Facade

“But if your sister doesn’t show up, we won’t be able to give her this bouquet,” Xyla remarked, her eyes casting a pitiful glance at the large bouquet of pink roses cradled in her 

Xyla Yonder was Gino’s classmate. When Gino invited her to watch the contest with him, she happily accepted. 

Before heading to the auditorium, they stopped by a nearby florist, where Gino bought the bouquet and handed it to her. 

Thrilled by Gino’s unexpected gesture, Nyla couldn’t help but assume that Gino might have feelings for her. As she began to imagine their future weddings and children, Gino’s words shattered her dream abruptly. 

“After my sister finishes her speech, you can give it to her.” Gino muttered softly, “I’D look ridiculous carrying that big bouquet around.” 

Xyla was left speechless, realizing that Gino had only invited her to deliver the flowers on his behalf. 

As Gino debated whether to dispose of the flowers since Hera was absent, a female voice suddenly echoed through the speaker 

“Hello, everyone, I’m Hera Youngworth. My apologies, I was caught up in some personal matters so I’m late-” 

The audience quickly hushed, turning their attention toward the stage, which remained empty. 

Nevertheless, Hera’s voice continued to resonate through the speaker. 

“I’ll be there in five minutes. However, I don’t want to keep everyone waiting, so I’ll start my speech here online- 

The audience exchanged puzzled looks, whispering among themselves. Perplexed by the sudden development, the judges tumed to the host for clarification. 

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The host quickly radioed the sound system crew, asking, “What’s going o 

“The sound system is connected to an unknown external device. We’ve tried to disconnect it, but it’s futile. Unless we unplug the power 

“Don’t interrupt her. Let her finish her speech with this unconventional method,” Tims intervened, taking the intercom from the host 

The host was taken aback. He had assumed Tim was here for Zyler, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. 

As Hera’s Terranish speech emanated from the speaker, the chaotic vene gradually settled. Even the six judges instinctively sat up straight, marveling at her fluent native accent. 

They had heard rumors about Hera’s rural upbringing and dismal academic performance, especially in Terranish. 

Yet, as they listened to her speech, her Terranish pronunciation appeared flawless, her grammar natural and engaging. She even included advanced vocabulary in her speech, sounding indistinguishable from a native Tertanian. 

In contrast, Zyler’s earlier impeccable pronunciation now seemed rigid and grammatically awkward. 

All the contestants were taken aback at the prep room by Hera’s fluent Terranish–except for Christopher, who seemed deeply impressed. 

Upon recognizing Hera’s voice, Zyler and Lily were dumbfounded by her flawless speech. 

Zyler, in particular, was stunned. He couldn’t fathom how someone like Hera could speak Terranish so fluently 

“possible! How can a country bumpkin speak Terranish so flawlessly? This must be an edited audio!”