“Compensation? You don’t even know the most basic ‘Fireball’ spell, what compensation can you offer? Do you know how much debt you owe to everyone at the Academy? Just the Fourth Princess alone is owed five thousand gold coins!”
“One gold coin is enough to support a family of three for a month, and you alone have borrowed five thousand. Now, all that debt falls on me!”
“A printing press? What’s that?”
“Someone who can copy several books a day without a single typo? What a joke. If such a thing existed, the scribes in the workshop would all be obsolete.”
“Uh, since the Fourth Princess herself ordered you to give it a try, I’ll make an exception and grant you three days. No money to start? Then figure it out yourself. If you can’t produce it within three days, take yourself to the recycling room and scrap it for parts—those parts are money!”
***
A bright, sunny afternoon.
Wrapped in tattered burlap, Lulu Miya sat by the flowerbed of the Magic Academy, hands propping her up on either side as she tilted her head back to gaze at the sky.
It had been an hour since she was kicked out by the Magic Workshop, yet she still felt as if she were living in an unreal world, like a lifetime apart.
She should be lying comfortably in bed playing on her phone right now, but the reality was she was a wanderer in a foreign land, her head metaphorically held under the guillotine.
If she hadn’t suddenly come up with the idea to make a printing press to earn money, she’d probably be meeting Satan by now.
The only good news about transmigrating was probably this body — so adorably charming it was almost irresistible, the kind that could make Lulu Miya grin like a fool when looking in the mirror.
Her silver hair was so soft it could slip through fingers, her exotic teal vertical pupils sparkled with liveliness, and under the sun, her skin shone dazzlingly white, veins faintly visible beneath a pale blue tint.
Her features were delicately petite, with dimples on her cheeks adding a few extra points of cuteness. Her slender figure was graceful, with calves as tempting as white lotus roots.
Her long silver hair could cover her entire back, evoking the image of a cat—every movement sparking an urge to protect her.
She needed to be carefully nurtured, like a porcelain doll that might shatter with the slightest bump, reminiscent of a unique and noble foreign princess.
But when it came to lacking money, cuteness counted for nothing.
“A printing press is one thing, but where am I supposed to get the startup funds…?”
Watching students chatting and laughing on the academy streets, Lulu Miya fell into deep thought.
The country she was in was called the Ounheim Kingdom, with “holy” right in the name, naturally intertwined with religion.
Most of its people were believers of the Holy Spirit, Istelle.
Where there is religion, there are scriptures; where there are scriptures, there must be scribes to copy them.
Even in a world with swords and magic, books still had to be copied manually.
The original owner of this body had once seen students working part-time copying books in the library’s corner.
That method was not only time-consuming and laborious but also prone to errors and omissions, extremely inefficient.
That was why Lulu Miya thought she could earn money by making a printing press.
Only problem was, she only understood the principle of the Spiral Printing Press and had never made one herself.
Without money to buy materials or hire carpenters to realize the blueprints, the printing press was just empty talk.
Ultimately, she didn’t even have money to buy a potato to eat.
In these three days, making a printing press was impossible; she’d probably starve to death.
Right, what am I going to eat?
Lulu Miya suddenly realized her survival crisis was even more urgent.
The Magic Workshop was definitely off-limits; who knew if the Workshop Owner might suddenly change his mind and tear her to pieces.
As for borrowing money from the original owner’s classmates?
That was out of the question.
The original owner, out of vanity, had already asked nearly everyone who could lend money and ended up being disliked by all.
No one would lend her a coin.
“Gurgle gurgle—”
As soon as she relaxed, her body’s demands came crashing down all at once.
Lulu Miya finally realized this body hadn’t eaten all day.
Her stomach hurt from hunger, and her head was dizzy.
Although the original was a magic automaton, she was flesh and blood and needed to eat.
Instinctively, Lulu Miya searched her pockets.
Empty. Not even a potato.
And it seemed the Academy’s lunch time was over… Wait, does that mean there might be leftover food?
From the original’s memory, the Magic Academy of Saint Istelle was co-run by the royal family and the church.
The students were either noble children or gifted commoners, so the food situation was generous.
Students only needed to pay one copper coin at the entrance to get a tray, then could get the cafeteria ladies at the commoners’ window to serve their preferred dishes.
In other words, if she could sneak a tray away unnoticed at the entrance, she could boldly help herself to food.
It really felt like being back in school.
Lulu Miya made a strange face as she remembered how, back in high school, to save money she’d borrow classmates’ trays to get extra food and free seaweed soup—who would have thought that after transmigrating to another world, she’d be doing the same.
Approaching mealtime, Miya practically ran to the cafeteria, drawing surprised looks from passing students—behavior unbecoming of a proper lady at Saint Istelle Magic Academy.
As expected, since lunch was ending, the cafeteria ladies were busy cleaning up, so Lulu Miya easily swiped an unused tray.
Calm and composed, she approached the food window and ordered her first meal after transmigration.
A piece of beige bread, a bowl of stewed radish, a small plate of pickles, and a glass of milk.
This would be a humble meal by 21st-century standards, but after a whole day of hunger, hunger itself was the most delicious seasoning.
She grabbed a seat and ate heartily.
Then, her vision darkened—someone stood before her.
“Yo, isn’t this our angel lady? What’s she doing eating in the ‘commoner level’?”
The voice was dripping with sarcasm, looking down on her with disdain.
Clearly, they were here to pick a fight.
Frowning, Lulu Miya looked up impatiently.
Opposite her stood several first-year students in the Academy uniform, all around twelve or thirteen years old.
The one speaking arrogantly was familiar—Lijie.
She was top of her class and popular among the commoner students.
Their relationship was that Lijie had once tried to befriend the original owner, but the original’s stubborn mind thought commoners weren’t worthy of speaking to and publicly insulted Lijie.
Thus, they had become enemies.
What a foolish original.
The elite commoner students, with excellent grades, were exactly the group to unite with.
Lulu Miya spat mentally on the original again.
It wasn’t hard to guess how commoner students were discriminated against by nobles in a school where both existed.
Where there was discrimination, groups formed.
Just showing a little kindness to the often discriminated commoners would be amplified infinitely.
If she created a common enemy, it would be easy to build a circle centered on herself.
At that age, kids had no scheming, and as long as they felt a sense of belonging, they’d give whatever she wanted.
After nearly thirty years of life experience, Lulu Miya was an expert at this small-group politics.
She decided to start earning money from these kids.
With a sly smile, she dropped her hostility.
She put down the bread and showed a perfect, doll-like sweet smile.
“May I ask if you need something?”
“Uh.”
Lijie was caught off guard.
She only came because she saw Lulu Miya eating in the commoner area and wanted to get back at her for the insult.
She didn’t expect Lulu Miya to be so indifferent to her taunts and was momentarily lost for words.
Her mouth twitched awkwardly.
“Didn’t you look down on commoner food? Why come over here?”
“I’m a commoner too, so of course I eat at the commoner window. I didn’t understand before and said harsh things to Lijie. I’m sorry. Would you like to eat together? Think of it as giving me a chance to make amends.”
After saying this, Lulu Miya moved her tray aside with a gentle, friendly smile.
Not only Lijie, but even her followers looked puzzled.
Today’s Lulu Miya seemed like a different person.
The old Lulu Miya wouldn’t even let commoners touch her.
Lijie remembered once during a practical lesson when Lulu Miya forgot her wand, a commoner student had kindly lent her one.
Lulu Miya looked disgusted, wrapped her hand in cloth to use the wand, and then threw the cloth into the trash after using it—not even a real noble would act like that.
Could a major misfortune really change someone’s personality?
Lijie’s expression was complicated.
The incident with the Fourth Princess was already the talk of the Academy.
Many said Lulu Miya would be thrown into the furnace to die.
Could it be that surviving that ordeal changed her?
With the innocence of a twelve-year-old, Lijie found it hard to reject the bright, radiant smile that outshone the sun.
She snorted but sat down opposite Lulu Miya.
“Tell me about the Fourth Princess. I’ll pretend the past unpleasantness never happened.”
“No problem, but I hope you’ll keep it a secret, Lijie.”
Lulu Miya cupped her mouth mysteriously.
Sharing a secret was a way to get closer.
Even if it wasn’t really a secret to her, as long as the other person thought it was, it was enough.
Lijie pouted but lowered her voice and glanced at the followers around her.
“Okay, I’ll keep it secret.”
“I knew I wasn’t wrong about you.”
At those words, Lulu Miya saw Lijie’s stiff expression relax, and even saw a sense of responsibility in her black eyes.
Girls this age were easy to handle.
Lulu Miya whistled inwardly.
Next came the enjoyable victim act.
She first stressed her hard work, then pitifully explained her difficulties, and finally boasted about the benefits she could give them if things succeeded—better lives, social climbing, admiration from classmates—to easily squeeze angel-round investments from them.
【Title Acquired: ‘Shameless’, ‘Fraudster’】
What the hell was that?
Lulu Miya noticed a line of words pop up in her vision, followed by her status panel:
[Name: Lulu Miya]
[Titles: ‘Fragile Young Dragon’, ‘Useless Automaton’, ‘Broke’, ‘Dog’s Bane’, ‘Holy Grail: 0’, ‘Shameless’, ‘Fraudster’]
[Morality: 55↓ (down 5 points)]
Morality?
Lying lowers morality?
Lulu Miya was stunned.
She didn’t know what morality meant or what would happen if it dropped to zero.
“If it’s too inconvenient to say, don’t force yourself,” said Lijie, stepping into a big-sister role.
“After all, it’s the Fourth Princess we’re talking about.”
Lulu Miya shook her head repeatedly.
“No, no, I’m just thinking about how to explain it.”
Looks like only she could see the panel—she relaxed.
She began to detail her recent experiences, embellishing how she’d acted arrogantly and pretended to be a noble because the evil Workshop Owner Lyan demanded she maintain good relations with nobles and make lots of money—or else he’d throw her into the furnace.
She said she had no choice but to be proud and distant to Lijie, apologizing with tears, which moved Lijie deeply.
Then she emphasized that she had to survive alone against all odds, eventually offending the Fourth Princess, ending up locked in a dungeon and cruelly abused.
She was cold, hungry, mistreated, stepped on like a wild dog by the evil princess, forced to apologize.
She invented anything that might win sympathy.
After her heartfelt lament, Lulu Miya even pitied herself.
Her youthful appearance, combined with wiping tears and sobbing, made Lijie and her followers feel guilty, even though they initially came to mock her.
Especially when they noticed the tattered burlap with a few pieces of straw stuck in it wrapped around her—they saw clear signs of dungeon abuse.
No one doubted Lulu Miya’s words. Lijie even crossed the table to sit beside her, awkwardly reaching out, wanting to comfort but unsure how.
Compared to the lonely, imprisoned Lulu Miya, Lijie, a commoner, at least had loving parents.
Lulu Miya had nothing—a tragic life that made listeners ache.
“Sorry, I always thought you were the kind who looked down on commoners and tried to suck up to nobles…”
Lijie didn’t know how to comfort her, opening her mouth again, “Now that the misunderstanding’s cleared, we’re all commoners. If you have any troubles, just tell me. I’ll help however I can. We’ll protect you.”
“I… sniff… I need money… If I don’t repay the Fourth Princess soon… sniff… Lyan will beat me to death…”
Lulu Miya whimpered, hiding her expression behind her silver hair and the large horns on her head by lowering her head slightly.
If she wasn’t afraid of attracting attention, she might have thought of sadder things and burst into tears to make it more believable.
“Money…”
Lijie and her followers looked distressed.
They were all commoners themselves, first-years only a month in, barely any copper coins to spare.
Lulu Miya’s voice grew even more pitiful.
She looked up and forced a resolute, tight-lipped expression, her tear-streaked face full of sorrow.
“It’s okay, Sister Lijie. I’ll try borrowing from the nobles again. Just a few more days, the Fourth Princess will surely forgive me…”
“No! We can’t keep begging those people for scraps!”
Lijie suddenly stood up, decisively like she’d made a firm decision.
She slapped one silver coin and three copper coins—her life savings for the second half of the month—onto the table.
“This is all my living expenses for the next two weeks. I’m giving it to you. No matter what, you have to stay alive.”
Then she looked at the others.
“What about you? Everyone give Miya something.”
“I only have this much.”
“Sorry, Lulu Miya, I misjudged you before.”
“If you have difficulties, tell us early. Helping each other is what we should do.”
With these words of sympathy, the other students gathered their coins—one or two copper pieces—and pushed them toward Lulu Miya.
The boys practically turned their pockets inside out.
Having experienced hardship themselves, commoners couldn’t bear to see a little girl struggle to survive, especially one as pitiable as Lulu Miya.
They’d have loved to roll up their sleeves and teach the wicked Magic Workshop Owner a lesson.
But things didn’t always go according to Lulu Miya’s plan.
Just as she thought she finally had startup capital and was about to shyly reach for the pile of coins on the table, she suddenly felt a chill all over.
Something splashed down on her head, then a strong hand pressed down on her shoulder from behind, pinning her against the table.
With a loud bang echoing through the cafeteria, Lulu Miya was held down by a girl dressed in elegant clothes, soaked through with cold milk.
“You have money but won’t pay back, playing the poor victim here! Search her—take all the money off her!”
After speaking, the richly dressed girl drew a short dagger from her waist and gestured at Lulu Miya’s hands resting on the pile of coins.
“You promised you’d repay, but now you’ve vanished without a trace. If you don’t pay today, I’ll chop off your hands to settle the debt!”
Trouble.
Lulu Miya’s heart dropped.
The noble lord had come to collect his debt.
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