CICN 85

Chapter 85

Irene had changed into her nightclothes and was sitting next to Evie’s bed, explaining.

“…So, while everyone was watching, that Izriella girl started crying, the others were begging for forgiveness, it was chaos.”

It was an explanation of what had happened after Evie left with Clois.

Just as Evie had been bewildered, right after Clois left, Irene also thought she must be dreaming.

Not just Irene. Everyone present had been unable to move for quite a while after Clois departed.

Then Izriella suddenly began wailing, and her friends clung to Seraphina crying, which finally snapped people back to their senses.

“Everyone, return to your places! This building will be closed for the time being, so if you were using this place, pack up your things!”

At the same time, Seraphina ordered Izriella and her friends to stay behind.

“Irene, would you also stay for a moment?”
“Huh? Why me?”
“You’re a party to this too, aren’t you? And with Evie gone, there’s no one left to testify about what happened. At least tell me what you saw.”

Irene replied without hesitation.

“Of course! Izriella, she—!”

She remembered she had been studying for the exam, but that wasn’t important.

Irene told Seraphina everything she had witnessed.

She didn’t even need to exaggerate—Izriella had done plenty wrong all on her own.

“Thank you for telling me. And that’s enough studying for today, go back to your dormitory.”

Then Seraphina pointed to the mirror in the corner of the professor’s office.

When Irene looked, her appearance was a mess. She wasn’t surprised.

‘I really shook that Izriella girl by the hair.’

The moment she saw Evie being hit, she rushed in, grabbed Izriella’s hair, and kicked her away.

Izriella had fought back belatedly, but Irene wasn’t one to take a beating.

She looked like a princess, but she had the unofficial nickname “the little fist of the South.” She never backed down from a fight.

Ruska even openly called her a mad buffalo.

Irene was experienced, so she fought well. While Izriella clumsily grabbed her, Irene pinched, kicked, and struck every painful spot she could find.

Tonight, Izriella would not sleep comfortably.

Afterward, Irene had returned to the dorm, washed, changed, and waited for Evie.

But no matter how long she waited, Evie didn’t come back.

Then she heard crying outside. When she peeked out, she saw Izriella and her gang packing up under staff supervision.

Since their punishment hadn’t been decided yet, their dorm room was left untouched.

Not interested in watching long, Irene turned to go back. That was when some students hesitantly approached her.

“Um, Miss Irene. We’re curious about Miss Evie…”

Hearing them call her Miss Evie made Irene stifle a laugh.

Up till now, people barely even used Evie’s name.

Most called her “that kid,” “the pauper,” “the orphanage brat,” or “that low-born thing.”

But now—suddenly—Miss Evie?

“When she comes back, ask her yourself. I don’t know anything.”

Irene answered coldly and returned to her room.

‘They watched her get beaten for fun, and now suddenly it’s Miss Evie?’

Muttering to herself, Irene let out a long sigh.

The Emperor had defended Evie in front of everyone and taken her with him. Rumors would surely follow her now.

‘Evie’s going to have an even noisier life than me.’

Irene remembered how students had clung to her simply because she was a daughter of the Terrins family.

Not just her—Ruska and Arcel had also suffered from unwanted attention.

Now Evie would have to endure the same.

“Anyway, you’ll have to be careful from now on too.”
“Okay.”

Evie smiled, her eyes crinkling. Irene hugged her tightly and patted her back.

Because of the gauze still on Evie’s face, Irene had even gone into the bathroom with her to help wash her hair earlier, drying it afterward as well.

“Don’t worry too much, I’ll help you. Tomorrow morning, at least greet Arcel and Ruska so they know you’re fine. Though honestly, they’ll probably be waiting outside the girls’ dormitory first thing.”

Evie nodded.

“Alright, let’s sleep now.”

At that, Evie yawned softly and slipped under the blanket. Irene hesitated, then asked:

“Can I sleep here too? If you feel unwell in the night, I can call staff right away… or if you get scared thinking about what happened today…”

Her eyes trembled as she spoke.

She could still clearly see Evie being beaten by Izriella earlier.

If only she had arrived sooner, maybe Evie wouldn’t have had a nosebleed.

No—if she’d gotten there even before the hand was raised, she would’ve kicked Izriella away right then!

Just remembering it made her so furious her eyes watered.

Even now, her throat tightened and her hands shook.

Evie, seeing this, patted the space beside her as if telling Irene to hurry and lie down.

Irene quickly lay beside her, using a cushion as a pillow.

“Mm, with you here, I won’t be scared. You kicked Izriella away today, right?”
“Right? I really did well, didn’t I?”

The two giggled together.

They chatted lightly for a while—about the main palace, about the imperial knights they’d seen on the way.

Then their voices grew slower… until eventually, both closed their eyes and drifted into sleep.

Hand in hand, the children’s faces glowed softly under the light of the magic stone.

The next morning, Seraphina was facing uninvited guests—the parents of Izriella, the count and countess.

“How could you do this! She’s still just a child, yet you locked her in an empty building alone!”
“She’s not alone. Staff were in the hallway, ready to respond if anything happened.”

Seraphina answered flatly, stifling a yawn.

The count couple were angry at her attitude, but they couldn’t push further.

‘It’s Seraphina Ridem, after all.’

One of the Empire’s foremost geniuses, a powerful mage, and one of the Emperor’s close aides.

Now, she was also the head of the Academy for Gifted Youths.

In other words, she was someone they could neither win against nor afford to offend.

“Actually, I was going to send you an official letter today. I don’t know how word leaked out so fast… Even if a letter had been sent, it wouldn’t have arrived yet. I also told the staff to keep quiet.”

Seraphina smiled as she looked at the couple.

“It seems there’s someone inside passing information outside. That’s a violation of contract, you know.”

The count and countess coughed awkwardly and looked away.

Last night, word of the disturbance had spread through many mouths until it reached them.

“What do you mean the whole family could be banned not only from the Academy for Gifted Youths but even from applying to the Imperial Academy itself?”

Izriella’s older brother had been the most shaken.

“That’s impossible! I’m supposed to reapply to the Academy next year—what am I supposed to do then?”

He had raged at his parents to hurry to the Academy and find out.

The count couple had wanted to, but entry to the Academy was never free.

As it was an institution attached to the Imperial Palace, barging in recklessly could lead to severe punishment.

So they had waited until morning, and as soon as the palace gates opened, they came and demanded a meeting with the dean.

“Well, this actually works out. The matter grew complicated enough that writing it all in a letter would’ve been tedious, but since you’re here, it saves me the trouble.”

With that, Seraphina explained the outline of the incident.

Throughout, the count couple kept interrupting.

“Then isn’t it that low-born child’s fault?”
“What! You’re saying the Terrins family’s daughter struck our child? How barbaric—!”

Each time, Seraphina rubbed her forehead.

No wonder Izriella was so obstinate—she was just like her parents.

They brushed off their daughter’s faults as trivial, but exaggerated and fumed over anything done to her.

As a student of the Academy, Seraphina had hoped Izriella’s case would be resolved as smoothly as possible. Even if discipline was inevitable, she wanted it handled in the best way.

But—

Her patience was running out fast.

‘I just want to finish this and go back to sleep.’

She no longer felt inclined to give this matter any special consideration.

Smiling faintly, she began reviewing in her mind the Academy’s harshest disciplinary measures.

Just then, the count shouted:

“Especially that so-called guardian of the orphan! Bring him here at once! He must take responsibility for the child’s actions!”

At those words, Seraphina’s smile deepened.

Well now—that was exactly what she’d been waiting for.