The Killer Queen (Noella Briony)

Noella smiled faintly. "Ms. Darcy, I have a habit of incorporating my personal touch in my designs. These images all feature my signature, just like the drafts I submitted to you. Moreover, the background of these images includes your lesson plans, suggesting that my design drafts were captured right here, correct? Or are we to believe, by sheer coincidence, Oriana's drafts were also created right here in Ms. Darcy's office?" NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

The images in question were clearly snapped with a smartphone. In the background, at the edge of the frame, was unmistakably Darcy's lesson planner!

Noella zoomed in on the picture, pointing to a small, delicate logo in the corner—five petals gathered together, reminiscent of peach blossoms in full bloom during springtime. The same logo was discreetly placed on the drafts near Darcy.

Oriana had completely missed this detail. She thought these were just elements casually added by Noella. Although Oriana had preserved the peach blossom in her copies, she had magnified it significantly, making it a highlight of her design. In hindsight, this act only magnified the essence of her plagiarism!

Oriana retorted angrily, "You could have fabricated this video! What proof do you have?"

Noella responded coolly, "Whether it's fabricated can easily be determined by a professor from the Computer Science Department. It's a simple piece of software that you might not understand, but that doesn't mean others can't."

Her tone, laced with a hint of disdain, left Oriana feeling the sting of humiliation.

Darcy pondered for a moment. "Ingrid, could you please fetch Thad from the next office over? Let's have him take a look."

Thad was the dean of the neighboring Computer Science Department. Computer programming textbooks across the department were authored by Thad himself! Not to mention, several spacecraft launched by Harmonia Country carried code written by Thad! In this field, Thad was an undeniable authority.

Ingrid nodded and quickly found Thad, engrossed in a complex piece of programming, and explained the situation.

Thad, with his graying temples, wearing a well-worn shirt and scholarly glasses, looked up with a kind and approachable smile. He chuckled as he took the laptop from Ingrid, scanning the software on the screen. His smile quickly turned to astonishment!

"Who recovered this program?"

"It was one student, Noella Schnabel. Is there an issue?"

Thad shook his head, pointing at a particular line of code. "This code is brilliant! Recovering deleted images is nearly impossible with a single piece of software, and typically requires multiple lines and access to the original source code. Could this student be a computer genius? Regardless, let me see her immediately!"

Thad, initially planning to offer a quick consultation, was now thoroughly intrigued by the code and made a beeline for the Design Academy's office.

Ingrid, noticing Thad's forgotten cane in his rush of excitement, quickly grabbed it and followed after him, worried he might stumble in his eagerness.

Upon entering the office, Thad, with laptop in hand, asked, "Who wrote this code? It's impeccable!"

Seeing Thad in person, Darcy quickly offered him a seat, but Thad waved her off.

Noella spoke up calmly, "I recovered it. Wasn’t too difficult, was it?"

After adjusting his glasses and scrutinizing Noella, Thad typed in a new piece of code.

"Do you understand this?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you've been working on a library categorization algorithm? This code, with slight modifications, could be improved."

Noella's fingers danced across the keyboard, swiftly adding her own modifications to Thad's code.

"Excellent, much clearer now!" Thad, visibly excited, mentioned, "I have another project that's been giving me some trouble. Would you be interested in joining my team? Don't worry, you'll be compensated."

Ingrid quickly interjected, "Sir, Noella is from our department..."

"Imperial University allows dual degrees. If needed, switch your major, and I'll sign off on it!"

To Thad, Noella was a prodigy, wasted on jewelry design!

Noella smiled gently. "Thank you, but that’s not within my plan. It’s not about money or a diploma for me; it’s a passion born out of love for the craft."

For Noella, a diploma was just a piece of paper. She was here to honor her grandmother's memory.

Thad sighed, reluctant to let go. "Are you sure? Joining my lab could make you shine!"

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm sure. Thanks for proving my code is legitimate."

Though disappointed, Thad couldn't argue with Noella's resolve. "Your code is not only perfect but also efficient. This video is indeed a fabrication."

With Thad's confirmation, Oriana's plagiarism was undeniable.

Examining the design in the video and Noella's drafts, Thad understood why Noella had chosen not to pursue computer science. With her impeccable design skills, Noella was indeed meant to be a jewelry designer.

"Your name's Noella, right? Your surname is Schnabel… Merrick Horwich is your grandfather?"

"Yes, do you know my grandfather?"

Thad nodded, smiling warmly. "Of course! We're from the same town. Your design work is exceptional. Would you consider designing a piece of jewelry for my wife? Don't worry, I'll compensate you."

Thad was slightly embarrassed but radiated warmth when speaking of his wife.

Noella vaguely remembered that Thad's wife was a colleague of Freya. Freya had mentioned that Thad and his wife shared an unwavering love, never having a disagreement in their entire lives.

Thad wore a smartwatch, its screen proudly displaying a photo of his wife!

Since they were friends of her grandparents, Noella saw no reason to decline his request.

"Sure, no problem."

Thad, beaming with joy, discussed some details with Noella, then turned his attention to Oriana, who was awkwardly scuffing her shoe against the floor.

"Young lady, your actions are utterly disgraceful! Using Noella's work as your own and then accusing her of plagiarism? Imperial University is no place for someone of your character! It strives to cultivate integrity and virtue, and it seems you're lacking in both!"