Chapter 128 – The More You Tolerate, the Angrier You Get

“Just pick one and focus on that—choose the reason you, Miss Felicia, believe carries the most weight,” Dylin said.

As the team’s captain—though they hadn’t even decided on a name yet—he still felt it was his responsibility to ask for the reasoning behind a join request. This kind of thing couldn’t be taken lightly.

“Mm… I suppose the biggest reason is Teresa,” Felicia replied without much hesitation.

“For Teresa?”

“That’s right. Dylin, did you know? Astrid, who was always seen as my rival, was utterly defeated by Teresa.”

“I want to understand Teresa. I want to learn about her habits, her daily life, how she trained and built up from the smallest routines to ultimately defeat Astrid.”

“Ah, pardon me—I might’ve gotten a little carried away. But I have to admit, Teresa’s piqued my interest. I can’t help but want to know more about her. And naturally, I’d like to know more about the Divine Child who has earned her favor as well.” As she said this, Felicia looked at Dylin, her eyes twinkling with good-natured amusement.

“And then~ there’s some personal matters between me and Teresa. I’m afraid I can’t share those~”

Could it be Teresa found out about some of her ‘peculiar little hobbies’...? Dylin scratched his head awkwardly.

He hadn’t expected Teresa to attract this much attention, pulling in not just applicants, but top-tier ones at that. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“So, what do you think, Dylin? Is that reason good enough?”

“Mm. I understand your intention. I’ll give it serious thought.”

“No rush. There’s still nearly a week before school starts.” Felicia was sharp and efficient—no unnecessary detours. Once she’d clearly stated her position, she was ready to leave.

“At first, I didn’t quite understand why Teresa made the choices she did. Now, I think I get it a little more,” she said as Dylin walked her to the door.

“Hm?” Dylin looked puzzled.

“You’re quite the gentleman, Dylin,” Felicia said with a deep smile. “You have the air of a classic knight.”

Just as Dylin had been observing Felicia, she had been watching him in return. Most men sitting across from her would inevitably let their gaze stray to impolite places. But Dylin didn’t. It was like he didn’t even register that a stunning beauty was sitting in front of him.

After seeing off the graceful knight princess, Dylin turned his thoughts to the team’s direction.

This wasn’t something he could leave to others. He was the captain—this had to be handled personally.

But right now, his thoughts were a mess. He needed to shift gears...

Dylin removed his robe and took out the Golden Butterfly Hairpin, placing it by the side of his hair.

As radiant golden butterflies swirled into view and then vanished, a dazzlingly elegant blonde girl now sat in the grand lounge.

Teresa sat poised on the sofa, her delicate white hand playing with the Crown Gem they had won during the tournament, silently contemplating the issue of team applications.

Honestly, this team did need some fresh blood. The Crown team having only two members was just too... “special.” Official teams had to have four to six members. Just two couldn’t form a proper team. Better to pick people with trustworthy character than let the academy fill the gaps with unknowns—uncertain abilities, talent, or morals.

Otherwise, they might discover her secret and use it against her.

Astrid’s character, Teresa could trust. Elves were rarely duplicitous.

As for Felicia…

Teresa didn’t believe the knight princess would do anything morally wrong—for one very simple reason: she had seen Felicia’s “flaws.”

Though calling them flaws wasn’t quite accurate—perhaps “little secrets” was better.

The two of them each held secrets about the other. That was the most stable kind of balance.

Humans needed outlets. The more someone presented as flawless and perfect, the more Teresa would be on guard. Because such people were rarely as pure as they appeared—behind the scenes, who knew what strange or twisted preferences they harbored?

Perhaps this was overly intuitive, but Elves—especially Gold Elves—had sharp instincts.

Teresa’s gut told her that this radiant knight princess was indeed upright. There were no concerns about her character—only a few small quirks that wouldn’t trouble others.

But no one was perfect. People couldn’t be held to impossibly high standards.

After much thought, Teresa concluded that Astrid and Felicia were trustworthy—but it was still better to maintain the status quo. Revealing everything would only raise risks, not to mention the chance they wouldn’t accept her dual identity.

Both Elf and human—two existences in one. That was already beyond what most people of this age could comprehend.

Outsiders were always the first to be excluded.

This matter would need to be considered carefully, just as Astrid and Felicia had said. There was still time—no need to rush.

However...

Other things demanded attention first.

“Heh.” Teresa crossed one snow-white, smooth leg over the other, her expression calm but her smile not quite reaching her eyes as she stared at the crack in the wall.

This pristine, spotless estate had gained a new, very visible “decoration” within three days of moving in. How delightful.

She tried not to look at it. But she couldn’t help it. That crack felt like it wasn’t etched into the wall—but into her heart.

It was almost like being a perfectionist with a bit of OCD. To see such a hideous scar on such a beautiful villa... Teresa clenched her delicate fists.

Let it go, let it go. She’s just a child. Just playing around...

She’s merely a girl who doesn’t think about consequences. Forget it.

But still...

As Teresa stared at the crack, a red pound-sign vein mark seemed to pop up on her forehead.

Yeah—she definitely couldn’t let this slide.

Returning to her room, she changed into her uniform and packed up.

For some reason, although she had never worn a skirt before, it felt like the ability to do so had been etched into her DNA. She moved with natural skill and no discomfort whatsoever—as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

She spent half an hour in front of the mirror adjusting her appearance before finally being satisfied. She stepped out of her room, tossed the Substitute Doll onto Dylin’s bed, and turned to leave. On the way out, she saw the name tag hanging on her door—written in the common tongue, a sloppy mess.

Ugh... was that how I wrote it? All crooked and messy.

Frowning, she tore it down, ripped it to pieces, and threw it in the trash. Then she rewrote it in elegant, refined Elvish, carefully hanging it again. It looked a little off-center, so she spent another ten minutes adjusting it.

Finally, satisfied, Teresa brushed aside her bangs, headed downstairs, put on her shoes, and left the courtyard.

Dorms hadn’t been officially assigned yet, so Lillin should still be in her temporary dorm.

Teresa didn’t know Lillin’s exact room—but that was fine. She knew where Astrid lived.

She arrived at Astrid’s door, and just as she raised her hand to knock, the door opened by itself.

“Eh? Ahh! L-Lady Teresa?!”

To Teresa’s mild surprise, it wasn’t Astrid who opened the door, but a familiar redhead she’d seen that morning.

Upon seeing her, Lillin immediately straightened her disheveled collar and bowed her head in a guilty daze, unable to meet her eyes.

“Oh my, if I’m not mistaken, this is Astrid’s room, isn’t it?” Teresa gazed at Lillin with an ever-so-sweet smile and deep, knowing eyes.

“Ah—Her Highness had something to take care of, so I’m just helping to, uh, house-sit for her...”

“I see.”

“Did you need to speak to Lady Astrid? I can help you find her—”

“No need.” Teresa placed a hand on Lillin’s shoulder, stopping her.

“Huh?”

“I’m here for you, Lillin.”

Gulp. Seeing that warm, smiling Teresa, Lillin stiffened and swallowed.

Just being stared at like that made her feel like her soul had been laid bare—no secret left unexposed.

And beyond that, she had a very bad feeling...

Most importantly...

Her Highness Teresa hadn’t added any honorifics to her name.

That alone told Lillin something was very wrong.

Could it be… Her Highness already knows…??

“Lillin, what’s wrong with your eyes today? You’re not feeling well?” Teresa asked with a kindly tone.

“N-No, no, I’m fine, though—yes, feeling a little unwell actually! Maybe I should—”

“Unwell? I happen to know a bit about diagnosis. Want me to take a look?”

“I couldn’t trouble you, Your Highness—”

“Oh, don’t be so formal now.” Without waiting for permission, Teresa placed her hand on Lillin’s forehead, looking very serious.

“Hmm... Ding-ding~ I’ve got a diagnosis.”

“Eh? What is it?”

“This condition relates to the brain.” Teresa poked her temple.

“M-My brain?!” Lillin clutched her little head.

“Yup. But the root of the issue isn’t your brain—it’s here~” She poked Lillin square in the chest.

“Yaaah! Mmmph!” Lillin flushed red and covered her ample chest.

“My chest... don’t tell me—”

“What are you thinking? I meant your heart,” Teresa said sternly.

“In here—Lillin’s heart—there’s a lot of filthy stuff hidden away, isn’t there?”

“Uwah?!”

“My suggestion? A heart surgery. Take it out and clean out all that gunk~” She emphasized the last three words, her smile turning disturbingly sweet.

“Heart surgery?! Take out my heart?!” Lillin stumbled back. “D-Does it hurt?!”

“Not at all. Close your eyes, and it’ll be over. When you open them again, maybe you’ll see a whole new world.” Teresa kicked off her loafers and walked in smiling.

“D-Don’t, Your Highness!”

“No running now, Lillin. This is for your own good. We’ve got to remove all that filthy ‘mud’ you’ve been hiding inside.”

“Alright then. This is urgent—let’s begin surgery~”

“Waaah! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything! I confess!” Pinned down on the sofa, Lillin wailed through her tears.

In the end, under Teresa’s “enhanced interrogation,” Lillin tearfully confessed everything she’d done that morning.

Though... Teresa might’ve gone a little too far.

She only wanted to punish Lillin a bit and tease her. But now the girl was sobbing and spilling secrets from her whole life—like how she wet the bed as a child, or how she secretly looked at naughty books despite being an Elf…

Even Teresa felt guilty just listening.

“There’s more...”

“Alright, Lillin. That’s enough.”

“You made me say everything... sob sob...”

Teresa realized these buried memories had created immense psychological pressure for Lillin. Now she was treating Teresa like a confessional statue.

“As an Elf, I am deeply ashamed!”

“It’s okay, Lillin. I get it. Everyone has their secrets. Don’t blame yourself so much.”

Eventually, Teresa found herself comforting the crying little Elf.

“But about this morning…”

“It was that guy, wasn’t it? He tattled...” Lillin pouted, eyes still misty.

“Dylin didn’t say a word.”

“Then... how did you find out?”

“What do you think?” Teresa poked her little nose. “Came back from my run and saw a big ol’ sword crack in the wall. What do you think I’d suspect?”

“Uwah...” Lillin bowed her head. Yeah... that made sense. “I was wrong, Your Highness... please don’t hate me...”

“Then reflect properly, alright?”

“I’ve apologized...”

“Just an apology? Lillin, don’t you think you ought to offer a bit more sincere repentance?”

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