Chapter 135 – Frand: What Just Happened

The half-day emergency cramming session finally came to an end. Unable to hold on any longer into the late night, Wenfu collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep. Only then did the rest of the group wrap things up and head to their rooms.

Teresa didn’t switch back into Dylin, choosing instead to return to her room in Teresa’s form and go to sleep that way.

Elves didn’t need much sleep—what little they did get was of remarkably high quality. With five hours until dawn and an early morning ahead, sleeping in her elven form would help her recover far more efficiently.

As they returned to their rooms, Astrid glanced toward Dylin’s.

Since leaving the study that afternoon, Dylin had not appeared again.

Did he have something important to take care of?

Given that the award ceremony was tomorrow, and the Headmaster himself was personally presenting the prizes to the winners, it made sense for Dylin to be making preparations.

With that thought, Astrid returned to her room and quietly shut the door.

***

Early the next morning, before dawn, Teresa stepped out of her room. After carefully tidying her hair and adjusting her appearance, she went to Dylin’s room. There was a figure beneath the covers.

Teresa lifted the blanket, revealing a “Dylin” dressed in sleepwear with eyes shut in repose.

Sensing that the blanket had been removed, he opened his eyes and sat up, his gaze empty as he looked toward Teresa.

Under her watchful eyes, he walked to the bedside, removed his pajamas, and dressed himself in the male school uniform laid out beforehand.

After setting the timing command, Teresa left the room, instructed him to lock the door from inside, and then departed Crown Manor.

***

At exactly 8 a.m., Teresa returned, feigning the end of a morning jog. At that moment, “Dylin” came down from the third floor.

“Miss Teresa, back from your jog?” Wenfu, already in the entrance changing her shoes, wagged her tail cheerfully and trotted over.

“Yes, just took a short walk to wake myself up.” Today, Teresa wore the exclusive female uniform of the Crown Champions. Its sleeves and hem were trimmed with crystal shimmer, gold-threaded roses adorned her chest and arms, and paired with her platinum silk hair, she shone like a dazzling beacon wherever she went.

“Is Mr. Dylin up already?”

“Yes.” “Dylin” nodded gently and smiled. “How could I miss a meal cooked by Miss Wenfu?”

Just then, Astrid also came downstairs.

Felicia had gone out for her morning training, as expected of the ever-disciplined Knight Princess—early meetings were no excuse to miss a workout.

The four of them sat around the table.

Astrid instinctively glanced at Dylin. They hadn’t shared a meal yesterday since he woke up late. It had been a while since they enjoyed a peaceful breakfast together.

“Eh?” Wenfu blinked, glancing between Teresa and Dylin, her brow furrowing in thought.

“Mr. Dylin.”

“Hm? What is it?” “Dylin” looked toward her.

“Did you… have a fight with Miss Teresa?”

... Both “Dylin” and Teresa froze for a moment.

“Wenfu, what makes you say that? Dylin and I haven’t fought at all.” Teresa replied with her usual graceful smile.

“But… why didn’t you two talk to each other when you met just now?”

...

Her comment made Astrid pause too. She realized it herself—given how long Teresa and Dylin had known each other and how deeply they’d supported one another through hardship, their relationship shouldn’t be this... detached.

“Did we? I don’t think so?”

“Yes, you did. Miss Teresa, you didn’t even look at Mr. Dylin when you entered the room.” Wenfu tilted her head, genuinely concerned. “Did something happen to upset you both?”

“No, nothing like that. It’s just... Dylin and I don’t need to greet each other all the time. He’s used to it, isn’t he?”

“Dylin” nodded. “Teresa and I didn’t have a fight. Don’t worry.”

“Honestly, your brain’s always running on gossip mode. No wonder your grades are what they are.” Teresa flicked Wenfu’s forehead playfully.

“Ow...”

“Alright, eat up. The award ceremony’s coming up.”

“Miss Felicia won’t be late, will she?”

“Don’t worry. She’s got a better sense of time than you.”

***

They ate. Wenfu kept a normal pace, while Teresa and Astrid looked delicate and refined but were actually quite fast.

While washing dishes, Wenfu noticed some food left on Dylin’s plate.

“Mr. Dylin, did the food not suit your taste today?”

“Oh, not at all. I’ve got to head out now.” “Dylin” hurriedly put on his shoes and left.

“Don’t mind him. He’s probably just nervous about having to appear in front of the whole school,” Teresa explained.

“Really?” Wenfu nodded obediently.

“Well then, Astrid, Wenfu, I’ll go ahead with Mr. Dylin. We need to prepare.”

“Okay.” Both girls stayed behind to clean up, knowing Dylin and Teresa were the centerpieces of the ceremony and would need to be there early.

***

“Whew...” On the way to the plaza, Teresa finally let out a soft breath.

Playing two roles at once was exhausting—too many details to keep track of, too many chances for inconsistencies.

Sure, Teresa and Dylin had known each other a long time—but they’d never actually met face-to-face. How was she supposed to know what kind of interaction they’d have?

She glanced at Dylin walking beside her.

This wasn’t the same puppet from before.

No, this was Teresa’s new toy—a newer, upgraded model.

Dylin’s gacha spree from the other day hadn’t been for nothing. He’d drawn nearly fifty times, earning a large number of fragments—enough for Teresa to exchange for a brand-new high-grade puppet.

In the past, when she was tight on resources, she’d used low-tier ones—barely passable even for emergencies. They couldn’t fool any real experts. Astrid had probably already seen through the last one.

So Teresa had decided—no more corner-cutting. She exchanged everything for one top-grade puppet.

This new model was a vast improvement. The imitation of scent, movement, even hair texture, was near flawless. It could mimic real people to an uncanny degree.

Of course, it still couldn’t imitate a Divine Princess. But for an ordinary person without Divine Authority? It was almost perfect.

Just now, Teresa had relied on her mental image of Dylin’s daily behavior to guide the puppet—but when Wenfu started asking questions, she had no choice but to take back control directly.

She only hoped the ceremony would go smoothly.

***

This year’s award ceremony was unusual. The Headmaster himself would be personally handing out the prizes. Teresa didn’t know if this idea had been Elder Diderlay’s whim—but if the old man wanted to play along, what could she do?

She just hoped her puppet wouldn’t be exposed too easily.

Honestly, both Teresa and Dylin disliked noisy public events like this. Astrid probably felt the same. If given the choice, Teresa would much rather curl up at home with a book and a cat.

Coleman Plaza, the central square of the Academy, featured a massive gemstone centerpiece.

The white marble base, beautifully imperfect, formed the foundation of the plaza, surrounded by a circle of towering vines like protective arms. The leafy canopy dappled the sunlight across the paving stones.

Colorful ribbons streamed from the columns. Students entered using their ID cards. The atmosphere was festive and vibrant.

It seemed most teams had found their permanent teammates and were getting along well.

The entire faculty and student body participated in this annual event: the freshman celebration and the Crown Champion Award Ceremony.

A certain half-elf instructor showed up with his usual pomp. Frand, dressed impeccably, carried himself with exaggerated grace.

In past years, his appearance would’ve sparked squeals and admiration from female students.

Frand would then act nonchalant, exuding purity and detachment, as if he were above the mortal realm.

But this year? When he walked out—

Nothing. Not a peep.

No one even looked at him.

Frand was annoyed. Confused.

Still, it didn’t matter.

He’d just returned from an off-campus trip. He was in a good mood. That morning, he’d checked his appearance in the mirror several times to ensure perfection. His half-elf ears were on full display, brimming with smug superiority.

He didn’t even know who won this year’s Crown Cup.

Didn’t care either.

Whoever it was, they'd still have to show respect when facing him. After all, he had elven blood. He wasn’t someone a commoner could compare to.

He strode to the instructors’ seats, sipping wine, not even sparing the other teachers a glance. In his eyes, only fellow elves were worth speaking to.

But then—another oddity.

No one greeted him.

The usually sycophantic junior instructors ignored him completely, their attention focused on the stage.

“Miss Blaise,” Frand finally turned to a familiar face nearby, “Is there something different about this year’s ceremony?”

“Hm? You haven’t heard, Frand? This year, the Headmaster himself is presenting the award.”

“The Headmaster?!” Frand nearly dropped his wine. “Are you sure?”

“Ask around if you don’t believe me,” Blaise replied coolly.

A personal appearance from the Headmaster—that was unprecedented.

Wait…

Ah.

Frand’s expression shifted. He got it now.

It must be because Astrid won.

Of course. Princess Astrid had taken the crown, and the Headmaster wanted to honor her personally.

Naturally, as one of the elf elders, Frand needed to be here.

It all made sense.

***

The audience seating filled quickly. Then, accompanied by solemn music, the ceremony began.

“Third place in the Crown Cup: Her Highness Felicia Zorsha of the Whiteglass Kingdom!”

Applause thundered as Felicia stepped onto the stage in full uniform, long twintails flowing, her tall figure commanding attention. Her teammates followed.

Hmm. As expected, Felicia wasn’t a match for Astrid.

“Second place in the Crown Cup: Her Highness Astrid Oleniman of the Land of the Elves!”

Wait... what?

Frand froze.

Second place?

What do you mean SECOND place?!

Astrid was... not the champion?

Frand’s unease grew as he saw Astrid walk out with her team.

“Miss Blaise, what’s going on?” he asked urgently, pointing at the stage.

“What do you mean?” Blaise replied casually. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“Why is Astrid second place?! Who’s first?!”

“Ah, you really haven’t kept up. That’s understandable.” Blaise’s tone carried a hint of teasing now. “Why don’t you guess who the Crown Champion is, Frand?”

“Don’t joke. There are so many students—I couldn’t possibly—”

“No, I think you can guess. It’s one of the few students you actually know.”

“What are you talking about? Aside from Astrid, none of the students I know could possibly—”

“And finally!” The host’s voice rang out across the entire plaza, cutting him off: “Let us congratulate the student whose name shall be forever etched into Coleman Academy’s history. Blazing a brilliant path through all obstacles—the resplendent golden sun: Teresa!”

Frand’s jaw hit the floor.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.