Ch#86
'This is what they mean by the perks of power.'
Times like this made her want to cling to that power for an easy way out.
'This is why I became a loyal retainer.'
Seraphina smiled even more brightly as she looked at the Count couple.
"You said exactly the right thing. Ibi Alden's guardian must be dying to see you two as well. So how about meeting them and talking it over?"
"Fine by us!"
He had only heard a brief account of the disturbance at Yeongjae Academy and was completely unaware of the part that had caused the biggest uproar.
That's why he so confidently demanded they bring in the guardian.
'How impressive could the guardian of some lowly brat be?'
No matter who it was, they were surely inferior in status and connections.
The Count planned to crush the guardian flat by throwing his family name around.
Seraphina went to her desk, quickly scribbled something on a memo pad, and handed it to the Count.
"What's this?"
"What else? It's Ibi Alden's guardian's address. I hope you have a fruitful conversation."
If you can make it there, that is.
Swallowing those unspoken words, Seraphina rose from her seat.
Her first-ever parent-teacher conference was more exhausting and irritating than expected.
She resolved to limit future ones to ten minutes as she grabbed her coat and stood.
"Then I'll be going. Being dean comes with so many duties and responsibilities that I can't rest a moment. Contact me once you've reached an agreement. If I hear nothing else, we'll proceed according to the school rules."
With that, Seraphina breezed out of the meeting room.
The Count couple stared at her retreating figure in disbelief.
They were a couple always treated with respect in high society.
Yet Seraphina had fled as if facing the world's most annoying nuisance.
Having never been treated this way before, the couple trembled with humiliation.
Naturally, their anger turned toward what they saw as the even lower guardian.
"I won't let them get away with this."
The Count ground his teeth as he stared at the paper Seraphina had given him.
Moments later, he tilted his head and muttered.
"This seems wrong."
All that was written on the paper Seraphina had handed him was
[Imperial Palace, Main Palace]
The Count stood and headed outside.
A waiting staff member tried to escort them out, but the Count grabbed him.
"Hold on. It seems the dean wrote down the wrong address for us."
"Wrong address? I don't follow."
"Does this look like the address of that lowly orphan kid's guardian?"
The staff glanced at the paper, then at the Count's face.
"You haven't been fully briefed on this yet? The dean, honestly……."
"Briefed on what?"
The staff sighed at the Count's puzzled expression.
It looked like it fell to him to deliver the most shocking fact.
"That Ibi Alden's guardian is His Majesty the Emperor."
At those words, the paper slipped from the Count's hand and fluttered to the floor.
Moments later, wails of denial from the Count couple echoed from a corner of Yeongjae Academy.
* * *
The incident with Ibi and Izriella had caused a massive stir at Yeongjae Academy, but no miracle like delaying the exams occurred.
The problem was that most of Yeongjae Academy was buzzing with excitement.
Ibi herself remained calm, but it was no secret that the other students, obsessed with the event, had studied less than usual while chattering about it.
Perhaps because of that, a heavy atmosphere hung over the dormitory from morning on report card day.
Normally, bright laughter would fill the air, but the passing students' faces were etched with tension and anxiety.
Of course, some were expectant.
"I-I think I did pretty well on the scores."
Ruska, sitting in the lobby waiting for his report card, grinned as Arcel approached.
"That's new. You've never waited for exam results before."
Before entering Yeongjae Academy, Ruska had attended the same advanced school as Arcel.
Back then, on report card days, he would act like he wanted to burrow into the ground from morning.
The pressure here was far greater than back then.
So Arcel had expected him to be half-dead…… but he was grinning like this?
Either way, Ruska was Arcel's close friend.
There was no reason for Arcel to feel bad if his friend was in high spirits.
"I studied hard this time."
"So you haven't been studying hard until now."
"Arcel, you really…… always say it like it is."
Muttering with a stung expression, Ruska still didn't lose his smile.
"Honestly, studying isn't that fun. Finding someone who explains things just right for what you don't get isn't easy either. But this time, Ibi helped me a lot."
"……What?"
"Before the Izriella thing blew up, you and Airin were busy. Ibi helped with my math studies then."
"Ibi did?"
"Yeah. I told her the parts I didn't get, and she explained them really well. She said she taught her friends a lot before coming to Yeongjae Academy too. Thanks to her, the stuck parts clicked easily…… What's with that glare?"
Ruska, chattering excitedly, jolted upright at Arcel's cold gaze.
Had he said something wrong?
But no matter how he thought, bragging about expecting good scores was all.
After pondering briefly, Ruska figured out why Arcel was annoyed.
"I know why you're pissed."
"What?"
Arcel flinched slightly at Ruska's words.
As Ruska said, he wasn't in a good mood. And if Ruska knew why…….
He had hoped Ruska wouldn't notice.
Arcel looked at him tensely.
At that gaze, Ruska puffed out his chest more confidently and pointed at Arcel.
"No use hiding it! You're scared this body might surpass your scores, right?"
"……."
Arcel fell silent at Ruska's words, then muttered.
"Ruska, sometimes I even like these dumb sides of you."
"Yeah, yeah. This body…… Wait? Dumb sides? Hey! What do you mean?"
As Ruska clung to Arcel demanding he explain properly, a staff member entered the lobby holding envelopes.
Yeongjae Academy scores, except for the year-end finals, were delivered individually.
"I'll distribute this exam's report cards. Line up and receive them in order."
The waiting boys swarmed the staff member.
They called their names, and he handed out the alphabetically sorted envelopes.
Ruska and Arcel soon received theirs.
"Ugh, scared to open it."
Ruska trembled holding his report card envelope, as if staring at the world's scariest thing.
"No, can't do it here. I'll open it after eating. Let's go quick!"
Ruska stuffed the envelope into his back pocket and dashed out of the dormitory toward the cafeteria.
Arcel, who had been about to open his right away, fiddled with his envelope before tucking it neatly into his inner pocket and followed.
Entering the cafeteria, they didn't need to search for Ibi and Airin.
"Chaos again today."
"Indeed."
Two weeks had passed since the Izriella incident.
Izriella had been expelled from Yeongjae Academy per the school rules.
The other five involved received varying severe punishments.
In the end, three of them chose to withdraw voluntarily.
But no one paid them any more mind.
All attention was now on Ibi.
The child chosen by the emperor, whose guardianship he had even taken on.
Rumors had spread not just among students, but to the imperial palace and noble society, turning everything upside down.
Proof was in the vast cafeteria—only the tables around Ibi and Airin were crowded.
Everyone wanted to talk to Ibi, but Airin was blocking them all with ironclad defense.
"Ibi, Airin."
"Oh, hi."
"Hello."
As Arcel and Ruska approached, even the lingering students backed off.
Ruska pulled his report card from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Here it comes."
"Ruska, checked your report card?"
Airin's eyebrow twitched as Ibi called him "Ruska" so casually. Arcel's expression stiffened beside her.
In their absence, Ibi had gone from calling him "Lord Ruska" to just "Ruska."
They had let it slide during exams, pretending not to hear, but no more.
'Ruska Ragselbv, not letting you off.'
'Ruska?'
Airin had been called that way for a while, but Arcel still used formal address.
'Why only me?'
Feeling sinking again, Arcel sat down.
Only Ruska beamed brightly in reply.
"No, not yet! So, how about we all open ours together?"
Airin and Arcel immediately slammed their envelopes on the table with a thud.
"Fine!"
"Anytime."
Then they glared at Ruska and said.
"Anyway, mine will be higher."
