Pretty Is Weak | Part 2
Callista was grumpily munching on some tarts at the Dining Hall "I heard you were scolded by Professor Ion?" Emily asked as she fed Neo strawberries "I was and I was swinging the sword just fine" she complained making Emily chuckle.
"You must've been upset" she said "Who wouldn't?" she pouted "But Sir Ion has always been like that that's why female students are afraid of him. He bullies and embarrasses them for simple reasons so everyone was glad when he retired" Emily stated and took a bite of caramel cake.
"So he's always been like that?" she asked making her nod "Count Ion had five wives with eleven children. He kicked out and divorced wives when they give birth to a girl and takes in a woman at the pleasure house to replace them. He was a man who is polygamous, aside from an Emperor and a Duke" Emily explained.
"But why does he despise women though?" she asked tilting her head as she was curious about the Count's hatred against women.
"A student asked him this before and he answered with this 'Women are weak. They should just stick at home and give birth to children and pleasure their husbands, according to him women have no rights to anything. That female student who asked was kicked out because she was just a scholar." Emily said with a bitter smile.
"I see" Callista looked down at her plate before sucking on her button lip. She stared at the chocolate cake in front of her before raising the teacup "Had he done something to you before?" she asked and glanced up at her to see her expression.
Emily turned her head when she heard her question "I had always been clumsy, so it's not a shock if he did" she said and patted Neo on the head "What did he do?" Callista asked so Emily smiled.
"Nothing extreme. He just shouted at me in the hallway and was taken to the Guidance Office. Luckily Professor Calvin knows the Count's personality well so he let me off" she said so Callista nodded.
"You must've been frightened" she commented "I was. I never liked someone raising their voice at me" Emily answered as she fiddled with her fingers. Callista was silent for a few seconds as she studied Emily's face before smiling.
"Do you have lessons after this?" she asked so Emily shook her head and curiously looked at her "Why do you ask?" she blinked "Because I want to hang out with you more" Callista showed a sweet smile that made Emily blush "I-I'm flattered" she bashfully replied.
'Cute..' Callista thought.
"Then if you don't have plans after this why don't we go shopping?" she suggested "Really? I would love to!" Emily chuckled at her excited reaction.
They went back to the dorm together to change their Academy uniform but as they went down, Freya blocked them. "And where are you two going?" she asked with a raised brow with her usual clipboard.
"Freya, we're just going outside" Emily said "And who permitted you?" Callista's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at her arrogant reply. If she wasn't wearing a facade, she had long shouted at her to move out of her sight but she would just scare Emily.
"There were no rules written that we have to get permission as long as we get back before curfew and it's not like we have lessons to skip" she felt satisfaction looking at Freya's pissed face.
"Hmph! I'm still keeping an eye on you Alberts" she glared and handed her the pen to sign at the clipboard she was holding. Callista only smiled in response before signing her name on it to grant her permission out of the dorm.
She sighed when they got out of the Women's Dormitory "Have you fought with Freya? She looked like she didn't like you" Emily curiously asked.
'It didn't look like it Emily, she literally doesn't like me' Callista sighed.
She smiled at her "I don't know. I only met her on my first day here but she perfectly shows her dislike towards me" she stated "Hmm. Maybe she's jealous?" Emily asked "About what? I'm a commoner while she's a Marquess's daughter" Callista argued like it was nonsense.
"Your beautiful, Callista. Even I find you attractive whenever I see you and Freya is the type of girl who doesn't want others getting above her" she explained as Callista secretly rolled her eyes.
"But that's still unreasonable for her to bully me like this" she retorted making Emily chuckle at her whine "You have a point" Emily admitted.
They visited many stores, especially the one Young Misses frequently visits. "Where are we going next?" Emily asked and bit on the bread they just bought "How about you find a place to sit first? I'll buy us drinks" Callista said.
"Huh? I'll just come with you" she volunteered so she smiled "It's okay, Emily, and your feet hurts right? You need to rest. I'm the one who suggested to go here" Callista insisted and glanced at her feet that was started to bleed from the heels she was wearing so Emily hesitated.
"Okay, but will you be okay?" she asked "I'll be fine" she said and turned her back at her to at least get juice for them.
Emily stared at her retreating back before she looked around for a bench to sit on. Her feet were starting to hurt and was also starting to regret wearing them, but this was her first time going out with Callista so she wanted to look pretty.
She likes her since the first time she saw Callista at the Dormitory, she was just really pretty for anyone not to notice.
She wanted to befriend her but was too shy to do so because even though Callista said she had no noble status whatsoever, she was giving an unapproachable vibe so when she got assigned to the Laundry Department she took that chance to befriend her and Callista was as kind as she imagined.
She saw a bench at the corner of a shop and was about to walk towards it when she bumped into someone.
"I'm sorry—"
"Stupid bitch!"