Translator: Nox

41 - Can I Cry Now?

Episode 41

When I first entered the dormitory, I wondered which of the two rooms I should use.

So, the moment I opened the room with a better view of the garden, I saw the luggage distributed by the Academy for the Gifted already placed there.

'My roommate must have arrived first.'

Before hurriedly closing the door, I noticed the clothes hanging on the wall.

They were ridiculously small.

'She must be smaller than me.'

Irene's heart fluttered at that fact.

Irene was very weak against anything smaller than herself.

This was largely because she was from the South.

People from the South were much taller and bigger than those in the central region, where the capital was located.

Even the children were born small at first, but they grew up quickly as if they had never been small.

So, even though Irene was only ten years old, when she came to the capital, she was much taller and more mature than her peers, so everyone thought she was about thirteen.

Therefore, in the South, anything small was considered young and weak, and an existence that needed to be cared for and protected.

Moreover, Irene was the youngest in her family.

Because of that, people cherished Irene very much, raising her delicately as if she would be hurt even by the wind.

That's why Irene felt even more frustrated.

Outwardly, she had a glamorous and delicate appearance that made it seem like she couldn't even pluck a flower with her own hands.

But Irene was a Southerner to the bone.

Seeing something small made her want to protect it like crazy.

But since she was the youngest, instead of cherishing and protecting anything, she was always overprotected.

But finally...

'My roommate! A child younger than me!'

If there hadn't been other people around, she would have gasped for breath in joy.

As Irene was trembling with joy, the female students next to her looked inside and raised their voices.

"Oh my goodness, she's taken the room before Lady Irene. Who on earth is she?"

"What? There's a student who dared to choose her room before Lady Irene?"

At their voices, Irene's expression turned cold again.

'These girls are annoying.'

Since coming to the capital, Irene had always been surrounded by people.

Especially when she stayed at the Townhouse in the capital while preparing to enter the Academy for the Gifted, people flocked to her, saying they were also entering the Academy for the Gifted and wanted to be friends.

Of course, they all came seeking friendship with the Terence family.

'If this were the South, they wouldn't even be able to come close...'

It wasn't just because she was the daughter of a great noble family.

Children in the South were generally afraid of Irene.

They were children who were rough enough to be shown off anywhere, but they all turned pale and quickly disappeared when Irene appeared.

This was largely due to the incident where Irene beat up a child from another family like a dog.

The day Irene sent a boy to the hospital, her father shouted, clutching his chest.

"You've made my wife collapse!"

"Anyone would think I'm not your daughter."

Irene brushed off her father's words with an indifferent face.

But her expression hardened at the following words.

"Your sister was very disappointed when she heard the news!"

"My sister?"

Even though they had different mothers, the person Irene loved most in the world was her sister.

The person she feared the most was also her sister.

Just then, her sister entered the room.

"Irene. Would you like to tell me what happened? Why did you punch the second son of the Roman family in the face? And kick him between the legs."

When her sister called her name in a low voice, Irene lowered her head and said.

"He kicked me first."

"Yes. So you punched him. But why did you have to kick his crotch? Because of that... his parents seem very worried."

The Roman viscount and his wife cried and screamed, wondering what would happen if their child became a eunuch.

At those words, Irene hesitated even more and said with difficulty.

"He tried to touch me without permission and pulled up my skirt. So I just wanted to make sure he never thought of doing such a thing again. He shouldn't be doing that to other children either, right?"

At those words, her father and sister's expressions changed.

"Well done."

This was Irene's father.

"...That son of a bitch did that to you?"

This was her sister's voice, who had been speaking gently until just now.

The two left Irene alone and whispered something.

"...Let's do that. Grind him up..."

"...Wouldn't it be better for that family if such a son didn't exist..."

Some dangerous conversation passed between her father and sister, and then they smiled and returned.

Her father spoke first.

"Okay, Irene. That being said, we can't deny that you've been causing a lot of trouble lately."

"..."

At those words, Irene closed her mouth.

"The world is not your enemy. So you need to learn how to get along with others."

"I'm getting along fine. The etiquette teacher said she has nothing more to teach me."

"That's because you perfectly memorized only the parts you show. She came to me separately and said your social relationships are on the verge of collapse."

"..."

When Irene closed her mouth, her sister spoke this time.

"So I thought you needed a new environment. Here, take a look at this."

"What is this? An Academy for the Gifted acceptance letter?"

Irene, who received the paper her sister handed her, was surprised and jumped up from her chair.

"Why would I go here!"

"Why else? Your grades were good enough, so I applied. And I applied."

"You did?"

"Yes."

Irene's sister said with a serious face.

"You need friends."

"..."

"And you need some connections in the central region."

"Isn't that the more important thing?"

At Irene's suspicious gaze, her sister laughed and replied.

"It's the same thing. Aren't friends connections? Anyway, go to the capital and enter the Academy for the Gifted. Make some friends there until you graduate."

At her sister's words, Irene burst into tears.

"Sending me alone to the capital where I don't know anyone! Are you abandoning me?"

Transparent tears welled up in her silver eyelashes.

The sight of her amethyst eyes sparkling with sadness was so pitiful that anyone would want to comfort her.

But Irene's sister was firm.

"Crying won't work on me. And you're ten years old now, so you need to act like a member of the Terence family."

"Tch."

Irene immediately stopped crying.

A member of the Terence family. That meant she had to fulfill her purpose.

Apart from being full of love, it was a family that had gained enormous wealth and power through business.

Therefore, from a young age, her abilities, position, and even the things she would have to do in the future were all predetermined.

"And you said you didn't want to be the Crown Princess. But it seems like rumors are already circulating, so go and sort things out yourself."

"Ah, I have to do that."

After showing her face in central society once last year, people were already saying that Irene wanted the position of Crown Princess.

'Who would want such a stuffy position?'

What she wanted was not the position of Crown Princess.

'Isn't it enough to just be friends with the Crown Prince?'

And friendship with the person who would become his partner was a bonus.

So, to calm the rumors and for the sake of connections in the central region, it was good to come to the Academy for the Gifted, but...

'The kids in the South were more well-behaved.'

Irene was very tired of the children who were constantly talking about which family was what and who was less classy than whom.

There was a difference between nobles and commoners in the South, but not to this extent.

What was so great about her family and her acceptance into the Academy for the Gifted that made them so arrogant and haughty?

But she couldn't just tell them all to get lost like she had done in the South until now.

'Be patient. I have to be patient.'

She had to control her temper until she graduated from the Academy for the Gifted.

'I can quit and go back in the middle...'

But she didn't want to.

Her pride wouldn't allow it.

As her father and sister had said, it was time to build new connections in the central region.

She knew she was the right person for the job.

And...

'I want to make some friends too.'

So she was looking forward to her roommate.

Irene had many things she wanted to do. Take classes together, eat together, go to festivals together...

Then her roommate came in.

She bowed politely and said her name was Ibi Elden.

In that moment, Irene almost covered her mouth and screamed.

'Why is she so small! And her name is Ibi! How cute!'