Chapter 8 Midterm Exams

    Lucy's goal was to be promoted to the King classroom, which meant she had to be diligent in her preparations. Therefore, following that day, Lucy distanced herself from any distractions, devoting all her time to studying and practicing. This behavior touched the Duke Gracius deeply, bringing him to tears with pride.

    Lucy ignored the slanderous gossip about her, spurred by the President's popularity among the girls, which led to their resentment towards her. They talked behind her back but dared not confront Lucy directly due to her serious demeanor, which genuinely intimidated them. Lucy knows, but she doesn't do anything because why waste time arguing with them? It's better to let her abilities speak for themselves and confront them head-on. As the midterm exams approached swiftly, Lucy felt confident about her preparations. She left the mansion early in the morning and arrived at school, where she ate breakfast calmly without rushing.

    Then she sat elegantly waiting for the exams to start in the auditorium. It's unusual for this school to gather students from all classes to take exams together in the main auditorium. It wasn't surprising to see students huddled together. Lucy waited, aloof from the last-minute cramming atmosphere around her and the earnest study groups of the King and Queen classrooms, including the President, the Prince, and Angela's group. While others were tensely studying, Lucy casually lay down, waiting, which elicited disdain from some, thinking, we were about to take an exam, and she was still lounging around. Ultimately, those pretending to study seriously were just that—pretenders. Lucy didn't even need to look up to feel their piercing stares. She thought to herself,

     "Nice, while others are desperately studying, some are still loafing around."

    "Huh, those who don't care about their future... Ah, I wish I could act that way, but I wouldn't want to embarrass my family, hehe." Giggles and such comments were audible to everyone since they were focusing on their studies at the moment, who would interrupt? These sentences were heard by everyone. Lucy's indifferent and serene demeanor made others forget her notorious image from a few weeks ago. When Lucy looked up at those gossiping about her, every move she made drew attention.

    The two girls gossiping about her were left speechless by Lucy's contemptuous smirk and gesture. Without saying a word, because she deemed her words too dignified to waste on them, Lucy flipped them off distinctly before laying back down. The girls were shocked by Lucy's response—a non-verbal slap that left them speechless, forcing them to bury themselves in their studies again as the teachers entered with the exam papers.

    "Alright, students, take your seats," as soon as the teacher finished the sentence, the students hurriedly found their seats in an orderly manner.

    "I hope you all do your best in the exams because the results will determine whether you stay in your current class, move up, or move down. Moreover, the higher your scores, the better your chances of getting into a good university. Work hard, as if your life depends on it. I won't bless you; your success is up to you," the teacher said before distributing the exams in sequence. The exam was scheduled for today only. Lucy received the exam and passed it on.

    "Begin," the teacher announced once all students had received their exams. Lucy quickly scanned through her exam and began answering the questions, smiling more broadly as she progressed. She found it so easy that she almost laughed out loud, thinking, let them see that an adult like me can easily tackle a high school student's exam.

    The exam lasted three hours, but Lucy finished in just two. Before handing in her paper, she reviewed her answers in case she missed anything. Once satisfied, she stood up, causing her chair to make a noise that drew several students' looks. Knowing Lucy, she was always among the first to leave, usually guessing the exam answers haphazardly and waiting to catch the President and the Crown Prince at the door. But now, she probably wouldn't wait for the President; it must be the Crown Prince she was after. Lucy handed her exam to the supervising teacher of her row, who folded his arms and asked her in a calm voice,

     "Are you sure?" Lucy replied with confidence, smiling.

    "Absolutely," The male teacher sighed slightly before taking Lucy's exam. Perhaps because of Lucy's marked improvement, he couldn't help but have expectations for her, yet he was inevitably disappointed.

    Lucy smiled. This teacher was genuinely good, the first Lucy thought highly of and liked. If it had been any other teacher, they would have accepted her exam without asking her to reconsider. Well, if this teacher was the one grading her paper, he would see what Lucy was capable of. Now, Lucy's goal was solely to move up to the King classroom, and her secondary aim was to score higher than Angela.

    Angela always ranked within the top five in her class during exams, whereas (the old) Lucy consistently scored at the lower end. But now, things were about to change. Lucy didn't expect to top the class immediately but hoped to outscore Angela, giving her a taste of her own medicine and proving the naysayers wrong.

    After the exam, Lucy bought some bread for lunch and then reviewed her afternoon subjects again. With half an hour left before the next exam, she headed to the auditorium and, once again, was the first to leave in the afternoon. The way the protagonist's friends looked at Lucy as she left the room irritated her somewhat.

    ‘Looking down on me is only possible for today. Wait until the exam results come out,'

    Lucy thought as she dialed her driver to pick her up from school. Then she sat waiting under a tree while fiddling with her phone, only to notice someone sitting next to her. Lifting her gaze, she saw it was the Crown Prince.

    “It's surprising that Your Highness left the exam room after me.”

    “The afternoon paper wasn't too difficult, so I finished early, but probably not as fast as you.”

    “I just guessed randomly as usual, Your Highness.”

    “But from what I saw, Lucy, you did more than just guess. You've improved significantly.” Where did he find the time to spy on me like this? Is he some sort of stalker prince? Lucy couldn't help but move slightly away.

    “Your Highness, do you seek me for a reason?”

    “You know, it's really strange, Lucy. You never refer to yourself as 'I' in front of me.”

    “Things change. So, what is it that you want, Your Highness?” The Prince smiled slightly, finding it amusingly challenging.

    “I'm merely delivering an invitation from my father for you and the Duke to attend a banquet.”

    “Understand, Your Highness.” Lucy nodded, then returned to her phone. The Prince watched her with interest.

    “'Spying on a lady like this isn't very nice, Your Highness. It gives me the creeps.” Lucy said before standing up, slinging her bag over her shoulder, and walking towards her car. She turned back to add,

    “Actually, you didn't need to deliver the invitation yourself. A mailed invitation would have sufficed. Minor matters like this shouldn't trouble the Crown Prince.”

    “It's okay. I'm pleased to do it.”

“Well, I find it extremely displeased to do that, Your Highness.” Lucy smirked with a villainous grace before getting into the car and leaving the Crown Prince standing there, stunned.