Isabella bowed deeply in the direction Arabella had left, feeling somewhat guilty as she picked up the microphone, âI apologize, Queen Abby. I was ignorant and offended you. Your revision was indeed good. My failing to give it a nine was my own fault.â
Arabella returned to her seat, her bright eyes on Isabella. Her voice carried through the microphone to everyoneâs ears, âOn this stage, the judges donât look at your nationality or your connections. They look at your work. Youâll score high if you design something that catches the eye.â
She sat in the judgeâs seat, holding herself to professional standards, refusing to let personal vendettas affect her judgment.
Arabella continued, âJust focus on the competition. There are still two rounds to go. Everythingâs still up for grabs.â
Arabellaâs magnanimity left the audience amazed, and they burst into applause. She didnât use this opportunity to disqualify Isabella, nor did she show any sign of anger.
The backstage crew collectively sighed in relief.
Isabella couldnât help but bow to Arabella again in gratitude.
After the first round of elimination, only nine contestants made it to the second round.
The task for the second round was to design the most beautiful wedding dress for the most important person in life. This could be oneself or a loved one. They had sixty minutes.
An image of a person popped into Mollyâs mind. This person was so beautiful that no wedding dress seemed good enough for her.
As everyone else busied themselves with their designs, Mollyâs gaze landed on Arabella, not far away.
âBella, you handled that really well.â Hans turned to Arabella, impressed by how she had grown and how easily she dealt with such a difficult situation. Arabella smiled at Hans, âNo biggie.â She was used to dealing with unexpected incidents like this.
But why was Molly staring at her? Was she planning to design a wedding dress for her?
Molly mulled it over, eventually using several silver diamonds to create a stunning wedding gown. Sixty minutes flew by.
Nine designers stood on the stage with their creations, waiting for the verdict.
Arabella picked up the microphone, offering her comments one by one.
âContestant number nine, your design isnât bad, but it would make the average person look like a curtain. It needs a really beautiful person to pull it off.â Everyone took a closer look and had to agree. It did look like a curtain.
Arabella continued, âThe flowers that contestant number eight added to the hem of the dress make it look like a bedsheet.â
Again, everyone looked and had to agree.
Arabellaâs straightâshooting comments had the audience in stitches, and they couldnât help but applaud.