Jeremiah smiled subtly. "This girl's ability to retort has truly reached its peak."

Once again, an eerie silence fell over the hall. Robin's face contorted. "In front of all these people, my dignity has been utterly destroyed by that woman!"

Even Kyle's expression tightened. "Robin is part of the Ybaulla delegation. Isn't Yvette's comment an insult to the entire delegation?"

As Ybaulla's Prime Minister, Kyle couldn't become embroiled in a personal feud. Furthermore, Yvette was a top-tier Interpol officer, and he didn't want to antagonize Mysonna's faction. Suppressing his anger, he whispered to Robin, who was about to speak again, "Be quiet. Stop causing trouble. Today's chess match is your stage, understand? Winning is paramount; don't squabble with her. Only victors have the right to mock!"

Robin, taken aback, reluctantly subsided, clenching his fists. He thought, Fine, let Yvette be arrogant for two more days. Zola will deal with her soon enough!

The room grew even quieter. A murmur rippled through the audience: "Mr. Jase Chavez's future granddaughter-in-law certainly doesn't mince words. One sentence, and Robin was silenced. No wonder Jeremiah chose her—they're a perfect match."

The media captured the scene, and edited clips were uploaded online almost instantly. Within a minute, the video had over thirty thousand views, the number escalating rapidly. The internet exploded.

Comments flooded in:

• "Whoa, our goddess is amazing! Robin must be fuming!"
• "Fuming? He's probably internally bleeding! Our goddess can kill with a single line."
• "Exactly! That 'You're not worthy' was devastating. But who exactly is unworthy—Robin or...?"
• "Is that even a question? It's clearly a double entendre. We all know what it means."
• "Haha, right, 'He's not worthy... none of them are.'"
• "Enough said. I'm here to champion our goddess! Get me to trending!"
• "Uh, can I timidly ask why our goddess is even here?"

This last comment was quickly lost in the deluge. Then, a newly registered account posted a comment that drew immediate attention: "Don't be fooled by Yvette. She's not a good person. She's just pretending."

This sparked outrage. How dare anyone slander their goddess, who had worked so hard for Clusia?

• "Who is this? Fresh from a mental institution? Go back before you disgust us further!"
• "Agreed! What right do you have to speak about our goddess?"
• "Speak about our goddess? 'Pretending to be high and mighty'? Sounds more like you!"

At the Carter household in Seacrity, Winona, eyes bloodshot, screamed at her phone, "Bitches! They're all bitches! Only bitches would like that bitch Yvette!" The servants downstairs ignored her.

At the Eastern Hotel, Kaiden stood beside Kyle, avoiding even glancing at Yvette.

At 1 p.m., key personnel were seated. Jase and Kyle sat center; Clifford and others in the front row. Jeremiah and Yvette sat together in the front, alongside Andrew, Tim, and Samantha, who had just returned from the banquet. Charles sat in the back.

The Clusia-Ybaulla chess competition began. After a brief ceremony, participants were announced. Clusia drew Robin's name—no surprise there. The identity of Clusia's second participant remained the day's biggest mystery.

The Ybaulla host drew a slip and slowly opened it. His expression shifted. He glanced at the audience, doubt evident. He read the name: "Yvette."

The hall erupted.

"Did I hear that right? Yvette? That Yvette?" "Yes! Where else would another Yvette come from?" "This is surreal. She can play chess? Against the world champion?" "She must be a master. Who else would dare compete and risk humiliation?" "Wow, Jeremiah's girlfriend is talented! They're a formidable team." "This is going to be exciting. I doubt grand-aunt can win though." "Winning is unlikely. Robin is the world champion. If Yvette were that skilled, she'd have competed already." "I agree. Not much hope for Clusia in chess!"

Robin's eyes widened. He glanced at Yvette, exhilaration evident. "This is too easy! She's Clusia's competitor! God is helping me! I will humiliate her! I will crush her pride!" He remained oblivious to the slight sneer playing on Yvette's lips.

Samantha turned to Andrew. "Is Yvette competing?"

Andrew nodded calmly. "No need for surprise. With Yvette, you can be confident."

Tim looked at them, serious. "Yvette is competing? She plays chess?" Andrew nodded confidently. "Dad, besides being unable to conceive, there's probably nothing Yvette can't do. Don't worry."

On stage, Robin swaggered up first, seating himself in a standard ball gown. Yvette rose, her expression calm and composed. "Chess… it's been a while." She met the curious gazes around her with an air of indifference.