Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Gift Cake

Lolan Hill and several other girls walked into the dining hall building. They first lifted their white fur-lined hoods and then shook off the snowflakes on their bodies.

The snowflakes and a few water droplets fell onto the copper grilles on the ground, slowly melting and then seeping through the gaps into the underground channels. These grilles were distributed at various entrances of the dining hall building, specifically designed to drain rainwater and snow. The wastewater flowed through underground channels to designated treatment areas.

Wearing gray boots, Lolan Hill walked on the gray stone floor of the hall, looking up at the massive copper ball floating in the air. Despite having seen it several times before, her eyes still showed a hint of surprise.

This copper ball was about 20 meters in diameter, resembling an armillary sphere, with several layers rotating in different directions. Occasionally, fiery cores could be seen through the intricate hollow patterns. Heat continuously radiated from this instrument, warming every floor surrounding its center.

Students in various outfits moved between floors, their conversations, clinking cups, boiling soups, and shouts filling the hall. Compared to other seasons, the cold winter climate made many people reluctant to cook themselves and instead come directly to the dining hall, thus increasing the number of visitors significantly.

“Let’s go eat grilled meat today,” Alena suggested ahead of the group. The others had no objections, so they all headed towards the fourth-floor grilled meat section.

Lily, Alena, Yeling, and Bumansa went to select dishes, while Letis, Vimya, Lolan, and Nia found an empty table, lit the charcoal fire in the middle of the stone table, and waited patiently.

Vimya, as always, didn’t speak much, wearing a veil. Her aquamarine curly hair hung over her chest and shoulders, her sapphire eyes watching the charcoal gradually turn red.

“Where is Vimya’s home?” Letis became slightly interested, realizing she had never asked this question before.

“In a certain island in the Eastern Region,” Vimya’s voice, like flowing water, came from under the white gauze veil.

“Is it near the House of Plantagenet?” Letis thought for a moment, unable to recall any islands eastward.

“No,” Vimya shook her head and continued.

“It’s in the ocean between the West and East Continents.”

“Is it the Endless Sea? But isn’t it very stormy there and hard to navigate?” Letis was surprised.

“Yes,” Vimya nodded, but did not elaborate further. At this moment, the girls who had gone to order returned.

“I brought a lot of meat, let’s have a good meal tonight!” Alena said excitedly.

“It sounds like you’re treating us,” Letis muttered quietly.

“Some vegetables,” Bumansa placed a basket with potato slices, eggplants, and cauliflower on the table.

“There will definitely be drinks,” Lily placed several bottles of red wine on the stone table, the bottles clinking together with a clear sound.

“Seasonings,” Yeling carried a basket filled with small bottles in her arms, her eyes gleaming mysteriously.

The girls set up the barbecue rack over the charcoal fire, selecting their favorite foods to cook, while the stone table slowly warmed up, making their arms and wrists feel less cold.

The glass roof in the center of the hall let in a little light, and the giant copper ball rotated continuously, spreading warmth throughout the indoor space. The lights on each floor were neatly and closely arranged, forming a continuous glow that illuminated the hall brightly and warmly. Only the occasional change in light from the glass roof reminded everyone that it was a cold and windy winter outside.

During the wait for the grilled meat, some of them chatted idly, while others remained silent. For example, Lolan Hill opened a recently borrowed book and placed it on the warm stone table, flipping through it slowly. Vimya quietly turned the food, while Yeling was interestedly pouring seasonings from glass bottles onto the golden-brown grilled meat, the table occasionally emitting a pleasant aroma.

Due to the exceptional beauty of these girls, especially Letis, Lolan, and Yeling, who attracted many passing students, everyone’s eyes often glanced over unintentionally, stealing a peek.

“Hey boss, you’ve been watching for so long, why don’t you just go say hello? Although Miss Lolan didn’t agree last time, she’s a nice person and won’t make things too awkward for you,” a nearby table where several young men sat together said. The blond man in the middle seemed somewhat distracted.

“Grace, you don’t understand,” the blond man patted his friend’s shoulder.

“Every opportunity to meet is precious. If I can’t leave a positive impression, I’d rather not meet at all.”

“Arbitrarily wasting such opportunities will only leave a bland or even unpleasant impression, ultimately losing all possibilities.”

“Not surprising that Brother Jielanen is so adept at matters of love,” a younger brother praised.

“Boss thinks far ahead, cheers,” another childhood friend raised his cup.

Jielanen’s table of five, though not many, consisted of close friends he had grown up with, so they didn’t need to put on airs like strangers. Today, they came here to eat after class, coincidentally meeting the black-haired beauty again.

Last year, he had ‘accidentally’ met Lolan several times, but since she rejected him, he had only watched from afar and hadn’t approached her again.

As the son of a duke, he naturally had some pride and cared about his reputation. After being rejected, immediately going back to approach her was something he couldn’t bring himself to do, yet completely giving up was also difficult.

As the eldest son of the Griffin Duke, Jielanen rarely lacked anything in life—extraordinary resources, gold coins, followers, and even the affection of young women were always plentiful.

Coming from the top-tier family in the Empire, none of his siblings could compete with him, and almost everyone believed he was destined to become the next Griffin Duke. The Griffin Duke held a position at the top of the power structure of the Verdant Empire, needing only to express loyalty to the Emperor.

Everything came so easily and effortlessly, which once made him feel somewhat empty and lost. Fortunately, after coming to Emanas, he formed a club, leading members in training and simulated combat exercises, which gave him a sense of achievement and fulfillment.

However, as the school year progressed, this feeling gradually faded, and the prolonged repetition brought a sense of emptiness and boredom. It was during this time that he encountered the black-haired girl.

She was like a butterfly dancing under the morning sun, a beautiful scene that frequently appeared in his memories, dreamlike and beautiful.

He warned himself that reality might not be as perfect as imagined, for perfection does not exist in the world. Thus, they met for the first time.

On the city wall facing the vast river, the girl’s hair fluttered, and in the conversation filled with laughter, he felt her inner wisdom and tranquility.

At that moment, he understood that such a dreamlike existence truly existed. And because of this, he cherished every chance to meet the girl, unwilling to waste it carelessly.

Not long after, when Lolan’s table began their meal, two servers pushed over a delicate cake.

The blue cake had two layers, with fresh red roses circling the upper layer, and in the middle stood a small griffin made of white chocolate, its feathers lifelike and somewhat cute.

Yellow glowing dots flew around the cake, and a gentle magic emanated from the milk scent of the cake, making anyone with knowledge understand that it was made with extraordinary materials, offering significant benefits to those practicing in the Extraordinary Sequence.

“This is a gift from someone you know to the ladies present, celebrating the arrival of the Winter Festival. We hope everyone can have a pleasant winter,” the server carefully used the newly memorized wording, trying to sound calm and natural, so that the girls could accept it comfortably.

Several girls looked at the cake with surprise and curiosity, while Lolan raised her head to look at the young man who was cautiously waving to her from afar.

Thank you to Stupid Phoenix, Shimmering Eclipse, and Cherry Sakura for your generous tips.

Special thanks to fellow reader Stupid Phoenix for becoming my patron. I’ll try to add more chapters tomorrow. Thank you!

Merry Christmas to everyone! May you all have a happy and fulfilling life.

End of Chapter