"Stop feigning ignorance...!! Do you accept my challenge or not?!" The Pink haired girl demanded.

Selena felt like pulling her hair out. 'Feigning Ignorance? How can I feign something I am not aware of? Seriously, who are you? How did I even offend you? Do people really feel challenged by my face just like Soul said? Well, I can't help it, I was born with this face. Is this why someone is trying to kill me and/or trying to ruin my status with the help of Claire Walker? Because if so, that would explain a lot on why I am being targeted despite never hurting anyone.'

"Do you know this girl?" Soul asked.

"Of course not, I don't remember meeting her ever before." Selena replied.

"Then why does she look as if you murdered her parents in cold blood?" Soul asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Selena was already tired from the information surge and the current turn of events made her even more stressed.

She looked down as if a saint in deep thought. Today was full of surprises for her. She found out her teacher was ruining her education so she beat her up. She confronted the same and revealed it to everyone. Then on her way to the library, she stumbled upon injustice on an ex-soldier and resolved the matter and gained a faithful follower. As if that was not enough Soul transferred thousands of books inside her head making her into a walking library. Then she found a magic book which she has yet to open, and now, a bunch of women randomly approached her with the intention of challenging her.

Selena "..."

Did God felt her Life was not difficult enough? Did he have to increase the Difficulty level to nightmare settings?

"Oh... OH...!! I think I found out the reason why she is angry...!!" Soul suddenly exclaimed inside her head.

"What? Why? and how do you know?" Selena asked.

"Well, I always have a habit of recording everything that happens around you since someone is after you. I have been doing that since the day we met. I started recording events from before we trashed Grant." Soul quickly explained.

"So you have seen her before?" Selena asked. She was aware that Soul was capable of recording her surroundings which meant that this girl in front has probably seen her from behind.

"Yep, she was also at the Birthday party of the third prince which is why she knows your name. In fact, those ladies behind you are the same as her in that regard."

"I see, but why are they angry at me?" Selena asked.

"Well, it is a long story..." Soul replied as he started recounting the event.

"Remember when you told me that you will let me scan a beautiful lady and you sat down on the chair in the first section of the library? Well, those ladies were seated next to your table."

"They seemed to fawn over the lady seated in the middle. I couldn't see the lady in the middle since they circled her and I didn't use my radar too deep as I was busy scanning the books. That lady is not among them right now by the way."

"Okay, so how did I offend them?" Selena asked not understanding the situation.

"Well, remember when I explained the effects of the fake ingredients of the Fever Reducing Potion and you coughed loudly?"

"It seems before you coughed, the pink-haired girl was saying, "Lady Scarlett, I am really in awe of you. I hope one day I will become someone who is just as beautiful and kind as you." So, when you coughed after that, the pink-haired girl thought you were mocking her."

"I see..." Selena finally calmed down. So it was a misunderstanding.

"Oh no no no... It's not over yet. We are still not in the fun part of the story yet." Soul laughed.

"There's more?" Selena's eyes widened.

"Yep... the pink-haired girl actually chose to ignore you. It seems she recognized you and decided to leave it be. But later, when I was requesting permission to scan two ladies instead of one, you abruptly stood up and walked away to ignore it. However, during that time, the same pink-haired girl was saying, "Lady Scarlett, you are more beautiful than a Rose and I am in awe of you." Your abrupt standing up and walking away seemed to them as if the over-sugared compliment made you feel nauseous and you had to go somewhere to vomit."

Selena staggered. What kind of impeccable timing did she have? It seems her bad luck was on steroids.

"Naturally, the other ladies noticed it too this time but they simply frowned upon the sight since you had already left and continued with their conversation."

"But after we finished the second and third section and went into the fourth, these ladies were also there. It seems they changed the venue too for unknown reasons. Also, it seems the lady they were fawning on had already left."

"They were there too?" Selena was surprised.

"Not only that, when I asked whether you were tired, you coughed due to it..."

"Oh no..." Selena could see now what was coming next.

"As you have guessed by now, the Pink-haired girl was saying something again. "Even though I am a Marquis's daughter, I am sure that I will definitely get First Class... and then, I will marry the man of my dreams, Sir Martin." and then, as usual, you coughed."

Selena "..."

"This time, the pink-haired girl was really angry. She turned and walked towards you. However, before she could say anything, you turned your head to this bookshelf and walked away from her. As we both know, you did that to pick the Azure book but to the Pink-haired girl, you simply ignored her and walked away."

Selena facepalmed. She did not expect her casual actions had ended up creating a blood feud between her and the pink-haired girl.

"Ha Ha Ha...!! I must say, you are really talented in dragging people down from their high pedestal." Soul remarked as he chuckled, "First, you destroyed your teacher physically, then you destroyed Lady Mila and that Asst. Manager Kevin with your words, then you somehow managed to trash the Pink-haired girl without even saying a word. I am really impressed...!!"

Selena was flustered. She looked up to observe the pink-haired girl before her.

Even though Selena and Soul had a huge conversation, it was all inside Selena's head, so only a few seconds had passed in the real world.

"Well, do you accept my challenge...?!" The Pink haired girl harrumphed as she folded her arms.

Selena closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself and gather her thoughts. After opening her eyes, the air around Selena became colder and her gaze became so sharp that it threatened to pierce the women in front of her. It made them involuntarily take a step back. Even the pink-haired girl felt shivers up her spine.

"...and you are?" Selena asked in her usual cold tone. The Pink haired girl wanted to step back at her voice but remembering the insults thrown at her, she pushed through and proclaimed proudly.

"I am the Third Young Lady of the Hamilton Manor, Marquis Hamilton's daughter, Nina Hamilton."

"Nina Hamilton?" Selena pondered for a bit. Marquis Hamilton was a high-class Fish Trader. Just the amount of harbors he controlled was staggering. More than half of the country's fishes supply came from him. Due to his huge business, even though he was a Marquis, his finances were almost at par with Dukes making him an Elephant among Marquises. Marquis Hamilton has two sons and one daughter. It seems the person before her was the daughter in question.

"Selena Booker, The First Young Lady of the Booker Manor." Selena responded with a quick self-introduction. Since Nina was inside the library, there was no need to check her Insignia.

"I know who you are...!!" Nina replied curtly.

"Then, may I know why Lady Nina is challenging me to a duel?" Selena replied respectfully. She was really tired today and rather not get into more conflicts.

"You have the cheek to ask of me that? After all the humiliating remarks you made about me?" Nina snapped.

"Humiliating remarks? Surely you have mistaken, Lady Nina. This is the first time we are talking with each other." Selena replied. In all honesty, this was the truth, Selena never meant to humiliate Nina, it was just a string of coincidences. But of course, Lady Nina would not believe her even if she explained it so she decided to truly feign ignorance this time.

"Oh, you think you are so smart, right? The others behind me are also aware of how you mocked me with your actions in front of Lady Scarlett. It was thanks to you that I failed to catch her eye and she left without becoming friends with me. I won't take this brazen insult standing down. I demand to have a duel with you." Nina replied with a furious temper.

"Lady Nina, I---" but before she could reply, Soul responded inside her head.

"She won't listen to you, why don't we just agree to her duel, I doubt it will be physical. We will just try hard enough for a draw and that should settle it."

"This... fine..." Selena gave up. It was indeed the best solution at the moment. Duels between ladies rarely get physical. They usually compete in arts and games. With Selena's prowess and Soul's skills, it may not be hard to get a draw.

"Very well, Lady Nina. Despite having doubts about your anger towards me, I accept the duel." Selena replied.

"Humph...!! I didn't think you actually had the guts...!! Come with me then." Nina replied and led Selena to an empty table where they sat opposite each other. She called one of the attendants of the Library and told him something. He immediately left and came back with a box in hand. When he placed the contents of the box on the table, Selena's tiredness increased.

"Chess?" Selena groaned. It is one of the games which requires deep concentration and Selena was already feeling tired as it is.

"That's right, Chess...!!" Nina proclaimed proudly, "I play with my Father all the time and I am at a professional level too. I once even defeated the third ranker of the Country's top Chess Masters. Surely you won't back out now, right?"

"I..." Selena really wanted to back out. It wasn't that she was afraid of Nina's skills, but her eyebrows felt heavy. She looked as if she will snore the instant she gets on her bed. However, before she could say anything, Soul interjected.

"Chess? I love this game. Mind if I play in your place? Just put the Chess Piece where I tell you to, okay?"

"Fine..." Selena was more than happy to comply. If Soul was the one doing all the brain work, then Selena only had to put the pieces where he told her to and it made her stress alleviate a little. "But remember, we are going for a tie. If you cannot achieve that, go for a narrow loss. But don't win, otherwise, she will not let us go..." Selena commanded Soul and then turned her attention to Nina.

"I won't. Let's begin." Selena replied to Nina as the attendant placed the pieces.

"Humph...!! I will give you the first move even though whites are supposed to go first." Nine responded proudly.

"Sigh... Fine." Selena replied and about a moment later Soul sounded inside her head.

"Move the second pawn from your left up by two."

Selena did as told with a tired expression. This annoyed Nina.

'You are not even trying, and what's with that expression. Are you bored or don't even care for the results? Humph...!! Very well, since you are taking this too lightly, don't blame for getting brutal.' Nina vowed to utterly crush Selena.

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