By the time Yifia was shaken awake by the proctor, the first exam for Pris Academy’s freshmen had already come to an end.

As for her thoughts on the exam...

Yifia felt like she’d slept amazingly well!

But after turning in her paper and stepping out of the classroom, she was immediately caught by Jesina, who had clearly been lying in wait.

Yifia had to admit, she really admired Jesina’s persistence.

Her willpower was insane!

She’d even thrown noble-lady decorum to the wind just to catch her.

Forget everything else. Just her running speed alone was outrageous. Her skirt was flying up behind her like she was in a race... If Yifia had to describe it, it was basically a delicate beauty uprooting a willow tree with brute force.

Yifia’s attitude toward Jesina was different from how she treated Branny.

Mainly because Branny hated commoners blindly, without caring about right or wrong. Jesina, on the other hand, judged people individually... Normally, she kept to herself around commoner students. If she hadn’t thought Yifia was talking big, she wouldn’t have been this obsessed with catching her.

And now that she’d finally caught Yifia, Jesina was so happy that her fair face had turned red.

Joy practically spilled out of her. Her reddish-brown eyes narrowed into crescents, and the smile on her lips wouldn’t stop. She looked like she wanted to bounce on the spot from excitement.

What an easy-to-please noble miss.

“Yifia, don’t run! The exam results will be posted this afternoon. Then you’ll know just how shameless your big talk was!”

Maybe because she’d failed too many times yesterday, Jesina had already learned to predict Yifia’s movements.

No matter how Yifia twisted or dodged, she still couldn’t break away quickly.

Instead, she ended up panting from overexertion. Once she finally stopped, she bent over and braced her hands on her knees. After catching her breath for a moment, she replied,

“Jesina, I’m not running anymore. You should take a break too.”

“Hmph. I’m not tired!”

Looking at Jesina’s lively tsundere act, Yifia felt genuine envy. Her body was pathetically weak. She’d only run for a bit, and she was already exhausted and breathing hard.

It wasn’t just Yifia looking down on herself. Jesina clearly looked down on her too, and said speechlessly, “Yifia, you don’t look like a commoner at all right now. You look even more delicate than my lady friends.”

While the two were talking, more and more students began filing out of the classroom.

The moment Lucy came out and saw Jesina blocking Yifia with an aggressive air, she hurried over at once and blurted out, “Jesina, let’s talk this out. Don’t hit her!”

As long as they weren’t extremists like Branny, Lucy wasn’t so timid around nobles that she didn’t dare speak.

And Jesina wasn’t some vicious person either. She was the kind of noble you could reason with.

“Lucy, relax. Jesina didn’t do anything to me... We’re just having a friendly discussion. About today’s exam. She thinks there’s no way I can take first place in the year, so she wants to make a bet with me.”

“???”

Hearing Yifia say that, Jesina tilted her head in confusion. But then she thought about it and realized this was a great opportunity!

Yifia had barely even looked at the textbooks. Once the exam results came out, she’d definitely be exposed for what she was.

And then, with the bet binding her, Yifia would have to admit her arrogance in front of everyone!

In just a few seconds, Jesina sorted it all out. So she stayed silent and tacitly accepted the bet Yifia had described.

Lucy, meanwhile, was full of curiosity. What exactly had Yifia bet this time?

Then, under the gazes of both Lucy and Jesina, Yifia suppressed her wild delight at finding another fleeceable sheep and forced on a serious expression.

“If I take first place in the year, Jesina will give me ten gold coins.”

“And if I lose, then...”

After stating her side, Yifia immediately looked at Jesina and signaled with her eyes that it was her turn.

Jesina responded by lifting her chin confidently and stating her own condition. “If Yifia loses, then she has to apologize publicly in class and repent for her arrogance.”

The fat sheep had obediently walked into the pen on her own, so Yifia quickly pulled Lucy in as a witness.

And just like that, the second bet was set. The result would be decided today.

Lucy, however, looked confused the whole time. Still, judging by the situation, everything seemed fine now. Seeing the satisfied look on Jesina’s face, she finally asked in a small voice, “Jesina, why are you always so fixated on Yifia? She was only telling the truth.”

Since Yifia had voluntarily offered the bet, Jesina took it as surrender. So she was in an excellent mood and answered readily, “Yifia hasn’t even read the textbooks. Every class, she’s either sleeping or spacing out. How could someone like that possibly take first place in the year?”

Then she added seriously, “The one I respect and admire most is Lady Barron. She’s the real first place. The most outstanding person in all of Pris Academy!”

The moment Jesina said that, both Lucy and Yifia froze.

Lucy hadn’t expected Jesina to chase Yifia so relentlessly for such a reason. As for Yifia, she was shocked to hear Amelia’s name from someone else again.

Amelia really was an incredibly charming girl!

If not for her status as a duke’s daughter making her seem so noble and untouchable, people would probably swarm around her like bees around a flower. Yifia wouldn’t even be able to squeeze into a crack.

“Eileen, you’re amazing! You got so many questions right. You’ll definitely be first in the year this time!”

Yifia’s group had been standing there for quite a while. Most of the other students had already left. But the three from the heroine’s group, who had stayed behind in the classroom to compare answers, were only just coming out.

That meant Yifia and Eileen’s eyes met almost immediately.

Seeing the unconcealed smugness in Eileen’s eyes, Yifia couldn’t help raising a brow. Looks like the heroine did pretty well on the exam!

Well, she was the heroine of a novel-world, after all. Of course she had some luck on her side.

But it was useless.

Because Yifia had cheats on.

Hehe.

“About the demon prototype in Pope Kisling’s prophecy, I’m pretty sure that question wasn’t in the textbook. Eileen, how did you know it?”

Compared to Fina’s admiration, George wore a dark expression. He raised a hand to push up his glasses, and his tone sounded more like an interrogation than a question.

Eileen was still happy she’d guessed the topic right, so she didn’t mind George’s tone.

She reminded herself to stay steady. She couldn’t be as loose-lipped as Yifia. Only after the exam results were announced would it be her time to show her emotions!

“Pope Kisling’s prophecy has always been a highly controversial topic. At Pris Academy especially, every class of students has to hold a debate on it. So when I saw related materials in the library, I got curious and read through them.”

“Still, the books only mentioned the name Ahriman from Zoroastrian mythology. They didn’t go into much detail.”

As Eileen and the others spoke, they didn’t slow their steps. They quickly passed by Yifia’s group and left.

After that, Yifia looked at Jesina in confusion and asked, “Why don’t you go argue with them when they say Eileen will get first place in the year?”

“Hmph. At least Eileen works hard. All I ever see is you spacing out in class.”

“Fine, fine. Guess I’m just too smart. It’s lunchtime already. See you this afternoon.”

“Wait... Yifia, you’re not allowed to leave. I’m treating you to lunch.”

Maybe because she was afraid Yifia would run off again, Jesina decided to keep her by her side.

And the moment Yifia heard someone was buying her food, her eyes lit up instantly.

“There’s actually a deal this good? Let’s go, let’s go... Hehe. You don’t mind bringing one more, right? Lucy, why are you still standing there? Come on!”

Under Jesina’s speechless gaze, Yifia dragged the shy Lucy along to freeload. By the time they’d eaten and drunk their fill, and even ordered dessert afterward, even Jesina had unknowingly stuffed herself too full. The three of them had to take a walk for a while before they felt better.

Time slipped by without anyone noticing. Soon, the bell for class rang.

But instead of being seated in the classroom on time like usual, all the students had gathered outside the first-year teaching building at Pris Academy. Their faces were full of anticipation as they watched a teacher step onto a movable wooden podium. After clearing his throat a few times, he finally announced,

“The results of the first-year examination at Pris Academy are as follows. The student who achieved the best score, the first place in the year, is...”