Chapter 11
When she had gone out earlier, the entrance had been completely empty. But now it was filled with people.
Ibi paused in confusion, wondering if she had come to the wrong room, and double-checked the room number.
But there was no mistake—this was room 305, her assigned room.
‘Then who are all these people?’
If her roommate had already arrived, she would’ve thought nothing of it. But no matter how she looked, there were at least twenty girls standing inside the room.
“It looks like Miss Irene’s roommate has arrived.”
“But she seems quite young, doesn’t she?”
Most of the girls standing around looked to be about ten years old, give or take.
As Ibi tried to figure out how she should greet these older girls, someone let out a chuckle and spoke up.
“Never seen you before. Where are you from?”
The girl who spoke gave Ibi a once-over with a puzzled look.
“My name is Ibi Elden. I’m from Elam City, and…”
“Oh, I heard about you. You’re that orphanage girl who got accepted, right?”
Before Ibi could even finish, someone let out a surprised exclamation.
The other girls around her began chiming in one after another.
“My goodness, they really accepted a commoner into the Academy?”
“I heard she got in with excellent grades, but still, how did they let her in?”
“She must not have any other clothes—wearing her uniform already? And what a mess it is.”
At the word “mess,” Ibi quickly glanced down at her outfit.
Her clothes were a little wrinkled from going into the forest earlier, but nothing that seemed seriously inappropriate.
But the way everyone was looking at her—it was as if she had just rolled in dirt.
She looked around at the other girls’ clothing.
None of them were wearing the Academy’s uniform yet.
Instead, they were all dressed in lavish clothes. Some outfits, though technically children’s wear, were so ornately decorated they rivaled noble formalwear.
Just from their clothes and demeanor, it was obvious:
Every girl here was from a wealthy noble family.
Then, from within the group, one girl stepped forward.
‘Wow…’
Ibi nearly let her awe slip out loud.
The girl looked to be around thirteen years old.
Naturally, she was much taller than Ibi and had a far more mature aura compared to the others, making her stand out even more.
Long, curly silver hair that reached her waist. Deep violet eyes, clear and bright.
She was the most beautiful person Ibi had ever seen.
Even the sharp slant of her eyes, which gave her an intimidating look, only added to her appeal. Every one of her features was flawless.
Then one of the students spoke to the girl.
“Miss Irene, something must be wrong. There’s no way a girl like that is your roommate…”
At those words, the girl called Irene furrowed her brows.
The other girls began chiming in again.
“What is the Academy thinking, pairing someone like her with Miss Irene? I heard Lady Izriella is sharing a room with Miss Renzi!”
“Exactly. We assumed Miss Irene would be paired with someone from at least a count’s family. But a commoner?”
The more the whispers grew, the sharper Irene’s gaze became.
“Enough.”
At her single word, everyone fell silent.
In the now-quiet entryway, Irene stepped toward Ibi.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A pair of luxurious shoes, adorned with decorations Ibi had never seen before, stopped just a step away from her.
Gulp.
Ibi swallowed dryly from the tension and met Irene’s gaze.
The girls around them whispered again.
“How insulting to the young lady of a house they call the ‘royalty of the South.’ Did they really assign rooms at random?”
“No way. The Academy should at least ensure roommates are of equal status.”
“Then how did this happen? Did the Academy really think someone like that was a match for Miss Irene?”
“I heard that girl came in second in the Academy entrance rankings, right behind Lord Arcel.”
“Still, she’s from an orphanage. This is an insult to Miss Irene!”
As the whispers swirled around her, Ibi couldn’t help but shrink back.
The looks directed at her were cold and cutting.
Ibi glanced around briefly, then turned her gaze back to Irene.
During that time, Irene had been silently examining her from head to toe.
‘She must be disgusted… right?’
It reminded her of her time at the upper school in Elam.
Most of the students were commoners, with only a few exceptions. Yet even there, whenever Ibi attended class, she was met with sour expressions.
Just because she was an orphan, just a little poorer than them, they already treated her as beneath them.
And if that’s how it was with commoners, how could noble daughters—especially those from the empire’s top families—possibly welcome her?
‘She might even ask to change roommates.’
There was a rule allowing roommate changes in serious circumstances, pending a professor’s approval.
As Ibi and Irene continued to quietly face each other, the murmurs around them only grew louder.
“But the Terrins are such a powerful family. I heard they control half of the South’s wealth.”
“And I heard Miss Irene gets along terribly with her half-sister. There’s serious friction over who gets to be heir… You think her sister had something to do with this?”
At that, Irene’s expression twitched slightly, and she finally spoke.
“…How pitiful.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your hair, your skin, your body. All a mess. Did the orphanage starve you?”
Her sharp voice carried an unfamiliar accent—perhaps from the South.
Ibi’s eyes widened, startled.
“That’s not true! Our Director would never do something like that!”
The others gasped at Ibi’s raised voice.
“Oh my, did she just raise her voice at Miss Irene?”
“Honestly, I thought she’d at least have basic manners since she got into the Academy. How rude.”
Stung by the harsh comments, Ibi shut her mouth.
She realized too late that she’d made a mistake.
‘But I can’t let them speak badly of the Director.’
The Director was someone who genuinely cared for the children.
Unlike other orphanages, she never embezzled funds. In fact, she sold off her personal property just to feed and care for the children.
If another orphanage refused to take in a sick child, she’d travel long distances just to bring them back and care for them.
When neighbors brought over food, she never saved any for herself—she always gave it to the children first.
She had spent all she had to rescue a child like Ibi, who was worth less than a single coin.
There was no way Ibi could stay silent while someone insulted her.
Irene looked a bit surprised by Ibi’s loud response.
But soon, her expression returned to its unreadable calm, and she spoke in a composed voice.
“Sorry for jumping to conclusions. I just…”
Just then, one of the girls beside her interrupted.
“Miss Irene! Why are you apologizing to someone like that?”
“Exactly! What are you doing? You should be demanding an apology from her instead!”
Even though Irene remained still, the girls around her were causing a scene.
As the room grew noisy again, Irene raised her hand. That alone was enough to quiet the room instantly.
“Enough. It’s difficult to keep talking here—let’s go outside for a bit.”
“Of course!”
“Miss Irene, did you know there are five different cafeterias at the Academy…?”
As if they had never been berating Ibi, the girls changed their expressions and began chatting about other things.
Irene led the group out of the room.
Just before she left, she locked eyes with Ibi and gave a slight nod.
“…?”
As Ibi stood stunned, the others hurried to follow Irene out.
Her final image lingered in Ibi’s mind. It was clearly an apology—a gesture filled with regret.
