The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1008

Chapter 1008

"Bella, I challenge you. If you're not good at chess, you can choose another talent,’ Alma confidently proposed. "I can play the piano, chess, and even do painting and calligraphy."

Alma, being the daughter of a wealthy family, had plenty of opportunities to hone her talents. Many around her secretly admired the shimmering aura she exuded. If they could, they'd love to have the same impressive background and talents and be the object of others' envy.

"Fine, chess it is” Bella reluctantly agreed. "One minute."

Alma was secretly delighted. She borrowed a chess set and graciously allowed Bella to make the first move.

"No need, I'll give you a three-move advantage."

What?

Alma was insulted by Bella's offer. She smiled and said, "That wouldn't be fair, would it? Competition is about fairness. I'll call you sis. Respecting the elders is a traditional virtue in Solterra. So please, make the first move."

Bella didn't want to waste her breath arguing, so she made the first move.

Alma thought Bella was speechless in the face of her wit and felt even more triumphant. However, her smile didn't last long as she watched the game progress.

It was supposed to be a simple game, but Bella maneuvered with such ease, leaving Alma at a disadvantage. Her pieces were continuously captured by Bella.

In less than a minute, the outcome was clear. Many of the onlookers who had just arrived saw the end of the game, with Bella as the winner.

Bella maintained her indifferent demeanor, as if winning or losing was a trivial matter to her.

But Alma sat before the chessboard, thunderstruck. She had believed she could maintain a lead for at least a minute. But now, looking at the disastrous state of the board, she was filled with shame and couldn't utter a word.

How could this be.

How could Bella's chess skills be so formidable?

It was one thing for her to be good at violin, but to also crush her at chess.

As Bella stood up, someone exclaimed, "It's Professor Oswald!"

Professor Oswald had somehow appeared amongst the crowd. No one knew how long he'd been standing there watching. His warm smile and approving applause were directed at Bella.