17 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

### Volume 3, Chapter 17: The Rising Desire of the Yawn Wenny stared in shock at his reflection in the mirror. He had previously imagined how eye-catching he might look in this outfit, betting most of his motivation on a grudge rather than genuine interest in participating in the competition. Though his looks and complexion had become increasingly refined due to the nourishment of the Ferris blood, Wenny always considered himself a truly masculine guy with an imposing aura that was palpable to anyone who approached – this was something he believed would never change. But now. Looking at himself in the mirror, Wenny experienced an inexpressible jolt. Perfect legs, flawless skin, and a stunning body – could this exquisite blue-haired beauty in the mirror really be him, the notorious rake of Carmella, Wenny? Even Wenny himself found it hard to believe this image was so unlike the self he envisioned in his fantasies. The long wig he wore was seamlessly blended with his real hair, possibly a testament to the quality and dye work of the wig he bought. "Wenny, you're truly so beautiful," Shikondell exclaimed beside him, admiring Wenny in the mirror, her hands covering her mouth in astonishment. "..." Wenny heard her words but struggled to find the right response. Should he be happy about this? Yet, joy was far from what he felt. A man being complimented as beautiful by Shikondell, an authentic elven maiden, left Wenny with a complex mix of emotions. "Dell, I'm a guy," Wenny finally said after a long silence. "But Wenny, you really have such great features," Shikondell insisted. "You look even better than many girls. If you were a girl, you'd be stunning." "..." Wenny remained silent. "Oh, I didn't mean anything else. I just meant that you really look handsome," Shikondell quickly clarified as Wenny continued to be silent. "... Tch! I'm doing this for the sake of victory, enduring humiliation for success. Is there anything more manly than that?" Wenny clenched his fist, looking at his reflection with a hint of grievance, the words aimed at no one in particular. "So, Wenny, are you going to compete now?" Shikondell asked curiously. "..." Again, Wenny fell into silence. He glanced at his hands helplessly. Should he really do this? To appear on stage in this form before an audience? Even though those who saw him wouldn't recognize him as Wenny. If he couldn't even recognize himself, how could others? There's no chance they would think he was the infamous bad boy of the capital, Wenny. And as for Aesphyra? Ha, she must have thought she tricked him, laughing in some corner, certain he wouldn't dare go on and would end up sulking. He couldn't let her win – not her! Wenny silently vowed to himself. In truth, Wenny had initially declared he would compete out of frustration with the people at the registration desk and resentment at the idea of being mocked by Aesphyra. He had no real confidence in his cross-dressing and considered it inappropriate. Even if he went through with it, he thought the audience would be so appalled that the competition wouldn't proceed, fearing that even the divided audience judges would come after him. But now everything was different. He realized he might truly stand a chance. If anyone understood what kind of girls guys liked, it was him. Though he wasn't well-endowed, some guys appreciated that youthful look. Otherwise, how could Aesphyra be so popular? Though Aesphyra was conventionally attractive. The situation had put him in a bind. He initially thought there was no way he'd succeed, attributing his previous decision to stubbornness. But now? Knowing he actually could compete made him anxious. No, it's not possible, right? It can't be, right? Even though Vannesa might technically be a girl, he had spent significant time pretending to be a woman, but this still seemed impossible for him. Regardless of appearance, at his core, he was a bona fide young man! This was pushing the boundaries of his comfort zone! "Wenny, if you're uncomfortable, you shouldn't go," Shikondell suggested after Wenny remained silent. "You said before that a man shouldn't sweat the small stuff, so maybe just let this one go." Shikondell's words again rendered Wenny speechless. Shikondell knew how to comfort someone, using his own words against him about real men not sweating the details. Her comments, even though not intentional, felt like direct blows. "Enough, say no more. My mind is made up!" Recalling his previous words and seeing himself in a schoolgirl uniform with icy blue hair in twin ponytails, Wenny felt trapped and resolved to follow through, biting the bullet. "But, Wenny, what about your voice?" Shikondell asked, swallowing nervously. "..." Wenny paused before responding, his voice transitioning into a fresh, lively feminine tone. "I happen to know a bit of voice mimicry." Don't ask where he learned it; isn't deception a skill of a bad boy? Learning some voice mimicry seemed perfectly normal, right? "Ooh!" Shikondell covered her mouth even tighter, surprised by Wenny's schoolgirl-like pure voice. 'Virtue +80.' 'Current Virtue: 11004.' For some reason, the juxtaposition of Wenny's usual self and this current form and voice, particularly him referring to himself as "this young master" in such a manner, struck Shikondell with a strong contrast. It stirred a peculiar feeling within her, as if a new world had opened up. Wenny silently observed Shikondell's reaction, interpreting it as pure shock. Tch, never mind; a man's path is destined to be difficult and incomprehensible. Having come this far, he couldn't let all his efforts be in vain. He was determined to win. From now on, this was more than just competing for a bottle of elemental elixir – it was a battle of dignity! He would ensure that the white-haired nutcase laughing in some corner would pay him back a hundredfold for the humiliation he'd suffered! Aesphyra, you better watch out! You'll concede to me after this! Wenny, full of determination, was also trying to reassure himself. Indeed, though he was wearing women's clothes, his actions were utterly manly. Could anyone find another guy at Carey Liman Academy willing to do this? Of course not; only a girl disguising as a boy existed, but no cross-dressing guys. Wasn't this proof enough that he was the most courageous and masculine guy around? For victory, not hesitating to break the rules and go all in – that was the true nature of a man! With this self-encouragement, Wenny asked Shikondell to await his good news as he attached icy crystal earrings and bravely took his first step outside the boys' dormitory. Not to mention, [Glacial Fang] transformed into an ice crystal pendant that matched his hair color perfectly. After changing into this outfit, it became an impeccable accessory — absolutely in sync with his style. Seriously. Wenny felt a great deal of helplessness in his heart, convinced that everything had been orchestrated by someone else, and he was just a puppet on strings enacting a role he had no control over. Sigh, fate. "It's okay, no need to worry," he reassured himself. He believed his presence was so minimal that even walking down the street wouldn't draw anyone's attention. In a world with so many people, who constantly pays attention to others? Despite how it feels, one's life doesn't have an enormous audience, so don't fret about it. Wenny kept telling himself this as he walked, keeping his head slightly lowered to avoid anyone recognizing him. Rationality told him that no one would, not even his card-playing buddies like Fred. Yes, that's right, just like that—right now, he was not Wenny, not Wenny, not Wenny! Repeating it thrice for emphasis! What he was doing now had nothing to do with Wenny! Nobody would remember afterward! He had to say these things to himself; if not, he might have already succumbed to frantic emotions like nervousness, anxiety, shame, confusion, and existential doubt, which threatened to overwhelm his mind and paralyze his thoughts. Nonetheless. Let's be honest, his current appearance did resemble a girl from a pop idol group. That said, why was the skirt from Carey Liman Academy so short? Had he bought the wrong size? Wenny tried his best to maintain a composed and calm demeanor, but his inner turmoil was so intense that he gritted his teeth, unable to maintain a natural expression. Moreover, he couldn't understand why wearing the same outfit as Vanessa felt perfectly normal, but as Wenny, it was fraught with issues. What if there was a wardrobe malfunction?? Wouldn't that be utterly embarrassing and disgusting?? Wouldn't that be social death?? Ah, his mind was going to break apart!! His head filled with emotions, Wenny was entirely too mentally preoccupied to care about the gazes from others on the street, which may or may not have been a bad thing. Facing this storm of emotions, he dared to continue onward to the registration table. The place was bustling, but luckily, the age restriction meant fewer registrants, though spectators were abundant. Swallowing hard, Wenny felt the urge to yawn as his impulse to do so became nearly uncontrollable. Were his legs shaking? Were a lot of people watching him?? Ugh, it's so uncomfortable; this was torture, serious torture! He shouldn't have come. Why play hero?? However, having come this far, he couldn't just turn back, could he?? Plus, he hadn't even conquered the toughest stage yet. With gritted teeth, he approached the registration desk where he'd been previously, swallowing hard as he stopped in front of a cadet sipping tea and reading a newspaper. "Um, excuse me?" he said, using his falsetto, which trembled slightly. "Hmm?" The cadet, realizing someone was in front of him, raised his eyes to meet the sight of a delicate blue-haired beauty, his pupils contracting slightly as his tone turned much more polite. The girl in front of him was behaving strangely, her expressions stiff and movements awkward, like a beckoning cat, holding one hand up. However, her striking appearance allowed these details to be easily overlooked. "My apologies. Are you here to register for the competition?" the cadet at the registration desk asked, straightening up. "Yes." Wenny nodded. "Great timing! The registration is about to close. Please show your student ID, as this competition is restricted to first-years. I hope you understand," the cadet explained. "Uh, okay." Wenny hesitated, trying to emulate Vanessa's composed and poised demeanor, placing his hands neatly in front of him. Everything felt awkward, perhaps because he was overwhelmingly nervous, unable to recreate the mindset he had as Vanessa. "Is there a problem? Did you forget your student ID?" The cadet asked, noticing Wenny's hesitation. "That's a problem since the registration deadline is near. You might need to hurry back to get it." "No, I have it," Wenny forced down his anxiety and tried to sound calm. "Ah, that's good. I thought you forgot it. Please take it out and fill out a registration form. Then you can head backstage to wait," the cadet continued without suspicion. Although the blue-haired girl seemed vaguely familiar, the feeling was too weak to be of any concern. Maybe he'd just seen someone similar before. No big deal. "Alright." Wenny hesitantly reached toward the pocket over his chest. The cadet found the blue-haired girl's behavior odd. It's just a student ID check, so why the hesitation? But then again, beautiful girls have privileges. Behavior that is a bit peculiar is generally tolerated with higher flexibility. And then the greatest hurdle appeared. Did he really have to hand it over? Wouldn't that expose who he was?? Was this really necessary?? Just as Wenny hesitated, feeling caught between progressing and withdrawing, a cadet approached the registration desk and whispered something to the one handling the registrations, casting a quick glance at Wenny before leaving. "Alright, no need to provide the student ID anymore," the cadet said, waving Wenny's hand away. "Just fill out the form, and you're good to go." "Huh??" Wenny blinked in confusion, puzzled by the sudden change. Relief washed over him, yet he felt baffled. Why the sudden change? Why wasn't the ID needed anymore?? "Don't worry about it," the cadet reassured, urging him not to dwell. "You're definitely a first-year, right? Just fill out the form quickly to secure your spot!" "Okay, thank you," Wenny replied gratefully, taking the form and bowing to fill it out. In the name section, he paused, thinking briefly before scribbling a temporary alias: "Winnia." As for the gender section, he naturally filled in "female."