The Wife He Dumped, The Queen She Returned As novel Chapter 296

"So, I'll be making a stop in Veritas before heading to Kandaria. In the meantime, could you keep an ear out for any leads?"

"Will do," Chloe replied. "Let's meet up when you get to Veritas."

Chatting briefly, Chloe arrived at the cafeteria.

The Institute's cafeteria was enormous, but despite the variety, she had never really grown accustomed to the food during her years here.

She grabbed a small portion and found the nearest empty seat.

A young woman wearing glasses sat beside her, constantly stealing nervous glances at Chloe.

When Chloe looked her way, the girl immediately blushed, averting her eyes and pretending nothing happened.

Chloe smiled and broke the ice. "Hello."

The girl froze, taking a moment to find her voice. "H-hello."

Chloe gestured to her plate. "That salad looks pretty good. Which station did you get it from?"

The girl eagerly pushed her plate closer. "Oh! Do you want to try some?"

Chloe couldn't help but laugh. It was amusing to see someone so sweet and earnest after all these years.

"Thank you."

The girl smiled shyly. "I'm sorry, it's just... you look incredibly similar to an idol of mine from back in the day..."

"Is that right?" Chloe smiled softly.

The girl's expression turned a little melancholy.

"Yeah, it's just a shame she left a long time ago. I haven't seen her since."

"We never even got a chance to take a picture together."

Noticing Chloe's silence, the girl realized she might have overstepped and quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, are you new here?"

Chloe nodded. "Yes."

"Maybe she's just really talented?"

Andrea immediately shot back, "Talented? Are you joking?! She's not even a functioning human being!"

"Did you know her medical records state she's deaf in her left ear? My god, a half-deaf person working at the Interpretation Institute? It's a complete joke!"

The table erupted in shock, someone gasping in disbelief.

"Are you serious? She's deaf in one ear?"

Everyone knew that anyone admitted to the Institute, even a regular assistant, was one in a million.

Especially when it came to the grueling requirements for hearing and linguistic talent!

Andrea rallied the table, glaring daggers at the back of Chloe's head.

"Of course I'm serious! I'm just sick of it!"

"When I worked with my mentor back in the day, she absolutely despised talentless hacks who relied on nepotism! People like her don't deserve to be at the Institute!"