Chapter 37
Sharon was extremely confident in her speech.
The theme for this speech contest had only been finalized the day before, centered around arts, allowing for a free expression of ideas. The winning criteria would be based on the content and spoken delivery, determined by audience votes. Patrick had 30 tickets in hand.
Sharon had written her speech a long time ago and had polished it repeatedly. What many didn’t know was that she had even won a minor award with this arts-themed speech. She believed that her level of preparation was enough to outshine Yvette.
For half an hour, Sharon spoke eloquently. As she noticed the awe-struck expressions from her classmates and the approving glances from their department’s professors, she felt certain that she had already won.
During her speech, Sharon took the opportunity to glance at Yvette, who was still leaning against the side of the stage.. looking as if she hadn’t fully woken up. This made Sharon look down on her even more.
Once Sharon finished speaking, the auditorium erupted in enthusiastic applause.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
“Sharon truly stands out as a top student in the Frixyia department! Though she can be a bit arrogant, her professional skills are undeniably impressive,” one student remarked.
“I agree. Her spoken Frixyia sounds fantastic! Didn’t you see how the Frixyia professors were applauding her?” another added.
“Oh no, what will Yvette do now? I heard she’s been cramming every day; I hope she doesn’t lose too embarrassingly,” someone else chimed in.
As Sharon walked past Yvette after her powerful speech, she huffed dismissively, flitting toward Winona like a butterfly. The two embraced, appearing to share a sisterly bond.
Sharon sat next to Winona. The two whispered to each other in a voice only they could hear. Meanwhile, Victor watched Winona with a doting gaze.
“Next, we have Yvette from the Physics Department, the host announced.
The moment the name was called, both applause and jeers filled the auditorium. Sharon and Winona exchanged smug glances, satisfied with the situation.
Yvette walked leisurely to the center of the stage, capturing the attention of the entire hall, Remnants of doubt and uncertainty lingered as her eyes scanned the audience. She saw Bonnie nervously wringing her hands, Tobias looking worried, and John holding up a banner in support. In the last row, she spotted Jeremiah and narrowed her
eyes slightly. Patrick noticed that Yvette wasn’t carrying any speech notes. “Ms Zeller, where’s your speech? Even if you’re from the countryside, you should know that a speech is the most important part of a speech competition,” he asked
With a blend of defiance and nonchalance, Yvette met Patrick’s gaze. “I don’t need one.”
Patrick forced a smirk. “Oh, well, since you don’t need it, let’s get started and not waste any more time.”
Sitting nearby. Tobias realized that Patrick was specifically targeting Yvette. Concern etched on his face, he hoped that the three days of cramming with Bonnie had paid off for her.
The moment Yvette began to speak, the entire auditorium fell silent. Students and faculty alike were stunned, unable to believe what they were hearing.
Is this fluent Frixyia coming from Yvette?” They felt as if they were experiencing an auditory illusion Ventre’s pronunciation was indistinguishable from that of native speakers.
Winona and Victor were taken aback, while Sharon looked up in disbelief. Even Patrick was momentarily speechless. However, a few, like Tobias and Bonnie, looked on in surprise and happiness, reveling in Yvette’s performance under the spotlight.
At that moment, Yvette radiated brilliance. Everyone was riveted, utterly astonished.
As Sharon listened to Yvette speak, she realized that Yvette’s pronunciation was even more refined than her professor’s, which was absolutely impossible to master in just three days. It was evident that Yvette had likely been fluent all along. The realization hit Sharon hard; she felt like being tricked. Yvette wasn’t indifferent; she was assured and hadn’t considered Sharon a threat at all.
Defeated, Sharon bowed her head, understanding that she had lost spectacularly. Without any prepared notes in hand, Yvette had spoken effortlessly, with a fluency that made Sharon’s stutters seem all the more glaring.
Tobias didn’t know much Frixyia, but he found Yvette’s speech captivating. He turned to Emily for her opinions.
Emily nodded and looked at Tobias seriously. “Mr. Sunderland, your student is exceptional. Her speaking skills suggest at least ten years of dedication. Yvette’s outstanding performance without a speech script shows that, given her abilities, she should be able to win awards at a provincial speech competition!
Tobias, astonished by Emily’s words, looked up at Yvette on stage and felt as if he had stumbled upon a treasure. He remained puzzled as to why someone with such talent in Frixyia would choose physics as her major.
Later, he realized that Yvette considered her Frixyia proficiency to be just average. By that time, he had already become accustomed to Yvette’s talents.
Meanwhile, Winona was fidgeting in her seat, unable to grasp how this country girl could speak Frixyia so fluently.
Despite her disbelief, the sight of Yvette standing confidently without any speech drafts made it clear that this was real. A wave of fear washed over Winona as she realized that Yvette’s talents were beyond anything she had ever comprehended. “Winona, it turns out Yvette really does speak Frixyia! Oh my gosh, she’s absolutely amazing. Who said she’s just a country, girl? Now Yvette has no reason to be embarrassed, someone said to Winona.
Winona nodded stiffly. “Yeah. I didn’t know Yvette’s Frixyia was that good either.”
Sharon felt a twinge of discomfort at Winona’s words. She suddenly found herself resenting Winona a little; if Winona had known earlier and had told her about this, she wouldn’t have had to embarrass herself in front of so many people.
“Yvette speaks Frixyla? Victor snapped back to reality, his gaze darkening as he questioned Winona. Winona became flustered. She and Zeke had often commented in front of Victor that Yvette was just a bumpkin who wouldn’t know anything
Winona bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears. “I didn’t know Yvette speaks Frixyia; she never mentioned it. How can your question me because of Yvette?”
Seeing Winona’s distressed state, Victor felt a pang of guilt, his tone softening. “I was just asking casually. Whether she speaks Frixyia or not doesn’t change anything, Winona, the only person I want to marry is you”
Nearby, Sharon’s expression shifted upon hearing this, but when she looked up again, her demeanor was as if nothing had happened.
“Jeremiah, am I dreaming? Yvette’s Frixyia is even better than yours; it’s incredible!” Andrew exclaimed.
Jeremiah focused on Yvette on stage; she was both beautiful and proud, her gaze defiant. Yvette’s clear, cold voice echoed in the auditorium, drawing everyone’s attention. Even the air seemed to hold still as they listened intently.
G
Jeremiah murmured. “Yeah, she’s better than me.”
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Andrew was still puzzled about how Yvette could speak Frixyia so fluently, wondering if rural education had now expanded. to include Frixyia
Unlike Sharon, Yvette didn’t meander on for long. Her speech lasted only ten minutes.
Students from other departments who didn’t understand Frixyia relied on the Frixyia department students to translate. By the time Yvette finished, the audience had a fair grasp of the content of her speech.
Argrol University students were once again filled with confusion. This competition required original speeches. From the content of her speech, Yvette’s insights into art were astonishing
They wondered whether Yvette, coming from the countryside, truly understood what art was. But the evidence proved that she did understand art. Only someone with true understanding could possess such profound insight.
Once Yvette stepped down from the stage, the audience slowly began to react, starting to applaud for her. One person clapped, then another, until finally a united wave of applause erupted. The auditorium thundered with applause that carried on for a full five minutes.
At that moment, Patrick stood up.