CICN Chapter 4
by xxsienna
‘Arcel? Ruska?’
Ivy looked at the two people who had helped her.
Unbeknownst to Ivy, both of them were children of the empire’s top noble families.
Arcel Caelan was the third son of the Duke of Caelan, the prime supporter who greatly contributed to the current Emperor Clois’s rise to the throne.
From an early age, he showed genius in every field, and with two older brothers ahead of him, there was no issue with family succession.
Furthermore, having frequently met with the Emperor since childhood, people speculated that he would be chosen as his adopted son.
Furthermore, Arcel had the highest grades among the incoming students at this academy.
Arcel excelled in everything from literature to mathematics, physics, tactics, and swordsmanship.
In short, Arcel was a prodigy.
And Ruska was no different. The fourth son of the Marquis of Ragself, another faction supporting the Emperor alongside the Caelan family.
Unlike the calm and gentle Arcel, Ruska was known for his rough speech and fiery temperament.
But whenever he got angry, it was always to defend the weak.
So, the rigid Marquis of Ragself was proud of his son’s strong character, which resembled his own.
While Ruska lagged behind Arcel in academic aspects, his physical prowess as a knight was superior.
He already displayed overwhelming skill among his peers, capable of sparring with the palace knights.
These children, with the highest likelihood of becoming the emperor’s adopted children, essentially held the most powerful influence in the empire.
Therefore, all those entering the academy aimed to become friends with these boys as well.
But to be marked from the start…
“Hey, what’s going on over there?”
The staff member who was leading the way noticed the commotion behind and approached closer.
Arcel then turned to the boy, who had fallen.
“It’s nothing, right?”
The fallen boy vigorously nodded at Arcel’s words, understanding his intention to quietly let the matter pass.
“Yes, yes! Nothing serious! I just tripped!”
Though the staff looked suspicious for a moment, they quickly turned away and returned to their position, knowing they needed to move quickly to the academy.
Once the staff left, Ruska, who had been standing beside the boy, patted his shoulder and whispered softly.
“You, consider yourself lucky today.”
Though the words were quite threatening, the boy nodded vigorously once more and swiftly ran off toward where the other children were.
After the boy vanished, Ivy bowed her head to the two of them.
“Thank you for helping me.”
As Arcel seemed about to say something in response to Ivy’s gratitude, staff members waiting at the entrance of the academy called out for the arriving children.
“Ivy! Ivy Alden! Where are you?”
When she heard her name, Ivy looked at them in confusion.
Arcel, seemingly understanding, glanced at the staff members and addressed Ivy.
“It looks like they’re calling for you. You should go.”
Ivy quickly bowed again in gratitude and hurried off to the staff.
Then Ruska approached Arcel and asked,
“Is something going on? Seeing you take care of someone is quite a sight.”
Ruska was genuinely surprised.
Who exactly was Arcel?
People often praised Arsel for his angelic or flawless appearance, but he knew his true nature, devoid of any compassion or tenderness.
He was someone who showed no interest in anything other than what he had to do.
Words like compassion or affection were nonexistent in Arcel’s life.
So why would he suddenly help a peasant girl he’d never seen before?
Ruska draped his arm over Arcel’s shoulder as he watched the staff lead Ivy away.
“Is that your type? If the girls chasing you knew, they would be storming over dressed like that.”
“Cut the crap.”
Arcel coldly responded, pushing away Ruska’s arm from his shoulder.
“Why did you help, then?”
“I was curious.”
“Curious about what?”
“…….”
Arcel remained silent at Ruska’s question.
On the day his admission to the Gifted Academy was confirmed, his father, Duke Caelan, had summoned him.
“You’ve been admitted as the top student.”
“So it appears.”
Arcel wasn’t pleased. He thought it was an expected outcome.
There was no one among his peers, not even the older children of noble families, who could surpass Arcel’s academic achievements.
So being the top student was inevitable.
But then Duke Caelan spoke again.
“But you should stay vigilant. There’s another child who could outperform you if they had the same conditions as you.”
“What?”
“There is a child from the orphanage who could follow you as the second-top student.”
“Who is it?”
“I don’t know the name. I heard she’s a commoner. Apparently, the Emperor personally selected her in the admissions process for the academy.”
“His Majesty?”
“Yes. He didn’t pick her out of any particular interest, more as a warning to the ministers because of their pathetic behavior, but she’s obviously a smart kid…….”
Duke Caelan said, then smiled at Arcel.
“She seemed younger than you… but… I think you and her would make good friends.”
“You don’t mean to be a good rival to me.”
“Is that so? Aren’t you getting along well with Ruska?”
“He’s a nuisance.”
“Oh, no. If the Marquis of Ragself hears about this, he’ll be furious.”
Arcel did not respond to his father’s teasing tone.
He didn’t ask any more questions, but after that day, Arcel was bothered by the child chosen by the emperor.
‘A commoner from an orphanage. And yet, at the age of seven, he passed his advanced school exams with nearly perfect scores?’
Arcel did get a perfect score. However, Arcel took the exam at the capital’s advanced school, while the girl took it at a rural city’s advanced school.
Even if they scored the same, Arcel’s score would be evaluated higher, making him the sole top student.
The more he thought about it, the more he wondered about the kid.
Would he have achieved the same score if he had studied at an orphanage?
That’s why he thought he should look into what kind of child she was when they entered the academy.
And today, without needing to search, he could immediately recognize who the child was.
A small girl clutching a bag tightly made of coarse cloth, looking around with a nervous expression.
The clear difference in appearance already set her apart from the other children, who kept a bit of distance as they walked.
This made it easier for Arcel to get closer to the girl.
‘Is she really 7 years old?’
The minimum age to enter the academy is 7 years old, but the girl looked even younger than that.
Her skinny wrists peeked out from beneath the coarse but well-cut sleeves of her dress.
Seeing her, Arcel couldn’t help but sigh.
She must have come from a place with poor living conditions, despite being from a rural city’s orphanage.
As he was about to approach her for a closer look, something happened.
“Hey, Arcel?”
Arcel, who was standing still, looked puzzled as Ruska called out to him.
“Are you really interested in that kid?”
“I just prevented trouble on the first day for the girl personally chosen by the Emperor.”
In Arcel’s stern voice, Ruska made an unamused expression and scratched the back of his neck.
“Yeah, yeah, I guess you did. You’re already acting like a loyal subject.”
At that moment, a staff member called out their names.
“Enough of this nonsense; let’s go.”
“Sure. By the way, I heard the dorms at the academy are shared by two. Do you think you and I can share a room?”
Ruska shrugged her shoulders and ran excitedly to the staff.
Following behind Ruska, Arcel unconsciously turned his head to see where the girls were gathering.
He saw Ivy, still standing alone, as nobody approached her.
‘It must be tough for her to fit in.’
Arcel turned his head away.
‘Once it became known that she was chosen by the Emperor, she would face jealousy and disdain from the other children at the academy.’
Moreover, being so young, could she handle the nobles’ scorn?
‘Still…….’
Arcel found himself hoping that Ivy would fare well at the academy.
Then he was surprised by his own thoughts.
“Why would I?”
When did he ever show concern for a child?
‘If that child quits early, it feels like disregarding the Emperor’s will. It’s also not in line with the academy’s ideals.’
Arcel convinced himself with these thoughts, even considering the academy’s principles.
Now, that child is no longer relevant to him.
But in his mind, the image of the girl, carrying only one bag and bowing politely, kept coming back.
