The bizarre and colorful dreamscape slowly faded away as Luo Wei opened her eyes to the dull sound of knocking at her door.

There was no warmth under the blanket, and her feet felt icy cold.

Perhaps it was time to order a couple of thicker wool blankets from Hawkins’ shop. If this continued, she’d catch a cold sooner or later.

Luo Wei slipped into her slippers and opened the door to bring in the hot water.

It wasn’t until she dipped her hands into the basin of hot water that she felt some sensation returning to her limbs.

She had already forgotten most of the dream from last night, only recalling fragments of corpses and blood everywhere.

Given how tense things had been lately, it wasn’t surprising that she’d have nightmares.

The snow outside had stopped, leaving a thin layer of snow in the garden that melted into water as soon as the sun came out.

With December now in full swing, snowfall had become more frequent.

Winter at latitude 43° north was no joke. During the coldest part of the season, temperatures could drop as low as -4°F (-20°C), and even now, nighttime temperatures hovered around 32°F (0°C).

During class, Luo Wei noticed that the noble girls in her class were huddled together in groups, chattering away about something. Vina Wesley was among them, speaking animatedly.

Curious, Luo Wei quietly approached and eavesdropped for a moment, learning that they were discussing a type of fabric called “Cloud Wool,” as well as “Rainbow Dresses” and “Aurora Shawls.”

Luo Wei suddenly remembered that Balk had mentioned something to her before. He had said that the cashmere woven using her secret formula was as soft as clouds in the sky. At the time, she had casually remarked, “Why not call it Cloud Wool?” It seemed Balk had taken her suggestion to heart.

As for the “Rainbow Dresses” and “Aurora Shawls,” they were probably skirts and shawls made from dyed cashmere. Barton Hawkins had sent her a few pieces before, but she had found the colors too gaudy and never wore them.

However, people in this world seemed to love colorful fabrics. This was likely due to the underdeveloped dyeing technology and the high cost of dyes, making colored fabrics a symbol of their noble status.

Unlike people from the 21st century, who pursued minimalism and sophistication, most of Luo Wei’s friends in her previous life preferred black, white, and gray tones. A glance around would reveal hardly a trace of red or green.

“I pre-ordered a Rainbow Dress and two Aurora Shawls the day before yesterday—one in orange and one in a pink gradient. I even paid an extra five gold coins for expedited service, so I’ll have them by tonight!” Vina said proudly.

“Wow! Vina, can I see them once you get them? I pre-ordered a shawl too, but the tailor said there are still more than thirty people ahead of me. It’ll be at least ten days before it’s my turn.”

“Same here! I ordered a Rainbow Dress yesterday, but the tailor said it’ll take half a month to make. This batch of fabric is already sold out.”

“Ugh, who managed to snatch them up so quickly?”

“Who else but the senior students in the advanced division? They know Siria better than we do and often shop at that store. The shopkeeper always informs them first when there’s good fabric available.”

“Seriously, when I asked the owner of Hawkins’ shop yesterday, he said this batch of Cloud Wool was pre-sold half a month ago. Those seniors sure kept it under wraps—we didn’t hear a word about it!”

Hearing her friends’ complaints, Vina raised her head high and declared, “Just wait. Tonight, I’ll teach them a lesson for you!”

“I’m going to pre-order the entire next batch of Cloud Wool so those seniors won’t even get a single shawl!”

The girls around her immediately cheered, surrounding Vina and chattering excitedly: “Vina, you’re the best! You’re my favorite sister!”

“Vina, can you sell me one after you order? Please~”

“Vina, don’t forget me! Save one for me too!”

“Vina, me too…”

Vina’s lips curled into a smile. “Don’t worry, one at a time. I’ll make sure everyone gets one.”

Since her last argument with her fiancé Egbert and Axina, during which her friends had mocked and scorned her, Vina hadn’t enjoyed this kind of attention in a long time.

Luo Wei quietly listened before returning to her seat.

Not handing Vina over to the bearded man back then had indeed been the right decision. If Vina had spent a few days in jail, she might have been too humiliated to stay at the academy and would have transferred out.

She was a major client, after all—couldn’t afford to lose her!

That evening, Vina indeed showed up wearing a dazzlingly colorful cashmere dress.

The soft cashmere skirt was interwoven with fine gold and silver threads. The hem was adorned with snowflake-shaped crystals, and the neckline was embroidered with intricate, three-dimensional colorful patterns. It was both warm and eye-catching, drawing gasps of admiration from the girls around her.

This single cashmere dress cost fifteen gold coins.

Hawkins’ shop also offered basic cashmere coats, which were thicker and less flashy but meticulously tailored and sewn. Each one cost ten gold coins.

The Aurora Shawls were the most expensive, as they were made from extremely fine cashmere yarn and required painstaking dyeing. Each shawl cost twenty gold coins.

After this wave of business, Barton Hawkins couldn’t stop laughing. Rumor had it that he even laughed in his sleep, waking Mrs. Hawkins with his midnight chuckles. She had dragged him out of the bedroom by his ear.

The next day in class, Vina was still wearing that dress, flitting into the classroom like a colorful butterfly.

As she passed by Luo Wei, she deliberately lifted her skirt, looking smug.

“Vina, your dress looks nice.”

Luo Wei called out to her, and under Vina’s expectant gaze, she continued slowly, “But didn’t you say before that woolen undergarments were only worn by commoners?”

Vina’s smile froze. “Y-you petty woman, holding grudges over the smallest things! This is precious Cloud Wool, not just any wool!”

“Oh~ so it’s Cloud Wool,” Luo Wei drawled. “Isn’t it still made from wool? The undergarment I wore back then was also custom-made from Cloud Wool at Hawkins’ shop~”

Vina glanced around nervously and quickly lowered her voice. “I was wrong, okay? Can you stop bringing that up? I admit I was blind and didn’t recognize its value. Just don’t tell anyone else about this, alright?”

Luo Wei propped her chin on her hand, looking bored. “Now you realize you were wrong, but why didn’t you apologize back then?”

Vina fidgeted awkwardly. “S-sorry.”

“Go home and write an apology letter. Write ‘I’m sorry’ a hundred times, and I’ll forgive you.”

“Don’t push it,” Vina said, trying to sound fierce but clearly lacking confidence. “My father is Count Wesley!”

“Oh, a count. I’m so scared~”

Vina’s face turned bright red. “Y-you just wait! I’ll write the letter tonight!”

“A complaint letter?”

“An apology letter!!!”

Vina stormed off, running so fast it was as if a ghost were chasing her.

Luo Wei shook her head. For a not-so-bright noble lady, she was actually quite endearing—if one ignored what she had done to the original Luo Wei in her previous fate.

The last half-month of the semester flew by, and before she knew it, it was December 19th, the day before the academy’s holiday break.

Every teacher had assigned holiday homework. Luo Wei was jotting down the assignments in her leather notebook when she suddenly heard a knock at the classroom door.

It was the student council president, Veronica Malachi.

“Professor Temple, sorry to interrupt your class. The headmaster has requested Luo Wei to come to the headmaster’s office.”
"""