Ch#70
"Professor! Hello!"
As Clois entered, Ibi jumped up and approached him.
It was the first time seeing Professor Sian since the seasonal festival.
'Honestly, I thought he might not come today....'
Dean Seraphina's reply said Professor Sian could come to the professor's office around evening.
But Seraphina had said he was so busy that he might be delayed, so not to wait too late.
Of course, she still planned to wait until curfew.
Ibi approached Clois and stared at his face before asking worriedly,
"Professor, are you tired?"
"Huh? Why do you think that?"
"Here. You have dark circles under your eyes. And there are bloodshot veins in your eyes. Your eyes are narrowed like this too."
At Ibi's words, he looked at her in surprise.
He was accustomed to hiding his fatigue in front of others.
He had no choice but to be.
After ascending the throne, he had crushed the ministers and other nobles with fear for a time.
He had to. Otherwise, they could plot rebellion at any moment.
So he never showed weakness in front of others.
It was something he had learned since childhood, so no one noticed his condition except those very close who had his trust.
Yet a 7-year-old child spotted it immediately.
Was he too relaxed, or did Ibi have sharp eyes?
Clois gave a wry smile and changed the subject.
"Have you been well? I'm sorry I left without even saying goodbye because you fell asleep so deeply during the festival."
"No!"
Ibi bounced up as if wondering what he meant, then remembered the gifts she received at the mention of the festival.
She should say he gave too much, that she couldn't accept it all. But....
'They were all so pretty.'
The hairpins, ribbons, and other toys. Everything was what she wanted.
And above all, they were from Professor Sian.
"Thank you for the gifts. I'll use them all well."
"......Good."
He had expected her to refuse like before, but her grateful acceptance relieved him.
He also felt proud. Proof that what he chose was truly something the child would like.
He had her sit in a chair, then skimmed the foreign language book she had been looking at and asked,
"So, which parts were difficult?"
He checked the clock. There wasn't much time before she had to return to the dorm before curfew.
So he planned to help with the parts she was struggling with as much as possible beforehand.
Enough that if studying was hard, she would seek him out again.
* * *
A bell rang in the distance. At the sound, Clois checked the clock.
"Oh, time to go. You need to head back to the dorm."
"Yesss...."
Ibi reluctantly packed her books.
"I wonder if I was helpful."
"You helped a ton! You taught me everything I didn't know."
"But my explanation was a bit difficult, right?"
"Hehe...."
Clois resolved at Ibi's embarrassed smile, unable to say no.
From tonight, he would study foreign languages properly, even cutting into sleep, to teach like a real foreign language professor.
Not just to pretend to be a plausible professor.
He had enjoyed teaching Ibi.
She was a child who understood two or three things after being taught one.
She quickly expanded her world upon realizing what she hadn't known moments ago.
Like dry cloth absorbing water, she took in the new knowledge and soon stood beside those who learned first.
Clois felt awe at the sight of an ignorant being growing so rapidly.
'I never knew there was such joy.'
When he heard about Professor Males from Seraphina, he thought it was the old professor's fuss, but now Clois could no longer mock him.
At this rate, he might end up fawning even more than Professor Males.
He wanted to give the curious child everything she desired and see how much further she would grow.
A stronger desire arose to teach her himself.
'To do that, I need to study first.'
Clois looked at the foreign language textbook in his hand.
It had been years since he last looked at a book unrelated to work like this.
"Next time, I'll teach more easily."
"Yes!"
While Ibi organized her notebook, he looked at the changed room as he had ordered.
There were signs of use here and there.
Since no one else came besides him and Ibi, she must have visited and used it well in the meantime.
As he felt inexplicable pride at having gauged the child's tastes accurately, he suddenly smelled something odd.
"......Cookies?"
He hadn't noticed earlier, but now as he looked around before leaving, a faint pastry scent wafted.
Searching for the source, he realized the smell grew stronger near the new bookshelf.
"Professor! Time to go!"
As he tried to trace the scent further, Ibi grabbed him and hurried outside.
Because of that, Clois left without paying more attention to the cookie smell.
"Give me your bag."
He took Ibi's bag before she could reply and held out one hand.
Ibi grabbed his offered hand without hesitation now.
The two walked together along the darkening path toward the dorm.
And someone was watching them from a window in the adjacent building. It was Izriella.
Izriella had followed Ibi since daytime.
Ibi hadn't noticed her. She had never even considered being tailed.
Besides, she was excited about meeting Professor Sian.
Izriella, following, saw Ibi enter a quiet building and went into the one next door.
Following into the same building risked being spotted.
Fortunately, a classroom with a clear view of Ibi's building was empty.
Izriella waited there, watching for Ibi to come out.
But Ibi didn't emerge even as curfew approached.
'The lights are on, so she's probably inside....'
If the lights had gone out, she could assume Ibi left secretly and return to the dorm, but since she didn't come out, Izriella couldn't leave either.
Alone in the dark classroom, she grew more anxious.
By now, other students were diligently preparing for midterms in their rooms.
Instead of studying, what was she doing?
'She's learning foreign languages from Professor Sian.'
While she hid and surveilled, Ibi was comfortably studying. Izriella's stomach twisted further.
'Even the professors keep praising her.'
She thought good grades from a rural school meant nothing at Yeongjae Academy.
Most students had received the best education from numerous tutors since childhood.
So she would realize her place here. Arcel and Ruska's attention was temporary.
Given more time, they would see through Ibi's inflated abilities and distance themselves.
But everything was going opposite to Izriella's expectations.
Asking students she still kept ties with, professors praised Ibi in every class she took.
"She really is smart."
"I'm jealous of Professor Males' class too. The other three in the main building classroom are from great noble families everyone looks up to.... It feels like an elite gathering even at Yeongjae Academy?"
"And that Professor Males is a big deal who hadn't been active, so we didn't know. Now he's starting a group under his name.... With only Ibi as his young disciple, she'll get all the seniors' help alone later."
They hid their envy while gossiping.
And subtly expected Izriella to add more.
Otherwise, they would return to Airin. Desperate, Izriella had followed her today.
'But no proper studying, no solid evidence against Ibi Alden.'
'Should I just go back?'
It wouldn't be too late to follow after exams.
As Izriella thought that far, Ibi emerged from the building.
Unlike when she entered alone, Ibi was with someone else.
A man carrying her bag and holding her hand.
He was definitely the tall, blond man Ibi had described in the cafeteria.
Izriella quietly left the building and followed them from very far away.
