She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 739

"Oh, excuse me?" Dennis fired back, ready to brawl.

The students watching the two heavyweights go at it were absolutely dumbfounded. They all recognized Bonick—he was the Vice Dean of the University of Cologne and a highly respected figure in premier scientific journals. His biography was literally plastered on the wall just outside their campus.

And a man of that caliber was Loyce's mentor? To be his star pupil, so valued that he personally marched over to fight for her—how absurdly brilliant did someone have to be?

At that moment, every student shared the exact same thought: Is Loyce even human?! How could she simultaneously conquer both elite sciences and the pinnacle of the arts? And excel at the very top of both fields!

Seeing Dennis getting red in the face, Loyce stepped between them to play peacemaker. "Hold on, this is all a misunderstanding."

She turned to Bonick first. "Professor, I have no intention of taking a faculty position at the art academy. I was just invited as a guest assessor for the day. I was planning on heading back to campus this afternoon."

She then turned to Dennis and the disappointed professors behind him. "I am currently enrolled at the University of Cologne, conducting research under Professor Bonick. But that doesn't mean I can't occasionally visit the academy to offer some guidance in my free time. We'll have other opportunities."

While still disappointed, Dennis knew better than to push it. She had made it clear, and forcing the issue when her actual mentor was standing right there would just be petty.

He sighed, patting Loyce's shoulder. "Alright, I understand. But you have to promise to visit!"

"I will, Dennis," Loyce smiled.

Bonick's expression softened considerably, though he still cast a wary glare at Dennis. "Well then, let's not waste any time. We're leaving right now."

If he stayed here a second longer, he was terrified his favorite student would actually get snatched away.

"I left a few things in Dennis's office," Loyce said. "I'll go grab them and be right back."

"I'll go with you," Winston offered immediately. "Professor, you can wait for us at the campus gates."

"This is Hallie, a D-Tier admin here. She's an innocent victim caught in the crossfire!" Jethro jumped at the opportunity, launching into a rehearsed, impassioned performance. "Uncle Bonick, you have no idea the horrific injustice I faced in the S-Tier assessment today!"

"Oh?" Though Bonick was anxious to wait for Loyce, the mention of academic injustice made him pause. He gestured for Jethro to continue.

His own students, as well as a few lingering music students, turned to watch in curiosity.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Jethro cranked up the dramatics, his voice carrying obvious resentment. "The academy brought in this so-called 'guest judge'—some ridiculously young girl who clearly just has powerful backing. She deliberately targeted me during the assessment! She asked insanely obscure, trick questions that had nothing to do with standard curriculum, purely to humiliate me! When I politely questioned her, she rallied the other judges and my peers to publicly mock me, and then she threatened to strip me of my S-Tier status!"

"They just hate students like me who get in through prestigious awards! They were trying to force me to drop out!"

He conveniently glossed over the highly technical nature of Loyce's questions and the fact that he was completely ignorant.

Hallie scrambled forward to back him up, forcing a sob. "Professor Bonick, you have to help us! That judge was a tyrant! Jethro was merely trying to engage in an academic debate, and she used her authority to crush him! The Chancellor even reprimanded me and fired me just for trying to protect my student! I... I have nothing left!"