Ch#75
In the end, Ibi left the library without having studied at all.
Even that was because the librarian said it was closing time; otherwise, she might have stayed until curfew.
‘I wanted to keep looking at it.’
She thought of the Imperial Family Tree she had reluctantly put back after being told she had to leave.
‘I can’t even borrow it.’
She had asked if she could borrow the book once the library officially opened.
In response to Ibi's question, the librarian had answered with a regretful face.
“Only professors can borrow this one. And even then, only when needed for class. Truthfully, you needed permission just to come in and look. But since you didn't know, it's okay to go today.”
After saying that, the librarian hung a rope across the door once Ibi left the room.
It really was a place that required permission to enter.
‘When can I see it again?’
Classes on the imperial family were said to start from next semester.
There was still a long time left until next semester began.
‘I guess I have to wait until then.’
Otherwise….
‘Professors can borrow it.’
Could she ask Professor Males or Professor Sian to lend it to her?
‘Professor Males probably won’t.’
He was the professor who even now praised math, saying, ‘Math! Math is the truth of the world! Everything else is mere illusion!’
There was no way he would help her borrow the Imperial Family Tree.
He would say what’s the point of looking at dead people and tell her to study one more math formula instead.
‘I have to ask Professor Sian after all.’
Though Professor Sian was in charge of foreign languages, he didn’t seem like he would only do foreign languages like Professor Males.
‘Then I should show it to Professor Sian right away.’
She should open the portrait of His Majesty the Emperor and tell him how much His Majesty resembled the professor.
‘He’d be really surprised too, right?’
He might be even more shocked than her. He might even boast to others about how much he resembled His Majesty the Emperor.
Then Ibi suddenly wondered if Professor Sian might be the emperor.
And a few seconds later.
“No way.”
Dean Seraphina knew Professor Sian too. That was why she delivered letters for him.
‘Grown-ups like the dean don’t lie.’
Thinking that if Seraphina heard, she would mutter, ‘That’s how I wanted to live……,’ Ibi continued her thoughts about Professor Sian.
‘He even took me to the seasonal festival.’
He had pitied her being left alone in the dorm and taken her outside, letting her see all the events.
‘His Majesty the Emperor is busy.’
There was no way such a person could go out and play with a student.
Though she thought it couldn’t be, there was still something strange.
She kept recalling how he had been crying alone at the gravesite when they first met.
It could be because he was close to them….
“Professor is just Professor.”
After agonizing for a long time, Ibi shook her head.
‘Should I go back to the dorm?’
But there was still plenty of time until curfew, and she wanted to study outside a bit more before going in.
‘Airin’s not there either.’
With that thought, she disliked returning to the dorm even more.
The main building closed early, so she couldn’t go to Professor Males’ classroom anymore.
The dorm didn’t appeal, the cafeteria had too many people, and other buildings had noisy students in the hallways.
In the end, there was only one place Ibi could go.
‘I have to go to Professor Sian’s office.’
No one came there except her and Professor Sian anyway.
‘I hope Professor comes today.’
Since the foreign language exam was next week, it would be great if she could ask about the parts she didn’t know well.
“If I’m going to Professor’s office….”
Ibi recalled the paper box she had secretly hidden under the bookshelf.
The box was now quite full. Thinking of how it had filled up faster than she expected made her heart race.
‘I can send it soon.’
She wanted to send it as soon as possible.
That was why she had been diligently filling the box.
‘I should look around today too.’
At that moment, she saw a student throwing away their notebook in a trash can far away.
At the sight, Ibi’s face brightened.
Once the student who threw away the notebook left, Ibi looked around and cautiously approached the trash can.
* * *
A long while later, Ibi arrived in front of the office carrying a bag so full it wouldn’t close properly.
Knock knock.
She knocked just in case, but as expected, there was no answer.
‘Professor only comes in the evening.’
While other professors busily roamed Yeongjae Academy from morning, she had never seen Professor Sian.
Ibi went inside, set down her bag, and sat in front of the bookshelf.
Then she leaned down, took out the books from the bottom shelf, and pulled out the paper box hidden inside.
Unlike the day she first put it there when it rattled, now it was so heavy she had to lift it with both hands.
“Good. If I put in what I brought today, I can send it now.”
The moment Ibi hugged the box with a satisfied face.
Bang!
The door opened roughly, and a group of students entered.
The girl pointed at the surprised Ibi and said.
“She stole mine! I saw you!”
* * *
Clois’s office was quiet.
The Prime Minister, who had come to report, took the last document Clois handed him.
“The meeting is in two days, so you can rest a bit too.”
“Thanks to Your Majesty. Lately, you’ve been reviewing so quickly that I’ve had time to breathe.”
“I’m glad. Then have a seat before you go.”
At the command disguised as an invitation, the Prime Minister hesitated for a moment.
Clois gave a wry smile.
“You have something to say to me?”
“……”
“Today’s documents could have just been sent by attendants without issue. But you brought them yourself, so isn’t it because you wanted to say something to me using them as an excuse?”
“……I cannot fool Your Majesty’s eyes.”
Instead of denying it, the Prime Minister let out a short breath as if caught, bowed, and sat across from Clois.
“So, what made you hesitate all day?”
The Prime Minister was someone who clearly distinguished public and private matters.
He also didn’t speak carelessly, which was why Clois trusted him deeply.
For such a Prime Minister to hesitate and worry this much.
“I will dare to speak.”
He bowed his head and said.
“I am worried that Your Majesty is pouring too much affection into the child at Yeongjae Academy.”
Having poured out what he had kept in his heart at once, the Prime Minister squeezed his eyes shut.
“……”
Clois said nothing at the Prime Minister’s words.
After a long silence that made it seem he might never speak again, Clois finally opened his mouth.
“How are your children?”
“I have one daughter and two sons.”
“They must be cute.”
“Cute? My eldest daughter is already over forty. My sons are well past thirty too.”
Clois let out a small laugh at the Prime Minister shaking his head as if fed up.
“Still, there must have been joy in raising them.”
“It would be a lie to say there wasn’t. Especially when my first was born, every day was hard but joyful.”
The Prime Minister’s face turned wistful, as if recalling that time.
The corners of his mouth drew the smile from back then.
Clois looked at his expression for a long while before speaking.
“When I said to reopen Yeongjae Academy, you opposed it to the end. You even tried to delay that day as much as possible.”
“Your Majesty, that was……”
“I know. You were worried about me. You must have been concerned that I, who still hadn’t sorted my feelings, might break down seeing children around the age Evie would be if she were alive.”
“Yes.”
“Still, I thought I could overcome it now. I believed that even I, no matter how foolish, wouldn’t seek my daughter’s image in another child.”
“……”
“Your worry was right.”
“Your Majesty.”
Clois calmly admitted his mistake.
“Yeongjae Academy—no, the child I’m guardian for—is having too great an influence on me.”
“……”
He naturally knew that. Hadn’t the emperor’s atmosphere changed since Yeongjae Academy reopened?
At first, he was even sharper than usual, and the ministers couldn’t even mention Yeongjae Academy in his presence.
But as time passed, Clois’s atmosphere gradually changed.
The sharpness that seemed ready to strike anyone vanished, becoming softer and softer.
Light returned to his listless eyes, filling them with vitality.
At first, he didn’t know the reason. But the moment Seraphina frequently came and went, talking about the guardian, he realized.
There was a child who had revived the emperor’s dying spirit.
