Chapter 105: The Girls of 1504
“Yes, Grandma.”
“The Empire, huh… It’s been ages since I’ve been there. I’m the tower keeper by the shores of Ceylon Lake. What’s your name, girl?”
“Peilo.”
“Peilo?!” The chubby grandma’s face lit up with thought, then after a moment, she asked, “And how is His Highness Duke Skarlick related to you?”
Wait, what?
I was quite taken aback.
I originally figured Peilo was just a homebody with nothing much going on, and those school bullies didn’t even know the duke had a daughter; they only recognized Lafael. I didn’t expect this grandma to link my name to her acquaintances. Is she someone my father knows?
Looking at how scared those people were of her… perhaps she’s a big deal.
So, I obediently answered, “He’s my father.”
Grandma’s expression remained unchanged as if she’d already known this. She raised an eyebrow slightly: “Oh? So, you’re the little Pepé from Shanter Castle?”
“Grandma, do you know my father?”
“Know him? Not quite. I just visited Shanter Castle many years ago and caught a glimpse of you from afar… it was such a long time ago; you were just a tiny little thing back then, and now you’ve grown up.”
She didn’t say why she visited Shanter Castle, and I didn’t pry either. Just seeing her made me feel a bit more connected.
Finally, there’s someone less strange around.
“How is your father doing lately?”
“Pretty well.”
“I heard… during the two-year Valen Crisis, he lost an arm?”
“… Yes.”
“He’s okay, right?”
“He’s fine.”
“As long as he’s alright… I mean, those little brats, daring to mess with even the daughter of Duke Skarlick…” Grandma shook her head, “I’ll have a word with them later. But you should be careful, girl. Those foolish pups rely on their families and have become utterly lawless; they probably wouldn’t think twice about it. For the next few days… you should stay inside the academy. If you need anything, come find me; my room is just to the left at the base of the stairs on the first floor.”
“Alright, thank you, Grandma.”
But I guess I won’t bother you… they’re just a few rich little punks, after all.
“Don’t mention it, girl… just don’t laugh at me in your heart. The Royal City has lived in comfort for far too long, so long that some people have forgotten their roots… the younger generation ends up looking quite comical, unlike your noble Winter Moon spirit. But the city is still beautiful; I hope you won’t develop any biases because of them.”
… Is Grandma worried I’ll go back and tell my father bad things?
After all, the central workshop has trade relations with most countries in the Western Continent, and the Royal City is no exception… perhaps they use weapons and armor forged at the workshops too?
Honestly, I’m not quite sure about these matters…
“I won’t, Grandma. I like it here.”
But really, what’s it to her… Chubby Grandma isn’t just a ‘tower keeper,’ is she?
“Good. Now hurry back, and get some rest early tonight.” Grandma smiled, “You’re welcome in the Royal City.”
I bowed respectfully to her.
By this time, the onlooking students had scattered, but I could still feel some eyes secretly watching me, yet they were all too scared of Chubby Grandma to peek out, hiding like they were at some scary horror show… it seemed like every student by Ceylon Lake was terrified of her.
A person like her really knows how to manage the Royal Academy’s dormitory.
After Grandma left, I continued up the stairs to the fifteenth floor and arrived in front of the door marked ‘1054.’ I could hear girls laughing and chatting inside, and hesitated for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, I gently knocked on the wooden door.
“I’m coming in…”
The door wasn’t locked, and with a ‘creak,’ I pushed it open. The brightly lit room was filled with three young girls who had formed a circle, seemingly discussing something. Upon hearing the noise, they all turned to look at me in unison.
“Uh, good evening…”
“Wow—”
“She’s here! She’s here!”
“So pretty!”
“Ah, black hair! An imperial noble!”
“Of course, she’s younger than us all.”
“Hehe, I win!”
“Hey, you two! She’s greeting us, let’s at least acknowledge her; it’s just a matter of politeness, alright?”
“We’re already going to sleep together, what’s with all these stupid rules!”
The three girls chattered excitedly as one brown-haired, doll-faced girl grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room, kicking the door shut behind her, her face lit up with excitement, “Sister, how old are you this year?”
“… Sixteen.”
“See! I told you I was right! Hahaha, the top bunk is mine!”
“I didn’t even want the top bunk; what does it matter if you win?” The blonde girl pouted, clearly unhappy, her textbook hypocrisy obvious.
“I say we… should introduce ourselves first, don’t you think?” Another girl said, frowning, her voice soft, almost shy.
“Oh, oh, sorry! We were a bit rude, huh?” The short-haired doll-faced girl stuck out her tongue at me, “I’m Sara, Sara Cecil, nineteen this year… but I’ll be twenty soon! I grew up in the Royal City and am part of the Flame Order; my talent is pretty average… my father’s a knight, and my mother…”
“Enough already! Are you trying to talk your way through an interrogation? Don’t spill all your family deets at once, please!” The blonde girl interrupted her impatiently, her beautiful blue eyes turning to me, “Sister, this one has a bit of a wild side; don’t mind her.”
Then she lifted her skirt, performing a very proper noble curtsy.
“I am Sophia Jiaslin, twenty-two, the fourth heir of the Jiaslin family in the Royal City.”
I quickly returned her greeting: “Miss Sophia, may the moonlight be with you…”
This girl is also a noble…
The Jiaslin family—are they from one of the big families in the Royal City?
“Are you an imperial?” Sophia asked.
“Yes, my family is in Winter City.”
“Winter City, huh? What a nice place… just a bit frosty. A few years back, I went with my father and nearly froze while wrapped in two layers of fur coats because of the snowstorm.”
“I’ve gotten used to it; it’s no big deal.”
“Your last name, it’s Winter Moon, isn’t it?”
I suddenly realized I hadn’t introduced myself yet.
So, I nodded.
“Um, Peilo Guniver Winter Moon.”
Sophia looked at me with wide eyes, surprised.
“Wow, it really is Winter Moon… so your father—”
But she was interrupted mid-sentence by Sara, the short-haired girl.
“Hey, Sophia, could you drop the whole noble charade for a second? You just said I looked like I was prepping for an interrogation, so why are you suddenly so nosy? Daisy hasn’t even introduced herself yet.”
Sophia shot a discontented glance at Sara, who defiantly glared back. Seeing the tension, the shy girl quickly waved her hands: “Um… I’m fine; you guys just chat…”
“Daisy, you can’t let Sophia push you around like this,” said Sara.
“I wouldn’t push anybody! I just forgot!” Sophia shot another glare at Sara and then turned back to me with a smile, “Sorry, let me do the introducing.”
She pointed at the shy girl: “This is Daisy Shelley, eighteen years old, from the Emerald City in Silgaya. I absolutely adore the fruits there.”
“Why are you bringing it back to yourself again… Daisy should introduce herself, not have you do it for her…”
“Daisy hasn’t said anything; it’s you who’s all talk!”
“Hahaha…” Daisy could only awkwardly laugh while touching her face.
They didn’t seem genuinely upset; I didn’t quite understand friend dynamics among girls, but they probably hadn’t known each other long. To avoid a real quarrel, I thought it best to change the subject.
“By the way, this…” I opened the little satchel at my waist, pulling out three still-warm waffles, “I saw these when passing by, thought they looked good, so I bought a few extra for you to try.”
