Chapter 94: You will forget that utter nonsense this instant, do you hear me
"Miss Amelia... why didn’t you complete all the drawn forms as they ought to be?"
Cathy asked in a inquiring tone, after raising her trembling eyes from the five pages, the state of intense focus that had consumed her for a few seconds finally dissipating from her face.
Amelia stood frozen in complete speechlessness. In that fraction of a second, she genuinely did not know what stance to take or what ought to be said amidst something so thoroughly defiant of basic logic! Was a seven-year-old child truly standing before her, asking her with unshakeable composure and utter innocence why she hadn’t completed the manuscript in full?!
Recovering from her shock, Amelia sought to reclaim her authority, asking in an incredulous tone, "Does this mean you actually comprehend these foundational writings to state with such confidence that I haven’t completed them?! The basic concepts of star magic require ten full years of study in the grandest astronomical academies... Did you arrive at that precise numerical parameter you uttered moments ago by merely reading it by chance in one of your parents’ books?"
Cathy didn’t even blink, nor did any expression of surprise register on her face at Amelia’s tone. Instead, she spoke with absolute, pure innocence: "I was honestly surprised in the first place that Lady Amelia knew these basic things... But since Miss Amelia is my friend, you ought to describe things fully and accurately without omitting any sigils... You can improve in this field anyway."
Amelia froze solid on the spot... Improve?! Did she just say "You can improve"?!
Did she mean her?! The former Empress who, in her past life, had attained the "Royal Level," ascending to the absolute pinnacle of scientific knowledge regarding the star element and the astronomical arts? The woman who used to spend twenty hours a day in research and investigation at the tender age of five, and who died ceaselessly probing the deepest abysses of this legendary element?! Was she now being told by a little girl that she had forgotten to mention a few details in techniques she had forged with her own hands?! This entire situation was... utterly ridiculous and profoundly disorienting!
Amelia’s facial expression shifted from sheer shock to a mixture of complete bewilderment and stifled, hysterical laughter: "Heh... Heh... So do you possess such deep knowledge of the star element to judge what ought to be added or omitted?"
Cathy smiled a gentle, composed smile, as though Amelia’s question had invited her into her own private domain—her favorite domain.
"Miss Amelia... I decrypted the Empire’s technique and discovered its secret a long time ago... Do you really think that basic, elementary knowledge you wrote down would impress my parents? Believe me... they won’t even listen to it! I have decrypted all the dusty techniques sitting on the shelves of my parents’ research room, and they didn’t even look at me when I tried every possible way to present them."
Amelia’s thoughts reeled in complete bewilderment... Was this girl speaking in earnest, or were these mere childish fantasies?
Because the matter transcended the bounds of reason, Amelia activated her specialized magical eye ability—the [Eyes of Thousand Souls]—and directed her gaze deep into the innermost layers of Cathy’s mind. Within moments, she witnessed a colossal, extraordinary surge of neural activity within Cathy’s brain, far exceeding normal human parameters! Only now did Amelia realize that the neural architecture of Cathy’s brain was slightly larger and infinitely more complex than that of any highly intelligent child her age.
Amelia asked in a calm tone devoid of any mockery, "Did you truly attempt to present this complex knowledge to your father and mother? If you possess such extraordinary, raw genius... shouldn’t they refuse to ever leave your side and cling to you instead?"
Yet Cathy’s features suddenly turned to deep sorrow and heartbreak, the brightness in her eyes dimming across the hall: "I only see my parents twice a week, for no more than ten minutes each time... They wouldn’t even listen to me speak. That was why, on one occasion, I decided to write down all the astronomical deductions I reached into private volumes and gave them to them, hoping they would notice me... But surely they possess a far deeper knowledge than those simple things, for they threw those volumes straight into the trash right after..."
Amelia stared at the young girl as she recounted the miserable details of her story... Cathy’s parents were truly among the most neglectful and ungrateful parents in existence! Had Amelia known of this hidden gem in her past life, she would have taken Cathy as her direct disciple and taught her the secrets of the world herself.
Amelia spoke in a low voice: "Cathy... does this mean you know the entirety of the [Star Exploration] technique?"
Cathy nodded her head with her usual innocence: "Yes, Miss Amelia... and it seems you know a part of it as well, which is truly impressive, as I never find anyone around me who shares my exact interests."
Amelia caught her breath, attempting to process whether this was a cruel mockery of fate or something else entirely! While she believed she was giving a small child a mere spark of knowledge to draw the attention of her neglectful parents, she discovered that the child possessed knowledge surpassing what her parents and the entire ministry could ever dream of! Was the existence of a child with such genius bound to such parents not a blatant sin against science itself?
Amelia asked eagerly, "Cathy... do you still have those volumes in which you wrote down your research?"
Cathy blinked her eyes, thinking for a moment: "They are useless, Miss... What value is there in knowledge that everyone already knows? They will never interest my parents, so I just kept them in the corners of my room as mere keepsakes, nothing more..."
Keepsakes?! Amelia nearly suffered a sharp spike in blood pressure from the sheer degree of ignorance and neglect surrounding this child!
Amelia placed her hands firmly upon Cathy’s small shoulders and said with utter seriousness, "Cathy... can you bring me those volumes right this instant?"
With that, the two girls, accompanied by the rest of the children, headed toward Cathy’s bedroom. The room was slightly dark and gloomy, wafting with the heavy scent of ink and old manuscripts.
When the corners of the room were illuminated, a scene unfolded that utterly shattered Amelia’s mind: dozens of carefully stacked pages, notebooks piled high upon one another, geometric drawings, complex charts of celestial bodies and heavens, along with an open book where several points were heavily highlighted alongside numerous mathematical equations added to the margins in a small, childish handwriting.
A shockwave of sheer astonishment erupted deep within Amelia, and she nearly screamed in awe: "What in the absolute hell is this?!"
Meanwhile, the rest of the boys—Albert, Brandon, and Hein—tried to rush in behind them to explore the room, but Amelia immediately whirled around and strictly blocked them at the doorway: "Cathy and I are girls, and you are boys! You have absolutely no right to enter girls’ private rooms!"
Scott was leaning his back against the hallway wall, looking at the group coldly. He scoffed, "I told you guys already..."
Albert blinked, asking with childish curiosity, "But I enter my younger sister’s room at my uncle’s house all the time! Is there really a problem with entering girls’ rooms?"
Brandon stepped in, rubbing his chin as he attempted to play the role of a seasoned expert in life’s affairs: "It’s like classified military secrets, buddy! They never want you to discover their private secrets..."
Albert asked him, "Like what, exactly?"
Brandon looked around with extreme caution. Despite the presence of the other children around them, he leaned toward Albert and whispered in an audible voice, as though broadcasting a dangerous secret: "They are terrified of dying to a horrifying degree! That’s why they wear specialized protective armor over their chests to endure slashes from daggers and swords!"
He then added with supreme confidence, "My big brother told me this exact piece of data himself... and he told me never to leak this secret to girls!"
SLAP!
A resounding, violent slap descended directly onto poor Brandon’s face! Amelia had emerged from the doorway like a ghost and struck his cheek without a shred of mercy!
Amelia spoke in a sharp tone, her eyes burning with fury.. "You will forget that utter nonsense this instant, do you hear me?!"
The boy stumbled back, holding his reddening cheek, tears nearly welling in his eyes from the sheer force and suddenness of the hit!