Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

 

The "insatiable" Luo Wei had been famished all night. When she woke up in the morning, she felt as if she could devour even the sheepskin boots beneath her bed.

Fortunately, she discovered half a pack of beef jerky hidden by the original owner in the wardrobe. She chewed on two pieces, which at least provided her stomach with some sustenance.

The only drawback was that the beef jerky was excessively tough, causing her cheeks to ache from the effort of chewing.

That morning, during the alchemy class, it was evident that many students in the class lacked interest in the subject.

Professor Laurie Temple, the alchemy instructor, was well aware of the general dislike for her course. Thus, she began by demonstrating the Pharaoh's Serpent to capture their attention.

The magical chemical expansion reaction elicited exclamations of wonder from the students, who then listened with rapt interest.

However, this fascination was short-lived. When Professor Temple delved into the dry and tedious properties of metals, most of the class began to drift off mentally.

Only a small group of commoner students listened with exceptional focus.

Although alchemy was dirty and exhausting work, and alchemists held a lower status compared to other professions, it was the most lucrative field of study. The allure of wealth was sufficient to keep them motivated to learn.

Luo Wei also listened attentively. In her previous life, she had majored in Polymer Materials and Engineering at university, so this class felt quite familiar to her.

The lecture lasted for four hours.

At noon, when Professor Temple dismissed the class, the students rushed out in a flurry.

Luo Wei sauntered out of the classroom leisurely, planning to encounter a kind-hearted soul on the tree-lined path.

She aimed to have this benevolent person voluntarily treat her to a meal.

While many people were heading from the teaching building to the cafeteria, she was the only one who was alone.

Luo Wei timed her appearance on the tree-lined path perfectly, and as anticipated, she encountered Winnie and Balke, who were coming out together.

"Miss Luo Wei!" Winnie exclaimed excitedly, running over with Balke quickening his pace behind her.

"It's so wonderful to meet you here. Are you heading to the cafeteria for lunch?"

Luo Wei nodded, "I was just about to. Would you care to join me?"

"Really?" Winnie's cheeks flushed, and she immediately attempted an awkward curtsy. "It would be my honor."

Luo Wei gently helped her up by the arm. "We're friends. There's no need for such formalities."

Balke also hurriedly approached, doffing his hat and bowing. "Noble Miss Luo Wei, good day to you. Your beauty today is as radiant as the sun."

Luo Wei covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Thank you for your kind words, Balke."

The trio walked towards the cafeteria together.

Siria's academy cafeteria boasted two floors. The first floor provided various main course meals, including bread, stews, salads, and roasted meats.

The second floor offered desserts and beverages, which were more expensive. Noble students preferred to have their afternoon tea there.

The cafeteria was somewhat crowded. Balke, demonstrating his gentlemanly manners, positioned himself in front of the two ladies, clearing a path for them.

"Miss Luo Wei, what would you like to eat?" Winnie inquired in a soft voice.

"I'm not certain yet." Luo Wei's brow furrowed as she observed the spilled soup and meat paste on the serving counter.

Balke turned back and noticed her expression, a thought striking him. "Miss Luo Wei, please have a seat. What would you like? I'll procure it for you!"

"Very well then, please fetch me a tender steak." Luo Wei reached for her money pouch.

"No," Balke quickly waved his hands, "Please allow me to pay. It's my pleasure!"

He said this and then squeezed into the crowd, not giving Luo Wei a chance to hand over her money pouch.

Soon, Balke returned with the steak, and also purchased a bowl of meat paste soup and roasted onions for himself. Winnie bought a piece of black bread and a portion of stewed beans for herself.

The moment the food was placed on the table, Luo Wei held her breath.

The meat paste soup resembled some form of excrement, the roasted onions had a charred exterior and an overpowering aroma, the stewed beans had a layer of impurities floating on top with visible insect remnants, and the black bread looked like a rock with a suspicious, foul-smelling paste smeared on it.

Even the tender steak, the most expensive item in the cafeteria, emitted a rank odor.

People of this era hadn't yet mastered the technique of castrating bulls, so even the tenderest steak tasted tougher and more pungent than the oldest cow meat she had consumed in her previous life.

Moreover, there were no utensils on the plate. In the cafeteria, both nobles and commoners ate meat with their hands. The only distinction was that nobles would produce a small knife to cut the meat into smaller pieces, while commoners wouldn't.

On her very first day in this world, Luo Wei had surmised that she might have transmigrated into a game.

That game called "The Chronicles of Galan" that had mysteriously materialized on her computer.

This game was based on the culture of medieval Europe, but with numerous modifications to the background, such as the absence of the Eastern Continent.

Due to the nonexistence of the Byzantine Empire spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa, there were no Crusades, and consequently, no one introduced knives and forks.

Furthermore, because there were no ancient Eastern countries, there was no paper or silk here, let alone white porcelain. The tableware was pitifully scarce, consisting primarily of iron and clay utensils.

Yet, this world clearly possessed very advanced alchemy. They had even produced glass, but it was exclusively supplied to the royal family.

Luo Wei had lost count of how many times she had sighed. She extracted two small knives from her waist pouch, one for cutting meat and one to use as a makeshift fork.

When she placed a piece of meat in her mouth, she had to pinch her nose to swallow it.

The steak was sour, the salt grains were bitter, and the strong rank smell made her want to retch.

To exacerbate matters, at that moment, Winnie extended her tongue and licked that suspicious paste, her eyes narrowing with delight.

"I'm so fortunate today! They even provided a spoonful of cheese with the bread!"

Luo Wei hastily lowered her head, fearing she might gag.

Indeed, during this period, Europeans spread cheese on bread because butter, invented by the Huns, hadn't been introduced yet.

And due to underdeveloped sterilization techniques, the cheese emitted a putrid odor.

This meal felt like an ordeal.

Winnie and Balke weren't faring well with their meals either.

Initially, one was soaking bread in stewed beans, and the other was crushing onions and mixing them with meat paste. However, upon observing Luo Wei's elegant and refined dining manners, they suddenly felt too self-conscious to continue.

There was a palpable sense of inadequacy.

The noble and beautiful lady maintained her grace and poise even while dining, unlike them.

Winnie lowered her head, nibbling on the hard bread in small bites, no longer stirring the stewed beans into a mush.

Balke swallowed hard, ceasing to lick the meat paste from between his fingers, and instead held the rough clay bowl, sipping slowly.

Luo Wei painfully finished the steak and delicately wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief.

Phew, finally liberated!

Balke, who had been surreptitiously observing her, also breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly finished the remainder of his food and stood up.

"Miss Luo Wei, allow me to return your tray for you!"

"I, I'll go too," Winnie stammered, her ears turning crimson.

She was too embarrassed to admit that she actually wanted to go over and secretly lick the bottom of the bowl. There was still a substantial amount of soup in her bowl that she hadn't consumed.

Luo Wei shook her head and picked up the iron plate that had held the steak. "It wouldn't be right to always rely on your assistance. I'll accompany you."

Winnie and Balke exchanged a glance, both perceiving the disappointment in each other's eyes.

Although Miss Luo Wei was gentle and kind, it would be preferable not to dine with her in the future!

While returning the trays, Winnie noticed the unrefined eating manners of other noble classmates and whispered to Balke, "I believe Miss Luo Wei must be of a very distinguished status."

Balke had observed the same, and he nodded vigorously. "I concur!"

A young lady who was so particular even about dining must surely be a noble princess from some illustrious kingdom!

TBC