Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 109: Tiger and the Phoenix

Yet Zora was different.

Compared to Sylvandria’s refined elegance, Zora’s appearance was almost stark in its simplicity. She wore a plain white dress without any elaborate embroidery, her black hair loosely gathered with a single jade pin. There were no dazzling ornaments, no deliberate embellishments.

And yet, it was precisely this simplicity that made her seem even more aloof and otherworldly, as if she did not belong to the mortal realm at all.

Her features were not as soft as Sylvandria’s. Instead, there was a quiet brilliance between her brows, a natural sharpness that spoke of resolve and confidence. Her deep eyes were calm yet penetrating, as though they could see straight through a person’s heart.

One was gentle like flowing water.

The other was cold and luminous like moonlight on snow.

Different, yet equally breathtaking.

They were both beauties, without question.

"In my opinion, Sylvandria still feels more approachable. A beauty like water is always pleasing to the eye."

"That’s not necessarily true. Didn’t you hear about the conflict between Zora and Barbara at the inn? Sylvandria is beautiful, but she lacks the sharp temperament of a true cultivator. Zora is far more captivating."

The discussions rose and fell in quiet whispers. Each had its supporters, and no clear conclusion could be reached.

Since opinions differed, perhaps that alone proved how evenly matched they were.

"Since we’re all friends," Sylvandria said gently, "why don’t we sit together? Seraph should arrive soon."

At the mention of Alaric Von Seraph, Zora’s interest immediately cooled. The image of eating beside an iceberg-faced man flashed through her mind, and even the finest dishes seemed to lose their flavor.

"Thank you for your kindness," Zora replied calmly, "but Reesa and I plan to eat in the lobby."

"Since we’ve already run into each other," Raphael said with a smile, "let’s eat together. We’re all familiar anyway."

Before Zora could respond again, a tall black-clad figure stepped into the restaurant.

Who else could it be but Alaric Von Seraph?

The moment he appeared, countless gazes followed him instinctively. Among the many students present, envy spread quietly, especially toward Reesa.

In the academy, circles mattered.

And the circle of special enrollment students was the one everyone longed to enter.

Zora already stood firmly within that circle. Reesa, however, was not a special enrollee. Yet because of Zora, she was now sitting among people like Raphael, Sylvandria, and Alaric Von Seraph.

How could others not feel envious?

"Raphael, Alaric Von Seraph, and Sylvandria have always been close. I didn’t expect them to invite Zora and Reesa today. That’s really something."

Alaric Von Seraph’s gaze paused briefly when he noticed Zora. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, though it vanished just as quickly.

"Seraph, you’re here," Raphael said cheerfully. "Everything the mentor assigned is done."

"Mm."

As always, Alaric Von Seraph replied with a single word.

"Coincidentally, we ran into Junior Sister Zora," Raphael added. "So I invited everyone to eat together."

Alaric Von Seraph glanced at Zora but said nothing.

"Let’s go," Sylvandria said softly. "The dishes should be ready by now."

With Sylvandria taking the lead, it was difficult to refuse further. Zora could only follow Raphael and the others upstairs.

Reesa followed silently.

She understood clearly that Zora wasn’t worried about disturbing Sylvandria or the others. She simply didn’t want to be here. As for herself, being the odd one out among such people, it wasn’t appropriate to speak much anyway.

Once seated, Sylvandria smiled and said, "I’ve already ordered some dishes. Junior Sister Zora, see if there’s anything you’d like to add?"

Sylvandria’s voice was gentle and pleasant, her smile soft and sweet as she thoughtfully considered everyone’s preferences.

Zora waved her hand lightly. "These dishes are already very abundant. There’s no need to order more."

"Zora," Raphael said with a laugh, "about the misunderstanding between you and Alaric Von Seraph earlier, I hope you won’t take it to heart."

Thinking back now, even he found that incident rather amusing.

Zora naturally understood what he was referring to. Her lips curved faintly. "I understand. With Senior Raphael’s charm, I’m afraid such misunderstandings happen quite often. I didn’t mind."

Hearing this exchange, Sylvandria’s eyes filled with curiosity. "What happened earlier?"

Raphael smiled and briefly recounted the events from before. By the end, both Sylvandria and Reesa were laughing softly.

"Haha, with our Zora’s temperament, there’s no way she’d follow someone all the way for no reason," Reesa said teasingly, glancing at Zora.

Raphael nodded in agreement. With Zora’s appearance and temperament, there would never be a shortage of people approaching her on their own.

He had even mentioned this to Alaric Von Seraph before, but the latter hadn’t believed him. Now, it seemed Alaric Von Seraph had misjudged things after all.

Alaric Von Seraph’s expression remained cold. "Stupid woman," he said flatly. "It wouldn’t be strange if you did something like that."

The moment she heard that familiar title again, Zora felt her patience snap.

"So you idiot," she said coolly, brows lifting as she glanced sideways at him, "why do you keep calling me stupid?"

Alaric Von Seraph’s eyes turned icy. "Who are you calling an idiot?"

Sylvandria and Raphael were both taken aback. Neither of them had expected the conversation to suddenly veer in this direction. Alaric Von Seraph’s tone carried unmistakable irritation.

But Zora showed no sign of backing down. "Who else could it be, besides an idiot?"

With a sharp sound, Alaric Von Seraph slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Stupid woman, do you dare call me an idiot?"

Zora rose as well, her gaze equally cold. "You dare call me stupid. Why wouldn’t I dare call you an idiot? Idiot..."

"You’re the first person who’s ever dared to call me that," Alaric Von Seraph said, his voice low and dangerous.

"And you’re the first person who’s dared to call me stupid," Zora shot back without hesitation. "Idiot..."

"Enough, enough," Raphael quickly stood up to smooth things over, raising both hands. "We’re all friends here. There’s no need to argue over something so small."

Even as he tried to mediate, he couldn’t help feeling astonished. He had never seen anyone confront Alaric Von Seraph like this, let alone match him word for word without fear.

Among the younger generation of the academy, Alaric Von Seraph’s strength alone made most people wary of offending him. Yet Zora seemed completely unfazed.

Alaric Von Seraph stared at her coldly. Zora met his gaze head-on, neither willing to yield. One looked like a tiger, and the other looked like a phoenix...

Though no further words were exchanged, the tension between them was unmistakable.

Reesa sat quietly to the side, utterly confused. She had no idea how a peaceful meal had suddenly turned into this.

If these two were enemies, it didn’t quite feel like it. But if they weren’t...

Whatever it was, it was certainly strange.