Chapter 113 ~ So Which “That” Is It, Exactly?

“What just happened?” While the audience was still waiting for the Academy staff to fix the projection crystal, the clear voice of the broadcast system suddenly announced the match result. In that instant, every instructor and student present wore the same bewildered expression—like a crowd huddled around a TV screen full of black-and-white static, banging it to no avail, only for the game to suddenly end the moment it flickered back to life. That choking, helpless frustration filled the air.

“It’s over? Just like that? Who won?”

“Says Team 45 lost.”

“Team 45… Wait, am I remembering wrong? Isn’t Her Highness Astrid Team 45? Or did the broadcast mess up?”

“...Don’t ask me—who the hell do I ask?”

Everyone knew the broadcast wouldn’t make such a low-level mistake. It was just that the result was too hard to accept.

The long-predicted champion of this year’s Freshman Crown Tournament, the Silvermoon Princess Astrid, had been eliminated in the finals—falling just short of the crown.

Neither of the two most anticipated rising stars won. A true dark horse had emerged from the pack, carving a bloody path through the competition and seizing the coveted championship title.

“She won. She really won?” the bald Divine Child muttered in a daze. “She beat both Astrid and Felicia…”

Sure, he had joked before that Teresa couldn’t possibly lose, but that was only half in jest. Everyone knew that no matter how strong you were, there was always someone stronger.

Teresa stood out among them—mere Mortal Bone—but compared to those at the TO level, she was still far behind. And yet, against all odds, Teresa had delivered a miracle.

In the seats below, Felicia blinked, surprise flitting across her lovely face. A glint of intrigue flickered in her eyes, and her lips curled in a subtle smile. She quietly rose from her seat amidst the murmuring crowd.

“So, how did Teresa win, exactly??” The audience looked distressed, shaking their heads as if a thousand ants were crawling over them, tormented by having missed the most exciting part.

At that moment, many sharp-eyed students had already caught on to what was happening and got up to leave their seats.

Seeing them go, others quickly followed suit.

“Hey, Mouse—Bolton, where are you going? Aren’t we celebrating our enrollment tonight? You’re supposed to treat us to dinner, remember?”

“Treat what? Who said I’d treat? We agreed it was split-check!” The bald “Mouse” swatted his teammate’s hand away.

“And what about you? Still sitting here? Can’t you see everyone else is leaving?”

“Alright, alright—we’re going! What’s the rush, though?”

“What do you mean what’s the rush? The champion and runner-up are about to leave the rest area. You think those fame-hungry Divine Children aren’t dying to run over and get their faces remembered?”

Bolton’s words immediately snapped his three teammates to attention.

Right. Not every team had the luxury of being satisfied with their current teammates after elimination. Many would be scrambling to replace theirs before the school year started.

That chaotic rest area a few days ago had made things crystal clear: finger-pointing, shouting matches, teammates storming off—none of it was uncommon. Very few were happy with their squad.

And since your teammates would likely stay with you throughout your entire student career—becoming your primary network and resource pool—it was no exaggeration to say this was a crucial decision.

Now that the champion and runner-up were stepping out, the vultures who had been biding their time finally pounced, swarming the rest area in hopes of making a good impression. At the very least, they wanted to avoid awkwardness the next time they crossed paths.

Everyone knew Astrid wasn’t someone they could poach. So nearly all the Divine Child cadets turned their eyes to Teresa.

She had claimed the championship alone, without a team—her strength was beyond dispute. Her future prospects were limitless. To win her over now would be like securing a golden ticket—a top-tier partner with brains, beauty, manners, and power.

In the blink of an eye, the rest area’s entrance was packed wall to wall. Some came to butter her up, others just wanted to spectate—everyone had their own reasons.

After all, it was the crowning moment of this year’s Coleman champion. Even upperclassmen were curious to witness the debut of this rising star.

The official award ceremony would involve the whole school, but even now, the crowd was overwhelming. If not for the security guards holding the line, many would’ve rushed straight into the rest area already.

Meanwhile, inside the rest area…

A golden-haired girl slowly fluttered her soft, white-gold lashes like a butterfly, opening her eyes. She found herself in a lavish room.

A velvet bed, dreamy silk carpeting, and pale yellow satin curtains gave the incoming sunlight a gentle warmth. All of it told her it was now midday.

It had been twilight and night just a moment ago. In an instant, she had returned to the noonday sun.

Teresa propped herself up with one pale arm, lifting her slightly sore eyelids, her whole body exuding a rare laziness. She yawned.

The match… was over.

Sunlight again. Kaleburn again.

She had returned from the secret realm.

As for the final result, Teresa wasn’t sure. Even if she had dealt with Astrid, that little fool could’ve easily eliminated her while she was unconscious.

But even if that were the case, Teresa didn’t feel the slightest regret. She hadn’t lost to anyone. She hadn’t been inferior to anyone. That was enough.

Though she hadn’t suffered fatal injuries, the cumulative drain on her Divine Power and stamina was unavoidable. Teresa felt utterly exhausted—so tired she could collapse into bed and sleep for days. But she knew she couldn’t—not yet.

She still had to pull herself together and tie up loose ends.

With that thought, Teresa dragged herself off the velvet bed that felt like a sleep trap. She glanced down at her clothes.

Both bows had been destroyed and left behind in the secret realm. She wasn’t wearing her Domain gear anymore—just the white sleeveless dress and strappy heels she had worn upon entering.

As sunlight poured through the window, Teresa gently massaged her temples. The dissonance between then and now left her unsure of what was real.

But no—it was all real. Just different spaces, that’s all.

She touched her waist and legs. Aside from a few Flash Potions, all other potions had been used up during the tournament.

She had given it her all. Fought her hardest.

With a turn of the handle, she opened the door—and almost bumped into a flash of silver passing by.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking.”

“My apologies—I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Both of them apologized at once. The moment they heard each other’s voice, they froze—and slowly looked up.

The air between them seemed to solidify.

“……….”

A flicker of complex emotion passed across Astrid’s usually serene face.

The match was over, and her condition wasn’t great either. She was only managing to stay upright through sheer will.

Memories of what had happened during the battle—what she’d said, what they’d exchanged—all came rushing back as she looked at the golden-haired girl. She found herself at a loss for words.

“Forgive me, Lady Astrid.” Teresa spoke first. She bowed, her usual refined smile on her lips.

“On the battlefield earlier, I said some terribly improper things, overstepping my bounds. Please don’t take them to heart.”

“None of us have the right to impose our beliefs on others. All we can do is hold ourselves to our own standards. Please consider those rash words as things never said.” Finishing, Teresa extended her hand, that elegant smile still in place.

“It was an honor to duel with you, Lady Astrid. I’m grateful for the aid and the challenges you gave me during the match. I won’t forget them.”

Astrid stared at Teresa’s extended hand. After a brief silence, she reached out and shook it.

“No, Lady Teresa. Everything you said… was right.”

“Elf love should be pure, without blemish. Thinking back, I can’t believe I ever thought otherwise. You were right—I really was running away.”

Teresa blinked, surprised.

To be honest, now that the match was over and she had time to reflect, even she couldn’t fully explain what had come over her. When Astrid had expressed doubts about love, something in her had snapped—an almost reflexive urge to challenge that idea.

In hindsight, Astrid was right—what love ever faces no hardship? Countless people have abandoned love because of obstacles. Her past life was a perfect example.

And maybe… Astrid’s feelings toward her hadn’t even been love. More likely, they were gratitude.

Teresa didn’t want to admit that—but it was the truth. In the face of reality, love often can't survive.

Still, what stunned Teresa was that Astrid had taken those harsh words to heart. She wasn’t angry—she was ashamed. She accepted them. Gracefully.

And that’s when Teresa began to realize something.

Elves and humans had very different values.

In human eyes, throwing away your family and everything you have for love was foolish, unrealistic. But for Elves… it was only natural. For love, they would give up everything.

Teresa’s body carried the physical memories of her original self. So those harsh words she said in the secret realm might not have come from Dylin, but from Teresa’s true self.

And after all that, Astrid didn’t see it as empty talk. She didn’t resent Teresa—she felt ashamed. Because Astrid was a classic Elf. Her worldview was Elven, not human.

In the end, both Teresa and Astrid were Elves. Their values weren’t something a human like Dylin could fully understand. Judging them with a human lens was always a foolish endeavor.

Their perspectives were worlds apart.

And now, Teresa had her own questions: Where had the original Teresa’s soul gone? Why had Bilodis’s resurrection failed, and yet she was still alive—along with her sister’s body?

Could it be that the resurrection ritual, violating the laws of life and death, had caused some unpredictable deviation—leading to all this?

It seemed like the only plausible explanation now.

Even if she had said things she didn’t understand herself at the time, the outcome had turned out better than she expected.

Maybe it was her imagination, maybe not—but the lost look in Astrid’s eyes had vanished.

“Would you… mind if I asked you something a little private?” After releasing hands, Astrid twisted her fingers together. Her cheeks were tinged with a strange blush, like she was struggling to get the words out.

“Oh? Please go ahead.”

“You and Dylin—what exactly is your relationship?” Though she already had a guess—and though it was impolite and improper to ask—Astrid simply couldn’t help herself.

“Oh~ So that’s what you were wondering.” Teresa nodded slightly, taking in Astrid’s peach-hued cheeks, the way she looked hopeful yet scared of the answer. For some reason, Teresa suddenly felt the urge to tease her.

“Well then…” Teresa leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, raising a snow-white finger to her lips with a sly smile. “We sleep in the same bed~”

“S-sleep?” Astrid blinked, her expression blank. A moment later, her flawless face flushed bright red. “S-sleep in the… same bed?!”

She turned those words over in her mind—but no matter how she spun them, they only meant one thing.

“H-how can you… do something like that?!” Astrid cupped her cheeks with both hands, peeking through her fingers. She stammered, completely flustered.

The usual icy princess had transformed into a blushing, wide-eyed mess—it was almost adorable.

“What do you mean, how? Don’t tell me you’re going to teach me what Dylin and I should be doing next, Lady Astrid?” Teresa tilted her head, her golden hair cascading over her delicate collarbone.

“N-no, I… You’re not even married—how could you do something like, like that…?” Astrid wrung her hands and bowed her head, her silver hair falling like a dejected little white-furred hamster.

“‘That’? And what exactly is ‘that’? You’re being awfully vague, Lady Astrid. I’m afraid I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at~” Teresa feigned innocence.

“I-it’s… that!”

“So, which ‘that’ is it, exactly?” Teresa asked with a bright smile, completely enjoying herself, while Astrid turned beet red and remained speechless.

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