Ch#92
After lavishing praise on Ibi to the chief attendant for quite some time, Clois sat back down beside her.
Ibi poked at a dessert she'd never seen before with her fork cautiously, then opened her mouth wide and swallowed it whole.
She had been hesitant to even touch it at first, but now she was eating quite well.
Propping his chin on his hand, Clois watched her eat with a pleased expression.
Ibi had marveled at how Ruska and Arcel ate enormous amounts, but Ibi was quite the eater herself.
More precisely, she ate food in a way that made it seem truly delicious.
Watching her small mouth chew the pastries vigorously made Clois think of a squirrel diligently munching acorns.
Seeing her like that inexplicably filled him with pride, making him want to feed her even more.
‘So that's why Airin Terrins sticks by her side every day.’
Ibi had once said she felt a bit embarrassed because Airin kept feeding her.
At the time, he had wondered why Airin did that, but now he understood the reason.
Clois took some rare fruits from distant lands and pastries that were hard to come by from the snacks the chief attendant had brought, placing them in front of Ibi.
While doing so, he deliberately took half of what he gave her for himself.
Even though he was taking her food, Ibi's expression brightened each time.
She didn't want to leave anything uneaten, but she also wanted to try everything.
But with Clois taking half, she could eat even more varieties!
Clois chuckled at Ibi's blatantly obvious thoughts and ate his pastries.
The emperor eating what another had left.
The ministers would cause an uproar if they knew, but since they wouldn't find out anyway, it didn't matter.
He took Ibi's report card, signed it on his desk, and even stamped it with the imperial seal from atop his desk.
Not satisfied with just that, he proudly admired the ordinary report card now bearing such a grandiose signature before bringing it back to her and asking the most important question.
“Ibi, break is coming up soon. By any chance……”
“Right! I was going to tell you about that too!”
At the mention of summer break, Ibi set down her fork and spoke with great delight.
“I'm going to Airin, Arcel, and Ruska's houses to play! For the entire summer break!”
At those words, Clois's smiling face froze solid.
The stacks of imperial villa documents on his desk fluttered in the breeze blowing through the open window.
* * *
“Hic……”
The outside was bathed in bright sunlight, but Izriella's room was dark with thick curtains drawn.
Without the single candle burning, it would have been too dark to see even right in front of her.
She pressed her puffy eyes with her hands, but the tears wouldn't stop.
‘What am I going to do now?’
On the day she was expelled, her parents had sent a carriage fit only for servants.
The moment she saw it, her vision went black.
She knew exactly how she would be treated at home from then on.
When she got home, her father didn't spare her a single glance.
Her mother cried and yelled at her, telling her she was sick of looking at her and to stay locked in her room.
It wasn't just her parents whose attitudes had changed.
‘They used to excitedly write letters telling me who Professor Sian was and ordering me what to do.’
Her brother spat curses that she had ruined his life too and even kicked her.
If the servants hadn't stopped him, she surely would have been kicked.
If her own family treated her like this, how much more would others scorn her? No, they wouldn't even meet her.
‘Even if they did, they'd just mock me.’
Those she had known until now would pretend not to see her and gossip behind her back.
They might even snicker openly right in front of her.
‘Why did it turn out like this?’
Just a few months ago, there was no event big or small that didn't invite her.
She had even heard that events in the capital weren't worth much without Izriella.
She hadn't made her official debut in high society yet due to her young age, but everyone said she would become the flower of it as soon as she did.
After passing Yeongjae Academy, the praise had poured in even more.
Girls her age envied the connections she would make at Yeongjae Academy.
How many had begged her to invite them when she could bring friends there later?
Surrounded by people, she had never doubted that her future would be paved with nothing but flowers.
But now, all that was a vain delusion.
Not only expelled from Yeongjae Academy, she had properly fallen out of the emperor's favor.
Her family would point fingers at her for life, and those around her would mock her.
Izriella burst into tears again at the surging fear and sorrow.
Then she recalled the culprit who had caused all this.
“Ibi Alden……”
While she was in this state, that wench was probably having a great time.
Grit.
The sound of her grinding teeth leaked out. Izriella cursed her inwardly.
Everyone said it openly. It was just a momentary pity.
The emperor favored her only because he had lost his young daughter.
‘If the princess were alive, His Majesty wouldn't even spare that thing a glance.’
As she thought that, footsteps sounded in the corridor, and the door opened.
“……!”
No one came looking for her except the maid bringing food.
Startled, she turned to see her father standing at the door.
“Father……”
“Dress properly and come out.”
“……Pardon?”
“Hurry!”
At her father's voice still laced with anger, Izriella rushed to her dressing room.
She used to get new clothes almost every day before, but since returning from Yeongjae Academy, not even the maids managing the room had entered.
Izriella hurriedly changed and stood before her father.
He looked her up and down, then turned his head away.
Since he didn't tell her to change again, it seemed passable.
The count turned and walked off immediately.
Izriella scrambled to follow behind him.
Her father, who had acted like he would never see her again, had come for her.
Whatever it was, she couldn't miss this chance.
“Father, I……”
“A distinguished guest is waiting in the drawing room right now.”
The count cut off Izriella's words sharply and spoke in a cold voice.
“A d-distinguished guest? Who could it be……”
“You'll find out soon enough. More importantly, that person wants a noble friend by their side. That's why I'm taking you.”
It grew more confusing the more she heard.
For her father to refer to someone as "that person," they must be of extremely high status, yet they wanted her as a friend by their side?
Wouldn't friends usually be someone of similar age?
The count stopped and turned to look at Izriella.
“Izriella, you know how grave a mistake you made, right? Because of you, our entire family has become a laughingstock among the nobles.”
“……”
Izriella bowed her head. She couldn't even make a single excuse.
“But if you handle this matter well, everything can be as if it never happened.”
“Pardon? How……!”
She raised her head in shock at her father's words.
As if it never happened?
That was impossible. The emperor's cold glare at her was still vivid.
He probably wouldn't withdraw his anger for life.
“You must do well. If you please that person and serve them properly by their side, we can wash away our family's dishonor all at once. Even His Majesty the Emperor will forget that orphan nonsense in an instant and praise us greatly.”
“I-I'll do it! I'll do anything!”
Izriella answered desperately.
If that could happen, she would do anything.
“What do I need to do?”
The count glanced around and lowered his voice.
“Become friends with the person inside. Teach them all noble etiquette. And like a maid, serve them with all your zeal so they feel no discomfort.”
“Pardon? Who on earth……”
At that moment, the drawing room door opened, and a girl came out. She appeared to be about 7 or 8 years old.
‘Who is she?’
Izriella had never seen the child before.
Her clothes were decently dressed, but upon closer look, they were worn and terribly out of fashion.
She approached the two and looked at Izriella. The count then bowed his head.
“……!”
Izriella was shocked by her father's action. Her father held a count's title from a prestigious family.
There was no one he bowed to so deferentially.
Unless it was His Majesty the Emperor……
The child walked over and looked at Izriella.
“Is this the new friend the count mentioned?”
The child addressed the count rudely as an equal.
Izriella could hardly wrap her head around the situation. What was going on? Who was this child?
A blonde girl with green eyes, identity unknown.
Suddenly, Izriella realized she had seen someone similar before.
This child……
‘She looks like Ibi Alden!’
