Chapter 19 – Cheater? What Do You Mean?

Everyone felt the tense atmosphere.

Though it may seem like a harmless duel, it's the opposite. But some of the nobles were sneering. They knew that it was one-sided. Lady Isabella was among the top students in the Magic academy of the Green kingdom. Fighting her mean that you were asking for a beating.

And don't even mention magic; her backing was very sturdy. So, it was not hard to guess the result even if the duel did not start yet. Some of them even shook their heads while looking at Duke Gerald's adopted daughter.

Isabella was standing in the middle of the banquet, waiting for Louise to face her. The latter lazily stood up from her seat. She's not fond of this childish duel, but it's an acceptable deal since the prize was reasonable and worth her wasting time.

Louise was still wearing her veil, and only her blue eyes were visible to the audience, yet there was an unexplained noble aura surrounding her that an observant person would not ignore.

Once she stopped before Isabella, the Viscount's daughter slightly bowed towards her before waving her hand. A fog then started to cover the area to ensure that no one would see what was going on with the duel. It might seem like an underhand method, but who was she? She was the fiancee of Prince Roland of the Green kingdom. Whether it was an underhanded method or not, no one would question her.

Louise, on the other hand, quietly stood there. Isabella then started to move. She would end this duel the soonest possible. She was about to reach Louise when she noticed that her surrounding suddenly changed.

"A forest?" She stopped on her track, trying to look for the traces of Louise, but there was none.

Towering trees surrounded her, and thick vines were covering the ground. She waved her hand, and a yellowish aura shot out from it. She knew for sure that these were just illusions. She needed to find Louise and defeat her.

When her magic touched the vines, however, it suddenly started to move towards her. So she used her power to counter it. But the vines continued to move, and it's increasing their numbers.

"Damn these vines!" she cursed.

She was about to shoot another magic when she noticed a leisurely lady sitting on one of the tree branches looking down at her. It was none other than Louise.

"You're a cheater!" Isabella shouted. "You have to fight me fairly. Get down here!"

"Cheater?" Louise raised her brows, then her eyes turned crescent, "What do you mean?"

"Stop playing you—Ouch!"

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Isabella grimaced in pain when one of the vines hit her hard from behind.

"Ayah, I think you should focus your strength to fight those plants instead of having a verbal fight."

Then Louise placed her palm on her covered face and continued.

"But I also don't mind if you are good at doing multi-task."

This time the branches of the trees started to move and attacked Isabella. She jumped to evade it, but another vine was waiting for her, and she was getting tired. Isabella glared at the girl sitting on the branch and shot her magic towards her.

But Louise chuckled lightly and spoke, "Too weak."

Then she casually waved her hand. Other branches of trees moved, and it became her shield.

"You cheater! Get down here!" Isabella continued to shout angrily, but Louise shrugged it off then replied.

"Cheater? So you can use fog to attack me, and I'm not allowed to do the same? The only difference in our method was, mine is stronger than yours, so do your best and fight."

Isabella continued to fend off the annoying vines and trunks that seemed endless while Louise looked down at her as if she was watching some stage play.

Almost half an hour had passed, but the fog was still covering the banquet area, and no one was emerging. It was so quiet that the onlookers thought that no battle was taking place.

The king tilted his head and looked at his friend Duke Gerald who was sitting nearby. The Duke casually shrugged his shoulder. But, of course, that girl was quite naughty, so he had no idea what was going on. He was hoping that she would put some leniency towards the Viscount's daughter, though.

***

Isabella, on the other hand, was gasping for her breath. After vines and trunks attacked her, a series of leaves-like blades soon followed, which caused her to be exhausted in dodging. While her supposed opponent was not even lifting her finger and was watching her.

"Hey, you! why don't you fight me head-on?!"

But Louise just shrugged her shoulder again when she heard this.

"I'm fighting, aren't I?"

"You're not!" she shouted while she dodged the leaves that kept attacking her.

"Wow! I think you're one of the most stupid people that I ever met."

"What did you say?!"

Isabella was slightly distracted, and the attacking leaves hit her, which cut her skin. Then the vines suddenly wrapped around her, making her unable to move. She tried to struggle, but the vines put her into place.

Louise then jumped off the branch and landed gracefully on the ground. She walked towards Isabella, who was now wholly immovable.

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

She spread both her hands and explained, "This world was part of my power, so how could you call it cheating? Ever since the start of the duel, I'm already using my magic. You tried to use the fog to make a sneak attack on me, aren't you? So I'm already giving you a face by attacking you head-on? Shouldn't you be thankful?"

Isabella gritted her teeth. She was annoyed to death. She thought it was an easy duel, but now, she can't even use her magic.

"Don't be angry," Louise spoke, "There are lots of stupid people out there, so you should not feel bad for making this kind of idiotic decision. Cheer up!"

When Isabella heard this, her blood started to boil. The girl in front of Isabella sounded like she was cheering her up. But she was pouring salt on her wound in reality.

Then Louise suddenly grabbed her necklace, "Since you lost, then this jewelry now belongs to me."

"Stop!" Isabella shouted, but the necklace already landed on Louise's hand.

Isabella was about to cry. It was one of her most treasured possession, and now it was on the other persons'. But, no, she would not allow it. She had the means not to let Louise have it.

"Don't think of something silly," Louise stated as if reading her mind.

"A lost is a lost, and-" she patted Isabella's face, and her blue eyes turned cold, which gave the latter a shudder. The lady lightly smiled at her and gently spoke.

"You can keep a secret, right?"