Melissa changed into the academy’s uniform, a white shirt paired with a red skirt and a red coat draped over her shoulders. She was standing inside a changing room, which was attached to the office of the purple-haired woman who had given her a questioning glance when Melissa and Lucien entered earlier.
She looked around, marveling at how the changing room was so much larger than her own room back home. Wardrobes lined the walls, filled with clothes she would never have seen if Lucien had not found her.
If Lucien had not brought her to Norwind to heal his mother, she would probably be helping her parents in the fields or tending to someone who had injured themselves in the village.
Melissa stepped in front of the mirror, a large rectangular pane that reflected her entire frame from head to toe.
The shirt she wore hung loosely, especially around her chest. Melissa remembered how mature the purple-haired woman’s figure was compared to her own, which was not yet as developed. The skirt she wore reached just above her knees, but judging by the woman’s taller frame, it must have fit her much shorter, likely ending at her thighs. Melissa had realized earlier, when the woman stood up from her chair to hand her the black miasma core to purify, that she was at least a couple of inches shorter than the woman, which explained the difference in fit.
Oh my god, is that woman a pervert? What does she even do wearing such a short skirt? Melissa felt her cheeks flush, and her ears turned red just imagining what the woman would do wearing such a short skirt that only reached to the woman’s thigh level.
Melissa caught herself imagining wild scenarios and remembered how the woman’s face had turned red when she took out the academy uniform, avoiding Lucien’s gaze.
Melissa pushed her thoughts aside and examined the skirt, which hung loosely around her waist. She took the black leather belt, also a gift from the woman, and tightened it until the skirt fit more securely. Even so, the skirt only just reached her knees, though it was still a few millimeters short. She did not feel comfortable in it at all, finding it much too short for her taste. Usually, she wore pants, trousers, or leggings—clothes that covered her legs all the way to her feet. The only short dresses she had ever worn were occasional gifts from her mother.
There was nothing she could do about it; she could have waited for her custom-tailored uniform and joined classes the next day, but the woman had been kind enough to lend her own academy uniform. Melissa could not refuse such a gesture. Besides, she wanted to start classes immediately and did not want to miss anything that might hinder her studies.
She looked in the mirror, smoothing her coat and skirt, and then gazed at her reflection. Her golden hair was tied in a single ponytail, and she wore no makeup today—she was not even sure if makeup was allowed here. Still, she thought, she looked beautiful today.
She rested her chin on her hand and tilted her head, examining her entire body in the mirror. She looked beautiful, and she felt a quiet thrill wearing the academy dress. Most of all, the thrill and excitement came from the fact that she had been admitted to the academy. All because of Lucien, who had changed her life in ways she could have never imagined. And all of it happened in such a short time.
"Thank you, Lucien," she whispered to herself, feeling her neck grow warm with embarrassment.
She reached for the black leather shoes on the floor, another gift from the purple-haired woman, and slipped them on quickly. The shoes were slightly too big for her, but after putting on three pairs of socks, they fit snugly. Melissa paced left and right to make sure they would not slip off.
Finally, she looked over her outfit with a smile and placed her previously worn clothes and shoes inside the dimensional ring on her left hand—a gift from Lucien. She had seen a dimensional ring before, shown to her by her brother, but the difference in build quality and storage space was like comparing earth and sky. Lucien’s ring was beyond comparison; her brother’s ring did not even come close.
He is rich as hell.
Melissa left the changing room after making sure everything looked perfectly fine. The first thing she noticed was Lucien and the purple-haired woman deep in conversation, their words inaudible to her. The space around them seemed sealed off by some invisible barrier, blocking any sound from escaping.
Sensing her presence, they stopped their conversation, and the woman turned toward Melissa.
The woman regarded Melissa with a troubled expression, worry lines creasing her forehead over something Melissa could not quite identify. Was her admission through the back door causing problems? Lucien, however, did not turn to look at her. Sitting with his back straight against the chair, he appeared completely unconcerned, or if he was worried, he did not let it show on his impassive face.
"Is everything all right?" Melissa asked, feeling the woman’s gaze pierce deeper and deeper. She could sense the woman’s aura tightly contained, nothing leaking out, held firmly within her. The woman’s heart was pure white, so white that Melissa knew she was kindhearted and capable of deep emotion—so different from Lucien, who struggled to express himself. His heart, once pitch black, had started to turn gray after his mother was healed. Although it was still dark, it was not as hopeless as before. When he hugged his parents and bid them goodbye this morning, the color had changed again. Lucien was slowly beginning to feel human emotions, but not completely; his heart remained mostly dark, with blemishes of gray showing through.
"Everything is fine. For now, you must keep your powers hidden," the woman said, her tone thoughtful, as if she was weighing each word with care. After a pause, she added, "Lucien will tell you everything you need to know."
Lucien stood up and nodded at Melissa, signaling that he would explain what they had discussed. Still, Melissa could tell they would not reveal everything to her.
How many secrets are you hiding?
Melissa sighed, weary of all these mysteries. First, Lucien would not tell her how he had found out about her, and now there was something strange about her powers. She had heard Lucient mention earlier that she was the Saintess of the Goddess of Light, but she did not really know what that meant. In stories she had read about the Hero King, there had been a Saintess of the Goddess of Light who aided him in defeating the Demon King. Did that mean she was connected to that Saintess? She had no real answers. All she could do was piece together what little she knew.
Before she could finish thinking, the purple-haired woman stood up and approached Melissa with steady steps, extending her right hand toward her. Melissa instinctively stepped back, leaning away in fear, but before she knew it, the woman had tucked something onto the right side of her coat.
Melissa glanced down and saw a single silver star gleaming on the right side of her coat.
"There you have it, a single star that signifies you are a first-year student at the academy," the woman said with a warm smile, her eyes traveling over Melissa from head to toe as she nodded in satisfaction.
"You do not seem to know much about me, judging from your reaction just now. That is probably because Lucien did not tell you anything, but you should know that I am the vice-headmistress of the academy, and I have officially granted you admission." She declared this with pride. After a moment to let her words settle, she added, "Welcome to the Imperial Academy of the Eldoryn Empire, the greatest academy in the whole empire."
***
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