CICN Chapter 7

 

 

“I looked at the applicants, but frankly, none of them seem trustworthy. Most are either aiming to attend the academy’s semi-annual banquets with the child or seeking to recruit talented graduates for their own benefit.”

 

Given how difficult it was to enter the academy, the children who made it in are considered the empire’s future talents.

 

This granted them numerous privileges and made the children themselves valuable in various ways.

 

As a result, the competition to become a guardian was quite fierce.

 

“Since Ivy Alden is an orphan without a place to return to after graduation, it would be simple for a guardian to bring her into their own family. This has attracted a lot of greedy individuals.”

 

A frown appeared on Clois’s face at the Chancellor’s words.

 

After a moment’s thought, he spoke.

 

“What about you? How about you becoming her guardian?”

 

“I’ve already promised a long time ago to become the guardian of a friend’s grandson if he gets into the academy.”

 

One cannot be the guardian of two children at once. Additionally, breaking a longstanding promise would be difficult.

 

“Moreover, if it is known that Your Majesty chose me as the guardian, honestly, it may not be good for that child.”

 

Clois agreed with this point.

 

Because he chose her, the child would receive more attention than necessary.

 

If the Chancellor also became her guardian, it would cause even more unwanted complications.

 

“Is there no one else suitable?”

 

“There are, but most of the people I could ask have already been asked to be guardians.”

 

“I see.”

 

Entrusting her to someone unknown would be troublesome.

 

It would also be irritating if the chosen guardian acted as if they had done something grand just because they were appointed.

 

“You didn’t come here just for this. Do you have another solution?”

 

“Yes. There is a professor registered at the academy who is not well-known. He registered before the war but returned to his hometown when it began. He held the title of quasi-baron and still retains his position at the academy.”

 

“So, you propose making him the guardian?”

 

“Yes. Since he has no significant interactions with others, no one really knows him, and it will be easy to manage things quietly when convenient.”

 

“What’s the professor’s name?”

 

“Sian Rochen.”

 

“Understood. I will allow it, so use his name for the guardian.”

 

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

 

The Chancellor bowed and left.

 

In truth, the Chancellor could have handled this matter on his own.

 

However, Clois thought that coming to seek approval showed his integrity.

 

Left alone, Clois quietly murmured to himself.

 

“Ivy… Ivy.”

 

For some reason, the name lingered on his lips.

 

Moreover, the vision of Yvien, which usually appeared somewhere around the room, was conspicuously absent today.

 

Feeling unusually unsettled, Clois decided to go outside.

 

He headed towards a secret place within the palace, which he visited on days when he particularly missed his wife and daughter.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Ivy was walking alone inside the academy.

 

She had been waiting for the person who would occupy the opposite room, but the person didn’t seem to be coming anytime soon.

 

In the meantime, it was time for dinner, so Ivy changed into the academy’s uniform, placed the book with a map in her bag, and headed to the dining hall.

 

‘My first book.’

 

A book with her name inscribed on it—one that only she could look at and touch.

 

Whenever she went to the advanced school to clean, she saw the students carrying their own books.

 

She had always envied them for having books that they didn’t have to return.

 

Ivy hugged her bag tightly.

 

‘This is wonderful.’

 

To be this happy on the first day, surely many good things awaited her here.

 

The dining hall she arrived at was noisy.

 

“There are no maids to prepare our meals? Do you mean I have to get my own food? Me, a count’s son?”

 

Several children were loudly protesting about having to serve themselves.

 

The academy staff were explaining that this was the rule here, and if they couldn’t comply, they were welcome to go home.

 

Some children burst into tears, while others got angry.

 

Ivy, noticing the chaotic scene, quietly moved towards the food.

 

‘It’s probably better to eat outside. Or, I could just go back to my room.’

 

For those who preferred eating elsewhere, there were sandwiches wrapped in paper and glass bottles of water and juice. Ivy put some of these in her bag.

 

Outside the dining hall, the sky was painted with the orange hues of sunset.

 

‘It will be dark soon.’

 

Even if it’s a safe place, it would be difficult to walk around once it gets dark.

 

As Ivy was about to head back, she noticed the forest at the edge of the academy.

 

Thinking about how large the forest was, she turned to leave when a gentle breeze brushed her cheek.

 

Suddenly, she muttered to herself.

 

“……Mom?”

 

Ivy quickly covered her mouth, startled by her own words.

 

What did I just say?

 

Mom?

 

It was a strange word for her. The last time she said it out loud was when she prayed to get accepted into the academy.

 

Why did she suddenly mutter it now? Even she didn’t know.

 

As Ivy stood there in shock, a warm breeze brushed against her cheek.

 

The breeze lifted her hair, as if someone were gently brushing it.

 

Maybe that’s why she unconsciously said “Mom.”

 

Ivy, who was about to head back to the dormitory, found herself walking in the direction the wind was blowing.

 

She soon reached the forest at the edge of the academy.

 

The breeze was coming from within the forest.

 

The wind rustled through the leaves and filled the air with the fragrant scent of flowers.

 

‘How do I get in?’

 

Normally, she would never consider entering a forest alone at this hour.

 

But Ivy, looking at the reddening sky, was trying to find a way into the forest.

 

Her cheek, touched by the breeze, tingled as if someone had kissed her.

 

She knew it was just her hair being brushed by the wind, yet she kept touching her cheek.

 

Then she saw it—a path through the bushes that she could crawl through.

 

She remembered what she had read in the academy’s guidebook.

 

Sometimes, animals come out of the forest at the edge of the academy.

 

‘The guidebook said there are no dangerous animals since it’s within the imperial grounds.’

 

Ivy, who frequently roamed the forest near the orphanage with the other children, knew this well.

 

Normally, even gentle herbivores become extremely aggressive when they have their offspring in spring.

 

So, avoiding such paths would be the best course of action.

 

As Ivy hesitated and lingered, the wind blew again.

 

The intense floral scent brushed through Ivy’s hair once more. It was just the wind blowing, yet it felt as though someone was calling her.

 

-Ivy.

 

Very tenderly. And poignantly.

 

It was just the wind, but she knew.

 

This place wasn’t dangerous.

 

And someone was waiting for her beyond this forest.

 

With her hesitation fading, Ivy clenched her fist.

 

It was as if the bushes were waiting, opening a path for her.

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

How far had she walked?

 

“Whoa!”

 

After struggling through the bushes for what seemed like half an eternity, Ivy finally straightened her back.

 

Despite the warm spring weather, sweat trickled down her forehead.

 

Shaaaaaah.

 

Then, the wind blew again, cooling her sweat.

 

Finally catching her breath, Ivy looked around.

 

It was a clearing in the middle of the forest, with a flat area of land in the center, surrounded by dense trees.

 

Underneath the trees, the ground was covered with bushes and white flowers.

 

The scent of the flowers carried by the wind seemed to come from these white flowers.

 

Then, Ivy noticed a large stone in the center of the clearing. “A grave,” she thought.

 

When she was at the orphanage, just passing by the city’s communal cemetery was enough to make her hair stand on end.

 

Strangely, she didn’t feel any fear now, even though she recognized that it was someone’s grave.

 

“But whose grave?”

 

Ivy looked at the map she had memorized.

 

On the first page of the book, there was an internal map of the Gifted Academy.

 

It simply labeled this place as “forest,” and that was the end of the map.

 

‘Beyond this must be the imperial palace.’

 

From afar, she could still see the tops of large buildings beyond the forest, so it was likely still within the palace grounds.

 

‘But are there graves inside the palace?’

 

Given its size, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were graves inside.

 

There were only two headstones in the clearing.

 

One was as tall as Ivy, and the other was much shorter, barely reaching her waist.

 

Ivy cautiously approached the larger gravestone.

 

It was made of smooth white stone with beautiful carvings, and the owner’s name was engraved in the center.

 

Ivy read the name on the larger headstone first.

 

“Lillian Schell.”

 

It was a name she had never heard before.

 

Yet, Ivy thought it was an incredibly beautiful name.

 

One she would want to call out multiple times.