"Why-how, no, I mean.....what is it about my future that you know that I don't?" Ophelia's voice faltered as she repeated his words

The Deer stood still, his figure cloaked in the shadows of the alley, his mask hiding whatever expression might have been there. His voice, when it came, was cold, like the air around them, cutting through the tension.

"I know that baby....was from your so-called best friend," he began slowly, "You were there at the music room, you didn't want it to die while she was about to give birth prematurely, because it reminded you of how your real mother dumped you at the bridge in some park. You tried to convince her to not be irresponsible, which is why she paid a boy around your age to stage that lie that you slept with a married man and got pregnant with the baby, then spread more rumours that you allegedly killed the baby to hide evidence of your so called pregnancy, even slut shamed, when in reality, the baby is now in the hands of one of her friends."

Ophelia's mind raced, her heart pounding in her chest as the Deer's words struck her like a slap to the face. Ever since that night, she had never told anyone about this except her adoptive parents, who believed in her. Though she did tell her biological mother about it too at some point, she chooses not to believe in her own daughter. "W-who told you-"

"Your chemistry teacher....lied that you confided in her about the pregnancy, because you overhead of her so-called affair with a married man, who is a professor at the University campus section in Edgewood Academy," The Deer didn't let her finish. His voice was unyielding, like an ice-cold wave crashing over her, "Adultery isn't accepted in Edgewood among teachers, staff members, principal, even janitors alike. She would've lost her job on the spot if you had spill the tea about it."

The world around her was blurring for a moment, as Ophelia staggered back. The Deer's words hit her like a freight train. "You—" she whispered, her voice weak with a mix of horror and confusion. "My chemistry teacher did what!?"

"About that positive pregnancy test, I also know that was made up too," The Deer's presence remained a shadow in the dark, cold and unyielding. "To ensure you keep things quiet, and get expelled, the person in charge of this is the chemistry teacher's niece. Why did she do so was pretty straightforward: Edgewood Academy don't allow criminals to pursue their education there after all. If her lies about you being pregnant was discovered, she can find no grounds to kick you out of school, since you are not a troublemaker. No pregnancy meant you couldn't have murdered the baby and hide it, after all, the saying goes: No body, no crime."

Her breath came in sharp gasps as she tried to process everything. So that person who did medical tests onto her was....her chemistry teacher's niece? 

"But, wait a minute..." Ophelia's voice cracked as she struggled to form the words, her hands shaking violently. "If I didn't go to the very medical centre to confirm I wasn't pregnant, this wouldn't have work in my chemistry teacher's favour, no?"

"Almost 80 percent of the medical-related facilities, including the hospitals in this neighbourhood belonged to her family, let alone, the budgeting ones around your previous hometown before you all moved here," the Deer repeated, his voice unnervingly calm. "Since your family isn't wealthy, you have a higher chance of walking into their trap without even realizing it."

Ophelia's knees nearly buckled beneath her as the truth hit her like a sledgehammer. She had been played, used as a pawn in a game she had never even known she was a part of. Her hands trembled, her head spinning, trying to process the staggering web of lies that had been spun around her.

"Is that....is that why when my parents tried to retrieve medical reports from my childhood to prove I can't get pregnant because of my heart defect vanished....into thin air!? To make it as if my family were lying!?" Her voice barely rose above a whisper, as if speaking the words aloud might make the harsh reality even more real

The Deer's figure remained still in the darkness, his presence a silent weight pressing down on Ophelia as she struggled to comprehend the nightmare she was trapped in. The alley, once a place of refuge, now felt like a suffocating prison. Her heart raced as the pieces of her shattered reality began to form a terrifying picture.

"Also, about your scholarship....."

"....what!? Is there something else about this too that I have no idea about!?"

The Deer's silence stretched on, thick and heavy, as Ophelia's mind scrambled to keep up with the revelations crashing down around her. She could feel her grip on reality slipping, but she couldn't look away, couldn't stop herself from needing to know everything.

He spoke again, his voice steady but cutting through the tension like a blade. "Your scholarship, Ophelia, was through your biological mother's connections."

Ophelia blinked, her chest tightening in response. "What do you mean?" she whispered, her voice raw and unsteady. "I earned it. I worked hard for it."

"Is that what your so called biological mother who abandoned you years ago....the same one who ditch you at the bridge when you were a kid, insisted?" The Deer gave a low, almost imperceptible chuckle, but it was devoid of any humor. "Tell me, when she suddenly reappeared in your life after years of absence, just to treat you lovingly out of the blue?"

Ophelia recoiled at the mention of her biological mother, the pain of that memory rushing back in a torrent. She had always wondered about her sudden reappearance in her life, after years of abandonment, and now, the questions burned in her mind like a flame threatening to consume her.

Her voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. "She... she said she wanted to make up for everything... for leaving me. I thought it was a second chance. She even...said that she wants to introduce me to my biological paternal grandfather who is sickly." Her chest tightened as she recalled the fragile hope she had allowed herself to believe in.

"Do you really think it was out of some sudden, heartfelt maternal instinct? No, Ophelia. No woman who ditch their daughter at a park because one is born with a heart defect would suddenly reappear out of love," The Deer's voice was sharp, like a blade cutting through the tender wound that Ophelia had carried for so long. "Your mother didn't come back because she had a change of heart. She came back because she needed something from you."

Ophelia's breath hitched, the words striking a nerve she hadn't realized was still so raw. "No," she whispered, shaking her head, "she wouldn't—"

"She would," The Deer interrupted coldly. "You see, if you had bothered to do your homework, your paternal grandfather....he needs a liver. Also, the sons in his life are all dead. You see where I am heading with this?"

Ophelia's blood ran cold, her heart hammering in her chest as she processed the Deer's words. The room seemed to grow smaller, the air thicker, as if the very weight of the truth was closing in around her. Her thoughts, once a whirlwind of confusion, began to sharpen into a terrifying clarity.

"No..." she whispered, her voice trembling as the implications hit her with full force. "She didn't... She didn't come to me just for a liver, right?"

The Deer's voice was as cold as ice, unyielding and sharp. "No, Ophelia. She came back because she needed money. Lots of it. There is no one to inherit his property but charity on its own, unless his mistress who is also the chemistry teacher's niece, gets pregnant. Which wouldn't be possible, since he is an old bird. Your real dad is also deceased. Which leaves one straightforward answer."

"Wait, his mistress is WHO!?" Ophelia's mind was reeling, her thoughts crashing like a storm. She could feel the ground beneath her feet trembling, as if the very foundation of her existence was crumbling away. The Deer's words twisted in her mind, pulling her deeper into a reality she had never imagined. "Also, money...?" she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. "You mean... she needed me to donate my liver so she could inherit everything? B-but....I have a heart defect! I can't just simply donate a liver out of the blue like that!"

"You can, if she just get someone to give you a nice pricey heart transplant, then recuperate for a long time, your liver would be perfect as it is."

"B-But surely....surely my so-called....paternal grandfather who i have never met could've just simply conjure up a liver using money!"

"Money can buy a lot of things, but not a liver that will match perfectly unless one is related. The laws itself has been so strict recently, that this is no longer an option. Also, think about it in the long run: Since you are the last surviving descendent, let alone, heiress, by doing such a gesture, you will not only end up in the old man's good books, you will also be set to inherit millions in pounds if I were to look at it this way. But since his mistress is also after his money....it ain't strange why she ended up framing you for being 'pregnant', no?"

The more she hears of this, the more Ophelia felt sick to her stomach.

"Such a shame that since your best friend framed you for the pregnancy, no wonder your biological mother slapped you, cause it made you useless, even though you are not pregnant."

Her chest tightened, breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps. "A-about my friend framing me....." she stammered, the words feeling foreign in her mouth, like they belonged to someone else. "She...what was her reason?"

"Simple, she wants to become a K-Pop idol. Mothers can't be one after all."

"She...can't be serious, right?" Ophelia's voice was barely above a whisper, the disbelief and confusion twisting her words. Although she heard her speaking about her dreams many many times, she never considered her taking this dream seriously.

"Well, initially she didn't. But you kept on pestering her about looking after the baby she ditched, and you knew about the pregnancy by accident, so....."

"But....what did I do wrong!? It's wrong to abandon a baby! Even if it is unwanted-" Ophelia's voice cracked, the tremor in her hands betraying the storm of confusion and hurt churning within her.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Ophelia," The Deer's expression remained cold, unmoved by her distress. "It's just unfortunate.....you befriended a devil."

"No... it can't be."

"Anyway, today you are about to confront her once more, right? In that bag of yours," The 6-year-old boy in the Deer mask pointed at the bag pack she was wearing, "Is your real medical report that states of your heart defect, correct?"

Ophelia's breath hitched, her eyes darting down to the bag slung over her shoulder, the weight of it suddenly feeling heavier than ever. The Deer's words echoed in her mind, and she felt her stomach churn with dread. Her real medical report.

She hesitated for a moment, not sure how to respond. Of course, she had the report—it had been kept hidden, just out of reach of the deceitful hands that had been pulling the strings around her. But now, standing before this cold, enigmatic figure who had revealed so much of the truth, she suddenly felt the gravity of what was to come.

"Tonight, at that park when you call and demanded her to show up, which she did, a man will show up to murder you brutally, then stage it as if you fell down the stairs after feeling depress. He will then take your medical report and rip it to shreds."

Ophelia's blood ran cold as the Deer's words cut through the air, sharp and menacing. "Murder?" she whispered, the word foreign and terrifying on her tongue. "Who...? Why...?"

The Deer's voice remained chillingly calm, as though discussing something trivial. "The man is the biological father of your so-called 'friend's' baby.' He is a influential music producer who has a family here in the U.K, but often do trips to Korea as he works there.."

"The... biological father?" she stammered, her voice cracking. "A music producer? But... but how...? How does he—?"

"This is what he is planning to do," The Deer's gaze was unwavering, his words cold and precise. "Since he works in Korea, the last thing he needs is to have the truth of his so called 'kid' existing and appear in the tabloids. After all, Korea is a conservative country. With your fake pregnancy, killing you will not only make it as if that baby between him and your bestie didn't exist, but it will also erase all the potential chaos that could come from the truth getting out. Cause if you think about it, you are all considered 'minors', to get one pregnant overseas is also enough to land him in hot water."

He paced before her as he speaks.

"Since you wouldn't let go the fact that you were not pregnant, which is very understandable in my opinion, your bestie is at a losing end. Of course, the one good thing is that she won't murder you. No, she isn't that heartless to the core. Just that I wouldn't say the same for her baby daddy, whom I am pretty sure she told him about it to see whether he can keep this 'quiet'."

"But...even if that is the case, they didn't really need to murder me, right?" Ophelia's voice cracked as the reality began to settle in. "I mean....if they are capable of framing me, murder is the last thing they would want to do to me, no?"

"Killing you for that man isn't merely just to keep you 'quiet', Ophelia, it is also for the sake of money."

"Money!?" Her brows shot up, becoming more confuse at his response, "What are you talking about!? My family ain't wealthy!"

"True, but if I say one of your family members have the ability to do so, would you not give it a shot?"

Sensing her  confusion, he continued.

"In a week's time after you died, your loving adopted parents will too ended up being murdered by him. First, since your reputation is in an all time low, it ain't surprising why he will send more protestors to surround your house. During the chaos, he will make it as if those protestors burn down your house."

"You-"

"I ain't done," The little boy cut her off before continuing where he left off, "Even the police are under those individuals payroll, so the backup plan is that they will stage it as if they couldn't overcome their grief for you after pleading with the police to look into your death. When all of this is forgotten, your adoptive father would eventually be kidnapped and put him in some random isolated island, and he will torment him into coming up with a popular children kidnapping tracker app that will earn him billions in pounds while gleefully masquerading your adopted father's identity."

"No..." she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "No, they wouldn't be able to! My father...he isn't a computer engineer, he is a child psychologist!"

"Well, in the first place, did it not occur to you how was it your adopted parents were able to afford those medical fees for your heart surgery during your childhood?"

Ophelia froze, the question hanging in the air like a heavy weight. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding in her chest. The Deer's words hit her like a punch to the gut.

She had never questioned how her parents had managed to pay for the surgeries that saved her life. She had always been told that they had made sacrifices, that they had worked hard to make sure she had the best care. But now, the seed of doubt was planted, and it grew quickly, feeding on all the confusion and fear she had been battling.

Her voice was barely a whisper as she responded, trembling. "What are you trying to say? How could they...?"

The Deer tilted his head, a sinister smile creeping across his face. "It didn't occur to you, did it? That your father's side hobby on developing apps which you had witness this entire time....would eventually save you."

Ophelia's mind went blank for a moment. Her father's "side hobby" — she had always assumed it was a harmless interest, something he did in his spare time. She had watched him at his computer, fiddling with coding and development programs, but he always brushed it off, saying it was just a way to pass the time. He'd never talked much about it beyond that. And yet, here the Deer was, implying something far darker, far more sinister.

"But if that is the case," Ophelia whispered, her voice trembling. "Are you saying... my father's hobby-?"

"Yes, eventually one of them will make your entire family strike rich. But unfortunately....because you will die tonight....that man made him develop an app, had all the money gifted to him and those 8 other individuals, this also includes your biological mother who will benefit financially from this."

Tears welled up in Ophelia's eyes as she struggled to hold back the overwhelming rush of emotions threatening to drown her. Her adoptive parents, her so-called friend—everyone had been part of a scheme she couldn't have fathomed in her worst nightmares. She felt so small, so powerless in the face of it all.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head, trying to block the cruel reality from sinking in. "This can't be true. There has to be something I can do. I can't just let them do this."

Her breath hitched in her chest as the enormity of the situation overwhelmed her. Everything she had known, everything she had believed about her family, about her life, was a lie. The world she had trusted had been nothing more than a façade—a manipulation designed to keep her in the dark, to keep her from ever knowing the truth.

Even so...

Even so, among the lies, the genuine love and warmth of her adoptive parents and adopted uncle, she knew deep down were not lies.

Soon, confused, she turned to the little boy in the deer mask before her to asks, "Why....are you telling me all of this?"

The little boy in the deer mask stared at her, his cold, unreadable gaze never wavering. For a moment, there was silence—heavy and suffocating. Then, with a chilling calmness, he finally spoke, his voice eerily soft yet laced with something almost... pitying.

"Why?" he echoed, as if the word itself was foreign to him. "Cause I need someone to work for me."

"Work for you?" she repeated, her voice trembling, barely above a whisper.

The boy in the deer mask didn't respond immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as though studying her, his gaze never leaving hers. The mask, a blank and expressionless face, only seemed to make the situation all the more unnerving.

"Your future would end up becoming one of the reasons as to why Edgewood Academy will be shutting down in a couple of years down the line."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice a mix of fear and confusion. "Why would that happen in the first place?"

The boy's voice was cold, precise, and unsettlingly calm. "There is someone out there planning to use a couple of unsavoury incidents within the academy to 'justify' it shutting down, just so they could be portrayed as a 'saint'. Your death incident would be among the few that will cause it to shut down. Plus, since I no longer study in that school anymore, I need someone to run errands for me in order to put an end to this madness."

Ophelia's heart began to race as the boy's words settled into her mind. "Run errands?" she repeated, struggling to understand. "Why would I help you?"

"Ophelia, be honest with me, do you...want to continue your studies in Edgewood Academy?"

Ophelia froze at the question. It hung in the air, sharp and pointed, as if the boy could see right through her. When she first received the acceptance letter, her family was living in the countryside. Back then, the idea of going to Edgewood Academy seemed like a dream she could never fully embrace.

Edgewood Academy itself is a prestigious school, so her acceptance had felt like a lifeline. It was an opportunity for something more—more than the average life she had known, more than the quiet existence in the small town where nothing ever seemed to change. It was a way out, a path to a future where she could see herself benefitting her adoptive family who doted on her like their own child for years.

But now, as she stood before the boy in the deer mask, everything about Edgewood felt hollow. The dream she had once clung to so tightly now seemed tainted, corrupted by the truth that was slowly unraveling before her eyes. It wasn't just the school—it was everything that had brought her here. The people who had surrounded her, the promises made to her, all of it was built on lies and manipulation. The idea of continuing her studies at Edgewood, of trying to move forward in this world, felt impossible now.

Ophelia's heart was heavy with uncertainty. She had always believed that if she worked hard, if she proved herself, she could rise above the circumstances of her past. But how could she do that in a place like Edgewood, where nothing was as it seemed, where every corner held another lie, another betrayal?

The boy's question echoed in her mind, and for a moment, she felt paralyzed. She had no answer. The life she had imagined for herself seemed so far out of reach now.

"I..." She struggled to find the words, her voice shaky. "I don't know anymore."

"Ok, then let me rephase the question. Ophelia, if those people are gone, would you feel safe to come back to Edgewood and want to continue your studies there?"

Ophelia's mind reeled at the boy's words, her heart beating faster as she tried to process the weight of his question. "Those people..." Ophelia whispered, her voice almost lost in the quiet. 

She thought of the people who had manipulated her, who had used her, who had lied to her. She thought of the warmth and care of her biological mother, assuming her love is genuine, but now mingled with the bitter taste of betrayal.

But above all, her adoptive parents. That itself hasn't been a lie.

How much money had her family had to fork out in expenses just so they could move here to be closer to her while attending this school filled with promises? Let alone, the hardships she had to endure, they believed in her wholeheartedly

Her heart clenched in her chest.

"If they were gone," she repeated, her voice trembling, "If everything... if everything changed for the better... would I want to go back?"

The boy in the deer mask didn't respond immediately. He simply stood there, watching her with that blank, unreadable gaze. He was waiting for her to process the question, to make the choice. But deep down, Ophelia already knew the answer. It wasn't just about the people who had used her, or about Edgewood itself—it was about her..

"I..." She took a slow, shaky breath, her voice gaining strength as she spoke, her resolve building despite the storm of uncertainty inside her. "Yes, because at the end of the day, it isn't the school that is the problem, it is the people who doesn't deserve to be there making my life miserable. Also....I truly want to reward my parents with nice things. Especially after what they did for me."

The boy in the mask seemed to consider her words for a moment longer before nodding slightly, as if confirming something to himself. "You've made your choice then," he said, his tone almost indifferent, but there was something else there—a hint of finality, as if the path ahead had already been set.

.............................................................................................

The rest of the story over what Tiffany has recalled about Ophelia, taken a turn for the better later on.

Somehow the evidence eventually pinpoint back to Ophelia's bestie, as well as the other conspirators who were involved in this matter. A lot of arrests were made, while Ophelia's so-called bestie was expelled from the academy for good and ended up in juvenile for ditching the baby.  The chemistry teacher , who had been complicit in the scheme, was also arrested along with the other conspirators, leaving her illegitimate twins without a mother or a father.

Ophelia's biological mother wasn't spared either, as she too was implicated in the conspiracy. The investigation uncovered that she had been in contact with the music producer on the murder attempt onto Ophelia, though the mother insisted she didn't try to orchestrate the murder of her daughter with the same music producer, which no one could pinpoint whether this part of her words were true to be exact.

The truth about the conspiracy eventually led to significant changes within Edgewood Academy. at least for the Year 12 section. With the corrupt faculty members ousted, the school underwent an investigation into its practices and culture. Reforms were put in place to ensure that no student would ever again be subjected to the kind of manipulation and abuse that Ophelia had endured.

Though, even after all of this, Ophelia wasn't done just yet.

Which is why, to the shock of everyone, she did something unthinkable.

Getting engaged into an arrange marriage was one of the options she had been given by The Deer, at least in Ophelia's head, a temporary arrange engagement with a boy whose family has recently became influential, that her family will be provided the protection she needed. If her adoptive family was connected to one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the country, it would give her a shield, a way to prevent any future harm.

Why was this shocking in Edgewood at that time was pretty obvious: Ophelia Graves used to be against arrange marriages, and the entire campus is aware of it.

Not a single person knew what sparked the change, until The Deer revealed this to Tiffany, "Just because we have thrown a bunch of buffoons into the gallows, it won't make Ophelia's school life any easier."

"Huh?" Tiffany's face fell.

"You imagine this scenario: Ophelia is an orphan who is adopted into a average family, having recently thrown many prominent figures behind bar who have a background of mingling with the other formerly high rank nobles in this neighbourhood. Unlike most novels where one would say 'happily ever after', in reality, it will only make those noble teenagers wary of her. In some cases....probably give them more of a resentment towards her, since I am pretty sure some of their family expenses are cut down drastically because of that scandal."

".....really? Then, the reason of this arrange marriage was-"

"I was the one who suggested she does so, for safety concerns if she wanted a smooth sailing life. Of course...I also suggests that it has to be someone who will willingly break the engagement if she wants her freedom after she graduates."

"Good move," Tiffany grew amused at this fact, "Also, with that Earl's family, at least she can be reassured her family will be alright."

"Anyway, after that incident with Ophelia, I had her recruit other kids of such misfortune. Within a year before Ranran entered the Academy, it was enough to put a stop for most of the potential notable incidents that will warrant Edgewood from getting shut down. However....."

"....you are under manpower as a result, huh?"

"Let's put it this way, we are dealing with a royal after all."

"That damn Ernestine!" Tiffany gritted her teeth the more she thought about this, "If I was set to be engaged to a royal, the first thing I would do is expel her for good! It's one thing if she was shallow, let alone, shut down-wait," She blinked before turning to The Deer, "How is it that she wants to be a 'well-loved' heroine after having everything at her disposal!?"

"Ok, this is where I share to you the....not-so great detail about my projected life, cause I am part of her plan after all." The Deer glumly states his feelings about this matter.

..................................................................................

"Ranran, could you come here for a moment?"

Right that as soon as 7-year-old Tiffany heard everything about The Deer's tragic tale, she angrily stormed off the office while her head was filled with chaos.

How dare......this damn girl!?

Has she lost her damn mind!?

Tiffany's mind was a whirlwind as she stomped down the hallway, her thoughts too tangled to make sense of. She couldn't understand how anyone, especially someone with everything handed to them, could play such games with the lives of others. The Deer's words about the royal family, the arranged marriages, the political games—it all felt like a sick, twisted dance where real people, like Ophelia and herself, including The Deer....all of them in her eyes were nothing but pawns.

 Especially someone like Ernestine!

She felt a flare of anger in her chest. How could Ernestine do this?

Tiffany's fingers tightened around the hem of her sleeve, and she turned sharply, heading for the courtyard. Her breath came in short bursts, but the sudden realization hit her as her mind settled: Everyone....doesn't deserve this. Ernestine has to go!

What? Shutting down Edgewood just so she could become the people's Princess? Abolish aristocrats, when Ernestine herself is one? By sacrificing others at the price of their own 'villainy' deeds?! Did Ernestine think Tiffany herself wanted to do this for malicious yet idiotic reason!? Like a one dimension villain while she, the pure hearted heroine!?

Also, how the hell shutting down the aristocratic system will do the people good? Did Ernestine not realize that if she does so, it would only create chaos? The entire system of governance would collapse, and the people—those she claimed to be helping—would be the first to suffer. Eradicating the aristocracy didn't just mean eliminating the elites—it meant tearing down the very structure that held the entire United Kingdom together. It was naive. No, it was reckless.

Tiffany clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. "To go as far as to shut down the school I love..." she muttered to herself, "How stupid could she be?"

In mere basic generic terms in the eyes of a average commoner, shutting down this school would do them good, as it would be 'stopping the government for wasting it lavishly', not to mention, end the bullying between 'nobles and commoners', as well as the allege 'power abuse' from nobles to commoners.

But that was a simplistic, misguided view. The truth was far more complicated.

Perhaps if this was an older Victorian era, that would've worked wonders. The commoners, after all, were the victims of the nobility, shackled by the rigid class structure, oppressed under the weight of old-world privilege. Fair enough in Tiffany's opinion. But this is the 21st century, and the reality is far more complex.

In the modern world, due to the laws and stuff, even though a lot of the nobles and royals still to this day retain the power and privilege, their position has become far more precarious. The old world of unchallenged authority and unquestioned power has been chipped away by modern laws, social movements, and public scrutiny. The privileges of the aristocracy are no longer as absolute as they once were, and though they still wield influence, they must do so carefully, under the watchful eyes of both the common people and a government that increasingly demands accountability. After all, this is the era of smartphones, everyone can simply film or livestream the entire thing, then presto! It's over!

And as soon as the commoners rise up to their ranks despite nobility no longer existing, the dynamics of power would shift yet again. Without the aristocracy to anchor society, the vacuum left behind could be filled by something far more dangerous—populist movements, opportunistic figures, and factions fighting for control. The absence of structure could lead to chaos, a descent into lawlessness where power would no longer be inherited but seized. Those who were once powerless could find themselves in positions of absolute authority, but without the experience, wisdom, or responsibility that came with the old system.

Plus, there would be no guarantee that the commoners would fare better. They might rise to the top, but without the stabilizing influence of the traditional structures, their victory could turn into a double-edged sword. They could end up suffering even more under corrupt leaders who exploited their new-found positions just as ruthlessly as the aristocracy had once done.

It is like a vicious cycle with no end in sight.

The only one who will not suffer? Ernestine.

Ernestine would never have to face the consequences of her own ideals. As soon as she 'cut ties' from royalty and become a commoner in the future, she still will get to live lavishly and with complete immunity from the fallout of her actions. Ernestine, with her carefully cultivated image as a champion of the common people, could easily detach herself from the consequences of the collapse she was orchestrating. She'd be hailed as the "people's hero," a noble soul willing to sacrifice everything for the greater good. But in reality, she would remain insulated, far removed from the chaos she helped create.

Tiffany's mind raced as she thought about it. Ernestine's fall from royalty would not be a fall at all. It would be a calculated move to shift her role from a privileged aristocrat to a celebrated martyr, someone who could still hold sway over the masses without any of the responsibilities or consequences. She would have all the perks of her past life—luxury, influence, and status—without any of the backlash or accountability.

"What a selfish psychopath!" Tiffany felt her anger grow with each thought. Ernestine wasn't thinking about the people—she was thinking about herself. Tiffany could see through the façade. Ernestine's supposed "fight for justice" was a way to ensure her own rise to power. And in doing so, she would leave everyone else to pick up the pieces of a broken world.

The worst part? Was what she planned to do to 'The Deer'.

Honestly, she wasn't going to try and recall those disgusting details anymore. The point is plain and simple: She doesn't process quality of a aristocrat, therefore, she along with the other children who are conspiring this has to go!

No. I can't let this happen. Tiffany's resolve hardened. She wasn't going to stand by and let Ernestine, or anyone else, play these games at the expense of real people's lives. If Ernestine wanted to destroy everything, Tiffany would be the one to stand against it.

Seeing the 3-year-old Ranran approach her, she recalled The Deer's words that this 'Fox' will be the only way to save those unfortunate kids Ernestine plans to sacrifice.

Tiffany's hand instinctively moved to brush a lock of her hair behind her ear as she knelt down to Ranran's level, her thoughts still clouded with anger. It was surreal. A child, barely three years old, had the potential to tip the balance of a battle far bigger than she could understand. And yet, there it was. Ranran, the wild card in this twisted game of power, a symbol of both vulnerability and untapped potential.

"Ranran..." Tiffany murmured, looking down into the child's bright eyes. "When you....see a girl name 'Ernestine', run away, she is a bad child."

Tiffany's words hung in the air, a warning wrapped in a tender tone. She gazed into Ranran's wide, innocent eyes, feeling the weight of what she was saying. A three-year-old, so young and innocent, yet already tied to something much larger than her. 

"Why?"

Tiffany's heart clenched, realizing that she was asking so much of this child—asking her to understand a danger she was far too young to comprehend.

That stupid girl! When all of this is over, first thing I am going to do is to throw her in a mental institution and torture her!

"Also, who is....Ernestine?" The little girl asks.

"Ernestine...is a evil girl who pretends to be nice," Tiffany repeated, her voice hardening, "She wants to hurt others to make herself feel good, let alone, look good. She doesn't care about who she steps on. Nothing...comes out of her mouth is ever true. So if you see her, Ranran, you run. Don't trust her. She might smile at you, but her heart is full of lies."

Tiffany smiled softly, brushing Ranran's hair away from her face, the anger still simmering in her chest but tempered with a deep, protective affection for the child. She wasn't sure what part Ranran would play in this fight, but she knew one thing: 

"I'll do everything I can to make sure not only she will learn to navigate in this complex world, let alone, teach her how to deal with those scums who did this to him, her and I in the future, I am also going to ensure that Ernestine wishes she has never been born into this aristocrat life! Just you wait, Ernestine, I promise I am going to make you pay for your sins!"

If The Deer's stating that Ranran is their 'golden goose' to get out of Ernestine's grasp, then Tiffany is going to make sure that no one, especially not Ernestine, gets their hands on her. 

After all, when one raises a fox cub, expect it to grow into a cunning predator.