46 - Can I Cry Now?
46
Irene and Izriella glared at each other, a palpable tension in the air.
Ibi, not well-versed in high society, could tell that the situation was not in Irene's favor.
Normally, many would have sided with Irene.
Hadn't everyone tried their best to catch Irene's eye?
But now, no one was taking Irene's side.
Instead, they subtly moved closer to Izriella, adding their voices.
"That's right. Why should she bow her head over something like this?"
"Indeed. Isn't Irene being a bit too much?"
The issue, which started with a guardian's gift, was now escalating into a matter of nobility versus commoners.
As the atmosphere shifted in her favor, Izriella puffed out her chest, her expression arrogant.
Meanwhile, the students moved even closer to Izriella.
Even those who were usually busy following Irene around.
They knew they had to try to please Irene.
'But...'
They couldn't tolerate anyone infringing on their basic aristocratic privilege.
Besides, not all the students were eager to win Irene's favor.
'Coming from the South, of all places.'
Children who had lived their entire lives in the capital, like Izriella, considered the South to be the countryside.
So, no matter how much money she had, they thought Irene was inferior to them.
However, they couldn't express it because the Terrance family's power was too strong.
But now, they had a reason to drive Irene into a corner for what they considered a just cause.
'I don't like how much Southern nobles are showing off.'
'It might be better to suppress her a bit now.'
Besides, making a young lady from such a distinguished family like Izriella bow her head to such a lowly child...
Students who wanted to stay out of it pretended not to see and hurried back to their rooms.
Now, only Irene stood beside Ibi.
It was a clear division of sides.
Ibi glanced at Irene.
Irene had told her not to talk to her in front of people during meals.
So she had been trying to be careful, but Irene had stepped forward to defend her.
As the noble children approached her, Izriella crossed her arms and said confidently.
"Irene? Why don't you reconsider?"
At Izriella's confident voice, Ibi gently tugged on Irene's sleeve, who was protecting her.
Irene looked at Ibi.
Ibi shook her head.
It meant she didn't need to do this because of her.
It meant she should reconcile with Izriella now, if possible...
"Even if I reconsider a thousand times, it's the same. I have no reason to apologize to someone who can't tell the difference between what should and shouldn't be said."
Irene glared at Izriella, completely dropping the polite tone she had been maintaining.
At that moment, staff members who realized the situation was serious approached.
"What's going on here?"
As the staff arrived, the children turned away as if nothing had happened.
And so, completely divided, the matter ended.
\ \ \
Thud.
As the door closed, Ibi sank to the floor, clutching the Magic Stone.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Were you injured? Izriella, is that true...!"
"No, it's not that... Why would you... If you fight with others like that!"
She remembered the gazes of the students who had turned their backs on her and Irene.
From tomorrow, Irene would surely be ignored by people, just like her.
"Oh, ostracizing? Don't worry about it."
"Still, I'm used to it, but Irene is..."
"I told you to just call me Irene. And I have no intention of being friends with those who take other people's things and say such things. Let them ostracize me if they want. Hmph!"
Irene continued, sounding rather relieved.
"I've been so annoyed trying to hold back all this time, it's actually more comfortable this way. Ah, my sister will say something... Oh well. Never mind."
Irene grumbled as she examined Ibi.
Seeing her meticulously checking even the inside of her arm where Izriella had grabbed her, to see if she was hurt, Ibi thought of the Headmaster.
The Headmaster was the first person in her life to worry about her and take care of her.
After that, she thought there would be no one else who would worry about her, someone they had no connection with, as much as the Headmaster did...
Feeling her heart warm, Ibi hugged the Magic Stone in her arms and lowered her head.
'I'm glad I came here.'
Irene might regret it tomorrow. Being ignored by people is a very sad and difficult thing until you get used to it.
But today, Irene had helped her. That alone made Ibi happy.
"Thank you."
"Huh? For what?"
"For helping me. Thanks to you, I was able to keep the gift."
Ibi smiled and took out the Magic Stone from her arms.
"Even if it's fake, it was the first gift I've ever received. So I didn't want to have it taken away..."
"What are you talking about?"
"This Magic Stone. You said it was real to stand up for me..."
"Huh? That's real."
Irene, who was listening to Ibi, blinked as if asking what she was talking about.
At Irene's words, Ibi also widened her eyes.
"It's real?"
"Yeah. I'll tell you in advance, people in our family never lie about things."
Then, Irene tapped the Magic Stone that Ibi was holding.
"This isn't some shoddy fake you'd find in the market. It's a real Magic Stone with proper power. But all the strong Magic Stones are in the Imperial Palace, so it probably doesn't have much power. Maybe it just glows."
"Isn't a Magic Stone a precious thing?"
"It is. This one would fetch at least 10 million gold at an auction."
At those words, Ibi's mouth dropped open.
"Your guardian must care about you quite a bit. Sending you something like this."
"Th, that can't be..."
Professor Sian was someone who didn't even know who she was.
So she was surprised that he had sent her a gift, but there was no way he would give her something so expensive and precious.
'I did lend him my handkerchief, but...'
That wasn't a big enough deal to receive a precious Magic Stone.
It was her first gift, and it was the first time she had held something so precious.
Ibi's hand holding the Magic Stone trembled.
'Will I get a call later asking me to return it?'
That would make sense. There's no way he would give me something so precious to keep. Maybe he sent it by mistake and will come to get it soon.
'Then I have to keep it safe until then.'
Ibi hugged the still-warm Magic Stone tightly. It was a pleasant warmth.
\ \ \
That night, Ibi placed the Magic Stone on the bedside table next to her bed.
The Magic Stone settled there naturally, as if that was where it belonged from the beginning.
Ibi placed her hand on the Magic Stone. Then, as if it had been waiting, the Magic Stone glowed and became warm.
It was an amazing stone the more she looked at it. Light and heat flowed out when she touched it. And disappeared when she touched it again.
Ibi stared at the Magic Stone, which emitted a soft glow in the dark room, for a long time.
"It really keeps shining..."
She had heard that it would continue to have power because it was a real Magic Stone, but she kept worrying about it.
More than whether it was real or fake, she was sad about what would happen if this beautiful color and warmth disappeared.
But even after touching it several times throughout the day, the Magic Stone's light and warmth remained the same.
Ibi, who had been looking at the Magic Stone, got into bed. It was really time to sleep now.
Normally, she would have covered herself with the blanket up to her head. Because she was afraid of the dark.
Besides, since the day she was trapped in the museum, she sometimes had the thought that if the room was dark, she might get trapped again.
'But it's okay now.'
She thought of what had happened before she came to the Poorhouse.
She had to work for a long time even after the sun had set.
When she finally finished working and went to the shed to cover herself with straw and try to fall asleep, she remembered what the innkeeper and the people had said during the day.
That the people who died in the war roamed around as ghosts at night.
So if they found a living person, they would drag them away.
They would laugh every time they saw Ibi terrified.
Then they would get annoyed, saying, "She still doesn't cry even like this. She's so stubborn."
Even though she thought there was no such thing, Ibi was afraid of the night without any light.
That didn't get any better even after she came to the Poorhouse.
At first, the Headmaster lit a candle next to her and stayed with her to help Ibi, who was afraid of the night.
But she couldn't do that every day.
Candles were expensive, and the Headmaster needed to rest too.
So Ibi pretended to be okay, saying that she wasn't afraid anymore.
'It got a little better after I started sleeping with my friends...'
When she came to the Academy for the Gifted and had to sleep alone again, she remembered the scary stories she had heard when she was young.
'I'm 7 years old now, so it's okay.'
Even though she thought that and clenched her fists tightly, she ended up covering herself with the blanket up to her head when she fell asleep.
But not today.
Ibi's eyes slowly closed in the pleasant, soft light that was neither dazzling nor dark.
Today, she had become friends with Irene and received a wonderful gift.
'Really...'
I'm glad I came here.
Thinking that, Ibi fell into a comfortable sleep.
\ \ *
At the same time.
"I wonder if she liked the gift."
Clois was sitting by the window, muttering to himself.
