122 – Sophia

Miracle, as expected… still didn’t come.

All of his efforts up to now—muda. Useless.

Dylin lay sprawled out on the bed, dead inside, like a salted fish.

He was still wearing Teresa’s skirt uniform—if someone suddenly broke into the villa right now and saw him like this, they’d definitely mistake him for some pervert molesting the Divine Princess.

After a long while, he finally peeled himself off the soft velvet bed.

No wonder it felt like he was being caressed by the Mother Goddess herself—it was the perfect comfort for his wounded heart.

…It wasn’t over yet.

Looking at the few chips he had left, Dylin clenched the Golden Butterfly Hairpin in his hand.

There was no way he could reach the pity count. His only hope now was a lucky pull from single draws.

Maybe he had the wrong drawing posture just now, or maybe his luck was just cursed.

This time, he decided to change his luck—by changing who was pulling.

“I’ll leave it to you, Teresa!” Dylin muttered to himself, trying to hype himself up as he carefully placed the ornament back on his temple.

The unkempt, half-dead black-haired boy vanished. In his place, a confident and poised Elven girl emerged amid a swirl of golden butterflies.

Once she became Teresa, all the hesitation in her heart seemed to scatter like windblown clouds—replaced with a serene, graceful composure.

The golden-haired girl flicked her delicate fingers, crossed her legs elegantly, and without even glancing at the chip count, calmly tapped the “Draw One” button on the projection screen.

The bag shook briefly and then stopped—gold light burst forth.

“Hm? Did I pull it?” The golden-haired girl tilted her head slightly.

“Boom!” Gold light surged out from the bag. In her pale hand appeared a crystal-clear glass vial, holding a glowing, alluring potion.

Looking back at the Treasure Basin interface of the Golden Butterfly, she saw the featured item had already been replaced—proving it had been successfully drawn.

So this was the potion that could enhance a Divine Child’s mental power?

Teresa uncorked the bottle, lowered her head slightly, brushed back a strand of hair, and gently sniffed the scent with her fine Elven nose.

…Even by Elven sensory standards, the smell was not exactly pleasant—but still tolerable.

She really wanted to down the potion in one gulp, but strong physical memory warned her against it.

Instead, she got up, went downstairs, found a white porcelain coffee cup from the cabinet, and carefully used a funnel to pour the potion into it, avoiding spills.

After that, she brought the cup back with a tea tray, gracefully raised her swanlike neck, and sipped it bit by bit—just like afternoon tea.

Once finished, she washed the cup and funnel, then leaned against the kitchen counter to feel the changes in her body.

The cool potion had traveled down her throat into her stomach, and within minutes, she could feel her five senses had significantly sharpened.

The Butterfly Hairpin began to emit a faint blue glow, and her eyes took on a golden sheen.

She activated her Divine Appraisal and scanned her surroundings—there wasn’t much difference from before. This was likely because her Divine Appraisal skill was already at a high level, and improvements now would be minimal.

The main function of this potion was to increase her mental energy so she could use Divine Appraisal more frequently in battle. It seemed to have achieved its purpose—her spiritual strength had definitely increased.

Aside from that, she wondered if this boost would allow her to learn more Divine Child skills.

The learning paths of Divine Princesses and Divine Children were entirely different. Divine Princesses needed to level up their Domain and Divine Authority, requiring vast combat experience and theory. Once their rank hit a threshold, they’d need to decipher breakthrough conditions—without enough talent, they'd hit a wall.

Divine Children were similar, but their skills were learned rather than awakened. Their advancement hinged on how much knowledge they had. Divine Children had to constantly expand their understanding of the world to grow stronger.

That’s why most high-ranking Divine Children were like philosophers, always speaking cryptically and rarely explaining themselves. It wasn’t that they were intentionally mysterious—they simply understood how insignificant they were in the grand scheme of things.

Dylin had never met a high-tier Divine Child, but he’d heard talking to them was exhausting—and they rarely bothered to clarify what they meant.

After boosting her mental strength, Teresa believed she might now be able to learn more Divine Child skills—but the potion didn’t show clearly how much of a boost she got. It might not be enough.

Removing the ornament, she returned to her male form.

Dylin exhaled. At least he finally pulled it. No blood pressure spikes this time.

But after the satisfaction faded and he saw he had only two chips left, he couldn’t help wondering…

He pulled fifty times and didn’t get anything. But the moment he let Teresa do it, a single pull got the jackpot?

Was it really just an accident?

Lying on the bed, Dylin glanced at the black crystal student ID in his hand and remembered something—his own ID card as Dylin hadn’t been issued yet.

And speaking of which, how much “funds” were stored in these cards?

The so-called “funds” in a student ID were points that could be used to buy anything inside the Academy—even for trading. That’s why, at Coleman Academy, losing your card was unthinkable. Everything—class attendance, meals, shopping—required it.

Seeing the sunlight slanting through the window, Dylin decided to head out and grab dinner.

Crown Mansion was very close to the dining hall—just a few steps away.

But as he reached the door, he paused.

Right… he was still wearing Teresa’s skirt uniform…

And he hadn’t brought his own clothes.

Going out dressed like this would definitely get him labeled a pervert.

Plus, he didn’t have his own student ID. The card in his hand was Teresa’s. Technically, he could use her card to buy food—but…

He recalled something John had said to him during that gathering:

“Why do you look like a pretty boy living off a rich lady?”

Yeah. No thanks.

With a sigh, Dylin placed the hair ornament back on his head.

It was exhausting, and he really didn’t want to eat another salad—but there was no helping it.

Swiping the card to open the door, pocketing the black crystal ID, Teresa began walking toward the cafeteria.

It was worth noting that before stepping out, Teresa couldn’t help but feel something was off. She stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair and flattening that barely-noticeable cowlick—only then was she satisfied enough to leave.

The streets were still relatively quiet. The freshmen were on break, but upperclassmen still had class.

Fewer people meant no long lines at the cafeteria.

Entering the gorgeously decorated Hall of Cuisine, Teresa—now a far cry from her old self—really wanted to reward herself with a feast. But in the end, she still ordered a plate of fruit and vegetable salad. The only difference was that this time it wasn’t the free mid-tier one—it was the premium paid version.

Still grass either way. Hard to argue there.

“Thank you for waiting, honorable champion.” After a few quick steps, a young man in black waiter attire placed the dishes before her and respectfully returned her black crystal card. “Your vegetable salad and fresh fruit platter. Please enjoy.”

“Thank you.” Teresa smiled and accepted the card. Seated on the soft balcony chair, she elegantly lifted her fork—just about to eat when her gaze met a pair of vivid violet eyes.

Their eyes met—briefly, silently.

Teresa was the first to look away and began eating her salad.

What a coincidence… just trying to eat, and she ran into a familiar face.

But the other girl probably didn’t recognize her anymore.

The wind stirred. On the sun-drenched balcony, a petite silver-haired figure sat across from Teresa. Even after Teresa looked away, the other girl’s gaze stayed fixed on her.

She wasn’t here to eat—that much was clear from the sketchpad and colored pencils in her lap.

She hadn’t said a word, and Teresa had no intention of acknowledging her unless spoken to.

If she remembered correctly, she’d saved this girl once—without her disguise. That had been before her Divine Awakening. If she were recognized, one more person would know she was an elf.

And the girl was none other than Sophia, the Moon Elf King’s second daughter. She was blood-related to a known threat. Best not to get involved.

With that thought, Teresa kept her head down and focused on her salad, doing her best to lower her presence.

A breeze lifted a lock of her golden hair. Under the fading sunset, it shimmered like divine silk—glorious and radiant.

The glow of the setting sun reflected on the face of the golden-haired girl—it was a breathtaking sight.

...So beautiful.

Sophia sat there stunned, clutching her sketchpad.

She looked at her pencil, then at the slanting light of dusk.

She had come to the second-floor balcony of the dining hall because it was quiet. From this angle, the setting sun was perfect painting material.

Now, she suddenly had the urge to abandon her sunset sketch and paint the girl instead.

But she reconsidered.

She didn’t believe her limited palette could capture the girl’s beauty.

Imperfect brushwork would only ruin a flawless image. Better to keep that beauty preserved in memory, a hazy but eternal impression.

Looking at the elegant girl eating salad, Sophia bit her lip lightly.

She wasn’t the kind to approach others or liked being approached.

But…

The girl’s face struck a deep chord in her.

She recognized her—this was the dark horse who appeared out of nowhere in the Secret Realm, the one who stunned the whole Academy—Coleman’s Champion, the “Radiant Golden Sun” Teresa.

But she was clearly a human... So why...

Now, as the golden-haired girl sat bathed in dusk light, her hair catching the very same glow as the girl who once saved her…

She kept telling herself—she’s just a human, she couldn’t be the Gold Elf who saved her.

But her mind kept returning to that possibility.

Looking down at her half-finished sketch of the red-orange sunset, Sophia felt... nothing.

It felt empty.

She knew staring like this was rude. With a faint frown, she looked away and absentmindedly added some colors to her canvas—uninspired and distracted.

She’s eating just salad? Really?

Watching the girl across from her, Sophia swung her legs—too short to reach the ground.

She thought, Most humans don’t eat stuff like that, right? At least none she’d seen. Most went for meat and grilled food.

But as her eyes drifted back to her own sketch, her little brows furrowed.

…What is this garbage?

Realizing she couldn’t focus, Sophia packed up her art and slung a small satchel over her back.

Looking at the sun sinking into the mountains, she squinted.

With a view more beautiful than the sunset right in front of her, how could she focus on anything else?

If she couldn’t draw well, then she wouldn’t draw at all.

She tore the unfinished page off her sketchpad, folded it, and was just about to toss it into the trash when—

“Please wait.”

“…?”

Sophia froze at the melodious, oriole-like voice.

The golden-haired girl had gracefully stood up, wiped her lips with a napkin, and approached.

“This piece… Miss Elf, why throw it away?”

“…It’s not perfect,” Sophia frowned. She didn’t understand why the other girl stopped her.

“Not perfect? But in my eyes, it’s a truly excellent work,” Teresa’s gaze landed on the painting and didn’t move. She herself didn’t even know when she’d suddenly developed such a keen interest in art.

She had originally intended to avoid contact—but when she glimpsed Sophia’s sketch, the urge to speak up was overwhelming.

Without thinking, she stood up to stop her.

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