Chapter 143: The Beauty Beneath the Moonlight

Several other females were thinking the same thing.

"Does Kaelira look different to you?"

"Of course she does."

"Her face seems much more delicate."

"Look carefully. Her features actually resemble Lyra’s."

Someone else nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe it’s because she lost so much weight."

That explanation seemed reasonable.

Sora had indeed changed considerably since returning from the Heavenly God Mountain.

Her face had become slimmer.

Her features had become clearer.

And the makeup only emphasized the changes.

But there was something else.

Her confidence had changed.

Before, Sora would have avoided everyone’s eyes.

Tonight, she stood beneath the attention of hundreds of people without the slightest trace of nervousness.

That alone made her appear more attractive.

The beastmen couldn’t take their eyes off her.

Even those who had never seen Sora before were captivated.

Her performance was unlike anything they had seen.

The other females had tried to impress the audience with physical movements, animal imitations, elaborate costumes, or displays of unusual skills.

Sora had done something completely different.

She had created something new.

That was what made her stand out.

The melody gradually came to an end.

Sora lowered the leaves.

For a moment, the entire square was silent.

Then—

Applause exploded through the crowd.

Cheers followed.

Several beastmen shouted excitedly.

"Beautiful!"

"Again!"

"Who is she?"

"That was amazing!"

"I’ve never heard a melody like that!"

The reaction was overwhelming.

Sora looked toward the audience.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

She had succeeded.

She hadn’t merely relied on her appearance.

She had given them something they had never seen before.

The judges and elders quickly discussed the performances.

There was no suspense.

The final result was announced.

"Sora is the winner of the Most Beautiful Female Selection!"

The crowd erupted once again.

Sora had won.

Serena stood frozen.

Her face was filled with disbelief.

She had won the title before.

She had always believed that the title belonged to her.

Yet tonight, Sora had taken it from her.

And she had done so in front of everyone.

Serena stared at Sora standing on the stage, surrounded by cheers and admiration.

Her heart burned with jealousy.

How could this happen?

She couldn’t accept it.

She couldn’t understand how someone she had always considered ordinary could suddenly become the center of attention.

Then another thought entered her mind.

Makeup.

Serena immediately remembered Sora’s transformed appearance.

If Sora had used makeup to enhance her face, then perhaps she could do the same.

Her eyes flickered.

She looked around.

A water buffalo beastman was standing nearby.

He had been flattering her for quite some time.

In his hand was a cup made from a hollowed fruit shell, filled with fruit wine.

Serena’s gaze landed on it.

An idea immediately formed in her mind.

She pretended to lose her balance.

"Ah!"

She stumbled forward.

The water buffalo beastman reacted immediately.

"Be careful!"

He rushed to support her.

But because he was concentrating on catching Serena, he failed to stabilize the fruit-shell cup in his hand.

At that exact moment, Serena deliberately moved her hand.

The cup tilted.

Purple-red fruit wine splashed outward.

It flew directly toward Sora.

Sora had already been watching Serena.

She had known that Serena would not simply accept losing.

The moment she saw the cup tilt, Sora reacted.

Her hand immediately rose.

She blocked the liquid before it could completely cover her.

But she hadn’t expected the wine to rebound in another direction.

The purple-red liquid splashed directly onto Serena’s face.

For a second, everyone froze.

Serena stood there in shock.

Her beautiful white fox-fur skirt was spared, but her face was covered in fruit wine.

Sora stared.

Then she nearly laughed.

The sight was simply too ridiculous.

Purple-red juice dripped down Serena’s forehead, cheeks, and chin.

Serena hurriedly covered her face.

"Ah!"

She quickly turned away.

Her heart was filled with humiliation.

But Sora noticed something strange.

As the fruit wine spread across Serena’s face, her appearance seemed to change.

The smoothness that had been visible earlier was disappearing.

Under the purple-red liquid, several raised bumps became visible.

Sora’s eyes narrowed.

What is that?

She stared more carefully.

Serena’s face seemed to have become uneven.

It was almost as though the wine had exposed something beneath the surface.

Sora’s curiosity grew.

Could it be...

Was Serena wearing makeup too?

That would explain why her appearance seemed different from what Sora remembered.

Before Sora could get a closer look, Serena covered her face completely.

She couldn’t allow anyone to continue staring.

She turned around and hurried away from the crowd.

The surrounding females whispered among themselves.

Some were surprised.

Others looked amused.

The water buffalo beastman stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.

Sora watched Serena disappear.

She was just about to take another look when several beastmen suddenly surrounded her.

"Sora!"

"You’re even more beautiful up close."

"Where did you learn that melody?"

"Can you play it again?"

"I’ve never seen a female like you before."

"Your clothes are beautiful too."

One after another, they praised her.

Sora was momentarily overwhelmed.

She hadn’t expected so many beastmen to approach her at once.

She stepped backward slightly.

"Everyone, calm down."

But the beastmen continued talking.

Their enthusiasm was obvious.

Some were fascinated by her appearance.

Others were more interested in the strange music she had performed.

A few couldn’t stop staring at the colorful feather skirt.

Sora suddenly understood the situation.

She had become the center of attention.

Unfortunately, someone else had noticed that too.

Across the square, Xavier’s expression had become increasingly dark.

His red eyes swept over the beastmen surrounding Sora.

Every time another male stepped closer, the pressure around him seemed to grow.

Ace also noticed the crowd.

His expression became complicated.

Lucas glanced at the surrounding beastmen and frowned.

Lukan remained comparatively calm, but his eyes were sharp.

Even Ryan’s gaze became colder.

Damien, meanwhile, simply stared at the crowd around Sora.

The six beastmen had all reached the same conclusion.

Sora had become too attractive.

They had wanted her to win.

But they hadn’t expected her victory to attract so many other males.

Xavier’s fingers tightened.

He stared at the beastman standing closest to Sora.

His eyes became increasingly dangerous.

If he had known this would happen...

He would never have encouraged Sora to participate.

Sora, completely unaware of the brewing jealousy behind her, continued answering the questions of the surrounding beastmen.

She had no idea that winning the title of Most Beautiful Female had created an entirely new problem.

She had succeeded in proving herself.

But now...

She had to deal with the consequences of becoming the most admired female in the entire festival.