Definitely not the most flattering angle for two royal socialites.
Their soured expressions, twisted as though they’d both just bitten into the world’s most aggressively sour candy, would eventually become one of the examination’s most replayed highlights.
It certainly didn’t help that, from everyone else’s perspective, they looked completely unhinged.
Only moments earlier, they’d been walking down the aisle with perfect grace and dignity. Now they were suddenly screaming about being under attack while writhing in place for no apparent reason.
"Agh! Stop it! Get off me!"
The Aerun twins’ elegant composure shattered almost instantly. Their beautiful faces contorted into grotesque grimaces as they shrieked at the top of their lungs, wildly swatting at the empty air around them.
"We’re under attack! Guards! Do something!"
Thousands of spectators instinctively turned toward the commotion.
Because they were standing so close to the section reserved for Ollie’s family and friends, they were even easier to spot, especially with several cameras permanently trained on that area. As a result, who could possibly miss the bizarre spectacle unfolding from beginning to end when even the examinee himself had excitedly witnessed it?
The most pressing problem was that no one could see what they were reacting to.
There were no rogue attacks, no hidden weapons, no stray projectiles, and certainly nothing lurking around them. The aisle remained completely free of obstacles save for them and their escorts.
Realizing that every eye had turned toward them, the twins whirled toward their attendants, their voices cracking from equal parts humiliation and panic.
"Are you blind?!" they screamed. "Do something!"
Their bodies jerked and twitched uncontrollably as though invisible needles kept sinking into them from behind. They yelped as they frantically slapped at their own backsides, reached behind themselves, and swatted wildly at the backs of their legs, twisting into increasingly ridiculous positions in a futile attempt to catch something only they could feel.
The entire situation rapidly descended into chaos.
The surrounding spectators could only stare in bewilderment, while Star Net’s live comment section exploded as millions of viewers watched the unfolding spectacle with equal parts confusion and horrified fascination.
__
Meanwhile, inside a secret treehouse fort that would’ve made any child green with envy, three young but remarkably resourceful girls were gathered inside their very own base of operations, celebrating their success with an enthusiastic combination of wheezing, jumping, and buzzing.
Princess Marin struck an impressive martial arts stance that looked suspiciously inspired by her idol before triumphantly pointing at the special broadcast they had successfully bribed D-29 into providing.
"Take that!"
Princess Nina, who still had a fruit roll-up clutched in one hand, stretched out the other like a battlefield commander issuing the next crucial order.
"Baby!" she declared. "It’s time for the escape plan!"
What would’ve completely bewildered anyone watching, however, was that this self-appointed commander was directing a tiny Queen Bee who was currently clutching a red crayon with both little paws, despite the crayon itself being longer than one of her legs.
The baby bee nodded with complete seriousness.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
Puffed out her cheeks.
Fluttered her tiny wings with all her might.
Then she began issuing silent evacuation orders to her dependable, and apparently extraordinarily sneaky, little army.
After successfully completing her mission, the tiny queen dropped the red crayon onto the woven mat beneath them before immediately picking up a green one instead.
The two princesses gasped at their agreed signal for mission success.
Then they burst into delighted cheers.
"Serves them right!" Princess Nina declared proudly. "At the end of the day, good will prevail!"
Instead of peacefully playing together, the three little girls had apparently decided to take it upon themselves to safeguard the Empire’s interests.
Quite proactively, too.
Thankfully, everyone else returned not long afterward following an eventful first day at the examination arena. Well, "peacefully concluded" was perhaps stretching the definition a little considering the unforgettable scene involving the Luxastra twins, whose public exposure had gone on for considerably longer than they themselves would’ve preferred.
Those guys wanted publicity, and they sure ended up getting it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the kind they could celebrate.
Still, the moment the returning group hurried into the dungeon space as though their pants were on fire, none of them expected to be greeted by three unusually pitiful-looking children.
Honestly, they looked far sorrier than the spiritual beasts who’d recently been sentenced to wearing Luca’s get-along shirt.
Three pairs of glossy eyes trembled with unshed tears while tiny chins quivered with heartbreaking determination as the girls turned toward the newcomers in perfect unison, each wearing an expression so pitiful that anyone unaware of the situation would’ve immediately assumed they’d been gravely wronged.
Behind the trio sat the Emperor and Empress of Solaris themselves.
The Imperial couple looked less like parents disciplining children and more like veterans who’d just returned from surviving an exceptionally brutal war.
"I suggest none of you look at them for too long," Empress Gisella said dryly as she folded her arms across her chest. "Otherwise, you might actually convince yourselves they’ve been neglected, starved, and reduced to tears."
Her gaze slowly shifted toward the three little actresses.
"The reality, however, is that these three have been stress-eating snacks ever since I found them, and they’ve somehow managed to consume enough to make me question where all that food even went."
Those by the door weren’t quite sure how to react, but perhaps they should figure something out before the children’s first takeaway from all this became a certain blonde’s unequivocal praise for successfully dealing with their collective enemy.
"..."
"..."

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