7 - Can I Cry Now?
Episode 7
"I looked at the applicants, and frankly, I don’t trust any of them. Most are either aiming for the Academy for the Gifted's banquet, where guardians and children attend together every six months, or they're after talents who will graduate from the Academy for the Gifted.”
As difficult as it was to enter the Academy for the Gifted, the children who did were soon to be talents of the empire.
They enjoyed many privileges, and the children themselves were useful in many ways.
Therefore, the competition to become a guardian was quite fierce.
“Since they are children from the Poorhouse with nowhere to return after graduation, it’s easy to take them into their own families once they become guardians. That seems to be why so many people are greedy.”
Clois frowned at the State Affairs Minister's words.
After a moment of thought, he said, “What about you? How about you becoming the guardian?”
“I already have a child I promised to take care of if they entered the Academy for the Gifted a long time ago. It’s my friend’s grandson.”
One cannot be a guardian for two children at once. Besides, it was a promise he had made, so breaking it would be regrettable.
“Moreover, if it becomes known that Your Majesty chose the child and I became the guardian… frankly, it wouldn’t be good for the child.”
Clois agreed with that point.
The child would receive more attention than necessary just because he had chosen them.
And if the State Affairs Minister became the guardian? That would create even more troublesome issues.
“Is there no one else suitable to entrust this to?”
“It’s not that there’s no one, but most of those I could ask have already received requests to be guardians.”
“I see.”
Entrusting it to a stranger would also be troublesome.
It would be annoying if they acted as if they had done something great just because he entrusted them with this task.
“You didn’t just come here without a plan, do you have another way?”
“Yes. There is a professor registered at the Academy for the Gifted whom others don’t know well. They were registered before the war broke out, and they returned to their hometown after the war. They used to hold the title of a baronet, and their professorship at the Academy for the Gifted still remains.”
“So, you’re going to make him the guardian?”
“Yes. Since they haven’t had much interaction with others, no one really knows who they are, and it seems we can conveniently dispose of it when the time comes.”
“What’s the professor’s name?”
“Sian Roshen.”
“I understand. I’ll turn a blind eye, so use that professor’s name as the guardian.”
“Thank you.”
The State Affairs Minister bowed and retreated.
In fact, this was something the State Affairs Minister could have handled independently.
But Clois thought it was like his upright nature to come and seek permission.
Left alone, he murmured quietly.
“Ibi… huh.”
Strangely, the child’s name kept lingering on his lips.
Moreover, Evevien's illusion, which usually appeared somewhere in the room, was nowhere to be seen today.
Feeling unusually restless, Clois went outside, unlike usual.
On days when he particularly missed his wife and daughter, he would visit a secret place inside the Imperial Palace.
Clois headed there.
\ \ \
Ibi was walking alone through the Academy for the Gifted.
They were waiting for the person who would use the room across from theirs, but the person didn’t come to the room.
In the meantime, it was time for dinner, and Ibi changed into the Academy for the Gifted's uniform, put the book containing the map in their bag, and headed to the dining hall.
‘My first book.’
A book with their name written on it, only for them to see and touch.
Whenever they went to clean at the upper school, they saw the students there carrying their own books.
How envious they were of having their own book that they didn’t have to return.
Ibi hugged the bag tightly.
‘I’m so happy.’
To be this happy from the first day. Surely, good things will be abundant here.
The dining hall they arrived at was noisy.
“There are no maids to serve the meals? Are you saying I have to get the food myself? Me, the son of an Earl?”
Some children were raising their voices, complaining about how they had to get their own food.
In response, the Academy for the Gifted's staff were saying that it was the rule here, and if they couldn’t follow it, they were welcome to go home.
Some children burst into tears, while others got angry.
Ibi checked the noisy atmosphere inside and quietly headed to where the food was.
‘It’s better to eat outside. Or go back to the room.’
Perhaps for those who would eat elsewhere other than the dining hall like Ibi, there were sandwiches wrapped in paper and water and drinks in glass bottles.
Ibi put them one by one into their bag.
As they came out of the dining hall, they saw the sky with the orange sunset light.
‘It’ll be dark soon.’
Even if it was a safe place, it would be difficult to walk around when it got dark.
The forest at the end of the Academy for the Gifted came into Ibi's sight.
Just as they were about to turn around, thinking it was a large forest, a gentle breeze brushed past Ibi's cheek.
In that instant, Ibi unknowingly muttered.
“…Mom?”
Then Ibi was surprised and covered their mouth.
What did I just say?
Mom?
It was an awkward word. The last time they had spoken that word out loud was when they prayed to be accepted into the Academy for the Gifted.
But they didn’t know why they suddenly muttered such a word.
Even as Ibi stood there in confusion, a warm breeze brushed past Ibi's cheek.
The wind brushed Ibi's hair back as if combing it with a hand.
Was that why? The reason they unknowingly muttered ‘Mom.’
Ibi, who was about to return to the dormitory, was drawn to the direction the wind was blowing from.
They soon reached the forest at the end of the Academy for the Gifted.
The wind was blowing from inside the forest.
Could there be a large flowering tree inside? The wind that blew through the leaves was full of fragrant flower scents.
‘How do I get in?’
Normally, they would never think of heading into the forest alone at this hour.
But even while looking at the reddening sky, Ibi was looking around for a way to enter the forest.
The cheek where the wind had brushed felt ticklish. As if someone had kissed them.
Even though they knew it was because the hair that had been blown by the wind had touched it, Ibi kept touching their cheek with their hand.
Then, after searching the edge of the forest for a long time, Ibi saw a path in the bushes that they thought they could enter if they crouched down.
They remembered the contents of the Academy for the Gifted guidebook they had read before coming.
It said that animals sometimes came out in the forest at the end of the Academy for the Gifted.
‘It said there are no attacking animals in the Imperial Palace's forest, but.’
Ibi, who had wandered around the forest near the Poorhouse with the other children, knew.
That even usually docile herbivores become very fierce when they have their young in the spring.
So, it was best not to go on such paths…
As Ibi hesitated and lingered, the wind blew again.
The strong floral scent brushed past Ibi's hair again.
It was just the wind blowing, but somehow it felt like someone was calling them.
—Ibi.
Very kindly. And desperately.
It was just the sound of the wind, but they knew.
That this place was not dangerous.
And that someone was waiting for them beyond this forest.
Ibi, who had been hesitating, clenched their fist tightly.
The bushes of the forest were opening the way for Ibi as if they had been waiting.
\ \ \
How long had they been walking?
“Haa!”
After passing through the bushes for a long time, half crawling, they could finally straighten their back.
Even though it was a warm spring, sweat was beading on their forehead.
Swoosh.
Then the wind blew again and cooled Ibi's sweat.
Having finally caught their breath, Ibi looked around.
Was it an open space in the middle of the forest? There was flat ground in the center, and the surroundings were densely surrounded by trees.
And under the trees, white flowers were in full bloom along with the bushes.
It seemed that the flower scent carried by the wind was the scent of these white flowers.
Then Ibi saw a large stone in the middle of the open space. It was a tombstone.
‘A grave.’
When they were in the Poorhouse, they were so scared that their hair would stand on end just passing by the city's cemetery.
Strangely, even though they realized it was someone’s grave, they didn’t feel any fear.
“But whose grave is it?”
Ibi recalled the map they had memorized.
The map on the first page of the book was a map of the inside of the Academy for the Gifted.
On that map, this place was only marked as a forest. And the map ended there.
‘Beyond this is definitely the Imperial Palace too, but…’
When viewed from afar, the top of a large building could be seen beyond the forest, so it was still inside the Imperial Palace.
‘But is there a grave inside the Imperial Palace?’
It was a very large place, so it wouldn’t be surprising if there was a grave inside.
There were only two tombstones in the open space.
One was a tombstone about the same height as Ibi.
The other was a tombstone that was barely as high as Ibi's waist.
Ibi cautiously approached the large tombstone.
The tombstone was made of smooth white stone with beautiful carvings. And the name of the tombstone’s owner was engraved in the center.
Ibi first read the name on the large tombstone.
“Lilian Shell.”
It was a name they had never heard before.
Nevertheless, Ibi thought it was a very pretty name.
So much so that they wanted to call it again and again.
