Chapter 35 – So-called School Bullying?
“Looks like I’ve grown a bit taller again.”
Standing in front of a full-length mirror, the golden-haired girl rose onto her tiptoes. Back against the wall, she held a hand above her head, aligning it with a red line drawn there with pigment marker.
Yup. She really had grown—enough that she noticed even without checking. The most noticeable change? Her chest. Those eye-catching headlights were now even more prominent, making it the clearest indicator of her recent growth. Just a quick feel told her: bigger than last time? Then she’d definitely gotten taller too.
“Really hope I grow up faster,” she murmured absentmindedly, staring at the pink-cheeked girl in the mirror. Then she slapped her face lightly.
What nonsense was she spouting? She sounded like an actual little girl. Was she getting too immersed in the role?
In the sunlight, her shimmering platinum-gold hair sparkled like a cascade of starlight.
In truth, the reason Dylin had so quickly accepted the whole gender and species switch was largely because he viewed Teresa as a kind of ward under his care.
These past days, watching the elf girl grow day by day, Dylin—who’d witnessed the whole process—couldn’t help but feel moved.
It was like watching his own daughter grow up. Like an old father watching the little cabbage he’d raised being watered into bloom.
He couldn’t help but wonder: when Teresa undergoes her Divine Awakening, what kind of astonishing transformation would occur?
She found herself looking forward to it.
Recently, aside from attending required Divine Child courses, Teresa had been spending most of her time in Divine Princess classes—today was no different.
Activating Divine Appraisal in front of the mirror, she checked her current status. There were exactly two weeks left until her Divine Awakening.
A month-long wait, now more than halfway through. The Freshman Crown Tournament was drawing near, and Teresa grew uneasy—her awakening seemed likely to coincide with the tournament.
For a Divine Princess, there’s only one Divine Awakening in a lifetime. And whether you're born into it or come to it later like Teresa, all undergo a “Suppression Phase” the week before awakening.
This phase, caused by escalating internal changes, often brings emotional instability—mood swings, irritability, or even depression—as the Divine Princess accumulates transformative energy. It’s a natural process, requiring no rituals or external intervention.
But knowing the theory didn’t stop Teresa from growing anxious.
She didn’t realize it, but this tension resembled prenatal depression—and it was clouding her judgment, giving rise to unnecessary worry.
Pushing down the discomfort, Teresa turned to grooming.
How to comb her hair, maintain its luster, present herself with noble elegance—etiquette, mannerisms, posture, even dessert presentation—these were all etched into her muscle memory from the moment she was “born” as Teresa.
She’d also discovered her body harbored a serious case of OCD and germophobia. Unless her hair was perfectly smooth, clean, and symmetrical, she refused to leave the house.
Even if she did manage to step out, she’d feel like ants were crawling all over her skin and be compelled to rush back, fix her appearance, and start over.
This body’s habits were driving Teresa crazy.
Even drinking water had to be done like a proper lady—legs crossed, fingers delicately holding a porcelain cup, sipping slowly like tasting fine tea.
Dylin, in contrast, never cared. Be it a cracked wooden mug or an elegant porcelain teacup, he’d lift it and chug. Water was for hydration—no need for pageantry.
She’d even tried chugging water while in Teresa’s form once. Result? Choked and sputtering coughs.
With her battered notebook and worn quill stuffed into an old satchel, Teresa stepped out of her dormitory.
Today was a Divine Princess lecture.
To be honest, she wasn’t thrilled about being the book mule for a bunch of spoiled nobles—but there were several knowledge points she hadn’t grasped. She had to corner the professor for answers.
And as expected...
Today was no different.
Arriving at her usual seat, Teresa’s face was expressionless as she pulled a needle out of her chair, dumped the pranks in her desk into the trash, and wiped off the handwritten “greetings” scrawled in ink across her tabletop:
Ugly Duckling
Disgusting Bastard
Air-polluting Filth
Before class assignments were finalized, seating wasn’t fixed. But Teresa always chose the front-right corner.
The others had noticed.
Ever since confirming her predictable habits, the rest of the class had escalated their pranks—starting with dead insect corpses in her desk, then moving on to thumbtacks on her chair, and cruel messages scratched into her desk.
Some laughed in the shadows. Others looked on, ready to enjoy the drama.
They were all waiting to see how this golden-haired “ugly duckling” would react to being bullied.
And to their disappointment—she didn’t react at all.
Not one prank had succeeded.
Teresa was meticulous. Every time she entered the room, she’d wipe down her seat with wet tissues, making sure it wasn’t sticky or booby-trapped—thus avoiding the thumbtack trick.
As for the rest? She just calmly cleaned the desk and drawer, her expression unreadable.
The bullies found it boring. The spectators too.
Because the whole point of bullying was to provoke a reaction—embarrassment, anger, a meltdown. If your victim doesn’t move or speak, what’s the fun?
A prank on a lifeless doll wasn’t satisfying at all.
Teresa’s stoic indifference made everything feel hollow.
Under her desk, Irene silently clenched her skirt.