Chapter 150 Chapter 151 Crushing
“He’s crazy.” The red-haired noble girl looked into the mirror, the dazzling ruby earrings swaying, “I don’t even know what to say. What is there to discuss with a man who doesn’t even care about his own face?”
Everyone present knew that Enlek had been pursuing the red-haired noble girl for two years. His various approaches to court her had made many girls envious.
In terms of social standing, they were a good match; Enlek’s family was even more prestigious than hers. But the red-haired noble girl had always maintained an ambiguous attitude towards Enlek’s advances, neither rejecting nor accepting him. Occasionally, she would accompany him to ride in a carriage to admire the sea view.
But more often than not, he would stand in the back garden holding flowers, braving the rain, staring at her closed windows and doors.
She had always believed that only Iis was worthy of her. Unfortunately, the noble Iis had never been fated to be with her.
The red-haired noble girl remarked:
“Yes, what a delusion, to come up with such an outrageous method to attract your attention.”
“His appearance in women’s clothing must be quite disgusting.”
The red-haired noble girl recalled Enlek in women’s clothes that day; she had even gotten angry, probably because she hadn’t dressed well that day. She said:
“Not bad, just like a woman.”
“No matter how beautiful, how can a false flower compare to the most beautiful bloom in the garden?”
This struck a chord with the red-haired noble girl. She let down her hair and admired her reflection in the mirror, dressed in a red skirt with a golden belt around her waist, her lips involuntarily curving into a smile.
Such extraordinary beauty. The star of the stage must be her; the flowers in the audience would rain down for her, and the spectators would clap for the fortune of witnessing her beauty. As for Enlek, he was just a joke, attempting to surpass her in appearance.
Her supporters would mock his delusions right in front of him, voicing her inner thoughts. All she needed to do was smile, quietly wait for young master Iis’s carriage to arrive, and step into the carriage under his regretful gaze.
Thinking of this, a smile appeared on the red-haired noble girl’s face.
…
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
The day of the second round of the competition arrived. Jima dressed modestly in a red hooded cloak, a black high-waisted tank top, a white apron, and a red skirt, carrying a basket covered with a cloth.
She looked like Little Red Riding Hood.
As she stepped out, she got into Enlek’s carriage.
Confident and elegant, a girl sat on the seat waiting for her. The girl was wearing a pale yellow gown, adorned with white fabric flowers at the chest, masking her flat figure.
Is it Enlek?
The girl said, “Good afternoon, Miss Jima.”
This dispelled any doubts in Jima’s mind. Her tone was calm and assured, not like the soft and weak Enlek.
Could it be that Enlek couldn’t participate in the competition? No, I must throw him onto the stage even if I have to tie him up.
Her heart sank, and she asked, “Where is Enlek? Are you his family?”
The girl chuckled, “That’s me.”
Jima closed the carriage door and looked at Enlek with wide eyes, finding his appearance similar to what she remembered, but his demeanor and tone had changed so much that she momentarily didn’t recognize him.
“Wow! You’re so beautiful.” Jima exclaimed sincerely, “This is secured.”
Afterward, she touched the enchanting witch’s potion lying quietly in the straw inside the bamboo basket, realizing that it might not get a chance to be used.
Enlek shyly lowered his head, skillfully opened a fan to cover his face and said:
“The champion has always made me imagine myself as a beautiful woman who surpasses all others, fostering my confidence, so he took me to various gatherings full of women. Although it was embarrassing at first, feeling like I had no face to show, thank you for insisting that I dress as a woman at home; I am no longer afraid.”
“At the gatherings, I was initially worried about frightening others, but the men kept asking me to dance, the women either curiously inquiring about my background or gossiping behind my back, and more women approached me asking where I got my clothes or what shade of lipstick I used.”
Enlek concluded, “This feeling of being the center of attention is quite wonderful.”
A pang of guilt flashed through Jima’s conscience, which had been reduced to a tiny bit, as she thought. Enlek was falling into this too quickly, even faster than herself!
She said, “Enlek, this vanity won’t last. Others desire your body; wealth, power, and strength are more reliable.”
“Miss Jima, please call me Shiya.”
No hope left, never mind my own business.
“Alright, Miss Shiya.”
The carriage entered Marlin City, becoming busier as it approached the commercial district. The speed slowed, the outside noise flooding into the carriage.
Enlek nervously fanned the cold sweat on his face, asking:
“Miss Jima, do you think I can win?”
The discerning Jima scrutinized him once more and said, “Yes.”
Then she lifted the cloth covering the bamboo basket, revealing a few test tubes lying in the straw, containing shallow pink liquids.
She lowered her voice, saying, “I’m also an alchemist. This potion can make you very popular, but it does have some side effects.”
Enlek replied, “Thank you, but that’s not good. I only want to win Miss Tisnali’s heart fairly.”
Beside him, the previously silent braided maid couldn’t help but cover her face, whispering:
“Miss Tisnali is sure to be very desperate.”
Jima quickly said, “Women like powerful men who can surpass them. After despair comes admiration; you’ll definitely succeed.”
“Thank you.” Enlek lowered his head, looking at the clothes he was wearing, saying, “Lady Black Mary made this dress so well.”
“As long as you don’t let my sacrifices be in vain,” Jima couldn’t help but recall the tragic afternoon where she was treated like a doll and had to try on eighteen clothes at Lady Black Mary’s shop.
The carriage stopped, and as soon as the door opened, the commotion outside rushed into the carriage.
At the outdoor opera house, enthusiastic spectators filled the seats.
On stage stood a beautiful girl, radiant as fire, wearing heart-shaped ruby earrings, a red strapless dress, and white long gloves, resembling a proud hen, standing in the middle of the stage, looking down at the audience.
Staff members walked by with clay pots, collecting ceramic shards from the audience. Soon, clay pots filled with shards, like trophies, were placed in front of the red-haired noble girl, one after another, totaling eight.
“Without a doubt, Miss Tisnali has won the audience’s admiration by an absolute advantage,” shouted the host from the audience, “Let us see the scores from the four judges: four points, three points, five points! The most stringent Mr. Swan has given the highest score of the entire event, three points!”
Enlek stood lost, his piercing eyes staring blankly at the beautiful girl in red on stage.
“Don’t be dazed.” Jima shook his arm hard, “We’re late, we’ve been played.”
“What?” Enlek finally realized that the competition had actually started, “Wasn’t it supposed to start at noon?”
“Yes, we’ve been played.” Jima grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, “Damn! The organizers must have thought that allowing a cross-dresser to participate in a beauty pageant would generate considerable controversy, but since they accepted your registration, they deliberately started the competition early.”
Enlek suddenly understood; while rolling around in the marketplace, he had encountered many contract breaches. He lifted his skirt and jogged, “We need to hurry.”
As long as the competition hadn’t officially ended, there was still a chance.
But the host on stage was already beginning to deliver the closing remarks, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, the second round of competition has come to an end—”
Jima shot him a glare and said, “You mute.”
The host suddenly felt a tightness in his throat and found himself unable to speak.
The two girls and one cross-dresser seized the opportunity to run backstage. Jima, leading the way, directly said, “We want to participate in the competition.”
As she spoke while moving deeper inside, an old acquaintance blocked their way, prompting Jima to stop.
It was the portly gentleman who registered Enlek; he wore round glasses and said, “You are late and cannot participate in the competition.”
Enlek spoke up, “I didn’t receive a notification.”
The portly gentleman looked at Enlek with surprise and said, “Ma’am, I apologize. This is not our responsibility; we only handle sending notifications and don’t have an obligation to ensure they reach you. Rules are rules.”
“But—”
“Please leave.” The portly gentleman said as he turned to walk away, “He can’t speak, hurry and get a replacement on stage.”
Jima pulled on Enlek’s sleeve, dragging him aside, lifting a corner of the cloth covering the basket to reveal the enchanting witch’s potion inside, saying, “At this point, there’s no choice but to use a woman’s strategy.”
“Cover for me.” Enlek said without hesitation, pulling the braided maid over.
He took a vial of the enchanting witch’s potion and quietly drank it.
This was the first human experiment; Jima, to prevent Enlek from collapsing immediately, had made a potion with significantly reduced efficacy, about one-tenth of what a proper dose would be.
The vial was emptied.
“How do you feel?”
Enlek replied, “I feel very confident.”
Saying this, he put the vial back in its place, puffed out his chest, and strode toward the receptionist, saying, “I need to speak with him.”
On the other side of the stage.
The red-haired noble girl stood on stage, enjoying the passionate gaze of the countless audience members below with a look of disdain. The girl didn’t mind that the host had suddenly lost his voice; she didn’t mind standing on stage a little longer.
But where is that crazy Enlek?
He must have come to his senses and realized how ridiculous it was to participate in a beauty pageant as a man. Surely he was below, looking at her with a pained expression. How would he seek her forgiveness later?
A cart full of flowers? A beautifully crafted item made by high elves? If the gift satisfied her, she wouldn’t mind pitying him a little and accompanying him, but he could never touch her hand.
Her gaze swept over the audience repeatedly, searching for Enlek’s figure.
Where did he go?
At that moment, the previous host came back on stage, enthusiastically announcing:
“Dear audience, the last beauty of the second round is about to appear. Let’s prepare our warm applause.”
Is there someone else? But it doesn’t matter. Can she take home a pot of shards?
The red-haired noble girl raised her chin and walked back to the backstage.
A girl dressed in pale yellow with a hat adorned with fluffy feathers was walking out from backstage.
Flawless.
This was the first thought of the red-haired noble girl, a flawless face, a beautifully fitted gown, and the shade of her lipstick.
In that moment, the noble girl felt a sense of extreme danger, a feeling of encountering a formidable opponent and even the possibility of losing in the finals.
No, it can’t be. She must be overthinking. Today, she had consumed a charm potion worth five hundred gold coins a bottle.
Enlek flashed her a faint smile, passed by her, and stepped onto the stage.
A round of applause erupted that could blow the stage away, drowning out the red-haired noble girl like a tsunami.
———
There will be another update at twelve-thirty, don’t wait, go to bed early.
