"LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO EDGEWOOD!"

The 3-year-old little girl was being dragged by her furious father, her small feet stumbling as she cried out in frustration, her tiny arms flailing as she tried to break free from her father's grip. Mr. Kudo, face flushed with both anger and desperation, was determined to get her to the school no matter what.

"Ranran, behave!" he snapped, his grip tightening on her arm. "You lied in front of the teachers and headmasters alike!"

But the more he pulled, the more Ranran dug her heels in, her tears mixing with an angry snarl. "No! I'm not going! I don't wanna go! I don't like it there!" She kicked and struggled, her voice filled with a mix of defiance and distress.

Honestly, he should've listened to his wife when he suggested letting her play computer games when she was younger.

She was small, but her determination was fierce, and for a child of her age, it felt like an insurmountable challenge. Each time he tried to drag her a few more steps, she planted her feet firmly, her tantrum growing louder. His grip tightened, but it didn't seem to help. The little girl's anger and refusal were only intensifying.

"Ranran, enough!" Mr. Kudo shouted, his patience beginning to snap. "We had this conversation before!"

Her eyes, filled with a mix of defiance and pain, locked onto her father's face. "No! I don't want to go! I hate it! I hate al of you!" she screamed, her voice raw with emotion. With all her might, she twisted out of his grasp for a fleeting moment, her small hands reaching for the ground like a desperate attempt to anchor herself to where she was.

She was a child, yes, but she was also incredibly perceptive, aware of the world around her in ways that most children her age were not. She had understood, long ago, that anyone who ended up in school will forever have endless homework!

"Ranran, listen to me!" Mr. Kudo pleaded, his voice cracking with frustration. "This is for your own good! Edgewood is a great school. You're going to learn so much there! Think of all the friends you'll make—"

"I don't want friends! I want cartoons!" Ranran wailed, her little fists pounding at the ground in frustration. "I want to stay home! No studying! No homework!"

Her tantrum was deafening, echoing through the streets as she lay flat on her back, her legs kicking the air in defiance. She was small, but her will was mighty, and she would not go down without a fight.

Mr. Kudo gritted his teeth, his patience fraying with each passing second. The tight grip he had on her arm seemed to do nothing to quiet her. He could feel the tension building inside him, the conflict between his duty as a father and his growing resentment of how things had gotten out of control.

For a brief moment, as he struggled to drag her along, his anger flared up. How did it come to this? he thought. Why is she so intent on resisting everything?

But deep down, he knew why. 

The events leading up to the family's decision to send Ranran to Edgewood was a no-brainer between he and his wife. The slum townhouse they used to live in was tested positive for lead contamination, and the risks to Ranran's health had been too great to ignore.

In addition to that, when his estranged grandmother-in-law offered them to move into this neighbourhood here, there is some legit reports from her to suggest that Ranran is already targeted by one of the psychopathic member of a royal family as a plaything. Both him and his wife's income were sufficient enough to raise Ranran at that time, but they do not have the financial means to protect their daughter.

They were offered to flee to another state as the business woman offered to pay, except his wife who used to live here as a child knew better. Though fleeing was an option they did considered, it wasn't a foolproof solution. 

His wife, Irene knew all too well how secrets, power, and influence could warp everything around them. She had witnessed firsthand how people of high status used their wealth and connections to manipulate situations, to shield themselves from consequences, and to control lives in ways most would never imagine. She wasn't naive. Moving away from here might give them temporary safety, but it wouldn't protect Ranran forever. The dangers, the shadows of influence, would follow them wherever they went.

And the last thing they would want is to live life on the run forever. They already done it in Japan, so they no longer feel it in them to do it again.

It's like trying to escape the storm by hiding in a house built of straw. It's pointless.

Their second option is to legitimize both his wife and daughter as heirs, which is also a moral problem for his wife, given the terrible childhood she grew up in because of that business woman.

Then again, he couldn't really blame his grandmother-in-law despite their anger towards her.

In many ways, Irene's mother was offered to terminate the pregnancy after all when she was violated by the grandmother-in-law's son, to spare Irene from hardship. Having grown up in a rich family himself, he had seen the worst.

To those who didn't terminate the pregnancy, the world often offered nothing but cold indifference, especially if the child was a reminder of something painful or unspeakable after all. In addition to that, all of them received ridicule. Most of those children either ended up mysteriously dying, or in worst case scenario: Kidnapped and presumed dead, never to be found as if they never exists.

In a way in the eyes of Ranran's father, she was being merciful. Cause most of them in that lady's shoes would've 'force' it.

The other option was straightforward: Legitimize both Ranran and his wife as heirs.

That way, not only no one will ever be able to seize the assets of his grandmother-in-law, this will finally put an end to the greed of those other affluent families pushing to have their children adopted into his grandmother-in-law's household. Let alone, the royal family. Also, they get to move into a huge mansion, which is a huge upgrade comparing to the slum townhouse they lived for 2 years.

But all of that in the eyes of 3-year-old Ranran was....they were merely trading her supposed 2 free years away from school in exchange for riches.

"Ranran," he said, his voice softer now, trying to mask his exhaustion, "do you think I want to do this to you? Do you think I don't wish things could be different?" His grip loosened slightly as he knelt to her level, his eyes locking onto hers, filled with tears and fiery defiance.

She sniffled, her small fists still clenched at her sides. "Then why are you making me go? Why can't we just stay home? I don't need school, Papa! I don't want it! I hate it! It is boring me to death!" Her voice cracked, and the defiance in her eyes wavered, replaced by a flicker of vulnerability.

"Ranran," he began softly, his voice carrying the weight of his love and his regret. "I know you don't understand right now, and maybe you won't for a long time. But everything your Mama and I are doing... it's to protect you."

"Liar! You all got sick and tired of living in that house!"

He couldn't deny that part of her accusation was true too. The slum townhouse, with its peeling walls, leaking pipes, and constant dangers, had been unbearable. But Ranran was too young to grasp the complexity of their situation. Her small world was one of cartoons, games, and the comforting familiarity of home, no matter how run-down it had been.

"Ranran," he said, his voice trembling slightly, "it's not that simple. We didn't leave because we were tired of it. We left because staying there would hurt you. That house... it wasn't safe anymore. And we couldn't protect you from the dangers that were coming."

"If that old hag thinks of it as the case, then why must I be send to school!? I want to be homeschooled!"

Again, the man sighed, "We spoke about this, a lot children who are homeschooled will never get good jobs."

"Who cares!? It's better than being in school! I heard it from the other children back in our old neighbourhood, the no.1 lie is '1 homework', and then the lies continue all the way till the way we die!"

And this itself was no lie too.

His grandmother-in-law was right, had they choose to remain in the slums, it would've been too difficult to reprimand the stubborn Ranran.

Just take Ranran to the school and prove to them she isn't autistic as she portrayed herself to be, don't bother to entertain her tantrums. His wife told him at work before he rushed over to their house to drag their daughter back to Edgewood.

Toughening up his heart, he told her firmly, "Ranran, in life, we have to do things we don't like sometimes. There are things bigger than what we want. And school... it's one of those things. You may not understand now, but this is about your future. You'll have opportunities to do things we can't even imagine. But that starts with going to school, learning, and becoming strong."

Ranran's face twisted in frustration, and her small hands clenched into tight fists. "Why should I!? Grandfather almost died because he had to do things he didn't like!"

The mention of her grandfather caught him off guard. For a moment, he faltered, his gaze drifting downward, unsure how to respond. 

His father-in-law's health.....had deteriorated because of the unrelenting pressures of the many decisions in his life, leading up to the present.

When Ranran's father and mother eloped, money was super tight. So in addition to her parents working longer hours, his mother-in-law and father-in-law had to take up extra work to keep the roof above their heads, but also raise Ranran. 

He shared no blood relations to his wife, which means Ranran isn't his biological grand-daughter. Even so, they shared a close bond.

Though, the decision to work may have taken a toll on his health.

The exhaustion had seeped into his bones, and it had started showing—first as quiet complaints, then as gradual neglect of his health, until now, when he barely had the strength to even get out of bed, that when they moved here, they even have to hire a private doctor to treat him. 

Perhaps, after witnessing all of this, Ranran hadn't been the same since. 

To the 3-year-old, she would rather die than do things she refuses to do. Even if it means living in a lead infested house.

"Ranran," he continued, his voice softer now, filled with sorrow, "sometimes we have to face the things we don't like, because it's the only way we can move forward."

"But I don't want to! I want to go home!"

By this point, he knew it was pointless arguing with the toddler, as it is about to be 3pm sharp. If he doesn't take her there on time, no chance to earn her a spot in Edgewood. Between a life filled with homework on a daily basis, it was way better than to let their daughter live a life of a powerless nobody.

So as much as his heart hurts, he dragged the unwilling wilful child into the prestigious grounds

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

"I don't want to! Let me go! I hate school!"

"Deer, I know I shouldn't say this, but this feels wrong for some reason."

The Boy in the deer mask said nothing in his bedroom, observing the CCTV footage of the little girl being dragged into school by her heartbroken father, as his smartphone was on speaker phone when the caller states, "I mean we are forcing a 3-year-old to do things she doesn't like. Can't we just-"

"She has no luxury on becoming a shut-in in the future, so she has no choice but to end up there whether she likes it or not. It's for the best of everyone, Ophelia." The little boy replied.

Ophelia's voice faltered as she spoke again, a quiet sigh escaping her. "I know, but it still doesn't sit right with me. She's so young... why does it have to be like this?"

That is right, even he himself can't help but wonder that.

He hates forcing people to do things they didn't like, especially children as young as Ranran.

But Ranran is a 'weapon' Ernestine planned to monopolize, and he can't afford that. Not if this leads to Edgewood shutting down.

The Boy in the deer mask didn't respond immediately, his eyes still locked on the small screen showing Ranran's struggles, her desperate cries echoing in the background. The contrast between the calm, cold environment of the school and the emotional turmoil of the child struck him sharply, even through the detachment of the mask. 

"This is all that damn Ernestine fault!" Ophelia could be heard cursing in anger. "She wouldn't even spare a 3-year-old for financial gain! Even if it means destroying her life in the future!"

And the Boy wasn't going to argue with that, because those are harsh facts.

He watched the footage of Ranran, the small figure of the child barely able to understand the gravity of what was happening. She was so young, so fragile. 

To them, this was a way to pry her off Ernestine's manipulations.

But to Ranran, this was more than just the first day at a new school—it was the world she constructed as her little 'happy place' being shattered, her small, safe space violently ripped away from her.

He finally spoke, his voice as cold as ever, yet carrying an edge of something softer, something more conflicted. "I know. But what choice does she have? Her family has no proper backing, so if Ernestine ever discovered them before I intervene, everyone would have been a goner, including all of us combined. The only solution is to convince the family that they will be in safe hands under Isadora, it's for the best."

That's right, in the projector, Isadora was never able to locate her estranged son's family. He had a hunch that somewhere in that future, Ernestine could've paid off the investigators she hired to mislead her, that way, Ranran's family would easily fall into her hands to be manipulated for profits. 

By the time Isadora's died of unknown causes 2 years later, all the assets were seized by the royal family, let alone, fell into Ernestine's hands, which later lead her to becoming a financially successful crime journalist and crime biographer by the time she denounced her royal heritage and abolished the aristocratic world in the U.K.  

This is why The Boy tipped off Isadora where Ranran's family was in the first place, not only in this timeline Ernestine has no idea she is already here, but that she will have no reach of means to influence Ranran. The Ranran in the future always grew up inferior towards her alleged half legal brother, Kudo Shinichi, because of his privilege background, so it would've been better if she was educated properly here.

While it's true in Ernestine's future biography, in his arrange fiance's own words: it was Ranran's ignorance of not understanding the value of what Edgewood Academy is by intentionally failing the school interview has become the pivotal downfall of her own making, in The Boy's point of view at that time while processing all of this was: 

I don't think it is that straightforward over why would Ranran not want to end up there. Cartoons and stuff....I think there is a bigger meaning behind it.

And shocking to his own accord, The Boy was surprisingly right.

The projector barely mentioned anything about Ranran's step-grandfather being the main reason for failing the Edgewood interview. Let alone, mentioned the fact that Ranran is aware of the mandatory rule of children education in the U.K. 

"Where is Ranran is being taken by the way? Why isn't she being taken to the assembly hall where the interview is taking place?" Ophelia frowned, expecting to see the sight of a man dragging a angry 3-year-old, but there was no sight to be found.

"Right now, the other students who are being interviewed there are the 10-year-olds, so she has no reasons of being there. If anything, I send her father to the pre-schooler block."

That is right, as far as The Boy could recall: Each age group had its own designated block within the sprawling campus, and interviews were structured to accommodate the age and developmental stage of each candidate originally at the assembly hall.

Since according to his God father, the school's headmaster, that they were done with the batch of pre-schoolers that took place earlier this morning, the ones that made it are being taken to the pre-schooler block to be briefed of the rules within the academy.

"I know I shouldn't say this, but I am curious how things are going to turn out for that Ranran. I mean...you got to admit, after you sent me that video of her school interview this morning pretending to be autistic, I was shock." Ophelia spoke in excitement.

"Same here," The Boy finally said, his voice tinged with a touch of admiration mixed with frustration. "I mean....I have seen many children make attempts to impress them, but this is a first time I have witness someone pretending to be incapable just to flee from the school."

"I envy you, Deer, you will get to see on footage over how she is going to weasel her way out of this again." 

That's true, The Deer did predict Ranran is a persistent child judging from the decisions she had made in the projector. There was no way in hell she will give in, after all of the scheming she had made.

Suddenly, a smile formed on him as he figures, "You know what, Ophelia? Why don't you go to the pre-schooler block to take a look?"

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

As soon as Ophelia was about to rush over to the pre-schooler block, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch it, Graves!"

Ophelia stumbled back, a small gasp escaping her lips as she steadied herself. She quickly looked up, ready to snap back with her usual sharp tone, but stopped when she saw who she had bumped into.

Oh great, of all the kids to bump into, it had to be Morgana.

17-year-old Morgana Frostgrave Voidrose was one of the bullies who went after Ophelia, all thanks to her so-called besties lies at that time. In Ophelia's observation, she is one of those 'donkeys' The Boy once said don't bother to reason with her, as 'donkeys can't understand human language'.

Morgana is one of those 'mean girls' who had always taken a perverse pleasure in picking on Ophelia. Given her 'privilege' background as a daughter of a marques, it's not surprising why she has a narrow minded views of the world similar with the other elites here in general. 

Of course, after Ophelia was proven innocent, the bullying ended.

Even so, she had no love lost for Morgana, who was still clearly basking in the privileges of her aristocratic family while throwing her weight around like she owned the world. Then again, Morgana didn't simply bully her out of ill-will.

Before the fake pregnancy stunt her bestie pulled, Ophelia made past comments over how 'tormenting' it is to be in an arrange marriage.

Back then she had no idea, but in Edgewood, arrange marriage is not just a obligation, it is something every child from a affluent family had to abide in, as not going through with it meant losing their privileges. 

And as a result of this, infidelity runs rampant across the campus. 

The most common group unfortunately for Ophelia that runs around the campus recklessly to openly date engaged nobles and royals here, are mostly from average income families. Which is why by default, the children of high society here all assumed she is the next ambitious social climber who slept with someone wealthy, but then aborted the kid when the plan backfired.

Well, it can't be helped. Their parents failed them in many ways unimaginable.

Ophelia spoke to no one, just rolled her eyes thinking about it.

"You've really got some nerve, don't you, Ophelia?" Morgana said, her tone dripping with condescension as she stepped closer. "What are you up to this time? Sneaking around as a gold-digger again?"

Eyeing at Morgana, not with anger but in annoyance, it wasn't surprising why she remains hostile towards her as she normally does.

Cause recently, she gotten herself into an arrange marriage.

And the guy she is engaged to is Morgana's crush.

Ophelia didn't ask for this marriage, nor did her parents. But Ernestine was certainly not going to let her escape her fate.

Since Ophelia survive the murder attempt from the future, Ernestine was not going to let her live life freely. A point proven when The Boy sent videos to Ophelia over the allege schemes the 7-year-old had been planning with the other children.

After all, as long as Ophelia doesn't get 'murdered', no criminal biography about her death to write and make millions in pounds, let alone, plans to wipe out aristocrats will not take place in Ernestine's eyes.

Of course, sending these videos to the royal family is pointless. They will merely discredit it to protect their own kind. And when the schemes they set up backfired, they went after trying to stir up the old rumours again to destroy her uncle's restaurant, and again, threw paint onto her adopted family's house. Fortunately, The Boy thwarted the plans.

Even so....

Little girls like Ernestine....I can't wait for the day she gets humiliated once her fiance breaks this engagement!

Ophelia seethe in anger quietly the other day. It's one thing she went after her, but what really ticked Ophelia more, was that Ernestine targeted children as well, including the youngest, who is 3-year-old Ranran.

It made her sick to think that Ernestine, with all her power and privilege, could treat others with such disregard, using their lives like chess pieces in some twisted game. 

At least her arranged fiance, The Boy who is also known as The Deer, used his manipulation to save others. Her?! What did Ernestine even do to deserve being born into a royal family?

As the anger boiled inside her, Ophelia's thoughts turned back to Ranran. How could someone be so callous to destroy a child's future like that? What had Ranran done to deserve such manipulation? 

Ranran's life is already crappy enough in the future, parents who never listened to her cries, a half legitimate brother who bullies her silently out of an affair that can't be proven, his annoying girlfriend who keep pestering Ranran for having abnormal thoughts because she is born 'cunning' that it lead Ranran into becoming ostracized in the future etc....

Honestly, if it were the old Ophelia and if she was ever reborn into a wealthy family, first thing she will do is to take the first flight to Japan, track down where this Kudo Shinichi and Mouri Ran live, then tear the hair of those brats apart!

Seriously, how are they 'glorified' in future Ernestine's biography for bullying Ranran!?

A celebrated teen detective? What is the point of being 'good' in what he is doing, if he was a crappy brother to Ranran? Sure, the possibility of his father having an affair with her mother and Ranran being a illegitimate sibling hurts him, fair enough. It will hurt his mother if that were true. Also, there are not many talented teens who is good at his craft.

Shinichi's future might have been built on solving mysteries, but what is the point if he can't even solve the mystery occurring within his own family?  Especially Ranran, who is trapped in a foreign country with no one to turn to?

Ranran was the one who had been silenced, pushed aside, and never given the chance to fight back in any meaningful way. And yet, it seemed that in the future, the narrative would glorify those who had contributed to her suffering.

In Ophelia's mind, the future could only be shaped by one thing—accountability.

And the only way to do so, is that the rest of them have power.

Which is why, when The Boy suggested this arrange marriage idea in the first place, she took it without hesitation. This is one of the plans in order to pry everything away from Ernestine's hands. 

It's not just for her future—it's for everyone's future. 

"Morgana," Ophelia merely stared at Morgana as if she was a pest with indifference, "There is more to life than mere gossiping, you know?" 

"Oh, please," she scoffed, crossing her arms. "Coming from you, that's rich. Don't act all high and mighty just because you've managed to claw your way into Drakemore's pants, you think you're better than me now."

"Oh? You mean Lucius, right?" Ophelia didn't even flinch at Morgana's jab. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her expression calm yet unreadable, a stark contrast to Morgana's obvious hostility. "I didn't think to hear from someone who had a huge crush on him since preschool, that you would think lowly of him as the type who gets easily bewitched by my looks."

Morgana's composure wavered, her sneer faltering for a split second as her cheeks flushed. "Don't twist my words!" she snapped, her voice rising defensively. "I'm not saying he's weak—I'm saying you're manipulative. Everyone knows you're just using him to climb the social ladder. That's all you've ever been good at."

"Oh? Now you are implying that your crush is dumb and blind to choose someone like me as his fiance? How shocking, am I hearing this wrong? From someone who supposedly love him?" Her tone was cutting, but her delivery was so casual it almost made it worse.

"That's not what I meant!" she snapped, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm saying you're a liar and a manipulator-"

"So if I was, that mean the parents of his family who specifically choose me to become his future wife, is dumb, is that what you are trying to imply, Morgana?" 

"T-That's not what I'm saying!" she stammered, her composure slipping further. "I'm just saying they don't know the real you. They don't know how... deceitful you can be."

"I see...." Ophelia smirked faintly, folding her arms as she regarded Morgana with an almost pitying look. "They can't see me being 'deceitful'?" she echoed, her tone dripping with mock curiosity. "If that was truly the case, his father who recently passed his law exam after 10 long years....must also be blind, don't you think?" Ophelia finished, her voice soft but laced with a sharpness that made Morgana flinch. "I can't believe that in addition to calling Lucius all of the things you just said to me, you even had the audacity to state that his entire family is incapable of making sound decisions?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Morgana finally sputtered, her voice trembling with frustration. "You're twisting everything I say, as usual!"

"Am I?" Ophelia asked innocently, tilting her head with a mock expression of curiosity before recognizing someone familiar behind Morgana's back, "Lucius, what do you think of what I have to say?"

Morgana froze in place, her face draining of color as she slowly turned around. Standing a short distance away was none other than Lucius Drakemore, his tall, commanding figure framed by the sunlight pouring in through the windows. His expression was calm, but the sharpness in his pale blue eyes made it clear that he had overheard the entire conversation.

"Lucius..." Morgana stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I-I didn't mean—"

"How childish can you be, Morgana? Is this how a daughter of a Marques should be behaving? Picking petty fights against my fiance?"  Lucius held up a hand, silencing her with a single, measured gesture. "Just stop, I am done listening to your idiot words." His voice was steady, but there was an undeniable edge to it that made her shrink back. "Also, I think I've heard more than enough to form an opinion."

Morgana opened her mouth to protest, but Lucius cut her off, his tone growing colder. "I know my father's efforts to become a lawyer has become a mockery to you and your friends. You all made wagers about it for years, that he was very likely to fail. And I can't blame all of you, because even my mother and I assumed he was a goner. Fortunately, if Ophelia didn't figure out that someone's family friend from the royal family had been messing with my father's efforts because of his unrequited love towards my mother since high school, my parents' marriage will never be recognize by my maternal grandfather, and I would've been considered a illegitimate bastard all the way till I graduate Edgewood at 24!"

Lucius's words struck Morgana like a slap to the face. Her lips trembled as she tried to form a response, but nothing coherent came out. The weight of his accusations, coupled with the icy fury in his tone, left her paralyzed.

"Lucius, I—" she stammered, her voice cracking.

"Save it," Lucius interrupted sharply, his glare cutting through her like a blade. "Do you even understand the kind of humiliation and struggle my family has endured because of people like you? Sitting in your gilded bubble, making baseless judgments and playing petty games to entertain yourselves at others' expense?" His voice rose slightly, his frustration bleeding through his usual composed demeanor. "You have no idea what it's like to fight for your family's dignity when the world is stacked against you."

"I didn't know—"

"Of course, you didn't know," Lucius snapped. "Because you never cared to look beyond your own narrow perspective. And now, here you are, dragging Ophelia into your insecurities and grievances as if that somehow justifies your behavior."

Ophelia stood silently by his side, watching Morgana's unraveling with a calm expression. She didn't feel the need to interject—Lucius was handling the situation far better than she ever could have. Still, there was a faint satisfaction in seeing him defend her so fiercely.

Lucius's gaze softened as he turned to Ophelia, his tone losing some of its sharpness. "Ophelia who had nothing to add to her name aside of bad rumours was the only one who helped restore my family honour. Meanwhile, you who is born with everything and still choose to squander your privilege by targeting others... how do you explain that?" Lucius's voice was quieter now, but the weight of his words still carried an undeniable force.

The daughter of the marques eyes welled up with tears, but she was too proud to let them fall. Instead, she bit her lip, her shoulders trembling as she swallowed the bitter taste of her defeat. The confrontation had gone exactly the way she hadn't expected—she had never imagined Lucius would be so harsh, so willing to call out her behavior so publicly.

"Now that my parent's marriage is official, you don't go about throwing your title as a marquis's daughter to go around harassing my fiance, unless you want to face retribution."

Lucius's words sting Morgana, as she knows what she is up against.

Now Lucius's maternal side of the family come from a family of old money and high standing, with ties to powerful figures and influential institutions. As Lucius's mother is a relative to the royal family, they were not people you wanted to cross lightly.  Even though Lucius's family may not be the second or third in line to the throne, their influence and reach were more than enough to make anyone think twice before challenging them. Morgana, despite her privileged upbringing, had no true understanding of the depth of power that Lucius wielded. To him, wealth and status were tools to protect those he cared for, not weapons to be flaunted or misused. And now, as she stood before him, the weight of that reality hit her all at once.

Originally, since Lucius's father kept failing his law exam over and over for 10 years, Morgana was about to get her father to offer a marriage proposal between herself and Lucius, in exchange for passing Lucius's father's exam. 

After all, everyone in Edgewood from her parent's era knew that his father is one of the few nobodies who scored the highest in the prestigious law exams. When he kept failing over and over for the next 10 years, and at that time, she got word that a royal family member was behind his failing, the chances of getting engaged to him was high.

But then there was the unexpected twist: The said royal family member behind it....someone uploaded a picture on the tabloid news, where he was caught holding alcohol with a 16-year-old girl at some party!

Alright, the photo itself wasn't as if he was caught photographed in a compromising position of that sort. Still, in a country like the U.K., where public opinion on morality, especially among the aristocracy, was unforgiving, the royal family member's actions were nothing short of a career-destroying mistake.

And ultimately, the scandal was explosive. The media latched onto it like vultures, turning it into one of the most talked-about incidents in the kingdom. The royal figure's reputation crumbled as public outrage surged, leaving the royal family scrambling to distance themselves from the disgrace.

Also, it didn't help, that some anonymous person offered to tip the tabloids that the said royal in the picture, had a 'delusional fantasies' onto a married woman, who is none other than Lucious's mother. And that to project his 'fantasies', he was busy sabotaging her boyfriend's dreams as a lawyer.

To cut a long story short, the Drakemore name now carried a heavy weight. Lucius's father, who had endured years of humiliation, now not only stood poised for a public redemption, but was offered a title by the royal family 'as a apology gift'.

"Ophelia, you had to head somewhere, remember?" Lucious reminded his fiance.

Ophelia blinked, momentarily breaking free from the tension of the moment. She had been so wrapped up in the confrontation with Morgana and the whirlwind of revelations about Lucius's family that she had forgotten the plans she made earlier. She turned to Lucius, giving him a small nod.

"Oh, right," she said, her voice steady but a little distracted. She met Lucius's eyes, finding comfort in his presence. "I'll see you later, alright Lucius?"

Lucius gave a soft smile, the edges of his mouth curling just slightly. "Of course," he replied, his voice warm but tinged with the intensity of everything that had just transpired. He took a step closer, his gaze steady and reassuring. "Take care, Ophelia. Don't let anything else distract you."

Ophelia nodded, offering him a reassuring smile in return before she turned and walked away. The weight of the morning's events still hung in the air, but she pushed it to the back of her mind as she focused on the task ahead. There were still matters to settle, and she couldn't afford to let anything get in her way.

As she disappeared around the corner, Lucius gave a contempt glare at Morgana, "As for you, behave! One more time if I catch you speaking ill of my family by harassing Ophelia, I will make sure you regret it," Lucius warned, his voice ice-cold. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, making it clear that his patience had run thin. His gaze fixed on Morgana with an intensity that seemed to pierce through her, the very air around them charged with an unspoken threat. 

Morgana swallowed hard, her pride battered, but she refused to show weakness. She clenched her fists at her sides, glaring back at Lucius, though the fire in her eyes was starting to falter under the pressure of his words.

Lucius took a final glance at her, his expression unreadable, before turning and walking away, his long strides taking him out of the room. Morgana remained where she stood, the silence stretching between them like a wall, as if the very space around her was suffocating her.

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

Meanwhile, upon reaching the pre-schooler block, Ophelia finally came to see 'the action'.

"Deer mentioned earlier the 3pm appointment between Ranran, her father and my father who is the school psychologist at the smartest class, now where is it?"

The rest of the classrooms as far as Ophelia could tell are filled with laughter, shouting, and the usual noise that came with young kids.  

All, except one.

It was quieter than the rest, a kind of heavy stillness that stood in sharp contrast to the chaos of the others. 

Ophelia's eyes narrowed as she observed the scene through the classroom window. It was a strange sight—children huddled together, whispering and casting furtive glances toward the girl at the center of it all. Ranran. The little girl was struggling against her father's grip, her face twisted in defiance and frustration. Her father, the imposing figure in the room, seemed more composed, though there was a tightness around his shoulders that suggested he wasn't in control of the situation as much as he wanted to be.

She stepped closer, her hand lightly resting against the doorframe as she tried to make sense of what was going on. She could hear muffled voices from within, though she couldn't quite make out the words. But it didn't take long for the gravity of the situation to become apparent. 

"My daughter isn't autistic," he repeated, his grip tightening around Ranran's wrist as the little girl tugged in protest. "She failed her school interview so she doesn't have to go to school, doesn't want to do homework, and is avoiding responsibility." He calmly explained.

And yet, Ophelia could tell her father, who is the school psychologist, was in disbelief.

So was the headmaster, Mr Alex, and the form teacher, Mr Rapheal, who Ophelia recalled according to The Deer, present during the pre-schooler school interview.

Meanwhile, to Ophelia surprise, Ranran, who was earlier crying and sobbing outside the gate refusing to be dragged into the school by her father, was now behaving as if she was in her own world.

"Deer's right," Ophelia muttered to herself, as she grew amused, "She's not going to give up easily."