Chapter 93
* * *
After Estelle left her spot,
a black haze rose from where she had been standing.
The black haze gradually grew in size until it took the shape of an adult man.
In the center of the plaza, a large, dark haze appeared. Anyone witnessing this strange phenomenon might have wondered about it.
However, as if no one could see it, everyone in the plaza continued their business without expressing any curiosity.
The black haze, shaped like a man, stood still, staring in the direction Estelle had disappeared.
It seemed as if the haze was tracing the remnants of Estelle’s presence.
Shhh.
Soon, the black haze that had taken the form of a human began to dissipate.
From the head to the shoulders, arms, torso, and legs.
Gradually, it scattered and vanished.
* * *
Time passed, and before long, it was fully spring.
“Wow… it’s less than a week until the Foundation Festival.”
Time really seemed to be flying.
It felt like just yesterday that Estelle had developed those spots on her body.
Almost three months had already passed.
Haha. But why is time flying so quickly, and yet Professor Bob still hasn’t returned?
I ground my teeth.
A few days after Fiona told me that the temporary professor was a strange person,
I received a letter from Claude saying that Estelle had gone to the cemetery.
What? The day I met Fiona and talked about the temporary professor, Estelle went to the cemetery?
At the time, I had jokingly asked Fiona if Estelle had gone to the cemetery as some kind of punishment.
And it turned out Estelle really had gone.
Is this what people mean when they say “talking about it brings it to life”?
A chill ran down my spine.
Aside from that, I remembered how tense I had felt reading that letter.
How could an adult, let alone a professor, think it was okay to send a child to the cemetery?
I felt like storming the Academy right then and there and demanding an explanation.
No. Honestly, I really wanted to barge into the Academy. If it weren’t for Estelle, I would have smashed the door down and confronted them.
The day I read the letter,
I carefully asked Estelle, without letting her know I had received news from Claude.
I said, “Fiona mentioned that the temporary professor sends students to the cemetery. Did anything like that happen to you, Estelle?”
Then Estelle said:
“Yes. I went there.”
“What? That’s really true? Weren’t you scared?”
“I wasn’t scared. Honestly, I don’t even know why people are afraid. It’s just a graveyard, after all.”
“But still, doesn’t the atmosphere feel a bit creepy?”
“Probably because there’s nobody there. And I heard from Kate that living people are scarier than ghosts.”
“Who said that?”
“Miss Kate.”
It had been a while since I last saw her at the inn, so when had Estelle met her and heard that?
I was too dumbfounded to respond and ended up stammering, unable to continue the conversation.
Anyway, since Estelle wasn’t fazed at all, there was nothing I could do.
If Estelle is fine, I can’t exactly go argue about it.
So, the cemetery incident quietly faded away.
“Ah… thinking about Estelle makes me want to see her.”
Suddenly, I felt drained, like my Estelle “blood level” was running low.
Strange.
I had seen her off this morning, yet I still missed her terribly.
I looked up to check the time, wondering when Estelle would return.
“There’s still too much time left. Waiting is hard… wait, should I pack a lunch?”
Since the Foundation Festival was coming up, there were no students at the town school.
Like last year, the students would be spending the festival at home this year too.
“Yeah, I suddenly have so much free time. I can’t just sit around.”
I couldn’t waste this rare opportunity.
And it just so happened that it was almost time for lunch, so I decided to pack a lunch.
Of course, the food provided by the Academy would be good, but I thought:
No matter how delicious outside food is, eating it every day gets boring.
…Well, I do eat my own food morning and evening every day.
But my food is eaten by Estelle, who enjoys it and finds it delicious.
Irrelevant, irrelevant!
“Hm. Since I can’t go inside the Academy… I’ll have to find a way to get it to her outside.”
The last time I passed by the Academy, I noticed people briefly meeting outside to hand over things.
That much should be okay, as everyone does it.
And…
“While I deliver the lunch, I also want to check on Estelle’s condition.”
I bit the inside of my lip as I recalled another detail from Claude’s letter.
Besides telling me that Estelle went to the cemetery, the letter also said:
[The royal family, as well as nobles of the anti-emperor faction, are searching for the missing princess.]
…that was the content.
And it wasn’t just that.
The letter mentioned that the anti-emperor faction had narrowed down a few girls suspected of being the missing princess.
How can I not worry in this situation?
If Estelle happened to be on that list of girls, something could suddenly happen to her…
And if the spots on her shoulder were discovered…
Her life could be in danger.
“That can never happen.”
Even if Estelle wasn’t blood-related, she was my precious child.
And I had vowed to ensure that my precious child could safely return to her family.
I could not allow such a thing—something I couldn’t even imagine— to happen.
“All right. I’ll see for myself.”
I’d deliver the lunch! Check on Estelle’s condition! And while I’m at it, see her cute, lovely face!
I clenched both fists and raised them triumphantly.
“All right! Let’s pack the lunch right now!”
Ah, while I’m at it, I’ll pack for Cial, Aris, and Haboni too.
Lunch is lonely if eaten alone, but it’s more enjoyable and tasty when shared.
* * *
A little later, in front of the Academy’s main gate:
“Hm… what should I do?”
I muttered as I looked up at the large iron gates separating the inside and outside of the Academy.
It was fine that I had boldly come to the Academy with lunch packed.
But I had overlooked one thing.
Which was…
“How am I supposed to deliver this lunch…?”
There was no way to call Estelle from inside the Academy.
“…I’m such an idiot. So stupid.”
I muttered, holding my head.
I had thought about not being able to enter the Academy, but why didn’t I think about the fact that I couldn’t call Estelle out?
This was a time with no cell phones or other means of communication. I hadn’t even told her to come to the gate for lunch in the morning.
Of course, if I couldn’t enter the Academy, I couldn’t call her out.
“I just had the urge to make her lunch and didn’t think at all…”
Sigh. How foolish I was. A sigh escaped me.
My head and shoulders slumped toward the ground.
The basket holding the lunch fell along with my drooping shoulders.
“…Since it’s come to this, should I try to climb the wall?”
I quietly lowered my head and glanced at the wall with my eyes, muttering to myself.
Back when I wore a school uniform in my past life,
I had one thing to be proud of, though not much.
I had climbed over the school wall dozens of times!
Of course, the reasons were always different.
I forgot homework, needed to buy supplies from the stationery store, secretly picked up tteokbokki deliveries, and so on.
Now, I could barely remember the various reasons, but I had climbed over the wall frequently.
Different reasons, same result!
I never failed to climb over the wall.
Always 100% success rate, an incredible achievement.
Caught? Of course not.
The guard, who would check at the slightest rustle of leaves, and the disciplinary teacher, with a keen nose for outdoor air, never caught me sneaking out without a pass.
Injured? Never.
Agile, quiet jumps and perfectly safe landings.
I had climbed over the wall dozens of times, never breaking a leg or even getting a scrape.
Not even my clothes ever got torn or scratched.
