Book 1 Chapter 1002
1002.
“Nella! Nella!”
“Huh? Illiana, what’s wrong? It’s not even close to changeover time yet.”
Nella tilted her head, watching Illiana run over breathlessly.
Currently, Nella was operating an outdoor cafe.
It was a type of cafe commonly seen in Lumern and Lumeria City, but it was a type of cafe that didn't exist in Elf society.
Elf customers kept coming due to the unfamiliar and unique atmosphere.
Illiana handed Nella, who was in a neat waitress uniform, a piece of paper.
“Looks like there’s something like this!”
“Beauty pageant?”
Chen Sia, who was passing by, tilted her head.
“It looks like an event Karl prepared! The prizes are amazing!”
“So?”
“Nella! Please go instead of me!”
“Me?”
“Yeah! If Senior Elena doesn’t come out, you’ll definitely win!”
Illiana clenched her fist.
Sia said, looking at Illiana.
“Nella could even compete with Senior Elena, couldn’t she?”
“No. Even so, Senior Elena feels like she lives in a different world.”
At Nella’s words, Chen Sia and Illiana subtly widened the distance between them.
“Wow. It sounds like she thinks she’s the prettiest if it weren’t for Senior Elena. Sia. Isn’t that side of Nella subtly annoying?”
“Indeed. I knew that pretty people often have that side, but… I suddenly feel a sense of distance.”
“You two aren’t exactly falling behind in looks anywhere else either!”
Nella shouted, watching the two of them whispering and openly backbiting.
“Anyway, if Nella goes, the Women’s Department will win! Even if Senior Elena actually comes out, it’ll be doable, right?”
Illiana gave a thumbs-up.
“You can just go yourself,” Nella said, squinting her eyes, and Illiana shrugged.
“You’re the only one who can stand up to Senior Elena if she comes out.”
“If Senior Elena comes out, there’s nothing I can do either.”
“Oh, come on! Have some confidence! I’m telling you, you can totally win!”
“No… but still…”
“Shall I ask Duran? Duran! Duran!”
Illiana called out to Duran, who was passing by.
“What is it, Illiana Raden?”
“Hey. If you compare Senior Elena and Nella, who’s prettier?”
“A trivial question.”
As Duran scoffed and tried to walk past, Chen Sia pulled Duran back.
“Let go, Chen Sia.”
“You just have to honestly tell us what you think, Duran.”
Perhaps feeling playful, Chen Sia said with a bright smile.
Duran looked at Nella with an openly annoyed expression.
Nella nervously touched her hair, her face slightly tense.
Seeing that, Duran said.
“Objectively speaking, Senior Elena is more beautiful.”
“……”
The light instantly vanished from Nella’s eyes, making Chen Sia and Illiana flinch.
“Hmm? So Duran thinks that, huh? Illiana.”
“Uh, yes?”
“Give me the application form.”
“Are, are you participating?”
“Yes.”
Nella took the application form and left the shop as she was.
Illiana looked at Duran with an astonished expression.
“You’re completely clueless too, aren’t you?”
“I don’t want to hear that from you, Illiana Raden. And…”
“And?”
“Objectively speaking, Senior Elena is beautiful. To my eyes, Nella Caben is far more beautiful.”
“You should have said that first.”
“Nella Caben also knows that Senior Elena’s looks are extraordinary, right? At that point, looks are a matter of taste, aren’t they? I think Nella is more beautiful than anyone else in the world, though?”
“So you should have said that first!”
“Nella Caben left before I could say it.”
At Duran’s reply, Illiana grabbed her head, and Chen Sia made a troubled expression.
“Duran is completely clueless too. I wonder if he can even have a proper relationship like this.”
“What?”
“Exactly! What if Nella loses all affection for you? You clueless prince!”
At their words, Duran made an exasperated expression.
“Then what do you two know so well that you say that?”
“At least we’re more perceptive than you, Duran!”
Duran let out a small laugh, watching Illiana speak proudly.
“While you’re still being treated like a child by Leo Plov?”
“……”
“……”
Chen Sia’s and Illiana’s eyes turned cold.
Chilling glances were exchanged between the three knight academy students.
Just then.
Beep-! Beep-!
“Hey! You three! Why are you acting like you’re about to fight right now! You’re scaring the customers!”
Celia, on patrol, blew her whistle and approached.
Beside her was Eliza, who was also on patrol duty.
Celia, who was mediating, heard the situation and made an incredulous expression.
“Are you guys stupid? What are you fighting about something like that for.”
Eliza, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, scoffed.
“Such a childish fight from the muscle-brained Knight Academy students.”
“Hey. You’re not even trying to stop them… And why bring up the Knight Academy here?”
“Did I say something wrong? Well. Knight Academy students lack delicacy, so they’re probably terrible at relationships too.”
Eliza smiled broadly at Celia’s reproach.
Illiana, who had been pouting at Eliza, said casually.
“While she’s dating Karl herself.”
“What’s wrong with Karl?!”
“What’s wrong, you ask? I thought Karl was a good guy from the first time I saw him! But you utterly ignored him at first, didn’t you?!”
“Ugh?!”
“The noble lady of the Helgin family has fallen completely for Karl, whom she used to dismiss as a commoner nobody!”
“Hey! You, come at me right now!”
“Now, now. Calm down.”
“It certainly doesn’t suit them.”
Chen Sia calmed down the agitated Eliza, and Duran silently denied the relationship between Eliza and Karl.
“Eliza Helgin. Break up with Karl Thomas immediately. I’ll pair Karl Thomas with my younger sister.”
“Don’t make me laugh! I’ll never give him up! He’s mine!”
Celia clutched her head, seeing her classmates beginning to get noisy.
Other Lumern students passing by subtly turned their heads and pretended not to notice.
‘Aren’t we just making Lumern look bad like this?’
Celia looked at the elves with a worried expression.
But for some reason, the elves were listening to the conversation with faces full of admiration.
“To be so desperate to win the one you love.”
“Lumern is cool, as expected.”
Celia’s expression changed strangely as she heard the Seirun students muttering.
‘No, if a stranger saw this, wouldn’t it just look like a messy love quarrel? What’s so cool about it?’
Contrary to Celia’s worries, Lumern’s external image inexplicably rose.
“The race of love, as expected…!”
‘What’s a race of love again!’
As Celia screamed inwardly.
“What’s all this commotion?”
Just then, a cold voice came from behind.
A voice colder than the world’s chilliest north wind blowing across the northernmost continent.
Everyone stiffened and turned their heads to see Professor Halind standing there.
And behind him stood Professor Sedzen and Professor Artian.
“P-Professor Halind. So this is…”
As Illiana spoke, sweating cold, Halind smiled cynically.
“The top honor students of the year are bringing such disgrace to the school.”
“Um… Professor Halind. If I may cautiously appeal, I don’t think we’ve disgraced the school just yet…”
Illiana tried her best to appeal, looking at the reactions of the surrounding elves.
“Are you talking back to me? Illiana Raden.”
“No, sir! We were disgracing the school! I apologize!”
Sedzen made a puzzled expression, watching Illiana bend into a ㄱ shape to apologize.
“What caused all this commotion?”
“That… the beauty pageant came up…”
“Beauty pageant?”
Sedzen’s head tilted askew.
“A competition is a contest.”
“Yes?”
“Heheheh. And isn’t it natural for the students I’m in charge of to win? Because my students are elegant!”
Sedzen made a proud expression, brought Celia and Duran over, and placed a hand on their shoulders.
Artian clapped his hands, watching the scene.
“Ah! Professor Halind! Then how about we punish the students by making them participate in the beauty pageant?”
“What?! Why? Why do we have to participate in such an embarrassing competition?!”
Eliza was the first to flare up.
Duran also reacted with clear disapproval.
At their reactions, Artian’s expression instantly changed.
“Huh?! So you cause such a commotion and expect no punishment? Merit points are meaningless since the semester is ending! If you don’t like it, don’t cause trouble in the first place?! If you don’t like that either, then what? Shall I give you a good petting after a long time?!”
Artian, who had become a mace of punishment, wore a chilling expression.
“Yes! Student Celia! Prove it! That our Class 1 is second to none in academics, as well as beauty!”
“I was just on patrol, though?!”
“Hmm hmm! I shall question your failure to patrol properly! It pains me, but even the fault of your partner, Student Eliza! So it’s a form of collective punishment! Everything is to prove that those from Class 1 are superior to those from Class 5!”
“That’s right. My fault is also your fault, Celia.”
Eliza dragged Celia in with a ‘misery loves company’ mentality.
Sedzen, eager to show off his students, actively pushed forward.
Halind crossed his arms and looked at Illiana.
“Participation alone won’t be enough of a punishment for you.”
“It’s a sufficient punishment, isn’t it?”
“If you don’t win an award, you can look forward to next year, Illiana Raden.”
“Only me?! Why?!”
“Are you dissatisfied?”
“…No.”
Illiana slumped her shoulders.
***
“So? You’re participating in the beauty pageant?”
“Hmph.”
“No, I mean, I’d be happy if the competition was a hit, but…”
Karl scratched his cheek.
“In that sense, Karl!”
“Hmm?”
“Did Senior Elena enter, by any chance?”
Illiana asked with a serious face.
Then Karl shook his head.
“No.”
“Alright!”
Illiana clenched her fist.
Even if winning was difficult, getting an award was definitely within reach.
‘Though the competitors are strong…’
Illiana glanced at her friends, then pulled out a pouch from her pocket.
“Karl, you’re working hard. Take this…”
“For your information, I’m the host, not a judge.”
“You should have said that earlier!”
Illiana quickly put the pouch back into her pocket.
“Anyway, won’t even getting an award be a bit difficult?”
Karl shrugged.
“Why?”
“Awards go up to 3rd place, right? One incredibly beautiful elf woman entered. In my opinion, she’s the top candidate for the women’s division.”
“What? An elf entered this competition?”
“Quite a few have entered.”
Karl showed them the list.
“It seems the elves’ dispositions have really changed a lot.”
“That’s fascinating. By the way, even with Nella participating, she’s the top candidate?”
Chen Sia asked with a puzzled face, and Karl nodded.
“Ah, she’s coming this way now.”
At his words, everyone looked where Karl was pointing.
“What do they call that? Decadent beauty?”
“It’d be ‘depraved beauty.’ More than that, an elf exuding that kind of aura is unique, beyond just being pretty.”
Illiana and Celia muttered.
Meanwhile, Chen Sia’s mouth dropped open.
‘Young Master Leo?’