Edgewood Academy's theatre club was established as a way to cultivate and showcase the talents of its students. Despite being a school filled with nobles and royals, the school recognized the importance of the performing arts and the skills that can be developed through participation in theatre productions.

The casting system in the theatre club at Edgewood Academy worked in a hierarchy based on the experience and skill level of the student actors. The more experienced and talented actors were given lead roles, while the newer or less experienced actors were given supporting or ensemble roles.

However, the casting system also took into account the social standing and status of the students. In some cases, the children of nobles and royals were given preferential treatment in terms of casting, even if they were not necessarily the most skilled or experienced actors.

The reason why this practice is taking place in the club was was simple: Edgewood is the only school that has direct connections to the movie industry, especially the heavyweights and influential figures of the entertainment industry. If anyone wants to become a famous actor, singer, or media personality, this school was the no.1 ticket that aimed you straight directly to the A-listers.

And with that much on the line, one would be stupid not to take full advantage of this.

So when 3-year-old Ranran first heard of this, she obviously refused to join the club.

After her attempted stunt to act like an autistic child to purposefully fail the interview to enrol at Edgewood backfired, just so she could play GTA V,  the school placed her in the talent program.

Now how did the talent program had a role in Ranran ending up in theatre? Plenty.

One would say this program is a unique opportunity for students who excel in various areas of the arts to receive additional training, mentorship, and exposure, designed to identify and nurture the exceptional talent of Edgewood Students, it could be music, theatre, dance, computer programming etc.

It is also highly selective, and only a few students are chosen each year based on their demonstrated abilities and potential. Once selected, the students are assigned to a faculty mentor who works closely with them to develop their skills, provide guidance, and help them identify and pursue opportunities to showcase their talents.

And that autistic talent she pulled identified her talent as an entertainer.

This also means she gets sent there, and she had no say in this against her parents. The Edgewood Academy talent program is very highly regarded in the entertainment industry, and many graduates have gone on to successful careers in music, theatre, film, and television. The program has helped to launch the careers of some of the most talented performers and artists of their time. Although it is her dream to be an entertainer, it didn't mean she wants to end up there and start as an extra.

In her 3-year-old brain at that time, her thoughts were clear: Who would want to join a club that gives preferential treatment? Also, joining a club means cutting down her free time to play computer games like GTA V. She doesn't want that, no way. Furthermore, her family is a rank of a baron, the lowest within the nobility rank, which was enough to signify what lay ahead of her.

Before long, the days in theatre club were the times she tried to get herself kicked out.

It was obvious she was too talented to act as an extra, and the members lack control and discipline over her. Though the seniors were eager to kick her out, they weren't allowed due to their commitment to the club and the pressure to maintain their image in the school. They did promise the head principal that she will be properly 'polished' and that it will be humiliating if they kicked her out.

When she was an extra, she was able to get away with many things. The role isn't much of vital importance in a play, to begin with, so she never drops by the club even when they lack sufficient numbers of child actors to do a scene in a play. Even if the club requires her to play a minor role of a petty villainess or villain, she would refuse and point out they could've picked a veteran child actor instead of her, which later caused friction among the other members of the club.

During that period, she used to drop by her mentor's house and learn acting lessons from him.

It was better to get lessons from him than from the club, in a way, she was able to receive more personalized attention and focus on her own skills and development, unlike the club, since the lessons are mostly showered onto the main leads, unlike the extras. Every single day without fail, she would grow increasingly disinterested in the club and not show up to rehearsals or performances.

One of the lessons she could remember was to make herself invisible.

It was a talent she had honed from a young age and one that had served her well as the detective she is today. Like a mere speck in the crowd, it had helped her complete the revenge schemes of their former clients from her Fox and Deer days without realizing she is behind it.

In a way, she felt like she owed it to her mentor a lot. He was more heavily invested in the way how she blend herself in Edgewood Academy back then when she was 3. The Kudo Ranran everyone know in her grade was a huge troublemaker who could not be bothered to pick up the lessons of a proper noble little girl, the one behind 'The Fox' however was an elegant girl with manners.

He made sure to pick up where she left off, regarding the etiquette lessons she abandoned months ago.  When she was 3, she had always found them dull and unimportant, preferring to focus on anything tomboyish. She would much rather climb trees and play GTA V on her dad's computer, although she still couldn't understand why her mother ban her from playing. Her dad can play, why can't she?

But 'The Deer' had always stressed the importance that he didn't want other people to figure out that 'The Fox' and Ranran are the same person, which is why he suggested he do those lessons in the first place. He knew that if people discovered this truth, it could jeopardize their investigations and put Ranran in danger.

And The Deer took great measures to ensure no one suspected that she was 'The Fox. Big time.

His attention to detail was extraordinary, having been equipped with different disguises and aliases ready-made for her.  Although she may have donned a mask, it didn't mean she would be freed of suspicion.

At school, nothing needed to be changed except a tiny touch-up of her red lips, as well as giving her wigs.

But if it were during the weekends or holidays, he make sure that she never wore the same clothes twice. If someone saw her wearing the same outfit more than once, it could raise suspicions and lead them to her true identity.

There would be a wardrobe at his place, where he would specifically have custom-made garments from an unidentified client of theirs made for her, so that if she was ever spotted wearing any of those clothes she wore them, even if anyone attempts to dig out where the clothes were sold in which boutique shop, it would never be trace back to her since it is customized and not sold on luxury shops. He made sure that each outfit was unique and tailored specifically to her

The colour palette of Kudo Ranran's custom wardrobe was intentionally chosen to be subdued and muted. 'The Deer' knew that bright or bold colours could attract unwanted attention and make her stand out in a crowd. So, he opted for darker and more neutral tones, like black, grey, navy blue, and white on occasion.

On rare occasions, 'The Deer' might include a brighter or more colourful garment, but he would always advise her to use it sparingly and only in situations where it was necessary. For example, if she needed to blend in with a particular group or attend a social event where bright colours were the norm.

In a way, perhaps it was thanks to his influence, that she even to this day appreciated the thought and care that 'The Deer' put into every aspect of her detective work, including her wardrobe. Who knew fashion and acting can be a weapon just to remain undetected?

With that said, she assumed the theatre club would eventually give up on her. But fate had other plans.

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

Thanks to Ranran's lack of absence, the theatre club members have had it with her behaviour.

Don't get them wrong, her not around is doing justice for them. In a way, they didn't have to put up with her tantrum, let alone, her stomping onto the ground like a horse and going about doing her thing. But then noticeably, that too became a problem, when suddenly, one child after another who has cast in the roles of extras began to stop coming to the club no more.

It was a bit of a mystery at first why so many kids were suddenly dropping out, but it didn't take long for the other members of the theatre club to connect the dots and realize that Ranran's behaviour was likely the cause.

The reason for this is the fact that the extras looked up to Ranran as a sort of role model. Like her, they too had dreams of stardom when they were around her age and hoped to eventually move up in the club's hierarchy, but they weren't given any opportunities to advance. They were just stuck in supporting roles for years without any recognition.

Still, they held on to hope that eventually, with a glimmer of hope that if they just kept at it, they too could one day become the lead actors in the plays. They kept telling themselves that.

But then after seeing Ranran misbehaving and not taking the club seriously, especially when she was threatened by one of the main cast that they will tell her off to the disciplinary board should she continue to skip those rehearsals, she remains defiant and told them upfront she doesn't care anyway. To her, she rather not waste her time merely existing there and learning nothing productive, since all of the lessons were prioritized onto the main cast, not them.

The extras woke up from reality through her words from that day, that their dreams would never come true as long as preferential treatment continued. When Ranran left and didn't return, the extras took it as a sign that they either quit or be stuck with dreams that were never going to come true.

And so, they started to follow suit. They began skipping rehearsals and not putting in the effort required for their roles as extras. In a way, they felt discouraged and disheartened for so many years remaining here, but Ranran's dispute with them gave them the courage to leave. This was a problem for the theatre club, as they were struggling to find enough child actors to fill the roles of extras in their productions.

This was a problem not just for the theatre club, but for the entire school. The theatre productions were a big part of Edgewood's reputation, and if the quality of the performances suffered because of the preferential treatment among the senior actors, it could reflect poorly on the school as a whole.

So the only solution to this was to cast her in a supporting role.

They couldn't get the principal to kick her out for some unknown reason, so this move will be the only way to not only gain the extras who left them, giving promises that they would be treated fairly and given equal opportunities but presumably entice her to come back.

Secretly deep down, the seniors did not want Ranran back.

After all, they had been enjoying their privilege as main leads for so long, the last thing they would want is to give such opportunities to the extras. But they are children of nobility and royals after all, and politically wise, not giving equal opportunities to those extras is going to drag their reputation down for the worst.

Also, they had to protect themselves. Should Ranran not return and accept this deal, it would make her a hypocrite after causing the extras to leave in the first place thanks to her words.

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

Right around the same time, however, Ranran was tasked by a client from 'Fox and Deer', an online revenge agency, to tailed on the Earl's daughter and gather information on her behaviour and habits at Edgewood Academy.

This child was a little girl of 8, Millie Rose Fisher the daughter of an Earl was an aspiring singer with a gifted voice. And damn, whenever she followed her around the school grounds, she couldn't help but be drawn into the girl's charismatic personality. And not the good kind. In a way, Ranran was in disbelief.

On the outside, she was a kind thoughtful girl. But her real personality was as trashy as it gets.

Behind the scenes, however, she was a master at playing the victim and getting sympathy from others, putting on a sweet and gentle facade, but she had a mean streak a mile wide when it comes to blackmailing and extortion. She enjoyed tormenting other children and causing chaos wherever she went.

Ranran couldn't help but feel disgusted by Millie's behaviour, but she knew that she had to remain objective and gather information without getting too emotionally involved. Back then, as an aspiring soon-to-be child entertainer, she couldn't understand why Millie is doing all the things she did.

From the background search, Millie did not have a mother growing up.

But it wasn't as if she lacked parental love. Unlike some of the clients' perpetrators in Edgewood Academy where most of the cases they handled lacked parental affection led them to their paths of harassing their clients, this one was way different.

Millie was doted on greatly by her single father, which background check revealed he is a man with a good heart, a virtue that is lacking nowadays when it comes to parenting. If the daughter is in the wrong, he disciplines her, if she is in the right, he defends her. She did not have a mother growing up, having abandoned the family to pursue a life of glamour by becoming an entertainer in Hollywood, which Ranran nor 'Deer' couldn't find any trace of record of whether she succeeded.

Although Millie did not have a mother figure around, she was raised by her maternal grandmother and maternal aunt lovingly while her father goes off work. Even so, he often makes efforts to take leaves out of work to ensure his daughter won't feel lonely.

If one were to compare the way her family raised Millie, it was no different than Ranran's after all. Although Ranran has both parents happily married, if one is to compare their lives side by side, they both have parents who overwork at times but would come back home to entertain their child.

So Ranran again can't understand why Milile turns out differently than she does.

Further digging also revealed to her surprise, Millie is also a member of the theatre club of Edgewood, the same club she is in.

And then bad memories of Ranran and that club resurfaced.

Ranran truly didn't want to go back to that club, she is aware that they were not giving her the supportive role out of their goodwill. It's like paying a settlement for problems to sweep under the damn rug, telling her that she gets a promotion, but on the condition to never speak about preferential treatment ever again. If she goes back, that means everyone might think she is someone who accepts a Yes man, like a spoiled princess. To top it off, her free time would be cut down further.

On the other hand, she knew how politics work. If she doesn't go back, that means others might think she wants to be cast as the main lead, which makes her bloody obnoxious.

Then again, Ranran reread the client's profile, the requester was 8-year-old Salome Grimthorne, a veteran in acting in the club for over 4 years, and has been cast as the main lead 2 years ago.

When she first heard the name, Ranran was shocked. Salome was one of the main actors she argued with regarding preferential treatment,  and Salome claims no such practice took place.

The report Salome submitted to them however said otherwise.

One would say what right does Salome have to complain? She is after all a step closer to her dream as an actress, even for Ranran it felt like an insult. However, as Ranran continued reading the profile, she soon realized that Salome's complaints were not unfounded.

Shortly after Ranran left in a defiant stance, Salome felt like she had made a point, hence, this inspired her to file a request which later fell into the hands of Fox and Deer.

After having been cast in several main roles, most of the roles she was given were mostly the evil villainess rather than a pure lovable heroine. The first 2 years after she advance to a main role, she thought the members would eventually cast her in a heroine role. But then another 2 years went by, and that never happened.

Of course, Salome did voice her concerns, but she was dismissed and ignored.

And as a result of having been cast in several roles that represent villainies, it got difficult for the children of Edgewood to distinguish what is real or fake since everyone naturally assumes she is evil in real life since she was naturally talented in acting as an evil girl.

As a result, her personal life was badly affected.

But that was nothing, compared to what led her to make this decision to employ their services. Apparently, Millie prides herself on her constant casting as the main heroine for over 4 years, but her annoyance is that Salome's talent is a threat.

So she shamelessly did things to torment her, and obviously, it was in the disguise of acting.

When there was a glass splashing scene in one of the plays, she intentionally added ingredients Salome was allergic to before splashing it directly at her face.

Another incident was when she stole her shoes, so she couldn't do her ballet role.

But the third incident just puts the rest to shame, as Millie orchestrated a scene where Salome will fall from a tall towel she was climbing.

Ranran recalled this incident, that day the play 'Rapunzel' came up, they needed a male actor to climb a rope, in the guise of a hair. But most of the boys either came down with an illness or had a fear of heights, so Salome was given the role to masquerade as a boy. If Ranran recalled correctly, Salome fell and broke her arm at that time cause the hair Millie was wearing broke.

Well, today Ranran finds out through admission that the rope was intentionally weakened, causing Salome to fall flat and almost had her face disfigured as it was quite high, had she not broken the fall through her arms, which she ended up fracturing. This later led her to be traumatized and felt like she couldn't continue acting in the club anymore, but she didn't want to give up on her dream.

After hearing the success stories of what Fox and Deer had achieved to better the lives of kids her age, and Ranran having just stormed off, she felt like she was becoming like those children who favoured certain members and neglected others, and seeing Ranran leave made her remind of her old self that she abandoned long ago.

With newfound courage, she then turns to Fox and Deer for help, hoping they could do something to stop Millie's harmful behaviour. She was very regretful about the fact she was so weak, she defended the very children who are in favour of others, and she hope Fox and Deer could change things the way the club was before.

Salome's request was: Make Millie feel the same feelings as Salome is feeling.

At first, Ranran didn't know what to make of it, she never had anyone admit to their wrongdoings towards her and did not want to accept this case. Even after knowing that Salome's claims were verified to be true, she refuses and even argued with 'Deer' that Fox and Deer do not defend cowards like her. If one wants to fight, one must have that desire in them. That was the purpose of Fox and Deer after all. If a client doesn't have it in them, it is pointless.

'Deer' responded that the purpose of Fox and Deer is not only to help those who have the desire to fight but also to provide justice for those who have been wronged, even if they are not able to stand up for themselves.

Reluctantly, Ranran had no choice but to go back to the damn club.

..........

It was easier to blend into the theatre club and remain incognito, using her real identity as troublemaker 3-year-old Kudo Ranran to keep an eye on Millie.

In a way, not a single child knew that she is truly The Fox.  Ranran couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Millie rehearsing with the theatre club. She had always thought that Millie was too self-centred to take part in any extracurricular activities that did not benefit her directly. But there she was, singing her heart out while playing the role of Snow White and performing with genuine passion.

As Ranran watched Millie's performance along with the other children, she couldn't help but feel conflicted. On the one hand, Millie's talent was undeniable, and she had a stage presence that could captivate an audience. But on the other hand, Ranran knew that Millie's true character was far from admirable.

Investigation revealed that out of guilt that Millie didn't have a mother, she was overly coddled by her maternal grandmother and aunt. While her father disciplines her, usually her mother and grandmother interfere with this. 

In other words, Millie was only a mere product of her upbringing and lack of discipline.

But it still doesn't justify what she did to Salome was in the wrong.

She wondered how Millie could reconcile her love for performing with her cruel behaviour towards others. Did Millie see performing as a way to escape from her troubled personality? Or did she simply not care about the harm she caused others as long as she got what she wanted?

It was fortunate that 'The Deer' knew Ranran could be relied on because she is the only child who isn't easily swayed by anything. Be it looks, talent or charisma, the 3-year-old was way different, unlike the rest of the kids.

Even so...Deer is asking too much from her to pull this off.

To give Millie the taste of her own medicine, Ranran must destroy the favouritism that is taking plus in the club, by using her supporting role to outshine her.

Making matters worst was the advancement in the role did little to help her, quite the opposite.

For Ranran is cast as a villain all over again.

When she was an extra, the roles were no different. Roles like a servant, an idiotic girl who had a crush on the male lead who helps the villainess, or a thief were all she ever got. And now, as a supporting character, she was once again cast as the villain. It was frustrating, to say the least.

"A villain character can be more popular than a hero, Ranran." Her mentor Deer tries to convince the 3-year-old in his home living room, but it was evident she didn't buy it.

"How can I humiliate Millie if I am granted such a role? No matter how one looks at it, I will forever be pathetic. The play is all about Milllie's character, not me. It's like I will be playing the nobody all over again!"

Deer placed a gentle hand on Ranran's shoulder, "I understand your frustration, Ranran. But you have the power to change your fate. You can use your role as the villain to steal the show and prove your worth. You can show everyone that you are more than just a background character."

Ranran looked up at Deer with uncertainty in her eyes, "But how can I do that? Everyone loves a good heroine, not an evil girl. I don't even know where to start with what I have on the script."

She smashes at the script laying on the coffee table.

For a moment, her eyes cast down on the paper, seeing a hopelessly doomed road that she is forced to walk whether she likes it or not.

That's when he said, "Do you know why Draco Malfoy is popular? Even though he isn't the main protagonist like Harry Potter, Ranran?"

Ranran shook her head, curious about where this was going. "Because he is born rich and had a better backstory than Harry?"

Deer chuckled, "Well, that's one way to look at it. But no, it's because he's a well-written character with depth and complexity. He has flaws and struggles, just like us. Some bad guys to are pitiful, way more pitiful than the hero or heroine. And that's what makes him interesting." With that said, he urges, "If you can't make people love you with your tears, then make them sympathize with you. Be more pitiful than the main girl."

Ranran thought about what Deer said for a moment. It was true that a well-written character could steal the show, regardless of whether they were the hero or villain. She had seen it happen before in plays and movies. Maybe she could do it too.

Ranran furrowed her brows, "But I don't think I have enough information from the script about my character to pull it off."

"Then read the other character's perspective along the way, I am certain if you do find it, there will be events that they think are heroic, but not to the audience logically," He suggests to her, "Act as someone that all of the kids in the school had to go through with."

Ranran's eyes widened. "Can I actually do that? Add my own backstory? But...won't I get into trouble?"

"Who cares? Since they are the ones who gave you this character, who are they to say what you can or can't do with her?"

Ranran couldn't believe it. She had never thought about creating her own backstory before. With determination in her eyes, she picked up the script once again and started to read it from a new perspective.

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

Finally, the day of the play is set to begin.

Loosely inspired by the fairy tale snow queen, the club ended up coming up with a play titled 'The White-Haired Witch', where the male lead is engaged to the magical witch since they were little, but then he ended up falling for his childhood crush.

To prevent copyright infringement, the club members cleverly added details that won't get them into serious trouble. Out of jealousy, the witch ended up cursing them into an endless time loop from the time they were 3, doing anything necessary to try and get the male lead to fall for her.

Eventually like all idiot fairy tales, the two main characters figure out the wicked witch's schemes, travel back in time to the point where the witch was at her weakest, which is the time she is around 3 years old, then killed her and lived happily ever after.

How ironic that the title is named after Ranran's character,  the white witch is the role she would be playing.

Ranran took a deep breath and focused on her role as she stepped onto the stage. The role she is assigned to do was to appear in 8 of the same scenes while repeating the same damn lines 8 times, not that difficult for her. By the 8th scene,  8-year-old Millie and the main male lead are supposed to stab her with a magical knife, then she dies and they live a life of blessings.

However, that wasn't what happened.

As the male lead raised the knife, a voice boomed out of the 3-year-old girl, "You do know murdering a royal is equal to treason, right?"

The audience gasped in shock as Ranran's improvisation caught everyone off guard. The play had gone completely off-script, and nobody knew what was going to happen next. Millie froze, unsure of how to react to Ranran's sudden outburst. The male lead looked at Ranran with a mixture of confusion and concern.

If Ranran guessed it correctly, the white witch she plays should have a feeling of resentment.

According to the script, the portrayal of the 8-year-old witch played by another child actress helplessly watches the prince falling for Millie's character over and over. If the witch put a curse to not let the two live happily ever after, yet is forced to see this occurring again and again, why isn't she feeling resentful? Wouldn't her feelings be dead by now after seeing this nonsense?

The main characters had memories of the previous loops, so why shouldn't her character not have any memory of that? When she herself is the one who started the curse?

Dusting herself, Ranran continued on with her role, "Doing this in the name of love, how pathetic the both of you are."

Millie and the male lead were taken aback by her sudden change of demeanour. They had never seen her act this way before, and it was almost as if she had transformed into a completely different person. Deciding to continue with the play, Millie again tried to stab her.

Again, Ranran was unfazed at her demeanour, "8 bloody rounds of deaths later, this stupid murderers before me has not once figured out how her beloved's engagement ended up with me, to begin with." Pacing before them, she goes, "A bunch of dimwits, I can't understand why my father, The King, actually considered securing an engagement with a moron."

The audience was stunned into silence. They had never seen such an incredible performance before, especially one that had gone so off-script. Ranran had completely transformed her character and taken the play in a new direction.

Millie and the male lead were caught off guard, but they quickly regained their composure and tried to follow the new direction of the play. The male lead responded, "You! How dare you remain unremorseful!? You are the reason why we are stuck in a bloody time loop!"

"And had I not cursed you, you would've married her and let her sulify on my mother's throne, right?"

Now completely engrossed in Ranran's performance, everyone was watching in awe as she took complete control of the stage. They had never seen anything like this before, and they were all curious to see what she would do next.

Twitching in anger that Ranran had completely gone off the rail, the male lead who played the role of the prince blasted, "I have the right!"

"You never do, you were brought here shortly after your father, my father's loyal subject who was then Prime Minister sacrificed his life for the kingdom. You only get to become one because that was your dad's last wish, to marry you off to the throne."

"But I don't love you! I love Millie!" He yelled.

"Then break the engagement and abdicate your right to the throne, is it that difficult? You love her, right? You can't have a cake and eat it on its own." Ranran mocked.

"Wait, you never love him?!"

"What part of me do in the first place?! Only groomed to meet him and no one else, it's normal for me to get Stockholm's syndrome all over him, you know? And it took 3 rounds to realise it."

Ranran's acting lines erupted in laughter from the majority of the audience, mainly the girls from child to teenager snickered, commenting how relatable it was for them since they are all stuck in arrange marriages.

"Then, if you didn't love him. why did you-"

"Simple, one, to prevent an adulterer from dirtying my mother's throne, two, to prevent the kingdom my parents worked so hard to get to where it is today from falling into smithereens, but above all...prevent those people who died foolishly because of both of your selfish love."

"You!" Millie is growing mad at this point, wondering why the hell is this girl stealing the spotlight. "Who the hell are you to say that, when you are not even fit to be queen in the name of jealousy?! Suffocating my love like that!"

"What? Am I wrong?" Still, in character, Ranran snickered, "In the 4th loop, you all tried to stage a coup, in the 5th loop, your so-called girlfriend flirted and messed with the feelings of the royal guard to turn against our family despite being in a relationship, and on the 7th loop, you both even teamed up with the neighbouring royal family to raid this entire kingdom, just in exchange of marrying each other without worrying for the commoner's livelihoods. I don't know about the both of you, but you both should've been trialled for treason 8 times in a row!"

Ranran continued on with her lines, each one hitting harder than the last. She didn't stick to the original script but instead improvised her lines, making the audience feel every emotion she was portraying.

"You have gone too far with your words!" Millie is getting madder than the minute, and so was the male lead.

Ranran remained calm and collected, "Have I? Or have you gone too far with your actions? You both have been blinded by your own selfish desires and have caused harm to so many innocent people, it was never about love, but the desire for luxury is what led you both here."

"You! Talking all so noble like and all, you never once cared of the livelihoods of those commoners anyway! What changed?!" Millie continued to drill into the extra, hoping she crumbles under pressure just like the other child actors before her.

But to her surprise, Ranran showed no fear, "I realised, after 8 loops over and over, why should I let you kill me? The entire kingdom was solely built by the people who had families here for so many donkey years. If I were to compare between the two of you and them, their lives are far more of value than the both of you. It's time for you to face the consequences of both of your adulterous actions."

"That does it! I am kicking you out of this country!" Millie declared.

"Go ahead," Ranran challenges the shocked veteran actress, "But no one can kick someone out of their own backyards. Only a shameless squatter would."

Who the hell...who the hell is this little runt!? How dare she!?

The audience erupted into cheers and applause at Ranran's powerful performance. They had never seen such a display of acting before, and they were all stunned by her ability to take control of the play and turn it into something completely different.

Angered by the audacity of the 3-year-old before Millie, she charged at her with the fake knife. Much to her surprise, with a swift motion, Ranran grabbed the knife from Millie's hand and plunged it into Millie's own chest, before Millie accidentally yet dramatically fell to the ground.

The audience was silent, shocked by the sudden turn of events. The play had turned from a light-hearted fairy tale to a tragedy. Ranran had completely taken over the stage, and her performance had left a deep impact on everyone who witnessed it.

Shifting the gaze now to the shocked male lead, he froze, unsure of how to react to Ranran's sudden outburst before she too stabbed him, or in this case, push him to the floor, leaving him motionless.

Seeing the two kids on the ground, Ranran then finally muttered to herself, "I, the white-haired witch, am the rightful heir to the throne. And there will no longer be any more room for traitors ever again!"

The play ended with Ranran standing on the throne, surrounded by her loyal subjects (or in the way, extras), as the audience erupted into a standing ovation from the audience and high praises from the adults and children alike.

Millie, who played the leading role in the production, was overshadowed by Ranran's performance and could not hide her envy and resentment.

After the show, Millie approached Ranran and tried to start a confrontation, but Ranran refused to engage in her drama. Instead, she congratulated Millie on her performance and thanked her for being a part of the production. It was a moment of maturity and grace that earned Ranran the respect of her peers and teachers.

From that day onwards, life for Millie as a child actress was no longer the same since.

For the first time, she was no longer the centre of attention, and it made her feel insecure.

In a way, Ranran's acting changed the way character values were perceived. The fact that a supporting role could outshine the main girl like Millie? It irks her to no end. It didn't help that the other child actors and actresses in the club also found themselves feeling inferior to Ranran's talent, that some even began to doubt their own abilities. In a way, this chapter could've ended with them kicking her out of the club for good so that they could continue to shine.

But that wasn't what happened.

After Ranran had stolen the spotlight, the club kept getting requests wanting to see Ranran more as the main star of her own show. Even the interest of other children her age grew after witnessing a such bedazzling performance, that the application to join the club skyrocketed.

This caused a huge rift between Millie and the other actors of the club who remained to have the privilege of keeping their main characters' roles. Millie was the only one who wanted to kick her out, but the rest wanted to keep Ranran, like a child poster. They realized that after watching Ranran's performance, they forgot what it was like to fall in love with acting in the first place.

And so, the club continued to thrive with Ranran as the main star. Her performances kept drawing in larger audiences, and soon the club was getting invited to perform at bigger and more prestigious events.

Millie, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with the competition. Her jealousy towards Ranran consumed her, and she found herself unable to focus on her own performance. Her acting suffered, and eventually, she was no longer getting offered the same roles as before. And it was also thanks to Ranran, that Salome and the rest of the children also received advancement in their roles.

Eventually, Millie lost her place in the club when her past actions were revealed to the entire academy.

She realized too late that instead of trying to bring down Ranran, she should have focused on improving her own craft and learning from her talented colleague. But by then, the damage had been done, and Millie had lost not just her place in the club, but also the trust and respect of her fellow child actors.

As for Ranran, she continued to shine and inspire others with her talent and dedication to acting. She never let the jealousy and negativity of others bring her down and instead used it as motivation to work even harder and achieve even greater heights. In the end, she became not just a child star, but a true icon and role model for aspiring actors everywhere.

However, fate was cruel. After Deer's death, Ranran left the acting world and never looked back.