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Chapter 58
Chlois also thought the imperial palace was unusually quiet from early morning.
Though he was known for working tirelessly day and night, that didn’t mean he held his ministers at court on their days off without reason.
“Still, it’s much quieter than usual,” Chlois muttered.
The steward pouring his tea answered, “It seems many have not entered the palace due to the seasonal festival.”
“Oh, it’s already that time, huh.”
The seasonal festival was a short celebration marking the change of seasons in the capital.
The one from autumn to winter was the main event, so the one transitioning from spring to summer—like now—was relatively small.
Apparently, Chlois had forgotten this.
Then many of the gifted academy kids must be out as well.
He recalled from a report Seraphina had recently submitted that it was the first official outing period for the children since their admission.
Maybe because he sensed the children’s absence, the palace felt even quieter, though no sounds should have been heard in any case.
Sitting alone drinking tea, Chlois said he would go for a walk, then headed toward the graves of Lilian and Evebien.
As usual, the steward wanted to accompany the emperor on his walk but could only lower his head, unable to say so.
Passing through the guards, Chlois approached the graves, bathed in bright sunlight, and gave a wry smile.
Perhaps because the days were getting warmer, the trees around the gravestones bloomed with various flowers, big and small.
If not for the gravestones, no one would guess this was a graveyard, such was the beauty of the scenery.
As he cleared weeds around, he suddenly thought of Evebi and approached the bushes where the child had always appeared.
It should have been around here.
As he inspected the bushes, his face stiffened.
It was strange. When Evebi left last time, there was a path through the bushes that even small animals could easily pass.
But now, as if to say he had been mistaken, the path was completely blocked, with no trace of passage.
She’s come twice before, for sure.
Yet the bushes had grown so thick that not even a squirrel could get through.
“This is… quite something…”
In truth, he had intended to block the bushes.
Chlois felt uneasy that Evebi kept coming here.
Not because it was Lilian’s grave.
It’s because Evebien’s grave is here, too.
The second time Evebi came, during their conversation, the child briefly pointed to a small gravestone and asked who was buried there.
He couldn’t bring himself to say it was his daughter. If Evebi found out whose grave it really was, his identity as emperor would be revealed.
But more than that…
I just couldn’t say a word.
Saying that a child the same age as Evebi was buried here alive was a thought worse than death.
Chlois was confused about where such feelings came from.
Was it that he hated showing a child a grave of someone their own age?
Or was it that he hated showing a daughter lying in cold earth a picture of himself laughing and playing with others?
Why is that?
Chlois was aware that he treated Evebi more gently than others and cared for her more.
He didn’t scold the child who had come here but sent her away gently—and even gave her gifts.
Moreover, to let her keep meeting him, he had fabricated an identity and even prepared a professor’s office for her.
Now I understand why everyone tried so hard.
He realized how nobles desperately tried to put their own children in front of him.
She was just a girl of the same age, with eyes the same color as Lilian’s… that much.
If she were even a little different, would I have done this much?
Chlois imagined Evebi with different hair and eye colors.
But even if the child had different colors, it would have been just as pitiful.
She would reach out her arms toward him without suspicion and hug him tightly, smiling.
Watching that, all he wanted was to do anything for her.
He turned his gaze toward the gifted academy.
With the weekend and seasonal festival overlapping, not many children would remain there.
Evebi should still be there.
Elam City was far away.
Besides, it was difficult for the orphanage director to move for just one child.
Chlois thought of Evebi, who would be left alone in the dormitory, and fell into thought.
I should tell Seraphina to hurry up the library opening. Also, plan some activities so the kids left over the weekend don’t get bored or lonely.
Then he remembered Seraphina’s report.
“As you instructed, we have prepared an office for Professor Xian Roshen. All those with offices there often go on external business trips, so no one will suspect anything even if Professor Xian isn’t often seen.”
She also said it was arranged to be similar to Chlois’s own office, and she asked him to stop by occasionally.
I wonder what exactly they’ve done.
He became curious about the room he had never seen.
Maybe I should go take a look.
Normally, he wouldn’t have thought of it.
The children didn’t know him well, but some professors did know his face.
But today was precisely the day most were out.
After a moment of consideration, he looked toward the gifted academy, as if having made up his mind.
As Chlois had thought, after returning to his private quarters and changing into casual clothes he sometimes wore when going out to the capital, he headed to the gifted academy by a less traveled path.
Occasionally, staff passed him by but didn’t recognize who he was, only offering a customary greeting.
He walked toward the office with a more relaxed mind.
Inside the academy was quieter than he had imagined.
It’s too quiet.
No wonder the remaining children wouldn’t be lonely.
Well, they’ll be quite busy during the next outing.
Chlois recalled the academy’s academic schedule.
Though everyone was excited now to go outside, next time it wouldn’t be so easy.
The exams were right after.
That’s why they all stayed in tears at the dorms.
Chlois himself had attended the gifted academy as a child.
His mother sent him there to solidify his power and he met noble children of his age.
The current Duke Kairon and Marquis Ragselv were friends and retainers he had met then.
Come to think of it, Arcel and Ruska treated Evebi well.
Evebi chatted with Chlois about how she was spending her time at the academy recently.
Her most frequent friend was a girl named Irene, but she talked a lot about the two boys as well.
When was the last time I saw those two?
They were children Lilian cherished and thus had been close to him as well.
But after he became emperor, he had only seen them a handful of times.
Even then, it was only brief greetings at grand banquets, no warm conversations.
I should call them both separately later.
If he were to choose an heir, it would be one of the two.
So starting now, meeting often to see how they had grown wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Maybe I should even give them a royal villa for summer vacation.
Then maybe those children would take care of Evebi and go with her.
Meanwhile, he arrived at the office.
The door slid open.
Inside, he was surprised to see it decorated quite similarly to his own office.
Then seeing the bookshelves filled with books, he wiped his face with his hand.
“Is this supposed to be a foreign language professor’s office?”
If so, why were there so many books on all four foreign languages he primarily used?
Not that I can’t read them.
He worried that to pretend to be a professor in front of Evebi, he might have to study again things he hadn’t used for a long time.
Then his eyes caught a piece of paper on the desk.
“Hm?”
It was clearly written in large, round handwriting—like that of a child.
“Hello, Professor Xian…”
[Hello, Professor Xian. This is Evebi Alden. I came here because I heard your office is here, but you weren’t here so I’m leaving a letter. Goodbye. (I didn’t touch the books, just looked around. Really.) I’ll come again!]
At the end of the letter was a slightly squished drawing of a rabbit.
Chlois’s eyes softened as he looked at the drawing.
She had visited here before me.
How long must she have waited?
Thinking about how long she must have waited here for him brought a pang of sadness.
“She’s coming again.”
When would that be, he wondered.
