Chapter 480: Champion of the XM Design Competition

Chapter 480: Chapter 480: Champion of the XM Design Competition

Under normal circumstances, the only people Estelle would trust in this matter were Melody and Mrs. Yeats. After all, it was Mrs. Yeats who had tipped her off, who had dug up the sleazy man’s background, and who had stood firmly by her side time and time again. Estelle didn’t want to think the worst of people, but the conversation back at the cafe was enough to prove that Mrs. Yeats definitely knew something—she was not as simple as she seemed.

Estelle looked out the window, watching the retreating trees blur into interlaced shadows. "If things are really as I suspect... then how much genuine affection did Mrs. Yeats actually have for my mother?"

Nathaniel stopped the car at a red light and looked steadily at her.

Estelle’s eyes held a hint of sorrow, but it wasn’t for herself. Through her eyes, he could almost see the vibrant woman from all those years ago.

"Her father had passed away, and no one knew her mother’s identity," Estelle murmured. "Left all alone in the Yeats family, she must have endured so much foul gossip.

"Many must have claimed she was of dubious origins, pointing out that her parents were never married and that her background was a complete mystery. With her father dead, those scheming for the Yeats family’s assets would have eagerly spread rumors that she wasn’t even a true Yeats.

"Even if Old Mr. Yeats was willing to protect her, how much could he really do against an elder like Old Mrs. Yeats? She only had one friend—Melody."

Nathaniel’s heart ached slightly as he reached over to hold her hand.

Estelle’s mind was in turmoil. If Mrs. Yeats wasn’t as innocent as she seemed, and if she had plotted against Eleanor, would her mother have been hurt? She definitely would have been. It might not have been physical harm, but rather a deep emotional trauma. The person she considered her best friend, her sole emotional anchor during her youth, the woman who eventually became her sister-in-law—what if she had merely been using her all along? Or worse... plotting to kill her?

"Estelle, look ahead," Nathaniel suddenly said.

She looked up instinctively.

The setting sun cast its light down, painting the world in a warm, beautiful orange hue.

"Don’t overthink it," Nathaniel said softly. "Ms. Eleanor Yeats was not a weak woman. If she knew you were grieving for her, she would be heartbroken."

Estelle froze for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "Okay. I understand."

"You didn’t have a happy birthday yesterday. Let’s go home, and I’ll cook you some longevity noodles."

Estelle raised an eyebrow. "Sounds good to me."

Later that evening, upon returning to Imperial Crest, Nathaniel went straight into the kitchen.

In the past, Estelle never celebrated her birthday. Although he always remembered and bought her gifts, he never forced the issue since she showed no desire to celebrate. But during those five years they were apart, he had thought about it repeatedly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to celebrate her birthday; it was that she had no one to celebrate it with. Deep down, she had always looked forward to it.

Shortly after, as night fully set in, a steaming bowl of noodles was ready.

Nathaniel’s culinary skills had indeed improved drastically. From someone who used to never set foot in the kitchen to a proficient cook, Estelle found it hard to imagine what he must have gone through during those five years.

Wait. A sudden thought struck her.

To outsiders, those five years of her life seemed exceptionally miserable, making her marriage to Nathaniel look like a complete mistake. However, she had never wanted anyone’s pity, because she was afraid of making the people she cared about sad. When Mia first learned that her daddy was a "scumbag," she was so filled with righteous indignation that she couldn’t even eat her dinner. Estelle had found it both heartbreaking and amusing as she wiped away her daughter’s tears, comforting Mia and telling her that the past didn’t bother her anymore.

Perhaps... her own mother would have felt the exact same way.

Nathaniel’s silent comfort made Estelle feel a lot better.

The next day.

Estelle saw the announcement that the XM Design Competition had officially begun. Since the competition allowed the previous champion to participate again, the notification had been sent directly to her. Or, more accurately, it had been sent to ’Ember.’

Three years ago, the contestant who won the championship had used a pseudonym—Ember. Her grandfather had suggested the name, explaining that Ember was also a star, and since she was his "evening star," her name naturally encompassed all stars. She had adopted the moniker and achieved remarkable success. The XM organizing committee had invited her to serve as a judge more than once, but Estelle had declined every time.

If a champion didn’t confirm their willingness to be a judge within a year, the offer expired. The committee wouldn’t invite them again unless they won another championship. Thus, an email was sent to Ember’s inbox inviting her to compete. It also mentioned that another exceptionally brilliant contestant was participating this year, wishing her luck in securing the title once again.

After registering for the event, Estelle casually browsed on her phone until Penelope suddenly sent her a text.

[Estelle! Check out Claire’s Twitter!]

A screenshot quickly followed.

Estelle narrowed her eyes as she read the contents of the image.

Penelope: [Estelle, I remember you showing me this design before, right?? It’s from the sketchbook your grandpa left you. I’m not misremembering, am I?]

Estelle’s expression darkened.

The tweet was a blatant boast from Claire: [Check out my new work, everyone! It will be hitting the market and meeting you all very soon! ~]

The comments were flooded with praise:

[Oh my god! This jewelry is unbelievably gorgeous! It’s so rare to see wisteria elements used in jewelry. It’s so pretty, I’m absolutely obsessed!]

Claire had replied: [Right? ~ I have a soft spot for traditional national styles, and wisterias are just so beautiful. ~]

[Of course Claire is amazing. She’s the champion of the last XM competition, you know!]

[But I checked the official website, and it says the last champion was someone named ’Ember.’]

[That’s just Claire’s pseudonym! She explained it during a livestream before. She eventually got tired of explaining it all the time, so she just made it public. Ember is Claire!]

[So that’s how it is! Wow, Claire is seriously incredible. Usually, only highly experienced designers win this competition. She had never even competed before, yet she instantly made a name for herself as ’Ember.’]

[Exactly! That’s why people say she’s a genius. She started with almost zero experience.]

[I’d like to call out a certain "true heiress" designer here~ What else is she good for besides bragging? She’s put out so many designs, but has she ever won an award?]

[Hahaha, I know you’re talking about Estelle Lockwood. But you can’t be too harsh—what if she just decided not to participate in the XM Design Competition?]

[That’s hilarious. Every named designer in the world gets an invitation, and then they go through preliminary qualifiers. Only those who pass the qualifiers make it onto the contestant list.]

[Three years ago, Estelle’s Star was already somewhat well-known. Do you really think she didn’t get an invite? And if she got an invite from XM, would she turn it down? Any designer with half a brain wouldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity.]

[So why was her name absent from both the contestant list and the winners’ list?]

[There’s only one possibility! She didn’t even make it past the qualifiers!]

[You expect someone who couldn’t even pass the qualifiers, who couldn’t even make it onto the contestant list, to win an award? To compete against a champion like Claire? You might as well just kill her!]