Chapter 385

Chapter 9 Journey to the Academy

Creaking…

Clang! Clang—

The drizzle tapped against the window outside, and the half-opened window pane hit the frame repeatedly. I had been awakened by the sound for a while, kneeling on the bed in the manor’s bedroom, my head buried in the pillow, my body curled up under the down comforter, my buttocks raised high.

“So annoying… So noisy!”

My muffled voice echoed in the room, audible only to me.

Go down and close the window…

But my body felt heavy… And if I walked over, there would surely be raindrops landing on me. I had just changed the bedding; I didn’t want it to get dirty, so if raindrops landed on me, I’d have to wash them off—it’s such a hassle… Once I washed up, I’d be completely awake and wouldn’t be able to sleep again…

So wait a bit… I’ll close it later when I go back to bed…

…But it’s really noisy if I don’t close it!

Why did I forget to close it before getting into bed…

What should I do…

I’m so frustrated…

Rumble—!

A dull thunder rumbled across the sky, instantly illuminating the dark clouds outside the window. The thunder followed by the bright light was swept into the bedroom by the wind and rain, reaching my ears. My body couldn’t help but tremble. Unconsciously, I imagined myself fighting with Cardinal Nero. He stood at the zenith, his hands clasped tightly over his chest. With the rumbling thunder, storm clouds coiled like dragons, gathering and descending amidst the blinding white light, everything vanishing in an instant.

…I can’t sleep anymore, time to get up.

I threw off the pillow, kicked the blanket aside with my legs, and moved quickly to the edge of the bed. I scratched my messy hair, yawned, stared blankly, lifted my fair legs, put them down, and swung them back and forth by the bed for a long time. I looked up at the wall clock.

Oh, it’s almost 6 PM…

Time to eat.

I’ve spent these two days at home, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. In these two days, I barely spoke to anyone. The last time I had a conversation with someone was when I bid farewell to the bearded envoy before he left.

My period is almost over.

My lower abdomen no longer hurts, and today’s flow is very light. I believe it will be completely fine after another day or two.

Today is May 3rd.

That means tomorrow is when the Royal Academy resumes classes.

I got out of bed, closed the window, and drew the curtains. I went to the bathroom to take off my nightgown, which I tossed with the dirty one from last time, planning to wash them together when the rain stops. Then I rinsed myself, combed my hair, put on new undergarments and a sanitary belt, and walked to the wardrobe. I picked out a light blue floral dress, looked at myself in the mirror, feeling quite good. I seemed like a demure and innocent girl, nodded in satisfaction, and then went downstairs.

I came to the kitchen and opened the cabinet. Almost all of the things Carlos bought were eaten. There was no meat or cake left, and even the oranges were gone. Only some carrots and unused butter spices remained.

Ah…

Out of food.

I felt troubled.

What should I do?

After thinking for a moment, I took out two carrots, washed them clean, held one in my mouth, and the other in my hand. I turned around and walked back to the living room, closing the ventilation window to prevent more rain from entering. As I bit into the carrot, “crunch crunch,” I walked towards the sliding glass door, through the window and the tall walls outside, I could vaguely see the dim 2nd mansion next door as twilight faded.

Victoria has been away from the royal city for two days.

Since then, the lights in the neighboring mansion have never come on again.

How boring…

It feels like suddenly, there’s no one in the entire city who can have a proper conversation with.

Sigh…

I stroked the piano lid that hadn’t been touched in a long time and sighed softly.

…I should go out.

Let’s go to the academy and take a look.

With my mind made up, I finished the second carrot in two bites, turned around, and returned to the second-floor bedroom. I pulled out my small shoulder bag that hadn’t been used in a long time, stuffed a few sets of change of clothes inside. Victoria sent me several beautiful and exquisite hats a few days ago. I wanted to wear one, but after trying them on, I found they were too eye-catching, the kind that only a noble lady would wear, looking odd without a proper dress.

Of course, Victoria also sent dresses, but there’s no need to wear something so formal to school…

In the end, I still chose the sun hat I bought earlier. I didn’t wear it directly but hung it on the shoulder bag. Then I came to the dressing table, took out a scarf to tie up my black hair, and secured it…

Sure, here is the translation of the provided romance novel passage:

—

Well, the skewer is a bit crooked, I can’t tie it properly… But let’s leave it like this for now.

Finally, I put on a cloak over my dress.

Of course, it wasn’t a Papal Knight’s cloak; it was just a regular waterproof one, pure white. Because it rains often in the capital city, I bought this back in February. With its wide hood, even hair couldn’t be seen, not to mention faces from a distance. This is the best gear for hiding one’s identity; no wonder those who don’t want to be seen prefer it.

“Let’s go.”

After packing up, I went downstairs, changed into high-top leather boots at the door, grabbed an umbrella, and left.

The rain outside wasn’t heavy, just drizzling onto the umbrella, making a “bang bang bang” sound that was somewhat annoying. I tiptoed through the muddy courtyard, exited the manor, locked the iron gate, put the key in my satchel, and quickly walked down Longdor Street. The posters about missing people that were once posted on the walls were now washed away by the rain, barely legible, and there seemed to have been no new ones posted.

Since Eruishu died, no one else has gone missing.

As I left Longdor Street, the number of pedestrians gradually increased. I felt a bit nervous, even with my hood on and holding an umbrella, I didn’t dare to lift my head. I always avoided crowded areas and soon arrived at the market.

On rainy days, the market stalls were fewer than usual, and people weren’t as congested as before, with less shouting. It was much quieter. I couldn’t find the man selling opera almond cakes; the young couple hadn’t opened their stall today. However, Morum sausages were being sold, and there was quite a queue; all the customers appeared to be men.

Many gentlemen…

I pursed my lips, trying to stay as far away from them as possible, and walked across the street to buy some waffles, planning to eat them first and then look for something delicious at the academy.

I can’t let my stomach suffer…

After buying the waffles, I didn’t want to linger any longer and saw a rented unicorn carriage by the roadside. I told the driver the address, agreed on the price, closed the umbrella, and got into the carriage. The hooves clattered as we headed toward the Royal Academy.

Rumble…

The thunder rumbled continuously, and the rain seemed to be getting heavier.

It was getting darker.

Near the Royal Academy, the streets were as crowded and lively as usual. The taverns and snack shops on both sides of the road had resumed business, and even the entrance of the “Pink Family” was lit up with red candles. Seductive women stood by the street, enticing customers.

Many students in academy uniforms walked along the streets, chatting and laughing under their umbrellas, creating a peaceful atmosphere. There was no apparent difference from before, except for the noticeable increase in the number of arbitration patrols wearing green and white windbreakers and berets with shield emblems.

I asked the driver to drop me off by the roadside, paid him some silver coins, and started searching for food.

“Cakes! Imperial secret recipe! Girls love them, come and take a look~”

“Freshly baked river fish, crispy skin and tender meat, if you don’t like it, you don’t pay!”

“Kesiru Road ** Sausage!”

Probably because the academy is resuming classes tomorrow, the nearby streets seemed much livelier than Longdor Street. People flowed incessantly, and there were many snack stalls everywhere. Even though it was raining, the aroma of various dishes wafted from all directions.

I held my umbrella and walked among the crowd. Initially, I was quite nervous, fearing someone might suddenly recognize me and surround me. But as I walked, I realized no one would notice me. Because of the rain, everyone was dressed similarly. Gradually, I grew bolder and bought a sweet cake from an aunt’s stall, finishing it on the street. It tasted pretty good, so I bought a few more and put them in my satchel, continuing forward. Following the scent, I came to a stall run by a young couple.

“Venison, carp, deer meat pie… Are you a little girl? What would you like? My wife makes it fresh, guaranteed to be good.” The man smiled at me.

Raindrops hit the makeshift canopy above the stall, making a series of sounds.

“Hmm… Let me think…”

I hid under the canopy, closed my umbrella, tilted my head, pointed my finger at my chin, and looked at the fresh meat skewered on the wooden cart. The smell of food being cooked by the woman next to me made me hesitate.

Except for the deer meat pie, I haven’t tried anything else…

Maybe I should try everything?

“I want to…”

Just as I was about to speak, a familiar voice suddenly sounded beside me.

“…Daisy, look, there are deer meat pies being sold here.”