Chapter 51

Chapter 51 Dreams Have Everything Sally had an average appearance and was on the plump side. She liked to dress in bright and flowery outfits. As a result, even though she hadn't had time to change into her casual clothes immediately after school, apart from her school uniform, she had put on every piece of clothing she could, making her look like a walking Christmas tree. Adding to her exaggerated look was her hairstyle, seemingly a monstrous golden mushroom sprouting from her head. After complaining to Sally, Daphne didn't want to involve her further, making the situation even more complex. She disliked being the subject of public scrutiny and even more so, being treated disrespectfully. Looking at this commoner student who barely apologized and seemed unwilling, it only exacerbated Daphne's already irritable mood, unwilling to readily forgive. Who did they think she was, someone easy to bully? "It's your fault, so why are you so reluctant to apologize? What are you feeling wronged for!" Daphne insisted, unwilling to let Irene leave easily, making Irene realize the seriousness of the situation. Her plans of quickly leaving this place were doomed. Sally's arrogant expression further raised Irene's guard and fear. Irene didn't continue to rely on Ifia. Fear was evident on her face, and her eyes teared up. She quickly said, "I feel guilty, truly sorry for the harm you've suffered. I'm willing to compensate for your losses." Might is right; even as the female lead, one has to apologize obediently! Ifia, still silently watching with her tray in hand, had initially thought she might get implicated in the drama when Irene called out to her. But surprisingly, this unexpected reasoning from Daphne left her relieved. She had assumed that these supporting roles were all rude and unreasonable. Now, having escaped the crisis, Ifia didn't want to leave so quickly anymore. Irene had just tried to drag her down, and now she wanted to assertively observe the unfolding events! And then mock silently in her heart! Holding a grudge, Ifia didn't want to leave immediately, and Lucy, being a gossip expert, wouldn't interrupt Ifia's observation, quietly joining in instead. They wouldn't immediately know the taste of the new cafeteria dishes. "Hmph, compensation? You, a poor commoner, do you have money?" Upon hearing Irene's words, Sally sneered before Daphne could respond, scanning Irene from top to bottom with a scornful expression. These destitute commoners at the academy were polluting the atmosphere here. Seriously! She came to Pris Academy to make friends with other nobles, so why were there so many commoners here, annoying as fleas? It's really frustrating. "I can compensate at the original price." Pris Academy's uniforms weren't cheap, costing five gold coins for a set. However, incoming students didn't need to spend money, as the academy provided a free set of uniforms. But buying a second set would cost money. Generally, only nobles cared about not wearing the same uniform every day, so they usually bought several sets for daily wear. For commoners, paying one gold coin for the academy fee was already a lot, and buying a second set of uniforms was out of the question. It's not like they wore uniforms all the time; there was always time to wash and dry them, and wear them the next day. Each class had its own lifestyle. Irene knew she couldn't come up with the payment for the uniform as gathering one gold coin required the concerted effort of her whole family, with her parents working even harder just to save up. They were all counting on Irene graduating from Pris Academy to get a well-paying job. So, compensating for the uniform, which cost five gold coins, was something Irene knew she couldn't manage. She could only look towards Ifia, intending to borrow money from her, and then repay it after graduating. After all, the nobles she was friends with were very wealthy; they could easily spare more than five gold coins. All the more, the Gurlin glassware she had was worth over a hundred gold coins, and it was just a container in which Ifia served pudding. "Hmph, only five gold coins, and you, a commoner... wanting to settle the uniform cost? Haha, what are you thinking! My friend Daphne was frightened by you; don't think you can easily get away with this." "At least compensate with twenty gold coins, otherwise, don't think about staying at Pris Academy." Sally, who despised commoner students, scoffed, frivolously fanning herself and then stubbornly demanding payment from Irene. Daphne, the aggrieved party, looked at Sally with some helplessness. Twenty gold coins in compensation, not to mention commoners, wasn't something even them, the noble daughters, could easily produce. Only the children greatly favored in their families could have large sums of living expenses. Sally's demand was excessive. And also impractical. But because of Irene's initial rude attitude towards apologizing, Daphne didn't stop Sally's threats. Instead, she remained indifferent, believing that even if there was no compensation, it would leave an unforgettable lesson for Irene. "Twenty gold coins... that's too much, I can't come up with that for compensation." "Haha, then drop out of Pris Academy, don't continue to bother us at the academy." Unreasonable and sharp-tongued, Sally's words made it difficult for Irene to cope. Hearing the threat of dropping out, Irene's tears finally fell, but she knew crying now wouldn't help. She could only wipe away her tears and then look expectantly at Ifia, who was excitedly watching the events unfold. Seeing this, Ifia was puzzled: What's going on? Is it not over yet? Why is she looking at me again? As Ifia attempted to move a few steps back to hide behind someone, Sally also noticed Irene's gaze and thought, was she trying to get reinforcements? Hmph, a commoner's friend was also a commoner; how could they come up with twenty gold coins? She disdainfully looked over and saw Ifia's lovely face. In an instant, her anger towards beautiful women surged. Sally's fan creaked as she clutched it tightly. She found beautiful women more detestable than poor commoners. Every time she saw their pretty faces, it reminded Sally of her parents sighing and lamenting at her face, saying they couldn't find suitable matches for her, as those of equal titles refused marriage proposals and chose more attractive noble daughters. Some nobles only considered looks; they married commoners! If she were beautiful, her family would benefit from the marriages instead of worrying as they did now. "Ifia, please lend me twenty gold coins. I will definitely pay you back in the future. Please, I can't drop out of school.” "What on earth is happening? Why is she, a beggar, asking me for money... lending her twenty gold coins? What is she thinking!" She might as well lie down and have a dream, then see everything. "Hmph, is she your friend? How could a mere commoner have so much money? Don't tell me she's involved in some unsavory business." Sally had shifted her attention now, no longer targeting Irene but zeroing in on Ifia. This made Daphne frown; she felt Sally shouldn't casually implicate an innocent person. Just as Daphne was about to persuade Sally not to drag in the innocent, the surroundings suddenly quieted down, leaving her with some confusion as she looked up. To her astonishment, Prince Carlo was now appearing in the cafeteria. The prince was striding towards them, accompanied by the Duke's daughter, Baron Amelia.