Chapter 122: A Shocking Declaration

As her words fell, the entire arena erupted.

Gasps and murmurs, like a lid exploding off a pot, instantly engulfed the entire venue. Even the seasoned host stood frozen, utterly speechless.

Every mouth hung open, eyes fixed in disbelief on the petite figure on the stage.

To utter such seemingly heartfelt words so earnestly, without a flicker of change in her expression, in such a solemn setting—did she not know the meaning of shyness at all?

Should one call her audacious, or simply thoughtless? More importantly, who exactly was Yalin?

Someone suddenly remembered, slapping their thigh with a jolt!

“Hey, the Yalin she’s talking about—could it be that infamous simp from our academy?”

“Damn, I remember now! That pretty boy who shamelessly clung to Celeste! But didn’t he get kicked out of the academy?”

“He wasn’t expelled. I heard he just transferred to the Alchemy Branch.”

“Speaking of which, those two branches share a campus… Could it really be *that* guy?”

“Poor girl, she must have been enchanted by him… That pretty boy, Yalin, is truly a scoundrel!”

Amidst the overwhelming clamor, the most stunned person was undoubtedly Celeste, standing on the opposite side of the arena.

Her lips parted slightly as she stared incredulously at Luminas.

‘Yalin… was she talking about the Yalin I know?’

‘Or did I mishear her?’

However, when she followed Luminas’s gaze and saw the awkward figure holding a juice in the VIP section, a sudden realization struck her.

Thump!

It felt as if a heavy hammer had struck Celeste’s chest, making her heart skip a beat.

It truly was him!

But… why?

Why was he with Luminas? Why had she never known?

Moreover, judging by Luminas’s tone and her unreserved gaze, their relationship was far from ordinary.

At the very least, she trusted Yalin implicitly and seemed to harbor some special affection for him.

What exactly was the nature of their relationship?

As if sensing Celeste’s gaze, Yalin guiltily averted his eyes, pretending not to notice.

This evasive action only plunged Celeste’s heart further into disarray.

Complex emotions surged like wild weeds, making her chest feel tight and her breath catch.

She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.

‘Calm down. I must be calm.’

Though she cared, Yalin’s choice of who to support or what to do was his own freedom.

Given her current position, she had no right to interfere.

Facing the competition with a clear mind and achieving a righteous victory was what she should be focusing on.

Meanwhile, in the VIP section, Yalin, the man at the center of it all, was no less shocked than Celeste.

Faced with Luminas’s sudden, almost self-incriminating declaration, only one thought echoed in his mind:

‘What is this girl talking about?’

‘No, was this even in the script?’

‘When did our relationship become *that* good?’

“Calling him Yalin… you scoundrel…”

The person beside him turned his head again, but this time, his gaze was incredibly complex.

‘Damn it, why does this stingy, ill-tempered guy receive Luminas’s favor?’

‘Is it because he’s handsome? Can being handsome allow one to do whatever they please?’

He stared at Yalin’s face indignantly for a moment before finally lowering his head in defeat.

‘Alright, it seems pretty boys really can do whatever they please.’

Yalin ignored the resentment emanating from his side, simply gazing at Luminas’s earnest eyes from afar.

‘So that’s how it is.’

Yalin’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes darkened slightly.

‘It seems I’ve been completely used by her.’

‘What, ‘the only supporter,’ and ‘only looking at me’—such sweet words.’

‘What a joke. She’s not some love-struck protagonist from a novel.’

Luminas, who was usually so quiet, deliberately made such a sensational statement in front of a crowd. Her true purpose could only be one thing: to destabilize Celeste’s state of mind.

It seemed she knew about his ambiguous past relationship with Celeste, which led her to devise such a low-handed trick, attempting to distract Celeste during the match and create an opportunity for herself.

‘Tsk, tsk, tsk, Luminas, Luminas, I truly underestimated you.’

‘You look so harmless, yet when you’re cut open, even your heart is black.’

‘This damn black-hearted boss never said I’d have to moonlight as an on-site assistant!’

‘You’re playing like this; do you know you’ll have to pay more for it?’

It had to be said, these three ‘protagonists’ were each more troublesome than the last.

Yalin helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

‘Well, actually, he should have realized it sooner.’

In the original work, Luminas at this point in time was indeed quite ill.

Let alone dragging him into it, to win against Celeste in this match, she would abandon her pride and resort to any means, even if it only increased her winning odds by one percent.

However, Yalin still couldn’t understand what she hoped to gain by bringing him into the discussion.

‘Was she trying to provoke Celeste?’

The problem was, Celeste didn’t even like him! If anything, she found him utterly repulsive.

After all, in her eyes, he was just a persistent simp.

‘So, aren’t you just pure trouble-making?’

Before he could ponder further, the host’s voice began to spread from the center of the arena.

“Ahahaha, Miss Luminas, you truly are surprisingly bold… However, the match hasn’t even begun yet! The victor is undecided, and no one knows what the final outcome will be!”

It seemed he had finally regained his composure and quickly began to smooth things over.

“Alright, that’s enough talk. Please, both contestants, prepare yourselves. The match is about to begin!”

Having said this, he scurried off the stage.

Luminas turned to walk back to her starting position, but Celeste suddenly called out to her.

“Wait, wait, what exactly is your relationship with Yalin?”

Even though she had been constantly telling herself not to dwell on unnecessary things, Celeste couldn’t help but ask.

“What kind of relationship we have shouldn’t concern you, Celeste?”

Luminas turned slightly, casting a dispassionate glance at Celeste.

“Besides, didn’t you personally drive Yalin out of the Magic Academy? Why ask now?”

Celeste’s body trembled, her cheeks instantly flushing crimson. “Nonsense, I didn’t drive him away.”

“But you wished for him to leave, didn’t you? In fact, it was your attitude that became the final straw, breaking him. One could say, Yalin was forced away by you.”

“That’s not it, I…”

Celeste’s throat still moved, but her voice was now so faint even she couldn’t hear it clearly.

This was the truth she most dreaded facing, but that day, that phrase, “I hope to never see you again,” truly had come from her own lips.

She couldn’t refute it.

“Yalin… he is gentler than anyone else. Even when everyone else doubted me, only he was willing to stand by my side, supporting me unreservedly,” Luminas said, staring into Celeste’s bewildered eyes, enunciating each word.

“So, similarly, even if everyone opposes him, mocks him, I will still stand by his side without hesitation. Even if we are both rejected by the entire world, I wouldn’t care.”

Luminas had never spoken so many words at once, even surprising herself.

“That’s all I have to say. The match is about to begin. Please return to your original position, Celeste.”

Without another word, Luminas turned and walked away without looking back.