"Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing. That kick won''t cripple you, but if you dare touch me again..."N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    Arnold winced, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he tried to endure the pain. Felicia felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her.


    Just then, the group of women who had been trailing behind approached with concerned looks when they saw Arnold''s pained expression. "Mr. Lawson, what''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"


    Of course, Arnold couldn''t confess the truth. Gritting his teeth, he slowly stood up while trying to appear unfazed. He strained his voice as he replied, "I''m fine."


    Realizing that returning to the bus was no longer an option, the vice principal consulted some local vigers for directions and led the others toward a road suitable for vehicles.


    Not wanting to spend the night in the mountains, they had no choice but to follow Felicia further along the path.


    Felicia paid no mind to her followers and confidently led the way. After walking for half an hour as twilight set in, she finally caught sight of the picturesque vige at the foot of the mountain.


    The sounds of chirping insects and birds mingled with the wafting smoke of cooking fires, creating a warm, homey atmosphere.


    Felicia paused, taking it all in.


    Arnold and the women caught up with her. They were ready to throw some sarcastic remarks, but they halted in shock at the sight before them.


    Prior to their arrival, the college had warned them that Alverton was impoverished and backward, with no proper roads and ack of basic infrastructure. They were visiting a truly deste ce, but they weren''t there for a vacation in the first ce.


    They were greeted with a vige with white walls and gray eaves decorated with dark wooden beams and elegant roofs. The roof tiles had been arranged in pleasing harmony.


    This ce was serene and beautiful, worthy of the title paradise.


    Arnold''s surprise was evident. He instinctively looked at Felicia, sensing that she seemed quite familiar with this ce. It was almost as if it were her own home.


    The women around them gawked wide-eyed.


    "I thought they told us that this was a very poor ce? Weren''t we told that there were no roads here?"


    "Holy! Is this really Alverton? I thought we had arrived at some tourist destination. It''s so pretty!"


    "The architecture here is so unique! It doesn''t feel like an ordinary vige at all-more like an uncharted ancient town!"


    "It looks nice, but what''s the point? This ce is remote, poor, and filled with bumpkins! If it weren''t for the college, I wouldn''t be here at all!"


    The woman who said this was Olivia


    Adler, whose family ran the


    secondrgest catering mogul in Khogend. The air of superiority around her was thick, and her privilege was evident.


    Given her wealthy background, her words held weight. The others,ing from more modest means felt the sting of her insult. This left them in a mix of awkwardness and discontent, but they didn''t have the courage to voice it.


    Arnold shot her a re, finding the noise annoying. When he looked back, he saw Felicia had already descended the mountain and was heading toward the vige.


    Feeling the lingering ache from earlier, he gritted his teeth and followed.


    She dared to kick him, didn''t she? He would make sure she understood the consequences one day!


    The mayor of Alverton, Charles


    West, had not been informed about the college''s visit beforehand, so when the bus arrived, he went tomunicate with the other party. Only then did he learn about the training program, which prompted him to hurry and arrange for vigers to prepare their homes for hosting.


    Felicia made a beeline for a quaint little courtyard. A smile brightened her face as she called out, "Nana!"


    An elderly woman who was busy weaving a bamboo basket instinctively looked up. Upon recognizing Felicia, she excitedly dropped the basket and hurried toward her. "Licia! Is it really you? You''vee back!"