CICN 28

Chapter 28

Who could it be?

Who came looking for me?

Startled, Ibi’s eyes widened, but she quickly collected herself and knocked on the door.

“I’m in here! Please let me out!”

It didn’t matter who it was right now. What mattered was that someone had finally come looking for her.

As Ibi pounded the door with her hands and called out, she heard the rattling sound of the lock being undone from the outside.

Creaaak, slam!

The heavy door soon opened.

Two people standing outside pushed each other aside and burst into the portrait gallery at the same time.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Just how frantically had they run here?

Their hair was disheveled from the wind, they were panting for breath, sweat trickled down their faces, and their uniforms were all wrinkled.

Even in the moonlight, the two of them looked an absolute mess.

Ibi, still surprised, called their names.

“Lord Arcel? Lord Ruska?”

She had naturally assumed the people calling out to her from outside were staff from the academy.

But why had people unrelated to her come looking?

Then she realized—even while panting for breath—they were both looking at her with worry.

“I’m fine! I was just sitting here quietly…”

“That’s exactly the problem!”

As Ibi responded, Ruska, who had been catching his breath, suddenly burst out.

Startled by the loud voice, Ibi flinched. Ruska sighed, running a hand down his face.

“Sorry. I’m not mad at you. But you’ve been stuck here alone since earlier today…”

“Really, I’m fine!”

Meanwhile, Arcel turned to look at the chair Ibi had been sitting on.

More precisely, the cloth that had covered her.

Anyone could tell that wasn’t the kind of fabric meant to cover a person.

It was a thick, stiff, and dusty cloth made to cover objects.

Was she cold? The cloth on the chair still bore the clear outline of her having used it as a cover.

“Achoo!”

Just then, contradicting her claims of being fine, Ibi sneezed and shivered.

Her face had even turned slightly red.

Seeing what looked like the onset of a fever, Arcel immediately took off his uniform jacket.

“Here, wear this.”

He gently placed his jacket over Ibi’s shoulders.

There was a noticeable age difference between them, and Ibi was especially small for her age, while Arcel was tall even among his peers.

And given the usual size difference between boys and girls…

Wearing someone else’s clothes under these conditions made Ibi look like she was wrapped in a blanket.

“There they are!”

Just then, more footsteps echoed from the hallway where Arcel and Ruska had run in from.

They were just as fast.

Soon, the person in the lead threw open the door and stepped inside.

“Found you! So it was you!”

Seraphina strode in, and without hesitation, scooped up Ibi, who was still wrapped in Arcel’s jacket.

“You’ve got a slight fever, nothing serious. It’s a bit chilly in here, isn’t it? Oh, were you scared? The magic I used probably flashed brightly. Ah, but more importantly—have you ever thought of becoming a mage? I feel like our magical wavelengths are extremely compatible…”

“Headmistress!”

“Seraphina!”

The staff and Ruska shouted in unison at the woman who wouldn’t stop rambling while holding Ibi.

“Okay, okay. Let’s talk once we’re back at the academy. Are you hungry?”

Seraphina shook her head as if telling them not to fuss.

Ibi looked up at her and muttered,

“Head… mistress?”

She had no idea who this person was who had suddenly come and scooped her up.

But the headmistress?

Come to think of it, when she arrived at the academy yesterday, she had seen staff and professors—but never the headmistress herself.

I thought she’d be an older person.

The portraits of previous headmasters hanging in the dormitory were all older folks with graying hair.

Some were slightly younger, middle-aged at best—but no one as young-looking as Seraphina, who seemed barely in her thirties.

“First, gather this child’s belongings. And…”

Seraphina’s words trailed off before she could give more instructions to the staff.

Her gaze had settled on one of the portraits hanging on the wall.

Then, she let out a bitter smile.

“No wonder we found her so quickly. Must’ve been Lilian’s blessing or something.”

Lilian.

That name made Ibi’s eyes light up.

A name she remembered—from the gravestone in the forest.

So the woman in that portrait is also named Lilian…

Still holding Ibi, Seraphina exited the gallery. Behind her, Arcel and Ruska followed with Ibi’s bag, which had been left on the chair.

As they exited, Ibi quietly waved toward the portrait.

The sensation she had felt earlier still lingered on her head.

As if someone had gently patted her, telling her not to worry.

Waving until the very moment the door closed, Ibi made a silent promise.

I’ll come back.

On the way back to the academy, Ibi remained cradled in Seraphina’s arms.

“I can walk on my own, you know.”

“No. Stay still until we’ve had you properly checked out. Are you hurting anywhere else?”

“No.”

At that moment, Arcel, walking behind them, suddenly spoke up.

“Actually, I think her hands are hurt.”

At his words, Ibi looked down at her hands.

Maybe it was from all the pounding she had done earlier trying to call for help. Even she could see the red marks and slight swelling.

Seraphina examined her hands and asked Arcel,

“You’re right. How did you know?”

“I figured she must’ve been knocking if she was locked in.”

Ruska, standing beside them, chimed in.

“And there were marks around the door’s lock—signs that it was shaken from inside.”

“Oh dear…”

Seraphina’s expression hardened as she listened to the two boys.

After entering one of the staff buildings, she sat Ibi down and examined her hands.

“Yes, they’re swollen. Thankfully not cut. But they’ll be sore for a few days—you’ll have trouble writing or holding things.”

She instructed the staff to bring ointment and bandages.

Once they left, she looked at Arcel and Ruska.

“Now then—before the others return, I’d like to hear how you two managed to find her before I did.”

Ruska was the first to step forward.

“We heard from some other students that they thought they knew where she might be.”

“And how did those students know? Why didn’t they report it to staff or faculty earlier?”

“Well, that’s…”

Ruska clammed up and gave Arcel a pleading look, as if saying Help me here!

Arcel sighed lightly, then responded in a calm tone.

“We can’t say exactly. That was the condition under which the information was shared with us. We even promised on our family name.”

“I see.”

Given that, Seraphina couldn’t force them to reveal names.

Just then, Arcel gave the same warm smile he had shown to the girls earlier and added,

“But we only promised not to reveal who told us. We never said anything about who was responsible for all this.”

“Ugh, I’m so full…”

Limora leaned back against the sofa.

Even lying still, the corners of her mouth curled up in delight.

They probably haven’t found her yet, right?

She wouldn’t die or anything. It was just that the museum hadn’t officially opened yet, so staff wouldn’t discover her until they came in tomorrow morning.

It was already pretty deserted during the day.

Especially the portrait gallery—with its protective design allowing only minimal natural light from high windows and none on the walls.

Spending the entire night in that place with all those creepy portraits?

She must be bawling her eyes out by now.

She was just a kid. After a night of crying, she’d surely beg to go back to where she came from.

At least, that’s what Limora thought.

Which means I win.

She let herself bask again in all the delightful thoughts she’d been having all day.

Attending academy events alongside Arcel as second-ranking student.

Naturally getting closer to Ruska, maybe even befriending Irene Terrence—and if she became Empress someday, Limora could borrow jewels from her…

She was grinning as if her daydreams were already reality.

Knock knock.

A knock at the door made her sit up.

My roommate? she wondered, but then a voice called out from outside.

“Miss Limora Isel? Are you in there?”

“…Who…?”

As she opened the door to the unfamiliar voice, she found a dormitory staff member standing there.

A student from the room across the hall also peeked out, wondering what was going on.

Suddenly, Limora stiffened with tension.

Why? Why is a staff member looking for me at this hour?

Then the staff smiled and said,

“We’ve had a lost item turned in. Could you come downstairs to confirm and fill out the paperwork?”