Chapter 30 – Being Good-Looking Can Also Be Trouble
“Meat... tasty... I want more...”
A soft, indistinct voice came from Erika’s mouth. She was sprawled out on the bed, eyes closed, drooling at the corner of her lips, and the blanket originally covering her had been kicked away.
That’s right—she was talking in her sleep.
Her snow-white tender arms and legs were fully exposed. She wore only a simple pair of underwear and a camisole-like nightdress.
“Erika?”
Gladys had gotten up early.
This was the residence she had just purchased yesterday. Not too big, not too small, fully furnished, and even came with a small garden outside for enjoying the scenery.
At any other time, Gladys wouldn’t force her to get up, but today was the day Erika was supposed to report to the academy.
“Time to get up.”
“Just a bit longer...”
Erika turned over, her little legs clutching the bed sheet, sticking to her usual habit of staying in bed.
Gladys narrowed her eyes, rolled over to face her, and pinched her cheek.
“You must get up early today—it’s registration day.”
“Ugh... Can I not go?”
“No, get up now.”
“Okay...”
Though she agreed with her mouth, Erika’s body didn’t move at all. Still half-asleep, she turned over again, trying to squeeze out a few more seconds of sleep.
Helpless before this girl who loved to sleep in, Gladys could only lean her red lips close to Erika’s ear and gently took her earlobe into her mouth with dazzling tenderness.
“Eeek!”
Even in her dreams, this electrifying sensation shot through Erika’s body. Her tail, which had been hidden, popped out and stood upright.
With that, Erika was fully awake. Clutching her legs together, she wiped the drool from beneath her canine teeth with her hand, her face blushing red as she looked at Gladys.
“Gladys... how could you do something like that while I’m sleeping!”
“You wouldn’t get up otherwise.”
“Didn’t I say... I would get up?”
“And then what?”
“...”
Alright, it really was her own laziness.
Unable to argue, Erika quickly retracted her tail, stretched lazily, and got out of bed!
Today was the day to register at the Imperial Capital’s academy. Gladys had signed Erika up yesterday, so the latter decided to dress up a little today.
She approached the unfamiliar wardrobe, squinting as she picked and chose. These were all clothes Gladys had bought for her, but only a few caught her eye.
Eventually, she picked out a black top with buttons and a lace-trimmed skirt, then tiptoed as she slipped into them.
Though the outfit didn’t look like much at first glance, it hugged her body tightly. Erika twirled in front of the mirror and thought it actually fit quite well—pretty nice, though something still felt off.
Right—the grayish-white hair stood out a bit too much...
She quickly grabbed a hair tie and clumsily twisted her hair into a rather unsightly ponytail, even tying a dead knot in the process...
Truth be told, Erika had no fashion sense at all.
But she nodded to herself in self-satisfaction and returned to Gladys.
“Erika, I told you the location of the academy yesterday. Do you still remember?”
“I do,” Erika said with a smile and a nod.
“Registration is almost over. You should go.”
“But I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Grab something on the way.”
Gladys pulled out some silver coins from her bosom—originally twenty, but after some thought, she put ten back.
“Only this much?” Erika’s smile vanished.
“It’s enough for breakfast.” This time, it was Gladys’s turn to smile. “It’s to control your appetite. If you eat too much, you might gain weight.”
Eating well is a blessing—what’s with the control?
Erika pouted as she stuffed the silver coins into her pocket and headed out.
She was puzzled. Gladys hadn’t been like this before. Ever since she got the Dragon Core Crystal, she’d become much stricter with her...
Sigh~
If only she hadn’t taken that stupid thing when she met Meladin.
...
The weather today was rather clear, a gentle breeze blowing in the sky, bringing a sense of comfort.
Erika walked down the street, her eyes wandering over the magnificent city.
The morning in the bustling Imperial Capital wasn’t noisy—it was busy.
The houses around here had a unique architectural style, and compared to those in small towns, the residences in the capital were far more splendid.
Almost every house had finely inlaid tiles and rows of potted flowers, giving off an ultimate European aesthetic.
All around were merchants hurrying with their carriages, and patrolling soldiers occasionally appeared along the roadside, dutifully maintaining the city’s safety.
Erika’s first stop wasn’t the academy, but a snack shop on the street.
It was busy in the morning, and Erika was immediately drawn to a bun shop because of the long line.
Squeezing her small frame into the crowd, Erika shouted, “Boss, how much for a meat bun?”
“Two silver coins.”
“Then... just one, please.”
Looking at the measly ten silver coins in her hand, Erika planned to save some in case she got hungry later.
She took the steaming meat bun and immediately bit into it.
The sauce and meat filling filled her mouth with incredible flavor, enveloping her entire body in deliciousness.
How could something as simple as a bun taste this good!
Enchanted by the taste, Erika’s eyes lit up.
“Boss, four more!”
“Haha, little missy, how is it? My meat buns are good, right?”
The boss looked at the girl whose eyes were gleaming and proudly patted his chest.
“Delicious!”
Without hesitation, she spent the rest of her money, hugging the large meat buns wrapped in kraft paper in both hands. She munched away slowly as she wandered toward the academy.
The local academy had a large sign reading “Wode Academy.”
It was huge, with numerous grand buildings inside, including what appeared to be dormitories.
But Erika had no intention of living on campus—she wouldn’t, not even if she were dead.
It was enrollment season, and people of all kinds were flooding in. The academy was packed, and most of them looked older than Erika. Given her small stature, she was quickly swallowed up by the crowd.
“Rawr.”
To keep her last meat bun from getting squished, Erika quickly stuffed it into her mouth, making her cheeks puff out like a chipmunk. It looked a bit comical.
Chewing the bun, Erika finally reached the teaching building—the registration site. A long line had formed, and the students queued in an orderly fashion.
Erika was no exception. She obediently stood at the end of the line, muttering to herself.
Good thing she was smart enough to grab some meat buns to fill her belly ahead of time. With a line like this, who knew how long it would take?
“Look, look—there are quite a few pretty girls among the new students this year.”
“Yeah, especially that short one with the ponytail—tsk tsk, she’s gorgeous. Like a noble princess.”
“Could be. I heard there’s even a royal princess among the new arrivals this year.”
...
The gossip from the older students reached Erika’s ears.
Clearly, the “short one with the ponytail” they were talking about was her.
She had tied the ponytail just for convenience, even if it looked terrible. But now, her angelic face was exposed for all to see.
Countless boys around her were whispering about her—even worse, some were practically drooling as they stared.
Erika, of course, chose to ignore these gossiping fools. After finishing her bun, she stood there with a deadpan expression, quietly waiting in line.
But soon, those who had been gossiping behind her came up to strike conversation.
This annoyed Erika. After arriving at this academy, she had instantly become the center of attention.
She kept rejecting the flattery and attention from the surrounding boys, growing increasingly irritated.
So being good-looking... really could be trouble...