CICN 54

Chapter 54

Seven long, resonant bell tolls rang out. It was 7 PM.

A cold sweat ran down my back as I remembered Irene’s earnest insistence that we eat dinner together without fail.

“She’ll be waiting for me!”

I hurried toward the path through the bushes where I had entered.

“Professor, I’m going! I promised Irene we’d have dinner together!”

“No, wait. That path—”

Clois was about to say we should take the main road together so I wouldn’t get hurt again, but he stopped himself.

If he did, he would see the guards stationed at the path’s entrance.

If the guards greeted me, he’d find it suspicious—and if he started wondering who I really was…

While he hesitated, I was already halfway into the bushes.

Just as it seemed I’d continue on, I suddenly turned around and waved at him.

“I’ll come to your office next time. See you there! Enjoy your dinner!”

I waved goodbye several times, then slipped inside.

Just like before, I disappeared in an instant.

Clois stared at the path I had taken, then turned away.

Under the darkening sky, two gravestones came into view.

A dry chuckle escaped his lips.

Whenever he came here, he always tidied up around his wife and daughter’s gravestones.

This was the most important task to him.

But now, until I returned, he had completely forgotten about it.

Under the darkening sky, he quickly moved his hands.

He felt sorry, but he didn’t regret the time he had just spent talking with me.

After tidying the area, he hurried back to his office and ordered the steward:

“Call Seraphina, the head of the gifted academy.”

I said I would visit the professor’s office, so they needed to prepare quickly.

Several days passed.

I now held Irene’s hand naturally and headed toward the dining hall.

I no longer avoided people by going early or late.

The reason was…

“Oh, hello, Miss Irene!”

As we entered, a female student approached as if waiting to greet us.

“I’m from the Rutivi family…”

“I know. You’re Mary Rutivi, right? I think we greeted each other before.”

“Yes! That’s right, you remember me!”

Mary beamed happily, exchanged a few words with Irene, then left.

Watching this, I thought,

“Students are greeting again?”

When Irene first turned her back on the noble kids, she had become a complete outcast.

Whether going to the dining hall or the classroom, the noble students looked away, pretending not to see her.

As if she simply didn’t exist.

That made me very upset.

Irene was always surrounded by many people.

But suddenly, everyone turned their backs on her. How sad must that have felt?

“What if she regrets helping me?”

But to my surprise, Irene seemed very carefree.

After a few days, those who had ignored her began slowly changing their attitude.

At first, it was in the dormitory hallway.

As Irene and I walked together, a female student came toward us.

I expected her to ignore us again, but she looked around, confirmed no one else was near, bowed, said “Have a good day,” and quickly disappeared.

Then, during class, more people sitting nearby started greeting us.

As time passed, some even came up as if waiting to see us.

Irene didn’t avoid those people.

Not that she welcomed them warmly, but she didn’t reject them either.

So, those approaching greeted briefly and then moved away.

“And recently, some even greet me.”

I recalled when I went alone to mandatory classes.

I deliberately sat in a corner of the front row to avoid bothering others.

But the next student who entered looked around and then came to me.

She quickly said,

“I’m Mire Haniel. Nice to meet you!”

Then she glanced around and continued,

“I’m cheering for you! Others might bully you a lot, but you have to hang in there!”

She said something like “Let’s look out for each other as commoners,” then quickly returned to her seat.

After that, no one else spoke to me, but whenever our eyes met, they smiled.

Meanwhile, Irene had already brought food for both of us.

I took a seat in a sunny spot and received my plate from Irene.

As always, Irene sat next to me, smiling contentedly and murmuring,

“Good, just as planned.”

“Huh? Planned?”

“The students are coming back to greet us. It’s going as I thought.”

My eyes widened at Irene’s words.

“You knew this would happen?”

For days, I had worried that Irene might remain lonely, unable to talk to anyone.

But contrary to my worries, Irene was perfectly fine.

She chatted well with Arcel and Ruska during math class.

And after class, she always came with them to look after me in the dining hall.

She hadn’t spoken to others, so why were people suddenly approaching again?

“Of course.”

Irene shrugged.

“Thanks to Arcel and Ruska. Though I don’t like it, it was worth continuing to eat with them.”

She explained patiently.

The reason she had invited those two to eat together was to show others she was getting along with them.

“And there’s also some rumors about me.”

“What rumors?”

“Well, there’s a rumor I might marry one of them.”

“Marry?”

“Quiet!”

“Okay!”

Irene glanced around, then whispered in a low voice,

“It’s a boring story. One of them might be adopted by His Majesty the Emperor, and I’m supposed to marry the crown prince to add legitimacy with southern wealth… You probably don’t get it, right?”

Irene sighed shortly as she saw me looking dizzy.

“Yes.”

I answered in a deflated voice.

“Being smart and understanding these things are different… Anyway, simply put, because those two are famous, people won’t dare mess with us who are close to them and might become closer.”

I nodded at Irene’s words.

‘It’s like not messing with the friend of a strong person!’

So, the orphans who went to public schools always stuck close to their strongest friend.

That way, no one bullied them.

While I was trying hard to understand the situation, Irene fed me a piece of fruit she had brought.

She mumbled as she did.

“But I don’t know why they helped.”

Irene knew a bit about those two.

Arcel was cold. Ruska was friendly, but like Arcel, he didn’t hesitate to cut off anyone trying to take advantage of his family’s status.

They had lived in such a world, so they certainly didn’t help me to gain something.

Surprisingly, they actively helped.

‘They didn’t really help me. Or rather…’

Irene watched me munch on the fruit she had given me.

‘They definitely helped me.’

Ruska was somewhat understandable.

The Ragselb family was known for their justice and wouldn’t tolerate bullying.

‘But why does Arcel keep sticking around?’

Though close to Ruska, Arcel had no reason to stay with us this long.

‘He’s very cold, calculating, and efficient. What benefit could being with us possibly have for Arcel?’

Irene pondered while feeding me another piece of fruit.

She decided to focus on making sure I kept eating for now.

“Ibi, what tastes best? Let’s have another plate!”