Chapter 102: The Princess of The Lost Kingdom, Shikondell

This silver-haired elf, is she the original female lead??

Vinny couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. He wondered why he had felt that this girl looked so familiar earlier.

So, he began searching through all the information about the female leads in the original work.

The more he looked at her face, the more familiar it seemed. Now, he was almost certain that he had indeed seen this face somewhere before.

However, since this was definitely their first meeting, the only possible way he could have recognized her was if he had seen her image on the cover of the original work.

But that was about it. Vinny had only played through the prologue of the original game, glanced at some of the later settings and CG, and read some related discussions.

He hadn’t even seen many of the female leads before he transmigrated.

So, he didn’t know much about this female lead’s character or backstory. He could only try to recall if he had seen any introductions or plotlines about her on some forum.

But judging by her hair color, she must be a Moon Elf.

If Vinny remembered correctly, the land of the Moon Elves had been invaded by tribals in the original setting and reduced to ruins, right?

So, what was this Moon Elf female lead doing here? Did she escape as a refugee?

“Um, excuse me...” It wasn’t until the elf girl in front of him couldn’t take it anymore and softly spoke up that Vinny realized he had been staring at her for a long time.

He quickly averted his gaze and coughed awkwardly.

“Ahem, sorry, it’s just... I’m having a hard time believing it. Are you really a guy?” Vinny asked.

“Yes... After all, I’m an elf, not a human.” As she spoke, the elf girl touched her ears, as if to emphasize the difference between elves and humans, and that human concepts of gender didn’t apply to them.

If Vinny didn’t know she was the female lead, he might have believed her, thinking that perhaps male elves just looked exceptionally delicate and beautiful. But now...

Vinny didn’t understand why she was taking such a big risk by disguising herself as a boy to enroll in Carillian Academy, and he knew nothing about her background.

But that was her business, the female lead’s secret. It was best not to pry too much.

After all, she was a chosen one blessed by fate. There was no need for him to act like a fool and expose her gender, demanding a room change.

If he got involved in her affairs, who knew what kind of trouble it might cause? After all, if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, what girl would willingly disguise herself as a boy and live with male roommates?

“Oh, I see.” Vinny nodded thoughtfully, pretending to believe her.

Seeing this, the elf girl secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Vinny. What’s your name?” Vinny introduced himself.

“I’m... Shi... Dell. You can call me Dell.” The elf girl bowed slightly, instinctively changing her name.

Dell?

Vinny pondered.

There was no female lead with that name, but there was one with a similar name that he vaguely remembered.

Shikondell.

That must be her real name.

If Vinny remembered correctly, Shikondell was the only princess and royal heir of the Moon Elf.

Judging by the elf girl’s proper manners and polite tone, she must be that Shikondell.

Now that the Moon Elf lands had been destroyed, she must have come here seeking refuge. But why did she have to disguise herself as a boy to enter Carillian Academy?

Was she worried that her female identity might attract unnecessary trouble?

Vinny thought that was highly likely.

She must have a reason for preferring to live as a boy rather than revealing her identity and gender.

Well, it wasn’t his business anyway. Why bother with these trivial matters?

Living with a girl would be troublesome, and Vinny would have to be extra careful not to accidentally expose her identity.

If he didn’t know her true gender, it would be fine. But now that he knew and still pretended not to, it would be inappropriate to act too casually or take advantage of the situation.

Even he, the infamous scoundrel of the capital, would look down on such behavior.

“Alright, Dell, right? Well, from now on, we’re roommates. Let’s get along.” Vinny nodded casually. “Let’s not make it complicated. We’re just bros, right?”

“If you ever need help, just let me know. Though I might not be much help, haha.” Vinny joked. “Don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not exactly the most capable guy.”

“Okay, thank you, Vinny.” Shikondell nodded obediently.

“I’m going out to eat with a friend tonight. Want to join?”

“Tonight, I...”

“Ah, if you’re busy, don’t worry about it. No need to feel bad about saying no. Between guys, there’s no need for all that beating around the bush.” Seeing her hesitant expression, Vinny waved his hand.

“Okay, thank you for understanding.”

“Well, see you later.” Seeing that she seemed eager to end the conversation, Vinny didn’t push further and went back to playing his cards.

Shikondell hurried up to the second floor and returned to her room. After locking the door, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

Her roommate seemed a bit strange, but he seemed like someone she could get along with, right?

Shikondell thought back to the way Vinny had looked at her earlier and couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled.

Even though she was in disguise, many human men would stare at her like that when they first saw her, unable to look away. But Vinny’s gaze was different.

The way he had looked at her didn’t carry the intense desire or purposefulness that others had. Instead, it was filled with a strange mix of curiosity, confusion, and a hint of understanding.

It was really odd.

On the other hand, she was also curious why Vinny’s gaze was different from other men’s, but she could only keep that question to herself.

If Vinny knew what she was thinking, he would probably pout and say without looking up, “She’s not as feminine as Vanessa...”

Joke. Vinny had been surrounded by stunning beauties all his life, so he had developed some resistance to such things.

That evening, Vinny arrived at the restaurant Fred had booked. Judging by the decor, it was a very retro place.

The cost of tonight’s meal was split between Vinny and Fred. After all, he couldn’t always let the other guy pay.

Thinking about money made Vinny’s head hurt.

He was still living off the “sponsorship” money given to him by the Wrathful Dragon Knights.

Although it was a lot, after paying tuition and various fees, there wasn’t much left for daily expenses.

Sitting on a mountain of gold would eventually deplete it. He needed to find a way to make money.

As he was pondering how to earn money, someone slapped him hard on the shoulder.

“What the hell? You scared me!” Seeing it was Fred, Vinny relaxed but still glared at him.

“Finally here, huh? What’s on your mind? Why were you walking with your head down?”

“Well, actually, there is something. But you’re something else, huh? It hasn’t been long since we enrolled, and you’ve already figured out all the restaurants and bars around here.” Vinny glanced at the restaurant’s sign.

“Of course! You know me, right? When it comes to food, drinks, and fun, I’m number one, and no one else is even close!”

“Must be nice being a rich young master.” Vinny clicked his tongue. “Not like me, worrying about three meals a day.”

After all, apart from the commoner students, which noble here would be short on money?

Getting into Carillian Academy was a great honor for any family, and they would spare no expense to support their children. The noble young masters and ladies here lived a very comfortable life.

“Hey, hey, my family is just a minor viscount family. Not like you, Vinny, the descendant of the goddess.”

“Are you complimenting me or mocking me?” Vinny rolled his eyes. “Go ask anyone on the street, and they’ll tell you I’m a fake goddess descendant.”

“Who says? I think you’re the real deal.” Fred said with certainty.

“Oh? You’re so sure?” Vinny found it amusing.

“Absolutely. I’m very good at judging people. If I say you are, then you definitely are.” Fred patted his chest confidently.

“So sure, huh? What’s your reasoning?”

“Well, I can tell from your card skills.”

“I thought you’d come up with something better. Card skills? That’s nonsense.” Vinny laughed. “The goddess descendants all have pink hair and peach blossom eyes. My appearance doesn’t match at all.”

“So what? Maybe there was some mutation in your bloodline. Be confident. You’re one of a kind in this world.” Fred said nonchalantly.

“I’ve always thought so too, even though my family doesn’t think much of me since I’m just the second son. But so what? Even if there’s another person named Fred in this world, it’s not me. I’m me, unique.”

“Haha, alright, alright, we’re all unique... Anyway, Fred, do you know of any part-time jobs in the academy to make money?”

“Oh, you’ve come to the right person!” Fred said proudly.

“Oh? Your family isn’t short on money. How do you know about part-time jobs?”

“Who says I need to do part-time jobs to know about them? Remember what I told you earlier? When it comes to food, drinks, and fun, no one knows more than me!” Fred said proudly.

“You didn’t get it, did you? I’m talking about part-time jobs, not food and fun.” Vinny frowned.

“Vinny, you don’t understand. We’re talking about the same thing.”

“Here’s the thing. Do you know where I went tonight?” Fred asked mysteriously.

“How would I know? I’m not a worm in your stomach. How would I know where you went?” Vinny rolled his eyes.

“After I put my luggage in the dorm, I went around exploring the entertainment areas in the academy.”

“I found a place that’s really popular and lively. They’re hiring, and the working environment is great, the pay is high, and it’s daily pay!”

“Oh? So the work must be tiring, or is it a skilled job?” Vinny asked.

“Not tiring at all. You just need to smile and have a good attitude. As for skills, it’s not really a skill, but you do need to let go of some shame.” Fred said seriously.

“Shame?” Vinny didn’t understand. What kind of job was this?

But shame was something Vinny never had, so he didn’t need to worry about that.

“Haha, I knew you’d be interested. Let me tell you, that place is like heaven for us!”

“Alright, stop beating around the bush. What is it?” Vinny pinched Fred’s waist.

“Ow, ow, what are you doing? Since when did you start acting like those girls, pinching people’s waists?” Fred complained.

“Then hurry up and tell me. Stop trying to build suspense.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. It’s a restaurant that’s more like a service industry. They’re hiring maids... Ow, ow! Vinny, stop!”

“Are you messing with me??” Vinny said with a fake smile, still twisting Fred’s waist.

“I’m not messing with you! Isn’t it true that the pay is good, the working environment is great, and the job isn’t tiring? All you need to do is say things like ‘Welcome back, Master’ and you can make money!” Fred quickly explained.

“Did you not hear what I said? How am I supposed to do that kind of job??” Vinny thought this guy was just messing with him.

“No, really! I’m seriously recommending this job to you!”

“Still talking nonsense? Take this! They’re only hiring maids. What are you trying to do, huh??” Vinny was getting angry.

“Alright, alright, stop hitting me! I’m just trying to help! Why do you think I’m recommending this great job to you and not others??”

“Because you deserve to be hit.” Vinny said expressionlessly.

“No, really! Here’s the thing, and you might not like to hear this, but I think this job is perfect for you!” Fred said with a serious expression.

“Perfect my foot.” Vinny really wanted to punch this guy.

“It’s true, Vinny. I’m not flattering you or anything, but I think you’re perfect for this job. Just look in the mirror! With your androgynous voice, I guarantee that no one would be able to tell if you dressed up as a maid!”

“Get lost!” Vinny kicked Fred lightly. “I think your fat face would be more suitable. Maybe some blue-eyed guys would take a liking to you.”

“Hey, hey! Don’t get so worked up. I’m just giving you a suggestion. It’s just dressing up as a girl. I’m not saying you are one. Why are you so upset?” Fred didn’t understand.

“You’re acting like a cat with its tail stepped on.” Fred muttered.

“Say that again?” Vinny narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly.

“No, no, forget I said anything. Alright, don’t be mad. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, okay?” For some reason, Vinny’s smile made Fred feel uneasy.

Fred wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but Vinny’s expression seemed different from usual.

“Hmph, that’s more like it.” Vinny let go of Fred.