"Princess Emily, Princess Emily, are you alright?"
Behind the pink curtains, the maid Isla gently shook Emily, who seemed a bit dazed.
"Cough, cough, I'm fine. I just got distracted thinking about something else."
Emily quickly coughed twice, trying to cover up her embarrassment.
"Who are you kidding? You were totally spacing out just now."
Isla giggled behind her hand, her voice playful. "I still remember before the martial contest for suitors started, you kept saying, 'Hmph, I'm not interested in this whole suitor contest at all. No matter who wins, I won't give them a second glance!' And look at you now, what's gotten into you?"
Isla's imitation was spot-on, perfectly capturing Emily's earlier disdain.
"Hmph, that's right, I really am not interested in romantic relationships!" Emily turned her head away haughtily, huffing.
All along, her greatest admiration was for Goddess Sylvia.
In her heart, Goddess Sylvia was as untouchable and revered as a deity.
When she was very young, Emily had seen Goddess Sylvia from a distance just once.
Since then, Emily had taken Sylvia as her role model.
She tried to emulate Sylvia's style and her way of handling affairs.
Whenever Sylvia's image came to mind, Emily would look up at the sky, filled with immense reverence.
Sylvia's doctrine of the "Uselessness of Spiritual Partners" had deeply influenced her.
Having never been interested in any man, and even declaring she'd rather be alone forever, Emily was unexpectedly moved just moments ago.
She had never thought there could be such an attractive man in the world.
Not only did he dominate the competition, but he also seemed without any rivals.
His unique aura was something she had never felt before.
For a moment, Emily felt as if this man carried a hint of Goddess Sylvia's essence.
But how could any man possibly come close to Goddess Sylvia?
It must have been just her imagination.
At this moment, the arena outside had almost turned into a one-sided domination.
After easily defeating a burly man, Timothy continued to win.
After several consecutive defeats, even a prodigy from the Energy Foundation couldn't stand Timothy's arrogance and challenged him.
Yet, they were all defeated across different levels.
Especially Timothy, his spiritual energy and strength seemed inexhaustible.
Far from being worn out by the successive battles, he grew stronger with each victory, his aura climbing with each fallen opponent.
He even showed signs of a breakthrough.
"Isla, it's up to you now."
Seeing that no one dared to challenge anymore, Emily turned to Isla behind her.
"Don't worry, Princess, I'll take care of it."
Isla smiled, a faint pink mist swirling around her.
As the mist slowly dissipated, Isla, previously dressed as a simple maid without makeup, had completely transformed.
Her light pink dress outlined her impressive curves, and with her peachy cheeks and charming smile, she exuded a captivating allure.
"How about I take the next challenge!" With a bell-like laugh, Isla gracefully walked onto the arena.
"Why is a woman challenging?"
"She's so beautiful, she might even rival Princess Emily!" The moment Isla stepped into the arena, she caused a stir.
She seemed to have anticipated this reaction, her seductive eyes scanning the crowd.
As a charming smile spread across her lovely face, a wave of fervor surged through the crowd like boiling water.
"Wow, she's stunning! Does the princess really have someone that beautiful by her side?"
"How can there be such a gorgeous fairy in this world? Just one look at me, please—I'd give anything for you!"
"She's truly a fairy!"
Timothy's brow furrowed slightly.
Just a moment ago, he had distinctly felt an aura trying to mess with his mind.
Quietly, the already beautiful Isla seemed to become infinitely more enchanting.
His mind seemed to be under a spell, continuously enhancing Isla's image.
"Is this... a charm technique?"
However, Timothy quickly snapped out of it.
Any other man might have struggled to resist this silent charm, gradually falling under its control.
Unfortunately for Isla, despite her significant allure enhanced by the charm technique, she was still far from Sylvia in comparison, not nearly enough to stir Timothy's heart.
"Hmph, is that all? It seems all men are the same, easily swayed by beauty, with no resistance at all."
Isla gave a cold laugh, walking slowly towards Timothy amidst the frenzied cheers from the crowd, her hand lightly resting on his shoulder: "You're not worthy of the princess either. Step down."
With a sudden force from her wrist, spiritual energy burst forth.
However, the seemingly defenseless Timothy reacted in an instant.
His palm brushed past her shoulder as he swiftly moved behind Isla.
"Ambush!"
"Thud."
A solid palm strike hit her back, making Isla tremble and nearly fall off the stage.
"How is it possible that he's not controlled by the charm technique!"
Isla was shocked, quickly stabilizing her staggering body at the edge of the stage.
Suddenly, she felt her hands firmly grasped.
"You, you despicable man, what are you doing!" Isla glared at Timothy, her face filled with anger.
She was more convinced than ever that Timothy, despite appearing as a refined gentleman, was just like any other beastly man.
Isla tried to break free, but her wrists were tightly held, impossible to pull away.
"Let go of my goddess!"
"Scoundrel, how dare you lay hands on her in broad daylight, you're nothing but a beast!"
The crowd below the stage, charmed by Isla, erupted into angry shouts, some even wanting to rush onto the stage.
"What exactly do you think you're doing? I belong to Princess Emily, you'll show some respect!"
For the first time facing a situation where her charm had completely failed, Isla was visibly panicked.
"What am I doing?"
A sly smile appeared on Timothy's lips.
This smile sent a chill down Isla's spine, and she instinctively tried to protect herself.
But contrary to her expectations.
The next moment, Timothy swung her arm around, using his foot as a pivot, spinning like a top.
"Spin, spin, spin, whoosh!"
"Smack."
Isla was flung out, landing solidly on the ground.
Covered in dust, she was a complete mess.
[You have caused a strong impact on the minds of the crowd]
[You have caused a strong impact on Isla's worldview]
[Reward received, skill points +2]
...
Timothy shrugged.
There was no helping ithis wife was watching from the crowd.
How else could he show his determination if not by taking decisive action?