The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1869

"However—"

The girl's airy, effortless word sent violent ripples through Queenie's chest.

Queenie's fingers dug into her palms as a cold sweat broke out across her back.

"Don't panic!"

Noticing the shift in her expression, the assistant whispered a warning. "Even if she really has seen Asclepius's reports, so what?"

"Pointing out these mistakes only proves she's detail-oriented. Don't forget, these materials belong to you."

"Once she's done showing off, if she can't produce research better than yours, they still won't pick her."

"You think so?"

Queenie stared blankly at Charlotte, her heart hammering wildly out of rhythm.

A dark sense of foreboding seeped into her bones.

The feeling was only growing stronger by the second.

"I can't shake the feeling that she's met Asclepius." Queenie turned her head toward the assistant, her pale lips moving as she rasped, "When we crossed paths in the hallway, she told me she admired my courage for showing up to this competition."

"She also said she was very familiar with Asclepius."

"How is that even possible..."

Hearing this, the assistant felt a spike of unease but remained deeply skeptical. "If she really knew Asclepius, she would have exposed your true identity from the start."

Causing a scene like this was nothing but empty bravado.

"The only person who can expose your true face is Asclepius herself."

The assistant continued to naively comfort Queenie. "Victory is right in front of us, don't let your imagination run wild."

Unless...

Asclepius came back from the dead!

Queenie pressed her lips tightly together, saying nothing as she braced herself for Charlotte's next words.

"The third research paper has absolutely no issues. In fact, it was executed flawlessly." Charlotte lifted her gaze, and under the watchful eyes of the entire crowd, she enunciated every single word. "However, it is not Asclepius's work from last year, but from two years ago."

Two years ago?

Charlotte's claim completely baffled everyone in the room.

The International Medical Alliance clearly mandated that the research submitted by contestants had to be from within the past year.

When submitting the documents, Asclepius had explicitly confirmed this.

How could it not be from the past year?

"If your rebuttal stands, Ms. Charlotte will be disqualified from the selection process for malicious slander."

In their eyes, Asclepius was practically a god.

They were fiercely loyal in their belief in her.

"I..."

Queenie tilted her head up slightly, her eyelashes trembling violently.

Although her mask obscured her facial expressions, the sheer panic swimming in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"Asclepius, is there something you're having trouble saying?"

The board member asked gently.

"What exactly is Charlotte trying to pull?"

The executives in the audience began to speak up in defense of Asclepius.

Vinson, in particular, glared at Charlotte with a darkened expression, looking as though he wanted to tear her apart.

"She can't win on pure skill, so she resorts to dirty tricks like this?" Vinson scoffed, holding nothing back. "Asclepius probably just has so much research that she grabbed three at random and accidentally brought one from two years ago."

"If that's the case, she can simply resubmit a new one."