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While Cian and Erica were deeply engaged in their passionate encounter, let's shift our focus back to the ballroom where Alea found herself sitting at a table with her parents and their acquaintances, including Arthur.
"So, Miss Alea, you won a national chess tournament? That's amazing!" Arthur exclaimed with a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. It almost seemed like he wanted to bow down and worship her.
Alea felt a bit taken aback by his overly enthusiastic response. "Well, it's not that extraordinary. It was just a tournament for golden-ranked players. I still have a long way to go to reach the diamond rank."
"Still, it's impressive that you emerged as the winner. I can't even comprehend how to play chess, but I know it requires a lot of skill. Strategy and all that, right?"