Chapter 4: Compassion

The lead noble’s lackeys pried open Lulumiya’s fingers one by one, pulling out the few coins she had pressed beneath her palm.

“Miss, there’s only one Silver Coin and twelve Copper Coins.”

In this world, the currency was standardized: 1 Gold Coin equals 10 Silver Coins, and 1 Silver Coin equals 10 Copper Coins.

Just now, Lijie and her group had barely gathered a little over two Silver Coins.

This amount was obviously nowhere near enough.

The noble who had been pressing Lulumiya down on the table was growing angrier by the second, his grip tightening.

“I’ve already been lenient for half a month, and now you tell me this is all you have? Cut off her hand and take it to the Workshop of Lyon to settle the debt!”

Damn it, she’s serious!

A sense of dread surged in Lulumiya’s heart as the sharp edge of a blade pressed coldly against the back of her hand.

Compared to the spilled milk soaking her clothes, if she didn’t run now, she’d lose a limb.

With the noble lady’s attention focused on the dagger, Lulumiya seized the opportunity and twisted her body, breaking free from the noble’s grasp.

However, the lackeys still held tightly onto her wrist, preventing her from escaping completely.

Thankfully, she was not alone.

Just as the dagger was about to chop down like cleaving pork bones onto Lulumiya’s wrist, Lijie slammed her fist on the table with a loud “Bang!”, drawing the attention of several nobles and even the entire dining hall’s students.

“Ye’an, this is a dining hall, not your home. Don’t go too far!”

After speaking, Lijie stepped forward like a mother hen protecting her chick, pulling Lulumiya behind her.

“Hmph.”

Ye’an, whose appearance was moderately attractive, lifted the corners of her eyes disdainfully.

She had indeed been startled by Lijie’s bang earlier, but once she saw Lijie herself, she relaxed.

Both of them were students specializing in Fire Element magic and had some acquaintance.

She tilted her chin up, her eyes filled with arrogance.

“What? You want to stop me?”

“Any form of corporal punishment is forbidden inside the Academy. If you harm Mìyà, don’t blame us for reporting you to the Tutor.”

While Lijie spoke, Ye’an noticed one of Lijie’s lackeys already rushing out of the dining hall.

Meanwhile, most of the people inside—the first-year students, as well as nobles from the second and third tiers—were all watching with interest.

Though the dining hall wasn’t crowded at the moment, Ye’an felt a headache coming on.

This Academy was jointly run by the Royal family and the Church; among noble students, she was only mid to lower tier, with limited influence.

But if she backed down now, it would mean submitting to Lijie, and she would lose face in front of the other students.

That was even worse than failing to collect the debt.

Her eyes flicked, a new idea forming.

“Then you repay the debt for her. She owes me five Gold Coins, and according to the agreement, she should have repaid last month. I was generous enough to give her another month, and yet she hasn’t paid a single coin.”

“Besides, she doesn’t just owe me. She owes others too—she owes the Fourth Princess five thousand Gold Coins!”

Ye’an raised her voice, her words echoing through the empty dining hall, turning Lijie’s face pale.

Debts must be repaid—this was a universal truth.

The original owner’s misdeeds had already put Lulumiya at a disadvantage from the start.

“Why the silence? Where’s the money? If you hand over just one Gold Coin, I’ll let her off today. Otherwise, don’t stop me from teaching her a lesson. Can’t cut off hands or feet? Then I’ll make sure she bears a mark on her face—no one will stop me.”

Ye’an flourished the dagger in her hand, the gleaming blade sending a chill down everyone’s spines.

Lijie was at a loss for words.

This was a dead end.

As a first-year student, Lijie was no match for Ye’an.

Sigh.

Lulumiya sighed inwardly.

She hadn’t fallen so low as to need protection from a couple of kids.

Though it was the original owner’s fault, she was still an adult.

If she hadn’t just crossed over to this world without any preparation, she wouldn’t be so passive.

She silently pulled Lijie behind her.

“Lijie, this is my personal matter. You don’t have to get involved.”

But to Lijie, this sounded completely different.

She had been unsure of what to do, but after hearing this, she didn’t hesitate and immediately raised her eyebrows, turning to command her lackeys.

“Call everyone in the class. We’ll gather whatever it takes to make up the Gold Coins.”

Then Lijie gripped Lulumiya’s hand tightly, her expression filled with a nearly divine sense of mission.

“I will protect you.”

“What do you take me for?”

Ye’an frowned, her words like a slap in the face. “I must give her a lesson!”

As soon as she finished, Ye’an lunged for Lulumiya’s wrist.

Lijie stepped forward to block her, but suddenly a dangerous red glow flickered from Ye’an’s hand.

Lulumiya could distinctly feel the air temperature soaring sharply.

This was the first-level magic, ‘Fireworks’.

Though its destructive power was far weaker than the same-level ‘Fireball’, direct contact with skin would inevitably cause burns.

“Hey!”

Almost instinctively, sensing danger, Lulumiya pulled Lijie behind her and grasped Ye’an’s fist with her palm.

“Bang.”

Pain.

So much pain!

This body was ridiculously fragile!

Lulumiya felt like all the nerves in her arm were twisted recklessly, the pain so intense she could barely breathe.

Without adult willpower, she would have curled up, clutching her arm in agony.

“What are you doing?!”

Lijie reacted instantly like an enraged lioness.

Her breath was ragged, trembling with fury, her eyes bloodshot as if ready to leap at Ye’an to fight to the death.

Her hand hovered over the short staff hanging at her waist.

Seeing Lijie’s reaction, Ye’an also placed her hand near her waist.

Any sudden movement from either side would inevitably spark a fight.

Then.

“Ho.”

A lazy, playful voice sounded among the crowd.

The voice seemed magical, instantly pouring a bucket of ice water over everyone’s heads, cooling them down in an instant.

They all turned toward the sound and saw a young woman dressed in a deep red gown, tall with upturned eyes.

Her black hair flowed freely, her crimson eyes full of cold disdain.

Just standing there, an aura of supreme authority radiated from her, an arrogance so overwhelming no one dared meet her gaze.

Lulumiya recognized this haughty woman—not from the original owner’s memories, but from after her crossing.

The Fourth Princess of the Ornhime Kingdom, Xinleira.

Lijie stood as if facing a formidable enemy but dared not look directly at the princess.

Ye’an’s face also turned grim at the sight of Xinleira, and everyone sheathed their weapons and stood respectfully before the famed royal princess.

“Your Highness, the Fourth Princess, greetings.”

Ignoring the greetings, the underage princess, who was already about 1.6 meters tall, scanned the room and finally fixed her gaze on Lulumiya, at the eye of the storm. A flicker of surprise passed through her crimson eyes.

She opened her folding fan to partially cover her face, without even glancing at Lijie or Ye’an, walking straight to Lulumiya.

“Just as the event ended, we meet again. How much money have you gathered?”

What did that mean?

Lulumiya didn’t quite understand.

The princess’s words sounded like a demand for debt repayment, but her tone was not one of harassment.

Anyone could tell that Lulumiya had no money now.

If Xinleira wanted to make things difficult, she wouldn’t have given the Workshop of Lyon a chance.

Her actions were more like an announcement to those around her that she was connected to Lulumiya.

Lulumiya hid her aching hand behind her back, wiping the milk still dripping down her face, shrugging.

“I just came out of the workshop, not a single Copper Coin.”

“Right. Why don’t you wipe off the milk after your bath?”

That wicked woman was mocking her.

Lulumiya clearly felt Xinleira’s face behind the fan teasing her.

“Falias, wipe her.”

Xinleira pursed her lips, and a young attendant about twenty years old with a silver sword hanging at his waist stepped forward, using a towel to wipe Lulumiya’s hair and cheeks.

Then Xinleira’s gaze turned to the pale-faced Lijie.

“What happened? Tell me.”

“She… they wanted to chop off Mìyà’s hand.”

Lijie stammered her explanation.

Ye’an, being a minor noble, was not very fearful, but the Fourth Princess was notorious as a wicked woman.

Lijie spoke with trembling caution.

***

The truth came out gradually under Xinleira’s calm inquiry.

She looked Ye’an up and down, her deep red eyes sending a chilling shiver like a venomous snake’s stare that made Ye’an’s skin crawl.

Fortunately, Xinleira soon lost interest in a minor character like Ye’an.

She glided forward, carried by fragrant air, and stood before Lulumiya.

At 1.6 meters, Xinleira towered over her like a mountain.

Lulumiya couldn’t help but recall how, just an hour ago, this wicked woman had dragged her up from the ground.

A nervous tension rose—what would Xinleira do now?

But Xinleira simply folded up her fan, revealing a stunningly beautiful face, then playfully tapped Lulumiya’s cheekbone with the fan’s ribs as if scolding her.

“I’m giving you a chance to serve me. Your life belongs to me. Allowing such small people to humiliate you is a disgrace to me.”

With that, Xinleira turned and waved her hand disinterestedly.

“Falias, keep an eye on her today.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The attendant knelt on one knee.

Xinleira took slow, deliberate steps toward the dining hall’s exit, speaking in a lazy tone that seemed casual.

“I’m quite interested in what you proposed. Before the agreed time comes, I will silence those debt collectors. I can’t control everything outside, but in the Royal Capital, few dare ignore me.”

What did that mean?

Lulumiya guessed at Xinleira’s intentions and loudly called after her toward the door.

“Can I do whatever I want?”

Xinleira didn’t respond and left the dining hall without a word.

No denial was tacit approval.

Lulumiya glanced at Falias standing stiffly behind her like a knight guarding a princess.

Xinleira’s intentions were clear.

“Damn it!”

In front of everyone in the dining hall, Lulumiya picked up the leftover scraps on the table and slammed them down with a “Clang” squarely onto Ye’an’s face.

[Lost Titles: “Human’s Bane, Dog’s Disdain,” “Useless Puppet”]

[New Titles Acquired: “Commoner Student,” “Lijie’s Favorite,” “Interesting Magical Automaton,” “The Fourth Princess’s Puppet (Temporary)” ]

[Mental Clarity: 48↓ (decreased by 7 points)]