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The speech contest began promptly at 2:00 pm. The auditorium was packed with students, while six teachers sat as judges in the front row. 

Lily, the first contestant to take the stage, seemed particularly nervous. Despite the chilly early November weather in Norburgh, she stood on the stage in a sky–blue strapless dress, facing the vast audience. 

Her voice quivered uncontrollably, perhaps due to the cold or her nerves, prompting laughter from her peers. 

However, being a member of Class A for two consecutive years, Lily possessed a solid grasp of Terranish, though her pronunciation wasn’t flawless 

Despite some stumbling due to her anxiety, she managed to complete her speech. The judges awarded her a score of 80, given that she was the Inaugural contestant 

Aware that her chances of winning the Belle title were slim, Lily found some comfort in her score of 80, considering her nervous performance. She believed that other contestants might not fare as well. 

However, as she watched the contest unfold from the backstage prep room, her expression darkened as she realized that her score remained at the bottom. 

When Christopher, contestant number 17, took the stage in his impeccably tailored black suit and styled hair, he immediately drew screams from the female audience. 

Despite being recognized as the top student in the school, Christopher had put considerable effort into improving his Terranish over the years, aided by his frequent travels to Terrania, resulting in his clear and fluent pronunciation. 

Delivering his speech with natural poised and emotional depth, Christopher captivated the audience with his clear and readily comprehensible content, prompting enthusiastic applause. 

“Thank you, Christopher, for the wonderful speech. And the score he received is… 95 Ladies and gentlemen, that’s the highest score we’ve seen today!” the host announced 

Once again, the audience erupted into applause, cheering for Christopher to be crowned as the hunk of the year. 

Backstage, Zyler grew even more confident about surpassing Christopher’s score. While Christopher might excel academically, Zyler knew his Terrainsh were superior. 

As Cindy prepared to take the stage, she glanced toward the hallway, still no sign of Hera. It seemed she couldn’t make it after all. 

Adorned in a creamy feathered dress, Ondy walked onto the stage gracefully, her fair skin radiant under the lights. 

Passing Christopher as he descended from the stage, she greeted him with a blush, “Congratulations on the highest score, Christopher.” 

“Where’s Hera? She’s up after the next two contestants. “Christopher hurried past her, pulling out his phone to make a call Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Freling slighted by Christopher’s oversight, Cindy took a deep breath, reassuring herself that the Belle title would be hers it she could achieve a score of 95. 

As Cindy stepped onto the stage, the male students in the audience showered her with whistles. As a member of Class A, Cindy’s Terranish pronunciation was almost as fluent as Christopher’s 

In the end, her graceful performance and well–written speech won her a 95 score the highest among the female participants. 

Hearing the audience cheering for her to be crowned as the Belle of the Year, Cindy smiled confidently, assuming that the title was hers to earn 

Meanwhile, Lily, who remained in the prep room, telt embarrassed upon realizing she had earned the lowest score among the female contestants. 

Nevertheless, she consoled herself with the thought that she wouldn’t be in last place. Even if Hera were to show up for the contest, Lily was confident that Hera couldn’t outperform her. 

Zyler, the last male contestant, had a long history of participating in various plano competitions and performances since childhood. As a result, he had a keen understanding of stage lighting 

For his performance, he specifically opted for a bright red suit, styled his hair into a mature pompadour, and applied makeup to his face. 

As he stepped onto the stage, his features appeared strikingly attractive under the bright lights, eliciting screams of admiration from his tangirls.