Chapter 149
Before entering the classroom, Professor Malres had already been briefed on the situation.
‘I heard the commotion since morning and wondered what the fuss was about… and now, some utterly unwelcome people have shown up. Tch.’
A little girl claiming to be the Emperor’s daughter, and another who had been expelled from the Academy.
Normally, he would have just said, “Oh, really?” and not paid it much attention. But the reason Malres’ face immediately twisted was obvious: it was because of Evebien.
‘So that’s why my girl has been sulking lately—because that brat keeps her from seeing His Majesty.’
Even during the summer, when they met at the God’s Natural Numbers gathering, Evebien had chattered excitedly about looking forward to the Academy’s seasonal festival.
Even aside from that, how often had she talked about the Emperor in everyday conversation?
But after the second semester began, she hadn’t mentioned him even once.
It was only natural that she would be sulky now that the little girl claiming to be the Emperor’s daughter had appeared. Seeing Evebien like that, Malres couldn’t help but click his tongue in pity.
And then the girl who had been expelled for hitting Evebien had the audacity to come along as a “maid.”
From the moment he heard that, Professor Malres had made up his mind.
Get out. Stay away from my student!
If my girl can’t focus because of you, will you take responsibility?
Of course, despite his position as head professor, Malres still had enough social sense not to speak rudely to royalty.
But when it came to protecting his class, he could act as recklessly as he liked.
Especially for his four star pupils whose names were in his book.
Was Eve shocked when told to leave? She just stood there, mouth agape, dumbfounded.
“What are you doing? Not leaving? I’m busy teaching Niers’ equations today.”
The first to regain her wits was Izriella.
“W-what kind of rude behavior is this! This is Lady Evebien! Her Highness the Princess…”
“Not yet,” Malres interrupted. “And since when can someone who couldn’t even take the entrance exam just waltz into the Academy like this? Royalty or not, if you come here, you’re just a student. Now, everyone, leave. Hurry up. What are you standing there for? Take her out.”
At that moment, Eve realized and shouted,
“I am a princess! And I’m taking the class too!”
Seeing the little girl whining and throwing a tantrum, Malres shook his head.
“You’re too young. You can’t take it.”
“But she’s taking it! Why can’t I?”
“You’re not a student of the Academy, are you?”
“I was told I could come in freely!”
At that, Seraphina smiled and corrected Eve.
“Lady Eve, you should not use the title of princess before being officially recognized. And today is only a visit; you are not a student here.”
Seraphina was correct. Being royalty only allowed her to observe as a patron, not participate as a student.
“Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor also took the entrance exam to enter the Academy.”
To prevent Eve from throwing a tantrum, Seraphina invoked Emperor Clois’ authority.
As expected, Eve fell silent at the mention of the Emperor.
But she still did not want to leave. The person she decided to confront was someone she considered the easiest target.
“Then how come she is here? I heard she grew up in the orphanage! All they teach there is begging!”
Unsurprisingly, Eve was pointing at Evebien.
She was certain of her logic.
‘Orphanages are only for kids without parents.’
Her relatives who had taken care of her constantly reminded her that she should be grateful just for not being sent to an orphanage.
And yet, they had always spoken disparagingly of orphanage children.
So over time, Eve had come to believe that children from orphanages were inferior to her.
‘There’s no way someone from there can be smart! She must have asked her dad to get in here. Izriella said so too. Evebien Alden isn’t really that clever.’
Of course, it was just Izriella’s nonsense, but Eve didn’t consider that.
Evebien flinched and grabbed Professor Malres’ coat.
She wanted to shout, “Our headmaster didn’t make me do this!” but the fact that Eve was the Emperor’s daughter made her shrink back.
Most fathers she had seen doted on their daughters.
‘His Majesty would too.’
Having thought his daughter dead, the Emperor would now cherish and love her more than anyone else.
If she raised her voice at someone like that, would the Emperor dislike her?
So Evebien could not bring herself to speak.
Seeing that, Professor Malres led Evebien to the chalkboard, grabbed some chalk, and began writing equations furiously.
Then he looked at Eve.
“Can you solve this?”
“….”
Eve couldn’t answer, obviously. She couldn’t solve it.
She had barely learned letters at her rural home. There was no way she could handle advanced mathematics.
“My pupil solved all of this perfectly, including the proofs, two months ago.”
“Lies.”
“You there, expelled student. You think Evebien Alden can’t solve this?”
The comment struck Izriella, who could only roll her eyes before reluctantly speaking.
“I-I’m not expelled! His Majesty has forgiven all the mistakes of our family…”
“Yes, yes. A student who was expelled but returned. Anyway, you can see for yourself how smart my pupil is!”
As the professor glared at her, Izriella had no idea what to do.
At that, Eve shouted,
“You said Evebien Alden isn’t smart! That His Majesty just lets her slide!”
Seraphina didn’t miss the opportunity.
“What do you mean, Miss Izriella? Have you been saying there was foul play with the Academy’s entrance exam?”
“No, no! That’s not true!”
The blame had suddenly shifted to her, and Izriella leapt up in protest.
Her expulsion had only just been overturned. Thanks to that, she had permission to re-enter next year—but one false move and it could all be revoked.
“Anyway, you can’t solve this. How about this one? Much easier.”
Professor Malres wrote another equation on the board quickly.
Again, Eve couldn’t solve it.
She had only just begun to understand addition and subtraction; multiplication and division were still foreign concepts.
There was no way a problem that even Academy students struggled with could be solved by her.
Eve looked around, meeting the eyes of the other children.
Unexpressive Arcel. Luska sighing as if to say, What is this chaos? And Irene, looking somehow smug.
The children she liked didn’t show her any favor, and she felt a wave of shame.
‘I’m tired. I want to go back to the palace.’
Not wanting to admit she couldn’t solve it, Eve abruptly stood up from Evebien’s desk and left.
“Lady Eve!”
Izriella scrambled after her, and Hilde followed with a short sigh, unable to bear it.
Seraphina looked at the distant clock tower.
‘An hour and forty-five minutes.’
At least she had succeeded in getting her out within two hours.
“Don’t come in! Izriella, you too! I don’t want to see you!”
“Lady Eve, please listen. Evebien is—”
Bang!
After shoving Izriella outside, Eve slammed the door shut.
Still fuming, she stomped around the room, tossing books and pens off her desk.
She raged for a long time, but it only made her more frustrated.
She kept thinking of the children and professor staring at her as if she were pathetic.
‘It’s all Evebien Alden’s fault.’
Ever since she knew of her existence, she had been annoying. Seeing her in person made it worse—hair and eyes similar to hers.
‘I want to tell Dad to send her far away.’
But somehow, she doubted her father would agree.
No, if she said something like that, the professors at the Academy would probably just look at her with disdain.
Thinking of that made her even more irritated, and small tears welled up.
After a while, Eve wiped her tears and got up, tousled and disheveled.
She wanted to get rid of Evebien, but Izriella was no help at all.
‘Then…’
She thought of who could help her.
Someone immediately came to mind.
‘Noma.’
Maybe because his gaze was so cold when he looked at her.
Even when she respectfully called him “Your Highness, Princess,” Eve was still afraid of Noma.
But one thing was certain.
‘Everything Noma said always came true.’
He had told her she was royalty, that she would enter the palace as the Emperor’s daughter, and that everyone would look up to her.
At first, it seemed impossible, but hadn’t it all come true exactly as he said?
‘So if I ask Noma…’
Surely Noma could get rid of Evebien as well.
“Idiot.”
Siren muttered as he read Eve’s letter.
Since being admitted to the palace, Eve hadn’t once sought him out.
He hadn’t been annoyed or anything.
The foolish, greedy girl was suddenly living the best life imaginable—there was no room in her mind for worrying about others.
But Siren was annoyed for a different reason.
‘Why hasn’t the Emperor recognized her yet, despite missing his daughter so much?’
She must want so many things and crave love, and she must have been fawning over the Emperor.
Yet the Emperor, seemingly noticing something, kept finding excuses not to recognize her as a princess.
That made Siren anxious.
Everything had to go according to plan, and the Emperor needed to favor Eve for that.
“Evebien Alden…”
He knew of her.
The child the Emperor cherished.
He had assumed Eve would quickly forget her once she entered the palace.
But if the Emperor’s interest in her wasn’t temporary…
“…Then I can use her.”
Siren crumpled Eve’s letter and grabbed a pen.
Though there was a slight tremble, everything was proceeding according to plan.
Even including a mere orphan in his scheme wouldn’t derail the carefully prepared plan.
