Chapter 33 – The Royal Little Princess
The entrance exam site for new students at Wode Academy was quite prominent. As soon as one reached the square, the large sign was clearly visible.
Many freshmen were already heading in, all wearing the same type of exam badge that Vanessa had just given to Erika.
Seeing this, Erika quickly pinned her badge to her chest and leisurely walked toward the exam site.
The examination area was a massive room capable of holding several hundred people, with each seat spaced a meter apart—very reminiscent of a modern large-scale college entrance exam setup.
The moment she stepped into the room, Erika naturally became the center of attention.
“Look, it’s that little cutie from the registration area!”
“She’s really pretty—who is she?”
“You don’t know? At registration just now, she kicked Andy in the crotch. Tons of people were watching.”
“Damn, kicked him down there? That girl is vicious.”
“No kidding. Then Director Vanessa showed up, and the whole thing finally blew over. Otherwise, who knows what Andy would’ve done. That kick was brutal.”
“Hehe, a fiery little cutie—I like her.”
...
Hearing this group chatter about her and calling her “little cutie” this and “little cutie” that, Erika felt thoroughly annoyed.
A bunch of immature brats—no sense of propriety. If anyone dared mess with her again, she definitely wouldn’t hold back!
Wearing a not-so-pleasant expression, Erika walked over to seat number 239 and sat down with flair. She crossed her legs and propped her chin up with her hand, putting on a clear “don’t mess with me” face.
At times like this, she needed to look cold and aloof, to make people think she wasn’t someone easy to mess with!
She had assumed this attitude would make people stop staring, but to Erika’s surprise, her current appearance made her look exceptionally adorable. A pretty little girl pouting and sulking? Who wouldn’t pay attention?
Though more and more people were looking at Erika, no one dared approach to strike up a conversation. Perhaps because this was an exam site, no one wanted to cause trouble—or maybe it was the earlier incident with Andy that had everyone scared to provoke her.
Erika didn’t care either way. Today was just for reporting. As long as she could finish the exam quietly, that was enough.
As more and more students arrived, nearly every seat was filled.
This surprised Erika a bit—what kind of exam was this?
Could it really be a written test?
“Look! Another beauty just walked in!”
“Wow, you're right—this year’s freshmen are really lucky!”
...
Suddenly, more murmuring arose. Following the voices, everyone turned their gaze from Erika to the entrance.
Just then, a girl walked through the door. She looked about the same age as Erika, also on the shorter side, clearly among the younger new students.
But the twin peaks on her chest stood in stark contrast to Erika...
She had snow-white silver hair and wore a form-fitting purple formal dress, exuding an aura of nobility.
Her face was oval-shaped, with long lashes framing clear, spirited eyes. The exposed skin of her arms and thighs was pale and smooth—overall, a beauty on par with Erika.
If Erika could be described as cute and beautiful, then this girl carried an additional layer of grace and elegance.
The moment she appeared, she stole Erika’s spotlight. The boys began whispering again.
“Don’t you know? That’s Isana Elfreid!”
“Elfreid? You mean she’s from the royal family?”
“Yep! She’s one of the Twin Stars of the Aarlan Empire, daughter of the Duke of Daylight!”
“Whoa! I thought the Duke of Daylight was stationed in the southern province. When did they return to the Imperial Capital?”
“There was a report from the Empire that said the Duke returned to the capital recently.”
“Didn’t expect the Elfreid family to enroll their little princess in Wode Academy right after coming back.”
“Is this little princess strong?”
“No idea, but probably. I mean, she’s from the Elfreid family...”
...
Amid all the chatter, the princess named Isana ignored everyone. She walked coldly toward her seat, every step filled with proud elegance.
Her seat, incidentally, was right next to Erika.
“Move.”
Isana’s cold voice rang out—not directed at Erika, but at the boy who was blocking her path.
“S-sorry...”
Perhaps because she was a royal, the boy quickly apologized with a smile and stepped aside.
As for Erika, she remained in her aloof posture, legs crossed. But she couldn’t help glancing at Isana.
That glance startled her.
After sitting down, Isana had been glaring coldly at Erika—undeniably with hostility.
What was this?
Erika looked baffled. She didn’t know this girl, so why was she giving her that “I’ll eat you alive” look?
But since Isana made no other move beyond the stare, Erika decided not to overthink it and quickly looked away.
In this massive exam room, two stunning girls sat side by side. Unsurprisingly, they drew admiring looks from other girls and drooling stares from many boys.
Most eyes were still on Erika. Maybe because Isana was a royal princess, most people didn’t dare offend her.
Once all the seats were filled, a tall woman entered from the doorway.
It was Vanessa again, arms full of exam papers. Her tall frame was so imposing she had to duck slightly to get through the door.
“Whoa—it’s Director Vanessa!”
“I heard she took over as our freshman teacher...”
“Damn, our lives are doomed...”
Everyone knew Vanessa. As a Saint-rank powerhouse, her reputation in the academy was nearly legendary—and she was known to be an extremely strict instructor.
“Ahem.”
Vanessa cleared her throat upon entering. The room quieted down immediately. She glanced at Erika and Isana first, then spoke in her usual stern tone:
“Welcome, all you bratty little freshmen, to Wode Academy. I’m your instructor—Vanessa.
I know among you are many from distant lands, as well as plenty of young nobles from the Imperial Capital.
But let me make this clear—now that you’re in Wode Academy, forget your so-called manners and etiquette. Here, everyone is treated equally. You’re all my students. Understood?”
“Understood,” the students answered in unison.
Vanessa nodded in satisfaction and continued, “I believe that since you’ve chosen Wode Academy, you already have a general idea of what it’s about.
This academy has produced many heroes and great figures.
Among them, two have reached the Saint rank.
I trust you already know—one of them is me, and the other is our headmaster...”