Chapter 237
Dahlia stepped out in a sleek little black dress paired with black ankle boots and her long, straight hair cascading down her back. Her beauty was striking, yet there was a cold, almost aloof air about her.
Despite that, she was polite when she realized Morwenna was from a less affluent background.
Together, they left their dorm, making their way toward the cafeteria.
Morwenna had never attended kindergarten and studied in a small, rural school in the mountain area.
The university was unlike anything she had ever seen, and she couldn’t help but look around with curiosity as they walked.
Dahlia noticed her amazement and couldn’t help but comment, “Rosefrost University isn’t all that. It’s pretty run–down in places. Not much to see here.”
Morwenna shook her head earnestly. “Not at all. It is my first time seeing such a big school. Our school in the mountains was so small. This place looks amazing to me.”
There was a sense of admiration in her voice.
“If only we had such a good school back in the mountains,” she mused.
Dahlia paused, her indifferent demeanor softening. “You went to school in the mountains?”
“Yes, but I attended high school in our town,” Morwenna replied.
“To get into Rosefrost University with that background, you must have done well. Why didn’t you go to a better high school?”
“The one in town was the only one we had. Anything farther was beyond my budget.”
Dahlia was briefly speechless, wondering if she was really chatting with someone this disadvantaged..
When their conversation led them to the cafeteria, Morwenna was visibly stunned by the variety of food available.
“This… this… there’s so much food here?” she marveled, noticing the prices were surprisingly affordable, much like those back in her hometown, and significantly cheaper than what she had expected from Rosefrost Hollow.
“And you can get mashed potatoes for free!”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Ma’am, could I get a hamburger and a pizza, maybe a bit more ketchup, please?”
While dishing up her meal, the cafeteria worker reminded her, “Sure, as long as you don’t waste any.”
Blushing slightly, Morwenna assured, “I won’t. I eat a lot.”
With her tray holding just a hamburger and a pizza, the cafeteria worker, recognizing her name from a kindly gesture made earlier in the day, added a fried drumstick.
“I didn’t order the drumstick,” Morwenna protested gently.
“It’s on the house,” replied the worker.
Stunned, Morwenna took a moment before expressing her heartfelt thanks, “Thanks, ma’am.”
The worker found Morwenna’s polite and likable nature endearing, feeling inclined to treat her even without special instruction. Standing behind Morwenna, Dahlia watched as her meal cost only several dollars. The hamburger and pizza were inexpensive, and the. drumstick was a gift. Dahlia, who usually ordered lavishly, restrained herself, choosing only three items to avoid making Morwenna uncomfortable.
As Morwenna delightedly dug into her meal, she looked up. “Dahlia, aren’t you eating? The food here is good.”
With that, Dahlia began to eat. “Yeah, let’s dig in.”
Morwenna enjoyed her meal thoroughly, eating neatly and with good manners.
She managed to finish the hamburger with the ketchup, leaving nothing behind. Still feeling a bit hungry, she returned for another two helpings of mashed potatoes, to the cafeteria worker’s astonishment, and finally savored the chicken drumstick at the end.