Chapter 120: Lances True Talent

Chapter 120: Lance's True Talent

In the expansive third floor, wood and stone were interwoven to complement the surrounding dark furnishings, creating an atmosphere of serene elegance. To the side, a luxurious sofa set and low coffee table were bathed under the soft glow of a nearby floor lamp. Time itself seemed to slow and linger here, suffused with an indescribable sense of harmony.

The three guests seated on the sofa were all scions of the Kingdom of Hutton's most powerful families. They waited quietly, exuding an aura of distinction, like the most honored guests in a concert hall's private box. They commanded attention simply by sitting there.

Lawson offered a polite, slight bow. "Your Highness Prince Ainor, Lady Hyperion, Lady Sophia, so you are the friends Lance has been so eager to see."

Clearly, the vice president was familiar with regulars like Prince Ainor and Lady Sophia and easily recognized the daughter of Duke Michael. He wasn't surprised that Lance knew these aristocratic students from Ikerite University.

However, Lawson sensed something unusual in the atmosphere. Prince Ainor looked visibly excited, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. Hyperion, seated in the armchair to the left, kept her head low, staring intently at the tips of her shoes. And then there was Lady Sophia, who looked as if she was lost in a daydream, seemingly in a trance. The three of them were completely out of sync with one another.

At this moment, only Hyperion remained fully grounded in reality. Realizing Lance had finally arrived, she looked up at him. She knew better than to ask questions now. Her only goal was to get him out of this place as quickly as possible!

Unfortunately, before she could make a move, Prince Ainor eagerly rose from the sofa, strode over to give Lance a massive hug. Gripping Lance by the shoulders, he urgently asked, "My dear friend! What certification were you awarded?"

Lance didn't even have a chance to speak before the nearby Vice President Lawson beamed as he said to Ainor, "Your Highness, you truly have a keen eye for talent and a knack for cultivating valuable connections. Our Kingdom of Hutton is about to gain yet another Platinum Certified card maker."

Hyperion's face instantly turned deathly pale. If Lance had been rated Silver Certification today, it wouldn't have been a major issue. At most, Sophia might have felt a tad awkward. If he had reached Gold, Hyperion would have been overjoyed and simply found a way to comfort Sophia. The situation still wouldn't have been too dire.

But now? Platinum Certification! This was an utterly hopeless predicament. Sophia felt as though she were being roasted slowly over a bonfire, and Hyperion was completely powerless to come to her rescue.

"Platinum..."

Upon hearing Lawson's joyful admission, Sophia stared blankly at Lance. The young man who, just that morning, had been sitting right across from her now felt impossibly distant. The light from the lamp stretched his shadow out into a long, elongated shape.

At that moment, Sophia recalled what she had cried out in front of Ainor and felt her cheeks burning uncontrollably. Standing there now was a sixteen-year-old Platinum Certified card maker. He was someone far beyond her reach.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, and her reddened eyes began to well up with tears. She felt as though the words she had spoken earlier had turned into a curse, echoing in her ears over and over, leaving her flustered and unable to escape the feeling of total humiliation. She desperately wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into, to flee from everything before her.

"So-Sophia, my father used to say that card making is three parts skill and seven parts performance, while the remaining ninety parts depended on the Goddess's mood..."

Hyperion anxiously looked at Sophia. She raised her hand slightly, wanting to comfort her, but hesitated, afraid that her friend might shatter at the slightest contact.

"An Epic card...isn't something you can create just by relying on luck or performance..." Sophia's voice trembled, and it seemed as though her tears were on the verge of spilling over and rolling down her cheeks.

She knew all too well that without sufficient skill, even if every other factor was maximized, creating a card of this caliber would be impossible. In other words, Ainor's judgment had been right all along: she was nowhere near the level of the young man he favored. She also realized with painful clarity that, when it came to artistry, her skills were like those of an infant compared to Lance's.

Hyperion could see that Sophia was on the verge of bursting into tears and dared not say anything further.

Sophia finally seemed to understand why Hyperion had been so uneasy. "Hyperion, did you know about his card making and artistic abilities all along?"

Hyperion responded timidly, "No, Sophia, I really had no idea he was at that level..."

This made Sophia tremble even more violently. She tried to hold back her tears, but the shame threatening to destroy her was beyond words. After all, she had uttered those jealous words right in front of Ainor, and there was no taking them back.

Her cheeks flushed an even deeper crimson, and tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string. Finally, Sophia looked directly at Lance. His expression remained gentle, tinged with a hint of concern, as if he didn't harbor a single malicious thought. That kind of pity hurt even more than outright mockery.

Unable to control herself, Sophia burst into loud sobs, scrambled up from the sofa, and ran off.

Ainor stood there, completely bewildered. He glanced at Lance, then at Sophia's retreating figure. His mind momentarily short-circuited, leaving him at a loss for words, so he hesitantly offered his congratulations first. "Lance... congratulations, I..."

Lance gave Ainor a few quick pats on the back. "Why are you congratulating me? Hurry up and chase after her!"

"Oh! Right!" Prince Ainor snapped out of it and ran off in the direction Sophia had gone.

While Vice President Lawson remained utterly clueless about what had actually happened, Hyperion stood with her head bowed and her hands covering her eyes. She felt as though the Goddess herself was watching them.

Lance let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Hyperion, smiling with a mix of relief and resignation. "Hyperion, Sophia probably won't be casting those troublesome glances your way anymore."

Hyperion was startled by this and began to replay every moment that had occurred since she had arrived at the Card Maker's Association that morning. She finally asked, her voice trembling slightly, "You... you didn't do something mean on purpose just to protect me, did you?"

Lance spoke as if he were worried his good intentions might have inadvertently caused trouble. "Huh? I meant that Sophia and Ainor have finally shared their true feelings with each other, so naturally, there won't be any more misunderstandings regarding anyone else."

Hyperion stood there dumbly, absolutely dumbfounded after hearing Lance's explanation. She could no longer tell if her friend was a villain, a hero, a troll, or just an unwitting agent of chaos.

If Lance was trolling right now, then he had gotten her already. She couldn't help but move her hands away and open her eyes to check his expression. His emerald-green eyes remained as gentle and clear as ever, while his face wore a look of innocent, natural bewilderment.

A chill ran down her spine. She would have actually felt better if Lance had been slightly smirking. But looking at that dazed, guileless expression of his... it felt like she had just swallowed a giant spoonful of pure matcha.

"Lance, it's a good thing you aren't a girl. Otherwise, you'd be truly terrifying..."

Hyperion could no longer tell whether Lance was simply naturally oblivious or a master of playing the innocent "green tea" type.[1]

No wonder the guy had absolutely no fear of romantic minefields where multiple love interests clashed. It turned out he was the one at the very top of the food chain!

1. Referencing the ‘green tea bitch,’ (绿茶婊)which is Chinese slang for women who come off as innocent and pure (usually to clueless men like Ainor), but are actually manipulative, scheming bitches to other women. ☜