After Impersonating a Noble, I Became a Goddess

Chapter 2: Commoners Can't Do Arithmetic

Luo Wei had every intention of stopping Athena, but she lacked the power.

The original owner of this body had no relatives here, had failed to make a single friend, and possessed very little money. One could say she was utterly immobilized. She didn't know whom Athena had sent to investigate her, nor what that person might discover. This sensation of waiting for a verdict was quite novel.

However, putting herself in Athena’s shoes, Luo Wei could roughly guess where that person had gone.

When the original owner registered, she had filled out an enrollment form containing her basic information. Fortunately, because this school treated nobles and commoners with a veneer of equality, it did not strictly require a specific status or home address during registration. The original owner had been intentionally vague, writing only the general vicinity of her fishing village: "The North Sea Coast."

Even if the investigator reached the North Sea, there were so many cities and villages along the coast; he wouldn't necessarily find the specific fishing village. Besides, when the original owner left, the villagers had been slaughtered by pirates, and the village had been burned to the ground. She was the only survivor. What could he do even if he found it?

There were no living witnesses.

The only thing she worried about now were the knights who had rescued her and sponsored her schooling; only they knew her true identity.

As the end of the class approached, Phil assigned the homework: he wanted everyone to use these spices to create a fragrance formula to be handed in next class.

Luo Wei found this absurd. Formulating a fragrance using cooking spices? Wasn't one afraid of marinating oneself into a meal?

But the other students in the class didn't raise any objections, so she could only suppress her doubts, pack up her spices, and leave the classroom.

"Ruth, how are you planning to formulate those spices?"

On the way, students walked together in small groups, discussing how to complete the assignment. Luo Wei pricked up her ears to eavesdrop.

"Me? I want to grind black pepper and sage into powder, add some tobacco shreds, and put it in a snuff bottle to make snuff."

Pepper-flavored snuff? Unthinkable.

"Oh, making snuff takes too much time. I’ll just make incense. Jack, what about you? What are you going to do?"

"Hehe, this is the first time I've seen so many spices. I'm going to put them all in a pot, boil them into a thick medicinal paste, and smear it all over myself every day!"

"Oh! Professor Phil won't allow you to do that. I think you'd better find another way."

"Yes, Jack, you'd better change it, unless you want to be put in a coffin..."

The conversation drifted away, but Luo Wei stopped in her tracks. She suddenly remembered that the earliest use of spices was not for cooking, but for religious offerings and funeral rites.

Over three thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians used spices to preserve corpses. They used various spices mixed with oils to coat the bodies, creating mummies that remained fragrant for millennia. Europeans learned to use spices for cooking much later than the Chinese.

Thinking of this, Luo Wei felt a strange sensation. No wonder everyone else’s reaction had been so peculiar when she said those spices were seasonings.

Using spices meant for corpses as part of a meal—could it be anything but strange?

Ultimately, it was the result of historical and cultural differences. Although this world looked like late-medieval Europe, it was merely like it. In medieval Europe, people at least already knew how to use spices to cure beef.

However, this also reminded her that in the future, she must consider the cultural background here before speaking or acting, so as not to be labeled a heretic.

As Luo Wei was about to leave after thinking things through, an arrogant voice suddenly rang out behind her.

"Commoner, halt!"

It was the noble lady's lackey. Sensing trouble, she quickened her pace.

"Luo Wei!" The girl could not believe she was being ignored. She ran angrily in front of her. "I told you to stop, didn't you hear me?"

Luo Wei was forced to stop and looked up at her face. "Student Vina, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Vina held her head high with disdain. "Hmph, you don't actually think everyone was fooled by you, do you? Eating spices—truly laughable!"

Luo Wei felt a headache coming on and was too lazy to argue that she didn't eat the spices but used them for seasoning. "So, you sought me out just to say these boring things?"

"Boring?" Vina raised her voice. "Commoner, how dare you speak to me like that! Aren't you afraid I'll expose you?"

Luo Wei remained unfazed. "Expose me for what?"

"Ha! You still dare to put on an act?" Vina took an exaggerated step back and glared indignantly. "You shameless scoundrel! Although I don't know how you recognized those spices, you can't fool me!"

"I saw through you long ago. You aren't a noble at all."

"Stupid commoner! Only commoners wear that filthy wool undergarment you have on!"

"Are you finished?" Luo Wei looked at her calmly. "Then it’s my turn to speak, isn't it?"

To Vina's stunned gaze, Luo Wei approached step by step, her eyes flashing with a chilling light.

"In my view, your speech is vulgar, your behavior is frivolous and wanton, and you have none of the upbringing a noble should possess."

"Ill-mannered and morally corrupt—your jealousy and despicability are written all over your face. Your soul is filthy, wretched, and loathsome!"

"You are not a proper lady! Student Vina, you really should go home and properly study noble etiquette!"

"Ah!" Vina shrieked, stomped her foot forcefully, and pointed at Luo Wei’s nose. "You lowly—"

"Watch your manners!" Luo Wei interrupted her sharply, rebuking her. "A lady does not scream and shout. Tuck away your ugly face; you're disgusting me."

"You... you... boohoo..."

Vina broke down in tears, covered her face, and ran away.

For a noble girl of this era, Luo Wei’s words were nothing short of vicious. But she felt no remorse. In the memories of the original owner’s final seven days, Vina had visited her once. The words she used to humiliate the original owner back then were ten thousand times more malicious than this.

She had called the original owner a wanton commoner, claiming she had impersonated a noble to seduce noblemen. She had said the original owner’s fine clothes were bought with money from selling herself, spread rumors everywhere that she was a p********e, and even called a group of men to strip her of her clothes.

While the original owner had impersonated a noble, her crime did not deserve death, nor did she deserve such humiliation. She hadn't used her noble status to gain anything, nor had she done anything wrong, yet those people cursed her more harshly than they would a heinous murderer. Even a murderer had the right to a defense, but she had been sentenced to death immediately.

Thinking of the tragic fate the original owner had suffered, Luo Wei’s eyes gradually darkened.

"The Wesley family is notoriously protective. Aren't you afraid of incurring their vengeance after humiliating Vina like that?"

From behind a pillar, a blonde, blue-eyed girl slowly stepped out. It was Athena.

The name "Wesley" triggered the original owner's memory, and information about Vina immediately surfaced in Luo Wei’s mind. Vina—full name Vina Wesley—was the youngest daughter of Earl Wesley of the Kingdom of Bolen.

If the daughter of an Earl could only be a lackey, what was the background of this girl using the pseudonym "Athena"?

Luo Wei concealed the suspicion in her eyes and turned around calmly. "Since you're using Vina like this, aren't you afraid she'll complain to Earl Wesley?"

Athena’s lips curved into a smile. "Of course I'm not afraid. Besides, she doesn't have the brains for it."

Luo Wei nodded. "Then why do you think I would be afraid?"

"It seems I worried for nothing," Athena chuckled, shielding her lips, before shifting the topic. "By the way, there's a Magic Rune class tomorrow. I'm afraid those commoners are going to make a mockery of themselves again."

"I heard commoners don't know arithmetic, nor do they know multiplication or division. How can they possibly calculate geometry?"

Luo Wei found this slightly eerie. She could understand Magic Rune class—after all, this was a magic academy—but why did Magic Rune class teach geometry? Wasn't that for a math class?

Her gaze showed a hint of confusion, which in Athena’s eyes became proof that she simply didn't understand.

"Fortunately," Athena smiled slightly, "the library has books on arithmetic. Those commoners with meager knowledge can catch up by reading after class."

"Don't you agree, Luo Wei?"

"Perhaps." Luo Wei gave a perfunctory answer, but her heart skipped a beat.

The original owner’s memories were chaotic and blurry; she couldn't sort them out all at once. she urgently needed to find some history books to cram the basic common sense of this world. Thanks to Athena, she remembered the academy had a library, although this was likely yet another test.

"My apologies, I have things to attend to. Please excuse me."

Luo Wei took the initiative to end the conversation and left with her spices.

"Hmph, what an insolent fellow."

Watching her back, Athena’s beautiful blue eyes narrowed. She turned to find some noble youths reciting poetry on the lawn and invited them to the library.

Seeing her expression, the noble youths knew the invitation wasn't simple. They stood up with grins. "Who has our noble Princess wanted to play a trick on now?"

Athena frowned. "Don't call me Princess; I don't want to expose my identity."

"All right, Athena," the youths changed their address smoothly. "Who exactly has offended you?"

"It’s that commoner who’s impersonating a noble. The way she looks at me is an insult. Go and teach her a lesson for me."

The noble youths looked at each other. "Athena, are you sure she’s a commoner? What if she’s truly a noble..."

"She can't be a noble," Athena said with certainty. "I told her the library had books on arithmetic, and she went there immediately."

"Only a penniless commoner would have never studied arithmetic."