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

Return Volume 3, Chapter 23 ~ How Adorable, Vennya! Could the Villainous Young Master Ever Be the Saintess? Home Lights Off Eye Care Font: Large Medium Small Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter Top Advertisement Volume 3, Chapter 23 ~ How Adorable, Vennya Author: Returning Han and Tang Last Updated: 2025/9/5 20:30:01 Word Count: 4037 May the world never again endure terrifying nut balls. The spotlight shone brightly on the stage of the highly anticipated beauty contest. Wenny, with a stiff expression, accepted the black and gold trophy plate handed to him by Aesphyra, squeezing out a very forced voice of gratitude to Aesphyra, the organizer. The audience below clapped and chanted his name, while the other contestants on stage congratulated him on his victory. Wenny was bewildered. Did he win?? Yes, he must have won—he won the contest, the bet, the trophy, and the audience's applause. He won it all. The agreement he had with Aesphyra was that he should be happy after winning. Afterwards, Aesphyra would imitate a cat and admit defeat. But. No one informed him that the person presenting the award was the same one he made the bet with, right?? Wasn't this a trap?? Looking at the dazzlingly beautiful eyes of Aesphyra, filled with strange brilliance and deep meaning, with her smiling gaze, Wenny felt like a fish that thought it had taken the bait, got hooked, and was pulled up by someone. Could it be that everything he'd gone through was within the plans of this white-haired nut ball?? If so, this musty damp nut ball is shrewd enough to be terrifying! No, the urge to hiss is rising. He felt he couldn't suppress the urge to hiss at this white-haired nut ball anymore. "Alright, let's once again congratulate the winner of the first-ever beauty contest of Carriley Mann Academy, Miss Vennya!" the host announced, as the audience below burst into endless applause. Wenny said nothing. Aesphyra, standing in front of him, applauded lightly, her lips curled into a seemingly beautiful yet incredibly eerie smile to Wenny. That captivating, brilliant smile seemed to Wenny like the devil's sinister, malevolent grin. No need to guess; this person must have known from start to finish that Vennya was actually him, right?? How did she see through it?? If it wasn't Shikondell who did his makeup, he thought even Shikondell wouldn't have recognized him using her elf senses at best, only finding this blue-haired girl vaguely familiar. How did Aesphyra instantly recognize it was him?? Wenny couldn't understand this. He stood rigidly on stage, bathing in the spotlight, applause, and bouquets, internally utterly confused. The award ceremony was quite grand, meticulously arranged, and lavish, with various rose petals raining down on the stage—blue roses, red roses, all of them. This was to celebrate the birth of the beauty contest's champion. Hmm, this was Carriley Mann Academy's first-ever beauty contest, carving out a new path that might continue in future with second and third contests due to its popularity. But, isn't it a joke that a man won the inaugural beauty contest?? Thankfully, no one knew he was male. Or maybe, not so certain. Staring at Aesphyra with a smile, Wenny fell silent. Ah, was he outsmarted from the start to the end, and did he lose?? Wenny looked down at Aesphyra, thinking a height advantage might belittle her, but inexplicably a sense of powerlessness overwhelmed him, and he realized that trying to use height to make Aesphyra lose composure was impossible. Coming to this realization, Wenny gazed slightly skyward, no longer meeting Aesphyra's eyes. Ah, the more he looked, the angrier he got, so he decided not to look at all, out of sight, out of mind. After all, if he just closed his eyes and denied everything afterwards, what could Aesphyra do to him?? No, that's not right; if he didn’t acknowledge it, how would he make Aesphyra admit defeat and mimic a cat? How would he get compensated for his mental anguish?? Admitting it wasn’t right, nor was denying it. What was he supposed to do?? Wenny's head ached greatly. Ah, surely, he ought not to admit it. This matter is too shameful; as long as he plays dead and denies everything, all will eventually return to normal. Yes, that was Wenny's thinking. Once this wretched award ceremony ended, everything would be fine; he won, didn't he?? No matter the process, did he win or not? He won, right? Didn't he, the notorious Wenny of Carmela, win decisively? The moment he, Carmela's lucky draw king, made a move, even in his least skilled field, he snatched the crown with ease—wasn't that remarkable? Who dare deny he didn’t win?? He's the winner, so why was he panicking?? Now, it should be this white-haired nut ball who’s anxious. She must have lost her mind voting for him, wanting to humiliate him, forgetting their agreement—Aesphyra had to admit defeat now, and this tiny bread roll must be regretting it a lot! This was Wenny’s line of thought, though he wasn't sure if it was merely self-consolation; at least mentally, he had won, achieving a grand victory. Standing rigid on stage, Wenny outwardly accepted the congratulations and blessings, while in reality, his spirit had drifted somewhere far away, leaving the person behind for a while. At least this would lessen his embarrassment a bit—it was a form of self-protection. Finally, as the event concluded, Wenny dragged his tired and rigid body, his joints seemingly wailing, through the contestant’s passageway, exiting the stage. He felt utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally, unable to endure any longer. Standing on that stage under so many watchful eyes every second felt like torture—it was simply tormenting. At last, he could relax. The beauty contest was over, and the sky had nearly turned dark. In the darkness, Wenny’s stomach rumbled with hunger. After exiting the contestant’s passageway, there were few people around, a consideration made for the contestants' safety, separating the exits for the audience and contestants. Time to head home and eat—surely Shikondell left him some food. Holding onto the black and gold trophy plate, this was Wenny's decision. Hopefully, he wouldn’t run into that older gentleman who’d had a breakdown earlier, going crazy over him—though a big man, he found that extremely uncomfortable... If he knew the raving beauty was actually a man, who knows if he'd develop some mental issues or other. Wenny hurried on, burdened with the trophy, hoping to swiftly make his way home. For some reason, he felt staying any longer wouldn’t be safe, though he didn't know why. Perhaps it was a man's gut feeling, hopefully just a misconception. However, just as expected—unexpectedly—on the way back to the dormitory, Miss Vennya found herself in an unforeseen situation. "Oh, what a coincidence, Miss Vennya. We meet again. I wonder, would you be willing to join me for a meal? ~" Wenny’s steps halted. Under the moonlight’s dim glow, spotting that petite white figure standing there, unapologetically blocking his path, Wenny wished he wasn't restricted to mere jumping and could vault over this nut ball ahead. The silver-white moonlight cascaded onto Aesphyra's gleaming, lustrous hair, accentuating her face, beautifully ethereal. That face was nothing short of flawless from any angle, perfect under any light or shadow. How did this encounter even happen?? Was she manipulating events in secret, knowing exactly which route he’d take and then intercepting him?? Calling it a coincidence? Forcing a coincidence; it had to be a coincidence, hadn't it?? Outwardly, Wenny maintained a calm facade, choosing silence, and simply attempted to bypass her, but evidently, the silver-haired girl standing before him wouldn’t let him succeed easily, maneuvering like a phantom, blocking his path once more. "May I ask who you are?" Wenny couldn't hold it anymore and responded in a disguised voice, trying to make it as cold as possible so that, ideally, any normal person hearing it would choose to back off. However, it had no effect on the elegant silver-haired girl in front of him. "Oh? Should I say that beauties tend to be forgetful? I just met Miss Vennya moments ago~ have you already forgotten?" Aesphyra's tone was drawn out, filled with a sultry charm that could make one's bones tingle. "Oh, so it's the organizer, my apologies. The lighting was too dim to recognize you. Is there anything else?" Wenny kept his reply concise, clearly not wanting to engage much with Aesphyra. In truth, Wenny almost wanted to add "and you're too short" after "the lighting was too dim." "Well~ I feel there's quite a connection between us, Miss Vennya. When I first saw you, there was this familiar, old friend sensation. Don’t you have anything else to say to me?" Aesphyra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, gracefully lifting her gown in the moonlight. "Not really," Wenny replied coldly, hoping to deter Aesphyra and get her to let him go. "Oh? Now that you mention it, Miss Vennya, haven’t we met somewhere before?" Aesphyra could clearly hear the retreat in Wenny's words, showing his unwillingness to be associated with her at that moment. But that only made her more reluctant to let go. How could she pass up such a golden opportunity?~ Aesphyra's smile widened. Tsk, go on, keep pretending! Clearly, she knew everything, yet she acted as if she knew nothing—why skin someone alive slowly instead of a quick finish?? "Really, I don’t remember. Sorry, organizer, I just finished the contest, I'm exhausted and hungry, and I’d like to eat and rest now, you see?" Wenny continued to feign ignorance. "Oh, I see. Here I am, chatting with you right after you’ve finished a beauty contest, without considering if you’ve eaten. I have indeed been rude," Aesphyra said, slightly bowing with her gown held. "It's nothing, but please..." "To make up for it, how about I treat Miss Vennya to dinner tonight?~" Aesphyra interrupted with a cheerful smile. "No need, I have things to do; I'll be leaving now." "Oh? But Miss Vennya just said she was hungry? What else would one do upon returning to their dorm besides eat?" Aesphyra chuckled, pressing further. "I, naturally, have other important matters to attend to," Wenny attempted to justify. "Oh, forgive my bluntness, but while answering me earlier, Miss Vennya’s gaze was quite shifty—do you have some secret trouble?" Aesphyra leaned forward slightly, positioning one heel back, her posture elegant yet full of assertive undertones. Her implication was clear: she could tell he was lying. "I find Miss Vennya so delightful; won’t you give me a chance?" Aesphyra said, glancing at the trophy plate in Wenny's hand. "These things can be set down for a little while without any issue, you know. No one will snatch them here." "But..." "My, my, it seems Miss Vennya lacks a bit of propriety. As the organizer who provided the resources, granting you fame, honor, and awards, can't it earn me just a small acceptance of an invitation?" Aesphyra tapped her forehead lightly, feigning a troubled look. Wenny was taken aback, his expression odd. Wait, is this a setup for some unspoken rule?? Anyone unaware might think Aesphyra had other motives with him. "So what do you want, exactly?" Realizing he'd been cornered, Wenny knew he couldn’t maintain his refusal. Even if Aesphyra knew Vennya was his disguise, losing composure wasn’t an option. He wanted to preserve his dignity; even if Aesphyra knew, as long as he didn’t admit it, she couldn’t do anything about it. That was Wenny's mindset. "Heh, Miss Vennya certainly holds her ground, doesn't she? Even after all these invitations." Aesphyra teased, crossing her arms. "Generally, even heirs of great noble houses don't get such invitations from me, you know?" Wenny remained silent, choosing not to engage with Aesphyra's words. "But I'm not saying it's a bad thing for Miss Vennya, no? After all, isn't that the privilege of a beauty?" Aesphyra leaned in toward Wenny, lightly flicking the end of Wenny's hair. ??? This action genuinely startled Wenny. What on earth is this short, white-haired nut doing!? Even if it was a wig, weren't her eyes green? What was this about?? She must know he's Wenny, so how dare she touch his hair?? The cool, floral scents of roses and roses wafted over, causing Wenny to reflexively step back, the heels of his loafers tapping sharply against the ground. "Heh, Miss Vennya's reaction is quite adorable." Aesphyra laughed meaningfully. "It seems the advice I gave Miss Vennya last time was taken to heart, and you’re trying to be even more endearing." "...Sorry, organizer, I don’t quite follow what you’re saying."