“After that, we recalculated the total scores among all contestants. In the end, one contestant overtook Liz, who had been firmly in first place, and won the championship of Carillian Academy’s First Beauty Pageant. That contestant is—Lady Vinnia!”

“Let’s congratulate her!” When the spotlight hit the pale-blue-haired girl who looked utterly lost and couldn’t make sense of what was happening, thunderous applause rose from the audience. No one knew who started clapping—anyway, the clapping just began, echoing beneath the stunned faces of the pageant contestants and the blank look on the newly crowned champion.

Wait, what on earth is this??

Right now Vinny felt like ten thousand alpacas were stampeding through his heart.

What are you people clapping for? Congratulating what?? I don’t even know how I won, and you’re over there applauding??

No, seriously—how did she end up in first place??

Her talent segment was just her messing around on stage, wasn’t it?? Are these spectators all that into a one-of-a-kind style??

Singing and dancing are too ordinary—everyone’s sick of watching that—so a surprise move achieved a miraculous effect instead??

Vinny had thought his chances were slim, but against all expectations, this is what happened.

Even so, Vinny still couldn’t figure it out—what was up with this audience, why did they vote for him? Just because he knows how to clown around??

Vinny couldn’t figure it out.”

“Yeah! Well deserved! If Lady Vinnia isn’t the champion, I can’t accept it!” Then came cheers and shouts from a bunch of die-hard guys in the crowd.

“Lady Vinnia is so cool—I’m in love!”

“Ahhh, I was born just so I could meet Lady Vinnia!”

“As expected—pretty faces are a dime a dozen, but interesting souls are one in a hundred—too much fun!”

After the applause started, the rest of the audience followed suit, accepting the fact that Vinny was this year’s pageant champion.

Slowly, the clapping grew louder and louder.

Liz also added her applause, as did the other contestants. Whether for the sake of magnanimity or from heartfelt goodwill, they had to clap—an emblematic gesture of blessing.

“As the beauty champion of Carillian Academy, we believe the most important qualities in a woman should be effortless confidence and unrelenting perseverance. Therefore, I also cast my precious vote for Lady Vinnia, because despite the rough edges, I saw tireless persistence and confidence in this young lady. That’s the rarest thing of all.” After announcing the champion, the host continued.

Of course, not everyone could be convinced—like Alaia, standing at the edge of the stage.

She didn’t even clap, didn’t even pretend—openly showing she refused to accept it.

But whether she refused or anyone else refused, they still had to accept it.

Maybe others didn’t vote for Vinny—but the most votes went to him, and the judges gave him the highest score. That’s an indisputable fact, so no one has grounds to object.

No one dares make trouble here.

Logistics staff, hosts, stage construction, giving every registrant a chance to present themselves and raise their profile, and the final reward, the Ice Elemental Elixir—these were all provided by the organizer. The final result came through voting—the one with the highest total score and the greatest popularity. No one can object.

“Now then, may the champion, Lady Vinnia, please step to center stage. Let’s put the spotlight on him and invite him to deliver his acceptance speech!” As the host spoke, the contestants on either side stepped back of their own accord, leaving Vinny standing at center stage.

And once the lights hit, there was only a dazed pale-blue-haired girl in the middle of the stage, as if she still hadn’t processed the fact that she’d won.

No—no, that can’t be right, can it??

He only entered with a ‘let’s-see-what-happens’ mindset, and he ended up... winning??

Does that make sense??

Carillian Academy’s first beauty pageant—he’s a man, and he went up there and won?? And now they’re asking him to give an acceptance speech? How does any of this make sense??

Vinny stood there, stunned, long unable to speak.

“Please, say a few words—your acceptance remarks, and perhaps summarize what led to your win.” The host walked over and handed Vinny a magic device like a microphone, imbued with amplification magic.

“I...” Vinny took the enchanted device that looked like a microphone, stayed silent a moment, then recalled an acceptance-speech template from his previous life. “Ahem. First, I want to thank everyone for your support. Without you, this young lady could never have made it here.”

“Besides that, I also want to thank—uh, thank?? Mm, in short, there are many people to thank!”

No, no, doesn’t that sound a little weird??

“Haha—looks like a lot of people do enjoy this young lady’s jokes.” Vinny remembered the host had asked him to share his ‘winning experience,’ so he tossed that out casually.

“Yes! I absolutely love Lady Vinnia’s deadpan jokes! Ahhh! Even if I freeze to death from them, I’m willing!” Before Vinny could continue, the crowd started going feral again.

After Vinny finished speaking, more cheers rose up—but even he didn’t know what exactly they were cheering for.

“Ahem—pardon us, gentlemen. Please let our pageant champion finish. Don’t interrupt him.” Even the host couldn’t keep it together and had to speak up.

“Oh, right, sorry—Lady Vinnia, I just wanted to show how determined I am to support you!”

“...” Vinny wanted to speak but stopped, utterly speechless for a moment.

A man getting worked over by another man like this—isn’t that just plain disgusting??

Vinny pressed his lips—gloss gleaming.

Forget it. One way or another, it’s almost over. He’s gotten what he came for—no matter how you slice it, he hasn’t lost out.

All right, wrap up this farce. Hand him the elixir, he’ll head straight back, and then he can pretend none of this ever happened.

Even if people saw him, they have no proof it’s him. Even if someone recognized him, it doesn’t matter.

“Next, we will award the champion’s medal of the First Aesthetics Pageant and the prize—the Ice Elemental Elixir—plus the additional pageant reward, the Gold Branch Flower!”

“Oh—sorry, wait. My apologies, everyone. I won’t be doing the awarding. It will be presented personally by the organizer.” The host seemed to recall something and exited the stage.

The organizer, personally?

Vinny arched a brow, unable to help imagining what the organizer looked like.

And from his tone—was the organizer a single individual?

If so, that’s something else. With that kind of wealth and alchemical prowess, the organizer is clearly no ordinary person.

Even so, just judging by the fact they held a beauty pageant, Vinny didn’t think much of them. Odds were it was some greasy, lecherous old coot.

Mm—the more he thought about it, the more it seemed right.

Tch! And from the looks of it, that greasy old coot seems to have set his sights on him??

Crap—don’t tell me that’s really it? Not this, please! If he’d known guys could also get—

While Vinny was grumbling in his head about what the organizer looked like and what kind of person they were, the light, crisp tap of heeled boots sounded from the side of the stage.

Only then did Vinny notice that every contestant’s gaze had turned that way in unison, all of them drawn and shaken to the core.

What is going on??

Vinny looked too. When he finally saw who that white-clad figure was—gliding in from stage left with a tray—his pupils contracted; he was dumbstruck.

How could it be her?! How could it be her??

Ah... ah??

This doesn’t fit any logic—no, wait—

Filthy rich; beauty pageant; terrifyingly strong alchemy?

Why hadn’t he connected it sooner? Don’t these traits belong to—

“Congratulations, Vin—nia, young lady~” Before he could react, the silver-haired girl reached him, smiling radiantly, and—maybe on purpose—she deliberately broke “Vinnia” into two syllables.

A black oversized bow, dazzling silver hair, gorgeous violet eyes that sparkled, an elegant, proper ensemble, black heeled boots—and that face, as if set with stars and gems, breathtaking and brilliant.

With that bearing and that beauty—if it wasn’t Aesphyra, who else could it be?

The instant she appeared, the entire venue dimmed. Contestants who had thought themselves pretty and promising—no matter their confidence—suddenly grasped the gulf between themselves and this silver-haired girl.

When Aesphyra took the stage, every gaze—onstage and off—locked onto her, unable to look away.

“It’s the campus belle, Aesphyra!” Many in the audience recognized the silver-haired girl presenting the award and gasped in awe.

In an instant, every blossom present felt ashamed of itself, as if it existed only to adorn the gem-bright silver-haired girl.

You could say that the moment she appeared, she stole the spotlight from every contestant here. Yet no one dared protest—not only because she was the organizer, but because in front of her, no one dared keep the word “beauty” on their lips.

It was a gap anyone could see, expert or not.

“Congratulations on winning the first pageant I’ve hosted at Carillian Academy. These are your prizes—please accept them.”

“And besides, I cast my precious vote for you too~” Aesphyra leaned in and blinked those lovely eyes in a whispery aside.

With that, she offered Vinny a black tray trimmed in gold. Resting on it were a pure-gold Gold Branch Flower, a delicate gemstone medal for the pageant champion, and the prize of this event—a vial of Ice Elemental Elixir, shimmering with dewy sparkle.

Just as promised.

Yet Vinny fell silent, rooted to the spot, slow to accept the award.

Aesphyra wasn’t annoyed. She simply watched him with a deep, lingering smile, as if thoroughly enjoying this.

[Virtue +80.]

[Current Virtue: 11584.]

“Ahem—Lady Vinnia, please accept your rewards, and thank our organizer, Lady Aesphyra.” The host, not quite sure what was going on, could only cough and remind Vinny—their paymaster was no mystery to them.

Offend anyone but not the money-giver.

Vinny’s lips trembled. Right now he wanted to spit: “This whole contest was hosted by you??” “Well, well—you wicked white-haired nutball, how dare you toy with this young lady??”

But he knew he couldn’t.

Never mind all these eyes on him—if he said that, wouldn’t it further confirm he was Vinny?

No. Not happening. Control the anger—he had to control the anger.

This was absolutely not the time to vent.

But... so that’s how it is. So that’s how it is, huh?!

No wonder this terrifying nutball was being so considerate, so thoughtful on his behalf—turns out she was waiting for him right here?!

He’d thought this white-haired nutball just wanted to mess with him a little—let him run into a wall and slink back with a dirty face. He hadn’t expected she’d even account for his unwillingness to accept defeat—down to predicting he’d crossdress to compete?!

This was in your calculations too, Aesphyra?!

So that’s it—now everything makes sense.

It was all a setup by this terrifying nutball to lure him into the trap.

Ahhh—this hateful Haji-chy (Aesphyra)—how can she be this bad?!

No, wait—hadn’t he known all along that she’s full of bad water, bad enough to drip oil??

No wonder—no wonder his Virtue kept ticking up. He was wondering why—turns out she’d been hiding somewhere watching the live show all along?!

Hold on—was that “exception” at registration, where he didn’t need to show a student ID, also her doing?!

Aesphyra, you—!

If not for all these people watching, Vinny would’ve laughed in fury.

Never in his life had he been toyed with until he felt this helpless and speechless.

With so many eyes on him, Vinny knew he couldn’t remain motionless any longer. His hands trembling, he slightly lifted his gaze—refusing to meet that white-haired nutball’s eyes.

He drew a deep breath, tidied his emotions a bit, and accepted the prizes from Aesphyra’s hands.

“Thank you... organizer.” Using his disguised voice, Vinny spoke his final lines. That already exhausted him—he felt himself almost collapse on the stage.

“Hold them steady, Lady Vinnia~” Aesphyra tilted her head with a squinting smile, her tone filled with layered meaning and the faintest, hard-to-catch mockery.

You’re still calling me that?!

Camella’s king of heckling, Idea King Vinny—this was the first time he’d ever felt so powerless before anyone.

He couldn’t out-heckle her, couldn’t out-curse her, couldn’t out-fight her, and when it came to wits he was utterly outplayed—toyed with, pinched between her fingers, again and again.

Exhausted.

May the next life see no more white-haired nutballs in this world.

Vinny held his rewards, forcing out a very ugly, very strained smile.

This should ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) count as a win, right? So why did it feel worse than losing?