Chapter 105 – The Girls of 1504
“Yes, grandma.”
“The empire… It’s been a long time since I last went there… I am the tower keeper by the Ceylon Lake. Girl, what’s your name?”
“Peyalo.”
“Peyalo?” The plump grandma looked thoughtful upon hearing this, and after a moment she asked again, “Prince Scargill… What relation does he have with you?”
Hmm?
This surprised me.
I originally thought Peyalo was just a shut-in nobody. Even those school bullies didn’t know the Duke had a daughter; they only knew of Lafayette. But this granny managed to connect her name to someone important, perhaps even someone who knows her father?
Judging from how scared those people were of her… she must be quite remarkable.
So I obediently answered, “He is my father.”
The plump grandma’s expression did not change, as if she had expected this. She raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “Oh? So you are the little Pipo from Suntel Castle?”
“Grandma, do you know my father?”
“I know him… Not really. I once visited Suntel Castle many years ago, and I saw you from afar back then… It was a long time ago, you were just a tiny thing back then, now you’ve grown so much.”
She didn’t say what she did in Suntel Castle back then, and naturally, I didn’t ask either. Just looking at her made me feel more at ease.
At least there’s someone familiar around.
“How is your father doing recently?”
“He’s fine.”
“I heard… During the Valen disaster two years ago, he lost an arm?”
“…Yes.”
“It’s not too serious, right?”
“No problem.”
“As long as he’s okay… Really. Those brats, daring to provoke the daughter of Duke Scargill…” The plump grandma shook her head, “I’ll talk to them later. But still, you should be careful. Those fools are used to relying on their family’s backing, and they act recklessly. In recent days… don’t leave the academy, okay? If anything happens, come find me. My room is on the first floor, to the left of the staircase.”
“Alright, thank you grandma.”
But I won’t trouble you, just a few rich brats.
“Girl, no need to be polite… Just don’t mock me in your heart. The capital has been peaceful for too long, to the point that some people forget their roots… The younger generation seems silly compared to you, especially during the Winter Month. But the city is still beautiful. I hope you don’t form any biases because of this.”
…Is grandma worried that I might tell my father something bad?
After all, Central Workshop has trade relations with most countries in West Continent, including the capital… Probably, weapons and armor forged by the workshop are also used here?
These things I’m actually not clear about…
“Don’t worry, grandma. I like it here.”
But what does this have to do with her… Grandma, she’s not just a ‘tower keeper’, is she?
“That’s good. Go back quickly, rest early tonight.” Grandma smiled and said, “Welcome to the capital.”
I bowed to her.
By now, the onlookers had already dispersed, but I could still sense some eyes sneaking glances at me, hiding under the pressure of the plump grandma, too afraid to even stick their heads out… It seemed everyone around Ceylon Lake was afraid of her.
If not for such a person, she wouldn’t be able to manage the royal academy’s dorms either.
After the plump grandma left, I continued up the stairs to the fifteenth floor, arriving at the wooden door engraved with “1504”. I could hear faint laughter coming from inside, and hesitated for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, I gently knocked on the door.
“I’m coming in…”
The door wasn’t locked, and with a creak, I pushed it open. In the brightly lit room, three young girls were gathered in a circle, seemingly discussing something. Upon hearing the noise, they all turned their gazes towards me.
“Uh, good evening…”
“Wow—”
“She’s here! She’s here!”
“How beautiful!”
“Oh, black hair! An imperial noble!”
“果然年纪比 us 都要小.”
“Hehe, I win!”
“Hey, you two. She’s trying to greet us. At least respond politely…”
“We’re all going to sleep together anyway, why so many rules!”
The three girls chattered excitedly as they surrounded me. One of them, a short-haired doll-faced girl with brown hair, grabbed my hand and dragged me into the room, kicking the door shut behind us. She looked at me with excitement and asked, “Little sister, how old are you this year?”
“…Sixteen.”
“See! I was right! Hahaha, I get the top bunk now!”
“I never liked sleeping on top anyway. What difference does it make if I win?”
A blonde, almond-eyed girl pouted, clearly unhappy. It was obvious she was not being sincere.
“Um, shouldn’t we introduce ourselves first…” another girl said hesitantly, her voice soft and timid.
“Oh, sorry sorry! We were a bit rude,” the short-haired doll-faced girl said, sticking out her tongue. “I’m Sarah Cecil, nineteen years old… well, almost twenty! I grew up in the royal city and am part of the Order of Flame. My talent is average… My father is a knight, and my mother…”
“Enough! Are you trying to answer an inquiry from the arbitration council? Stop spilling everything about your family!” The blonde girl interrupted impatiently, her blue eyes looking at me. “Little sister, she’s a bit eccentric. Don’t mind her.”
Then she lifted her skirt and performed a very proper noble curtsey.
“I am Sophia Jastine, twenty-two years old, fourth heir of the Jastine family in the royal city.”
I quickly returned the courtesy. “Miss Sophia, may the moonlight be with you…”
This girl is also a noble…
Is the Jastine family one of the major families in the royal city?
“Are you from the empire?” Sophia asked.
“Yes, my family is in the City of Winter.”
“The City of Winter, what a lovely place… just a bit cold. A few years ago, I went there with my father. The wind and snow were so fierce that even wearing two layers of fur coats made me shiver.”
“It’s nothing once you get used to it.”
“What’s your surname? Is it Moon of Winter?”
Hearing her ask, I suddenly realized I hadn’t introduced myself yet.
So I nodded.
“Yes, Paylor Gunevère Moon of Winter.”
Sophia’s gaze towards me was filled with admiration.
“Oh wow, really the Moon of Winter… Then your father—”
She was cut off mid-sentence by the short-haired girl named Sarah.
“Hey Sophia, can you stop acting like a noble… You were just saying she was like an arbitration council inquiry, so why are you asking her so much? Daisy hasn’t introduced herself yet.”
Sophia glanced unhappily at Sarah, who glared back defiantly. Seeing this, the shy-looking girl waved her hands hurriedly. “It’s fine, don’t mind me, you two continue…”
“Daisy, you’ll get bullied by Sophia like that,” Sarah said.
“I wouldn’t bully anyone, I just forgot!” Sophia glared at Sarah again before turning to smile at me. “Sorry, let me introduce her.”
She pointed to the shy girl. “Her name is Daisy Shelley, eighteen years old, from the Emerald City of Silgaya. I love the fruits there.”
“Why do you always bring yourself into it… Daisy, introduce yourself properly, why let others speak for you…”
“Daisy hasn’t said anything, it’s only you talking too much!”
“Hahaha…” Daisy could only laugh awkwardly.
They didn’t seem truly angry. I didn’t understand the friendship between girls, but they probably haven’t known each other long. To avoid a real argument, I decided to change the subject.
“Right, this.” I opened the small pouch at my waist and took out the three still warm waffles. “I saw these and thought they looked delicious, so I bought a few more. Try them.”
