The Vain Princess and Her Dragon Knight

Chapter 14

"Ah, let me see..."

Dea produced her crystal ball from some hidden pocket within her cloak and instructed Gloria to press her palm against it. She stood opposite, her tentacles cradling the sphere as it floated and rotated, reflecting her sharp chin beneath the wide brim of her hat. A dark crimson eye opened in the darkness.

"Darkness gazes upon your light. Embers consume your flame. The center of the universe reverses, toppling galaxies and stars—yet none of it is real. Betrayal. s*******r. Greed. Coercion. Destroy you. Possess you. Imprison you. Claim you..."

The words spilled out, each one saturated with dark, chaotic emotion, as though some grand conspiracy were brewing. Gloria was already regretting this. She wanted nothing to do with complicated matters. All she wanted was to graduate, go home, and be a happy slacker.

Just as she tried to pull away, a tentacle shot out and pressed her palm firmly back against the crystal ball. The irate diviner thumped the floor with her other tentacles, clearly displeased at being interrupted. "Dea, my hand is getting tired..." The fanatical diviner ignored her, keeping her pinned until the very last second before Gloria was about to refuse entirely. Then she released her grip.

"Oh, my poor little mouse." Dea tucked the crystal ball away, her tentacles receding. She had been about to say more when she noticed the ring of bruising around Gloria's wrist. Her gloomy tone dissolved into panic. "Sorry! Oh, my Pearl, I am truly sorry! I was too absorbed—the probability of a successful divination is so small. Heavens, I am a monster. Let me fetch you herbs!"

Dea flailed, her countless tentacles churning as she made to rush toward the infirmary. Gloria grabbed the brim of her hat and hauled her back. Just as the corridor's sunlight threatened to slip beneath the brim, Gloria swiftly pressed it down, their hands and tentacles overlapping.

She squeezed one of the soft appendages. Squishy, pliable, slightly slick but oddly not sticky. "It's fine, Dea. It only looks bad. It doesn't hurt."

Dea stared at their overlapping hands, silent for a long moment before emitting a tiny, "Squish." Gloria paused. Had that adorable little sound just come from her? She gave the tentacle another squeeze, then tucked it back beneath the black cloak, carefully adjusting the fabric to shield Dea's skin from the sun.

Time for business.

---

"Dea, did you just call me a little mouse?"

"Yes. I saw your dream. But conditions are limited today—I lack the instruments for a proper dream-reading ritual. I can only give warnings." Dea adjusted her hat with a tentacle, exposing one crimson eye. "Beware of someone close to you. Someone you trust. They will harm you."

"Who?" Gloria froze. She had complete faith in Dea's abilities. The girl had seen her dream—the one with the giant rats tearing into her—using nothing but a crystal ball. Dea fell silent, her cold voice tinged with frustration. "I couldn't see clearly."

Gloria frowned, her mind racing. The list of people she truly trusted was short. Her father the King. Her brother Gareth. Now, her new friend Cui. And perhaps, if she were generous, Elstar—who shared the secret of the dragon egg—could squeeze onto that list as well.

"The crystal ball also told me that you will soon find yourself at the center of corruption and chaos. Your reputation will be destroyed. Those closest to you will turn away. A great price must be paid before you can stand in the light again. And that price... is your freedom."

Dea muttered to herself, cataloguing the images she'd glimpsed. Chains. A palace. A crown and scepter. A golden bird with broken wings inside a cage. It was too complex. Her current level couldn't untangle this.

"Will I die?" Gloria asked. She had never cared much about her reputation. She'd avoided the salons where girls forged their social masks entirely. "If I want freedom without chains, and I also want to live—can I succeed?"

Dea paused, considering. "There is a sliver of hope."

"Then that's fine," Gloria said, clapping her hands together with cheerful optimism. "There's nothing worse than dying before you've really lived. I treasure my life above everything!"

---

"Rori, what are you doing out here?"

Cui's class had been dismissed early, granting students freedom to explore. He'd spotted Gloria chatting with a cloaked half-witch. Gloria waved cheerfully. "I got sent out for punishment. This is my new deskmate, Dea. This is Cui—the elf from Pudasino."

Their eyes met for a single beat, then both glanced away. The elf smiled politely. "A pleasure, Miss Dea." Dea, however, didn't acknowledge him. The great Deartainiaroh had no use for elves—such hypocritical creatures who found her half-dark existence repulsive yet wore masks of pleasantry. But she wouldn't interfere with Gloria's friendships.

"I have matters to attend to," Dea said, her cold voice like wisps of black fog. "Tomorrow, little pearl."

"Tomorrow?!" Gloria gaped. "We have another class this afternoon!"

"The Greenland gentleman won't enjoy seeing me in his lecture hall. Nor do I wish to breathe the same air."

Gloria watched Dea's retreating back, tempted to skip class herself. But Cui stepped up beside her, blocking her view. "Rori, it's time to eat. The dining hall lies between the Tower of Light and the Warrior Tower. If we don't hurry, Suka will complain about our dawdling."

The thought of skipping class on her very first day faded. "Alright..."

Cui smiled warmly. "Good girl. Eat well, and study hard this afternoon."

"Stop treating me like a baby!" Gloria grumbled. "We're in the same grade, you know." Cui, not quite catching her mumble, tilted his head with a smile. "What was that?" She shook her head vigorously. "Nothing." She'd rather not corrupt a good student. Still, Cui really was like a strict mother.

---

At the dining hall, Suka had already devoured five plates of meat. He'd saved them seats, and his Crystal Card showed a startling surplus of points—earned through tasks, not purchased. Gloria stared. "We started the same morning. Why are you completely different?"

"I took a sparring task between classes. Some young lord wanted practice. His technique was mediocre, but his swordsmanship style was rare. I learned something." Of course. A battle maniac. Gloria stepped back with newfound respect.

Cui, misunderstanding her silence, offered gently, "Our class progress should be similar. The mentor said after the first month, there'll be a credit task—pacifying spring-anxious animals in the forest outside. You'll earn points soon enough."

Gloria glanced at her own Crystal Card. Behind the currency balance stretched a string of zeros—her father's generous advance to ensure his darling wouldn't go hungry. She wasn't worried in the slightest. She was, in fact, obscenely wealthy.

---

"Cui! You're eating here too!"

A cheerful, lively voice cut through their conversation. Gloria turned to look. The girl wore a simple linen dress—plain fabric, nothing like Gloria's layered silk gowns. The hem was faded, even slightly frayed. Her fiery red hair was bound in two thick braids, blazing like a living flame. Even in such humble attire, she commanded attention effortlessly.

Cui smiled warmly. "Annasu, hello." He introduced her to the others. "This is my deskmate, from Haharot Town in Sessel."

Suka glanced at her, catalogued her soft, unmuscular limbs, and concluded she possessed zero combat potential. Uninterested, he returned to his meat.

Gloria offered a polite nod. "Hello, I'm Gloria."

"The golden-haired princess! The Pearl of Sessel! I've heard of you—you're even more beautiful than the legends say!" Annasu stared at Gloria's hair in open wonder. "Your hair and eyes really are pure gold! Truly, you are the Light God's favored one!"

Gloria shifted uncomfortably. In the Royal City, no one commented on her hair or eyes so directly—certainly not with so many non-human classmates now turning to stare. She didn't enjoy being the center of attention. It made her chest tighten. Still, she maintained her smile. "Merely exaggerated rumors. The God of Light loves all equally, without favor."

Compared to Annasu's exuberance, Gloria found herself missing the gloomy, tentacled Miss Dea. Two social recluses who disliked strangers—they were destined to be the best of friends.

Annasu, clearly a fervent Light God devotee, seized upon the topic. Meals forgotten, she seemed ready to launch into an impassioned discussion of the deity's glorious deeds. Gloria, far more interested in her lunch, seized the first excuse to flee. She even ignored Cui's invitation to visit the dormitories later.

Visit the dormitories? She had no intention of living with strangers! That was precisely why she'd insisted on bringing Elstar to Clavia—she planned to live off-campus. By now, her large, reliable knight would surely be waiting at the academy gates, keys to their new house in hand. She decided to bring him a sweet candy as a reward.