Louska puffed out his chest and jabbed a finger at him.

“No point trying to hide it! You’re just scared that my grades might finally surpass yours!”

“….”

For a moment, Arcel was silent, then muttered.

“Louska, sometimes even your stupid side is… oddly endearing.”

“Of course, of course. I—wait, stupid side? Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

While Louska protested and clung to him for an explanation, a staff member carrying envelopes entered the lobby.

At the academy, grades—except for the final year-end exams—were delivered individually.

“I’ll now be handing out the report cards for this exam. Please line up and take yours in turn.”

The waiting boys rushed forward.

After giving their names, the staff member pulled out their report cards from envelopes arranged in alphabetical order.

Before long, both Louska and Arcel had theirs in hand.

“Ugh, I’m too scared to open it.”

Holding his envelope as if it were the most terrifying thing in the world, Louska shivered.

“I can’t do it. I don’t have the guts to open it here. I’ll look after I eat. Come on, let’s go!”

He shoved the envelope into his back pocket and darted out toward the dining hall.

Arcel, who had been about to open his on the spot, slipped it neatly into his jacket pocket and followed after him.

Once inside the dining hall, they didn’t need to search for Ivi and Irene.

“Still causing a stir.”

“Indeed.”

Two weeks had passed since the Izriella incident.

In that time, Izriella had been expelled according to academy rules.

The five who had sided with her had received heavy punishments of varying degrees, and three of them had chosen to withdraw voluntarily.

But no one cared about them anymore.

All attention was now on Ivi.

The child chosen by the Emperor himself—and personally taken under his guardianship.

Rumors had spread beyond the academy, throughout the imperial palace and noble society, throwing everything into an uproar.

The evidence was right here: in this vast dining hall, only the tables near Ivi and Irene were completely packed with people.

Everyone wanted to talk to Ivi, but Irene stood like an iron wall, fending off the pests.

“Ivi, Irene.”

“Oh, hey.”

“Hello.”

As Arcel and Louska approached, even the students who had been hovering nearby backed off.

Louska pulled his report card from his pocket and set it on the table.

“The moment of truth.”

“Louska, have you looked at it yet?”

When Ivi called him by just his name—“Louska”—instead of “Sir Louska,” Irene’s eyebrow twitched.

Arcel’s expression hardened too.

While they had been away, Ivi had shifted to calling Louska by his bare name.

During exam time, they had let it pass. But now, they couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

‘Louska Ragselv… I won’t let this slide.’

‘He calls him just Louska?’

Irene had always been addressed that way, but Arcel was still spoken to with formality.

‘Why only me?’

Feeling his mood sink again, Arcel sat down.

Only Louska kept smiling brightly.

“No, not yet! That’s why I’m saying—why don’t we all open our report cards together?”

At once, Irene and Arcel slammed their envelopes onto the table with a loud thud!

“Fine!”

“Gladly.”

And then, glaring at Louska, they both spoke.

“Because I’ll still be higher than you anyway.”