The dormitory building was in the East District.
At ten in the morning, after the entrance ceremony ended, I had to head to the dormitory to drop off my leather suitcase and luggage. Since there were no classes today, only registration, we could even head out to experience the local customs and culture of the royal capital.
I arrived in front of the dormitory building.
The Magic Department's girls' dormitory was a three-story stone building. Half of its outer wall was covered in ivy, just like the main building, only on a much smaller scale.
Shirune walked ahead of me, carrying my luggage.
My luggage wasn't extensive—a small leather suitcase containing a change of clothes and daily necessities, and another wooden chest filled with copies of ancient books and several notebooks I had brought from home. She carried both cases by herself, walking steadily without even a change in her breathing.
I followed behind, holding only the student handbook, reading it as I walked.
Once inside the dormitory, the air was filled with the distinct scent of girls.
Sweet and fragrant, it touched me a little.
It felt a bit embarrassing, entering a girls' dormitory building and all, but it was a bit late to feel weird about that now, wasn't it? After all, I was Loris now, not that high school boy.
《An Actor Prepares》.
In any case, the corridor was very long, paved with dark wooden floorboards that creaked slightly when stepped on. Magical lamps hung on the walls every few paces, their warm yellow glow illuminating the corridor with a soft light.
On both sides were the doors to the dormitory rooms.
They were dark oak doors with bronze room numbers hanging on them. My room was Room 207, located at the very end of the second floor.
Shirune pushed the door open and stepped aside to let me enter first.
The room was larger than I had expected.
It was about half the size of my bedroom back at the Aldheim mansion, but for a student dormitory, it was already quite spacious. Two beds were arranged on the left and right, each with a small nightstand at the head, and two desks were placed near the window.
The window faced south, and sunlight streamed in from outside, casting a bright square on the floor. Outside the window, the courtyard garden was visible, with a stone bench resting beneath a few maple trees.
However, the bed on the left was already occupied.
That girl's bed was neatly made with light purple sheets, a small plush rabbit resting on the pillow. Several books and an exquisite makeup box sat on her desk, its bronze hinges gleaming softly in the sunlight.
It looked like the introduction of some new character, but in truth, I already knew her identity.
But let's set that aside for now.
I walked over to the bed on the right and placed my student handbook on the nightstand.
Shirune placed the luggage at the foot of the bed and began helping me unpack. She opened the small leather suitcase, folding the clothes one by one and placing them into the wardrobe. Her movements were light, making almost no sound.
“Miss,” she said as she folded the clothes. “The servants' quarters are across the corridor. Call for me anytime if you need anything.”
“...Mm.”
“Dinner is at six o'clock in the cafeteria. If you do not wish to go, I can bring it back for you.”
“No need, I will go myself.” I wanted to take the opportunity to familiarize myself with the academy's environment anyway.
She nodded and said nothing more.
But her tail gave a gentle, worried swish.
I began taking the copies of the ancient books out of the wooden chest, arranging them one by one on the desk.
《Basic Principles and Practice of Nourishing Crops with Magic》《Introduction to Elementary Alchemy》《Encyclopedia of Daily Life Magic》《The Transmigrator's Handbook: Introduction to Another World's Magic from Scratch (Third Edition)》—
(Note: These were all copied by myself; the original books were safely left behind at the mansion.)
As for why I was displaying them, these ancient books weren't particularly important anyway. From the outside, they looked just like ordinary notebooks, and it made them easy for me to access.
To avoid suspicion, I had written the content using the kingdom's script.
Just as I placed the last book down, the door opened.
A girl with dark brown hair walked in.
She wore the Magic Department's uniform, with a silver badge pinned to her collar. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail that swayed back and forth as she walked.
Her features weren't exceptionally striking, but she was meticulously put together, with finely groomed eyebrows and a very light pink lipstick on her lips. When she saw me, her footsteps paused, and then a smile blossomed on her face.
“Oh my, it's Miss Loris.”
She placed the paper bag in her hand onto her bed. “What a coincidence that we're roommates.”
Vera Klein, the third daughter of Count Klein.
To reiterate, she was the very same green tea b*tch who had “accidentally” spilled black tea on my dress at the royal capital's autumn tea party last year, then ran out crying, claiming she was bullied by Loris. She was also the villain who had been gossiping about me just moments ago.
“...Miss Klein.” I felt a bit weary.
Though she was acting very warm, she definitely harbored ill intentions.
“Just call me Vera. After all, we're going to be roommates for a whole year,” she said, tilting her head with a sweet smile. “Have you finished unpacking all your things, Miss Loris? If you need any help, just let me know.”
“No need.”
“Is that so? That's wonderful—Miss Loris has always been so capable.”
She finished speaking with a smile, then turned to tidy her own bed.
The dark brown ponytail swayed behind her head as she smoothed out the light purple sheets once more, even though they were already perfectly flat. She shifted her plush rabbit, moving it from the left side of the pillow to the right, and then back again. Throughout the entire process, that sweet smile never left her face.
In truth, I had never truly hated her. From my perspective, this twelve-year-old girl was simply jealous of me, and my assessment was that we were like cats and dogs—completely incompatible.
The game's plot had never specified who Loris's roommate was. After all, she had plenty of lackeys and sycophants, and even this green tea b*tch was just one of them. If Vera had hidden her true feelings, the original Loris might have genuinely treated her as a follower.
It was just that I could see right through her. I knew she harbored ill intent, which meant Loris also knew she wasn't a follower.
All things considered, what should I do?
Just then, Shirune stood behind me, her deep crimson eyes staring at Vera's back without any expression.
But her tail was completely still.
I recognized that posture—she was intimidating her.
“...Shirune.” I raised my hand to tell her she didn't need to do that.
“Yes,” Shirune replied.
“Go rest in the room across the hall first.”
She fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Understood.”
She turned and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.
Vera's servant also stepped out of the room, and the space fell silent, leaving only the two of us.
Vera sat on her bed, hugging her plush rabbit with her chin resting on its head, looking at me with a beaming smile.
“Miss Loris's servant is so beautiful. The Aldheim family truly is different; even your servants are so special.”
“...” I felt like she was looking for trouble. Honestly, I didn't want to bully her, especially since it was just the two of us here.
You should know that my current combat strength was quite formidable. While I couldn't beat Shirune, after long periods of training, keeping Vera shut and whimpering was no problem at all.
My raw strength alone was more than enough, no magic required.
“But Miss Loris,” she said, tilting her head with an innocent tone, “I heard that half-demons have rather bad tempers. Don't you find it exhausting to get along with her daily? After all, people of our background should still feel more comfortable staying with those of our own social class.”
“You had better keep quiet,” I said. “...Miss Klein.”
She looked at me with a beaming smile, acting as if she hadn't heard a word.
“Just call me Vera.”
“Miss Klein,” I repeated impatiently. “Your rabbit's left ear is crooked.”
She froze for a moment and looked down at the plush rabbit in her arms. Its left ear was indeed squished slightly crooked.
She hastily reached out to adjust it, a brief look of displeasure crossing her face.
It was only for an instant.
She raised her head again, her smile blossoming once more.
“Oh my, it really is—thank you for pointing it out, Miss Loris. But why didn't you bring any plushies? You really are a major woman, not childish like me. It's just a pity that your height doesn't seem to have kept up with your nutrition.”
I was still built like a tiny bean sprout.
She was taking a dig at me, saying I was short.
“...” I decided not to take this lying down. Time for some intimidation.
I immediately put on the haughty smile of a villainess. The moment our eyes met, she shuddered as if struck by a sudden jolt. But I wasn't done yet. I stood up and walked right up to her, and she could already feel the immense, suffocating pressure washing over her.
I am the so-called villainess, after all.
“L-Loris, w-w-w-what are you doing...”
Sensing the danger, she called me by my name, stuttering uncontrollably.
I grabbed her collar and yanked her right in front of me. Terrified, she let out a squeak like a startled little rabbit.
I whispered softly, “Don't push me.”
“Y-You... this is the royal capital!” Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized she couldn't break free no matter how she struggled. “If you hit me, you won't get away with it either!”
“When did I say I was going to hit you?” I scoffed.
With a sudden shove, I pushed her back, then pinned my hand right next to her head. Pinioned to the bed and unable to move, she curled up in sheer terror.
Then, I placed my hand on her cheek.
I pinched it once, twice, three times.
Then I kneaded and rubbed it as if I were working dough.
Finally, I grabbed her ear and gave a solemn warning: “Next time, it won't be resolved this easily if you offend me again.”
By now, she was weeping pitifully, several buttons on her collar had come undone, her hair was completely disheveled, and she covered her face in humiliation.
I indeed hadn't hit her.
As for what would happen next time, I'd let her imagine it herself. What was the point of always making those petty, passive-aggressive remarks to offend me anyway?
Fortunately, after this incident, she finally quieted down.
She sat by herself combing her hair and buttoning up her collar, whimpering and sobbing all the while as if she had suffered some monumental injustice. However, the fact that she didn't go out to complain to her servant meant that this matter was settled here.
I turned back around and continued organizing the ancient books on my desk.
From behind me came her soft huffing sounds, her tone filled with resentment as if she were muttering some curse. I knew she was looking at me. Her gaze fell upon my back like something tiny and sharp, pricking me over and over.
...
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