Chapter 6: The Royal Capital is also dangerous
Night fell, stars twinkling like diamonds spilled by a careless god across a velvet sky.
Ailiya, exhausted from a hectic day, dragged herself back to her servant dorm.
She took a quick shower, slipped into clean pajamas, and sat at her desk, opening a now-cold packed dinner from the cafeteria.
Nibbling her food, she gazed out the window at the starry sky, lost in thought.
Everything these past few days felt stranger than any knight novel she’d ever read.
One moment, she was gearing up for her new life after transmigrating; the next, she was kidnapped and saddled with a ten-million-gold-coin debt.
That beautiful but cruel silver-haired noble lady, this absurdly luxurious magic academy, and that tea-pouring etiquette complex enough to drive a mathematician mad…
It all felt like a bizarre dream.
She swallowed her last bite, propped her chin in her hands, and stared out the window.
What will my future be like?
Will I pass the exam and stay by that harsh lady’s side, slaving away until I clear that astronomical debt?
Or fail and get shipped off to the northern mines as a snack for crystal worms?
The thought of those slimy, wriggling bugs made Ailiya shudder.
She slumped onto the desk, burying her face in her arms, overwhelmed by melancholy and fatigue.
As her thoughts drifted, her eyelids grew heavy, her consciousness faded, and she fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Ailiya woke to a sharp ache in her back.
“Ow… my poor spine…”
Grimacing, she straightened up from the desk.
Sleeping slumped over all night left her feeling like her body was falling apart.
Today was the academy’s rest day, giving new students two full days to explore the campus.
But for Ailiya, that meant nothing.
She counted her tasks on her fingers:
First, clean Liliane’s luxurious suite.
Then, three hours of maid etiquette training with Miss Clara.
In the afternoon, study incomprehensible theory books in the library.
At night, sneak off somewhere to practice her clumsy magic…
Thinking of this packed schedule, Ailiya felt her future darken.
Just then, a soft knock came at the door.
“Miss Ailiya, are you awake?”
It was Clara.
Ailiya hurried to open the door, finding the ever-gentle, professional brown-haired maid standing outside.
“Miss Clara, good morning. I was just about to head to Lady Liliane’s room to clean.”
“No need,” Clara said with a flawless smile. “Today, I’ll take you to tour the capital.”
“Huh?” Ailiya froze. “But… the cleaning…”
“Lady Liliane has given her orders,” Clara’s smile remained perfect. “You have seven days off, starting today, until the entrance exam ends. You’re free.”
“S-seven days?!”
Ailiya’s mouth could’ve fit an egg.
She seriously doubted her ears.
That tyrant who squeezed every second out of her was suddenly giving her a break?
Unless…
“Did Lady Liliane get hit by a carriage yesterday?”
Ailiya blurted out her wild guess.
The moment the words left her mouth, a hand in white lace gloves gently but firmly grabbed her head, rubbing it with a smile.
“Miss Ailiya,” Clara’s tone stayed kind, but a chill ran down Ailiya’s spine, “don’t speak ill of Lady Liliane behind her back, alright?”
In the end, Ailiya followed Clara on a tour of the capital.
Clara, like the most professional guide, explained every building and its history.
But Ailiya’s back still ached, and she was distracted, barely listening.
“…The capital’s security is generally good, but recently, some criminals have appeared, even kidnapping young women in broad daylight, so please don’t wander off…”
Clara’s lecture continued, but Ailiya’s attention was caught by a glint on the roadside.
A coin, reflecting a dazzling platinum glow unlike ordinary gold coins.
A platinum coin! Worth ten times a gold coin!
Ailiya’s eyes lit up, her breathing quickening.
She glanced at Clara, still elegantly describing a statue’s history, and a bold idea sparked.
Crouching low, she tiptoed away from the group like a mouse spotting cheese, diving toward the coin with clasped hands!
But she grabbed air.
The platinum coin, as if alive, was yanked by an invisible string, darting into a dark alley just before her fingers touched it.
“Don’t run!”
Blinded by greed, Ailiya’s mind screamed only “catch it” as she chased without thinking.
She pursued through the narrow alley, lunging repeatedly, nearly grabbing it but always missing, looking utterly disheveled.
Finally, at the alley’s end, she timed her leap, crashing to the ground but clutching the coin tightly.
Got it!
Ailiya, thrilled, held her prize, a goofy smile spreading across her face.
But as she stood, dusting herself off and ready to leave, she realized…
Huh? Where am I?
Unfamiliar, dilapidated walls surrounded her, the air thick with damp mold.
As she looked around, confused, several tall figures appeared silently behind her, blocking the alley’s entrance.
The leader, a burly man with a scarred face, stood beside a snickering thug:
“Heh, boss, told ya my plan would work. A fake coin on a string, and we hooked her easy.”
The man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth and malice, cracking his knuckles with a “pop.”
“Little girl, you’re out of luck. You’re kidnapped. Wanna walk with us nicely, or need some help?”
The menacing group closed in step by step.
Ailiya clutched the cold fake coin, facing a textbook kidnapping scene straight out of a novel, tears welling up.
I… I just wanted to pick up some money!