In the shadowed expanse of the lavish garden, the air hung heavy with whispered secrets and the scent of wilted roses. Ranran, masked in the visage of a fox, stood in eerie contrast to the opulence that surrounded her. Her small form exuded an aura of ageless solemnity, a solemnity far beyond her three tender years.

"She isn't here yet," Ranran spoke to no one in particular, dressed in her Edgewood School uniform while swinging her legs.

"Ranran, no swinging your leg recklessly! The client is coming at around 2 pm sharp." The familiar voice hissed at her through the mask she wore.

Ranran's eyes, hidden behind the fox mask, flicked toward the direction of the voice. Christopher, her 7-year-old mentor, was ever watchful from his vantage point, safely ensconced in his room with a laptop serving as his window to the world outside.

"I am bored!" Ranran groaned, the plaintive note cutting through the garden's heavy air. "Why can't you go?"

"I have piano lessons at around 3 pm, what part of me can simply waltz into the garden and go meet up the way you casually do?" Christopher's voice held a touch of exasperation, a rare emotion for a child of his station. From his secluded perch, he watched Ranran with a mixture of fondness and sternness. "Patience, Ranran," he urged, the clickety-clack of keys resonating from his laptop. "It will be over soon."

"Why can't I play my games on the smartphone while I wait?" Ranran's legs ceased their restless motion, her small form straightening in response to Christopher's reprimand. "It's just so dull here!"

"It won't look good in front of the client if she sees you doing so, right, Ranran?" The 7-year-old boy reminded her sternly.

"This is the 21st century! Nowadays, I see kids in the neighbourhood using their iPads and smartphones watching videos all day anyway! Even while they are out dining at some fancy restaurant." The 3-year-old girl scoffed.

"Ranran...." Christopher sighed, before reminding her, "Do you remember what is her name?"

"Of course," The 3-year-old revealed, "Her name is Lucretia Stirling, she is a 7-year-old who grew up in the House of Stirling," Ranran responded her tone a mixture of resignation and reluctant acknowledgement, "At our school, she was a huge piece of work to deal with, always harassing her fiance, 7-year-old Landon Lockwood, the grand Prince of Norway."

"Exactly," He told her sternly, "And do you remember the reason why we are meeting up with her?"

"Yes, she is sad."

"Over what?"

"That he is ignoring her, that he likes someone else." Ranran nonchalantly replied. "To be fair, it is an arranged marriage anyway. Why did she expect him to like her anyway? She is such an idiot."

This is their second case since handling the major one, and obviously, since the first one had some interesting developments, it reinforces the 3-year-old girl's belief to her that unrequited love makes any smart intelligent girl an idiot.

Deciding he had to shift her beliefs a bit, he explained to her through the mask of an easy scenario, "Ranran, among your family, who sucks the worst when it comes to cooking?"

Ranran pondered the question for a moment, her youthful mind grappling with the analogy. "Well," she began, "My Grandpa always burns the toast, and Daddy once made spaghetti that turned into a sticky lump."

Christopher nodded, pleased that she was engaged in the exercise. "Exactly. And for 2 years, you ate their food, right? When you were growing up in the slums?"

"Yes, cause my mother after giving birth to me had some problems. She can't stand well at that time. So my grandma had to look after her back then, and no one around to cook, they had no choice but to make food for me." Ranran blankly stared at the grey skies.

"Ok, Ranran. Let's say if your mother never once recovered, say that you grew up eating this burned food all those years up to adulthood, and then one day, someone who is good at cooking gave you good food. Tell me, Ranran, would you still continue to eat burnt food from your father and grandfather?"

"No, why should I?"

"Ok, then let's talk about Lucretia," Christopher recounted, "Do you know what her family does for a living as nobles?"

Ranran's gaze shifted from the overcast sky to Christopher's masked visage, pondering the scenario he presented. It was a rare moment of contemplation for the young girl, her eyes clouded with the weight of understanding.

"They run....something to do with airport thing?" Ranran replied.

"Exactly, which means constant travelling, so she is left alone most of the time." With that much patience, Christopher pointed out, "Do her parents love her? Judging the report she has submitted to request our service?"

Ranran's young mind absorbed Christopher's words, the analogy sinking in like rain on parched earth. The realization painted a sombre portrait of Lucretia's solitude, a vivid image that lingered in her thoughts.

"They... they probably don't," Ranran ventured, her voice carrying the weight of understanding. "She's like the burnt food, waiting for something better, isn't she?"

Christopher nodded, his masked face a study in silent agreement. "Exactly, Ranran. Just like you want to eat good food so that you no longer eat bitter food anymore, she only seeks what she is lacking: love. And unfortunately, she expected too much from an arranged fiance, thanks to adults who brainwash her into thinking the best out of their convenience, so that she doesn't back out of the arranged marriage."

The apprentice's eyes, hidden behind the fox mask, glistened with a newfound understanding, "Even so, she did many bad things at school over a guy who barely likes her."

"But if I say that boy whom she is arranged to be married to was a bad person, would it make a difference for you?"

That stopped Ranran.

"That boy Landon...is a sweet talker." Christopher revealed and continued, "He knows how to charm people, and Lucretia fell for it. But behind closed doors, he's not the prince everyone believes him to be. He.... tricked her into this arranged engagement, to see the reaction of the girl he likes."

"He...what?" Ranran's voice quivered, her perception of the world shifting beneath her feet, then she pouted her red lips, "Isn't that extreme? Also, he is only 7! What the hell?!"

"This is how kids in Edgewood Academy behave, you and I are no exception." Christopher's masked face bore a solemn expression, his eyes conveying a truth that cut through the garden's heavy air. "Anyway, it is thanks to these unfortunate circumstances, that he has been wanting out of this engagement, by manipulating her to do such things. In the end, no one is happy. Which is why she is contacting us."

Silence.

"Ranran, considering things had taken this far, imagine that Lucretia is too upset, seeing you playing smartphone after requesting our service, wouldn't that shatter her trust in us?" Christopher's words held a weighty importance, a plea for Ranran to understand the gravity of their mission.

The little girl's eyes, wide with revelation, flickered with newfound determination. "You're right," she breathed, her voice a whisper amidst the languid air. "I won't let her down. I'll be patient."

"That is right," Christopher nodded, the deer mask concealing his expression unable to hide the satisfaction he felt at Ranran's resolve. "She is being pushed left and right into making mistakes that make her a villain, so you playing your game on the smartphone might lead her to think you are not taking her problems seriously." Before she could argue, Christopher emphasized, "And no, you can't justify this like those people who paid a visit to your grandmother's restaurant, Ranran."

Ranran's young face scrunched in reluctant acceptance, her eyes shifting towards the fading petals as if they held the answers to the complexities of the world.

"Alright," she conceded, her voice steadier now, "I'll wait, and I'll be patient. For Lucretia."

"That's right, Ranran." Christopher's masked visage softened in acknowledgement. "That's my clever Fox," he praised, the pride in his voice shining through. "Remember, Ranran, see more, act later."

With a final nod, the young girl turned her gaze back towards the garden.

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

"My name is Lucretia Stirling, it's nice to meet you. Who do I call you?"

At first glance, her haughty voice was a façade, a veneer worn by a seven-year-old girl who had grown up within the opulent walls of House Stirling. Her eyes, though guarded, held a glimmer of vulnerability that Ranran could discern even through the mask. Lucretia Cunningham, the heiress of noble blood, stood before her, a tapestry of emotions woven into her delicate features.

In appearance, Lucretia was barely lacking. Her chestnut hair, intricately adorned with ribbons, cascaded in waves that framed a porcelain complexion. Though in a similar school uniform as Ranran's, the elegance of Lucretia's posture and the regality in her bearing set her apart in this shadowed garden.

"Fox," Ranran replied ambiguously.

Lucretia's gaze flickered with intrigue, her dark eyes narrowing slightly. "Fox, is it?" she repeated, a note of curiosity lacing her voice. "An unusual name, but fitting, I suppose. Tiffany is right, expect the unexpected. I definitely ain't expecting a 3 or 4-year-old girl in a Fox mask I would be meeting." Noticing the girl in the fox mask is wearing the same uniform as her, Lucretia can't help but frown, "And she didn't even bother to tell me that the person who is in charge of all of this is also a student in Edgewood like you."

Ranran's masked visage remained impassive, concealing any trace of emotion. "Name your reason for your presence."

Christopher quietly observed all of this through Ranran's Fox mask on the laptop in his bedroom, wondering what sort of face Lucretia might be making behind her carefully cultivated facade.

Lucretia's lips quirked in a wry smile, a glint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Straight to business, then. I appreciate that." She took a composed breath, her posture unwavering. "I am here...in an attempt to salvage my reputation before my arranged fiance breaks my engagement."

The little girl, her gaze steady and unwavering behind the fox mask, listened intently to Lucretia's confession. The weight of the girl's words hung in the air, mingling with the scent of wilted roses, a testament to the gravity of the situation.

"Your reputation, then," Ranran's voice, though young, held a depth of understanding far beyond her years. "Tell me, Lucretia Stirling, why do you wish to salvage it? What value does it hold for you?"

The question hung in the air, a beacon of inquiry amidst the shadows of the garden. The gravity of the moment was not lost on either of them, for within this exchange lay the potential to reshape the course of Lucretia's destiny. Christopher, watching through the lens of the Fox, awaited the answer with bated breath.

"Tiffany Ashbridge, the girl whom everyone hated in class 1-A for her vanity when her best friend manipulated her into thinking that her twin sister's crush, a Prince, was considering Tiffany as the role of a fiance candidate, her reputation was fixed within weeks after both of your interventions." Lucretia revealed, "At that time, everyone called her a vain, cocky, unfriendly little girl that no one wanted to be friends with. Now, everyone treated her as if she was approachable and loved. The moment I saw all of that, I thought...if she can survive such a terrible thing and win the love of others while easily moving on from that crush she held dear for so long, I too want to eat the cake on its own."

As Lucretia spoke, Ranran could sense the weight of her desire for acceptance, the longing for a taste of that elusive cake.

"I see," Ranran responded, her voice gentle yet tinged with a sombre understanding.

"It wasn't easy for me to approach Tiffany, because of the situation I had to deal with lately. I felt embarrassed to even ask for help," Lucretia's composed façade seemed to soften for a fleeting moment, a chink in the armour revealing vulnerability. "I felt like in the days since I was arranged to be married to Landon, the happily ever after I surrounded myself in fairy tales kept on slipping further from my grasp," Lucretia continued, her words carrying the weight of a soul struggling against the currents of an unyielding fate. "Losing him felt like the end of the world, especially when he kept sticking himself to 'that girl', the only one he had feelings for."

"Why after all this time, do you finally decide this is the time to take action?"

"I heard not long after, that Tiffany was engaged to the son of an Earl. And....I saw them at The Great Hall. Saw him one time teasing her, and that was the first time....I saw her smile and laughed." Lucretia's gaze held Ranran's, a silent plea for understanding. "The entire school of Edgewood Academy among our peers used to make bets weekly, and the highest bet often guessed that Tiffany would never laugh once, because she is too stubborn and prideful to remove her first love out of her heart, thanks to that infamous situation with her twin sister, she always felt inferior towards her growing up. But then...the first time last week since the bet was made, she finally laughed," she admitted, her voice carrying a note of yearning. "And I need that badly, just not with the guy I delusion to have a happy life with."

The shadows of the garden seemed to sway as if echoing the weight of Lucretia's heart. Christopher, watching from his vantage point, knew that this moment was her breaking point.

"Honestly, I didn't want to come here. I had doubts. But seeing that Tiffany whom is my sworn rival doing well....it's something I had to do more for myself rather than him. And it's hard, I want to get out of this vicious cycle, to unlove someone." Lucretia's eyes glistened with unshed tears, a testament to the depth of her inner turmoil. "I know I don't like him like I used to anymore, but I fear there is no life for me outside after that."

Christopher watched through Ranran's eyes, feeling sorry for her before putting on the Deer mask, while speaking through the Fox mask his apprentice wore as he spoke with an anonymous voice, "What would be your best revenge?"

The 7-year-old girl grew startled a bit at the second voice coming out of the Fox mask. "Wait a second, there are two of you?!"

"His name is Deer, say hi," Ranran spoke as The Fox.

Lucretia's eyes darted between the Fox and the new voice, her surprise evident. "Hello," she greeted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. The garden seemed to hold its breath as if awaiting the weight of her response.

Deer's voice, though disembodied, held a calm authority. "Lucretia, you have shared your heart's desire. Now, tell us, what would be your best revenge?"

The question hung in the air, a charged moment that held the promise of transformation. In the shadowed expanse of the garden, Ranran, masked as the Fox, and Christopher, hidden behind a Deer mask, awaited Lucretia's revelation with bated breath.

After a moment's contemplation, Lucretia's gaze steadied, determination replacing the uncertainty. "My best revenge," she began, her voice firm, "Would be that no other girl will fall for the same petty words as Landon did to the other girls."

"Is it in the form of jealousy, or-"

"This time, not anymore." Lucretia shook her head at the little girl while cutting The Deer's voice in determination, "Before, I feel like the girl he likes, Helena Bradford who is a daughter of a Baron, doesn't deserve him in terms of status and all. But now, I decided I had to sort myself out first before telling her that. Otherwise, I would be no other but that 'Jealous Villianess who is in the way between the Prince of Norway and the Daughter of a Baron'. At least that is was Tiffany suggested to me, and it sounds fair to me."

The garden seemed to exhale a collective breath as if the very foliage hung on Lucretia's words. Ranran, masked as the Fox, and Christopher, veiled in the Deer mask, listened intently to the young noble's declaration. Her resolve was palpable, a testament to the strength that lay within her.

"Your determination is admirable, Lucretia," The Deer commended, his voice resonating with approval. "To seek not only your own liberation but to shield others from the same fate is a noble endeavour."

After Lucretia left, Ranran spoke to Christopher through the Fox mask, "But I think she is too generous towards that Helena girl."

"Hmph?"

"I met her before from afar, she is a naive idiot girl who keeps siding with whatever Landon does, even when Landon does wrong because she benefits a lot from him. And don't get me wrong, this is all not just based on rumours, cause I saw it myself."

"Did you?"

Then Ranran listed out several incidents she had seen when she was spying on the interactions between Helena and Landon.

"One time," Ranran began, her voice carrying a tone of animated recollection, "I saw them near the Oak Tree, right by the pond at our school, Helena just stood there, giggling alongside him, when he tells her Lucretia is just his homework buddy who is infatuated with him, when he is the one who guilt trip Lucretia into doing it, saying things like 'Since you are no.1 in Literature, it only seems fair for someone who is too arrogant to help someone like me.' You know how I know this? I walked past the school corridor one day without a Fox mask, and he was yelling at her so loudly that I hid and a corner to watch before asking for our service."

"Ah, you saw that too?" Christopher exclaimed.

It ain't surprising for Ranran that despite rarely leaving the house as he was homeschooled, Christopher was able to see it through the CCTV footage in the prestigious grounds of Edgewood Academy through the laptop in his bedroom.

"Another time," Ranran's voice held a tinge of indignation, "When Helena found out about his engagement, he claimed he was forced by Lucretia. But then I asked the other kids who knew about their inner circle about it, especially the outsiders, and they told me that when the engagement offer was sent through Lucreatia's family to his family back in Norway, Landon reported that he gratefully accepted it. He didn't throw any tantrums, nor even fought hard to break this engagement, unlike the things he promised to Helena."

Christopher's expression remained impassive, but internally, he seethed at the manipulation that seemed to define Landon's character. He has met many royal children who behaved like Landon, since Christopher himself is engaged to a royal princess, and their kinds are normally conniving in nature due to the early yet unusual education they received. Considering Landon didn't react, he was expecting Lucretia to self-destruct by gaslighting everything, just so he could 'justify' this engagement in front of others.

"And whenever Lucretia and Landon argue in public, especially one time in the school courtyard when Helena defends Landon and calls Lucreatia a 'clingy girl' for believing in Landon, she slaps her, then Landon pushes her and leaves with Helena." The 3-year-old girl spoke through the Fox mask, "I don't mind if we have to do Lucretia justice, but why bother to save someone like Helena who is brainwashed? If she is happier being naively manipulated, shouldn't we just let them be? Cause, in my opinion, Helena is an evil minion of Landon's."

"Naively guliable? Yes, But an evil minion? I doubt so," Christopher finally began, his voice measured before cautiously explaining to his apprentice, "Ranran, do you remember about the story I told you involving 'that girl' who was blissfully ignorant?"

"I remembered," Ranran's eyes shone as she recounted the tale, "She was an idiot girl who grew up poor, and got lucky when her family struck the lottery the moment one estranged rich family member recognized their marriage by granting them a life of luxury in another country. She is someone who indulges in that lifestyle, which is why her legal brother mistreated her kindness for evil, and so did everyone around her because she thinks differently that people dislike her, eventually, she grows resentful and evil, and she gets killed age of 17 when police shot her to death."

"Exactly," He paused while confronting the Fox-masked child through the Deer mask, as she hopped out of the bench and left the garden, "If you were that girl and knew of this ahead of time, would you strive to become for the better to be love by them?"

"No." Ranran replied defiantly, "I would strive not for their sake, but for mine. Because they don't deserve my best if they were going to expect much from me."

"There you go, it is the same for Helena." Christopher insists, as he reveals, "I believed Lucretia thinks Helena too can be saved, just like how I hoped that 'that girl' could be saved too if given the chance. It's not about whether they deserve it or not, it's about giving them an opportunity to choose their own path."

Ranran fell into a pensive silence, while the garden seemingly held its breath as if awaiting the apprentice's revelation. After a moment, the little girl spoke, her voice tinged with a newfound understanding. "Why are the kids here in Edgewood Academy so complicated?"

"Reality made them what they are, Ranran."

"Even you?"

"Even me."

As she headed home, Ranran questioned, "Christopher?"

"Yes, Ranran?" He leaned his back against the chair of his bedroom.

"Who is 'that girl' you spoke of?" she had asked, her curiosity still burning bright.

"I told you before...I will tell you next year when you are ready." Christopher had replied, his gaze steady, veiled behind the Deer mask. As they greeted their goodbyes wirelessly, as soon as Christopher put away the Deer mask on his desk, he murmured to himself, "You still have a long way before understanding your future self. Until you mature....only then, I will tell you the truth."

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

In the days that followed, Ranran was assigned to spy on Landon.

And it was surprising for the 3-year-old to be able to secretly eye on Prince Landon with ease, apparently unlike the medieval era where royal children normally had an escort of people diligently following them around 24/7, a lot of the children here in Edgewood Academy barely had any of them surrounding them.

The reason for this was simple: It had everything to do with Ranran.

Not long ago, the children of the academy had the audacity to simply parade their escort of bodyguards and stuff across the corridors. Now this itself wouldn't have been an issue, but the school hallways were on the narrow side, and with students ranging from the age of 3 to the age of 24 enrolling here, that brings the population of a total of 40,000 students.

To cut a long story short, these tight spaces were ripe for accidents and confrontations.

One time, she witnessed a collision between the bulky guards of a Prince in general. It was like a domino effect, with students scattering in every direction to avoid the impending clash of armoured bodies. The uproar echoed through the halls, a symphony of chaos that grated on the nerves of both students and staff alike. And did anything change? Nope.

Since the student council at that time was run mostly within the inner circle of royalty, it wasn't possible to put an end to this madness, which is why Ranran decided to take the bolder move.

Bribing the underpaid and overworked secret men-in-black who were put in charge of the security of those royal children was easy peasy, even more so to sneak into their palaces around the continent of the U.K. So during the weekend when those idiot royal children were out throwing lavish parties at some fancy place or restaurant, it was easy to sneak into their bedrooms and steal their clothes, then quietly replace it with a fake one. And though the entire palaces were placed with CCTV near and far, the jammers her father used at his workplace did wonders for her.

As soon as she leaves, she sells those clothes and makes quite the money.

It may not have sounded quite the strategy to put an end to this madness, but there is a reason for this. From what she had gathered, it appears those children's purpose for parading their escorts was to simply flex and flash their designer clothes, an audacious display of their wealth and status. By covertly redistributing their attire, Ranran effectively dismantled their power play.

Originally, she was hoping those children had no idea about it, since they had too many clothes to choose from, it would benefit her allowance financially. And it did, for a good several months. For a while, not a single child noticed the fake clothes they were wearing. As the days went by, whispers began to circulate within the hallowed halls of Edgewood Academy. Students spoke of mysterious wardrobe malfunctions, of garments that didn't quite fit right, and of inexplicable stains and tears in their once-pristine attire.

It didn't take long for rumours to find their way to the higher-ups, the student council, and, ultimately, the royal children themselves. The air grew tense with suspicion, and accusations began to fly.

Gradually, the children were only able to put together one thing straight: All of them were victims who paraded their escorts with them.

At first, they were furious and made attempts to capture the conniving thief. But perhaps due to their self-entitlement towards their staff members within the royal family, Ranran was never even to this day exposed nor ratted out to their ears. It didn't help that the same staff members were rewarded by Ranran greatly.

Eventually, as time goes by, with frustration, and with more clothes disappearing, the student council eventually had no choice but to enforce the rules of the academy, that no royal is allowed to parade their escorts in the narrow hallways, and any violation of this rule would result in strict consequences.

As for the royal children, they were forced to adapt to this new reality. Some grumbled while others protested, but ultimately, they had no choice but to comply with the new rule, unable to make their grand entrances with the same flamboyance as before.

Back to Landon, Ranran silently hid herself in one of the bushes as she observed one of his arguments with another girl, but oddly, it ain't their client Lucretia, nor the girl he had a crush on named Helena, no, it was anything, an average appearance girl met up with him discreetly on an afternoon. And she seems very displeased with Landon, as if an argument is about to erupt.

From her concealed vantage point, she watched with quiet intensity as the conversation between Landon and the mysterious girl grew more heated. It was an unexpected turn of events, and Ranran couldn't help but be intrigued by the unexpected visitor.

The girl, whose appearance seemed deliberately ordinary compared to the opulent attire of the academy's royal children, exuded an air of determination. Her gestures were animated, punctuating her words with a clear sense of urgency. "So I wasn't the only one whom you relied on to do your homework, Landon!?"

Landon shifted uncomfortably, clearly taken aback by the girl's assertiveness. He stammered, attempting to find his words. "Look, it's not what you think... I just needed some help, that's all."

The girl's eyes narrowed, her expression unyielding. "Help? You've been using me, just like you used your supposedly delusional fiance, didn't you? You're insufferable, Landon."

"And when did I use you? I only asked you all to help me on your own accord." Landon pouted, "Did I go about promising any of your marriages or anything?"

"You definitely didn't, but the way you said it implies other girls to think of it so!" The girl's face contorted with a mixture of disbelief and anger before confronting him with several incidents, "That one time when you said at the ball that you preferred girls like me who are of noble background but simple...you said the same line to Helena, didn't you!? And when I conveniently forgot your notebook, you offered to help and kept appearing before me in case of distress. But in reality, all of those items I lost were staged by you!"

"False accusations, you think I would stoop as low as your father to go that far?" Landon scoffed indifferently. "Constantly conning women near and far!"

The girl's eyes flashed with indignation. "I wonder how your mother would feel if she saw all of this from her hospital bed!"

As the confrontation reached its peak, the girl's mention of Landon's mother struck a chord with Landon as he flashed in anger. "How dare you bring my mother up!?"

"You had no hesitation to bring up my father, so how is yours any different?" The girl mocked, before revealing, "She grew up with nothing, slept her way with professors across the bloody campus just to get her to where she is as the Politics Professor! And she scored a golden goose when she married your father, the future King of Norway!"

"You!" Before Landon could strike her in the face, he seemingly contained all of his anger before giving her a cold smile, "All you have is nothing but barking."

"Oh no, I ain't here to get a confession out of you. I am too smart to not be like your soon-to-be ex-fiance. Or your future fiance Helena to say the least."

"Huh?"

"Instead, I rather be the bystander." With a chuckle from the girl to the prince's surprise, she says, "Words you say like 'You are the only one I trust' to every girl you had ever used except on Helena.....eventually that will come a day when those girls will spill your secrets to your soon-to-be wife," she taunted, a self-assured glint in her eyes. "And when that day arrives, I will be sitting on the front row seat!"

The girl turned on her heel, her steps purposeful as she walked away, leaving Landon seething with frustration and impotence.

As she retreated, Ranran observed the scene with a mixture of astonishment and satisfaction. It was a small victory, but a significant one. The balance of power had shifted, even if just slightly, and the truth had been given a voice.

The moment Landon had left, she checked the footage she recorded on her smartphone.

As the scene played out on her screen, Ranran's mind raced with possibilities. This incident could be a catalyst for further revelations, a domino effect that could lead to even greater change for their client above all of that. 

After she tucked away her smartphone and prepared to leave the garden, a thought crossed her mind. She wondered if Lucretia and the mysterious girl were connected in some way and if their paths might intersect in the days to come.

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

Now Edgewood Academy has an unusual courtroom run by children.

The establishment of an unusual courtroom within Edgewood Academy marked a significant departure from the norm. It was a place where the intricate web of relationships and conflicts among the students could be untangled, where justice could be sought in a manner that was uniquely tailored to their world.

Of course, before the arrival of Ranran as The Fox, it was merely used for filming school events or theatre productions. It was tucked away in a corner of the academy, largely ignored by the students, mainly by the student council members because they were too happy to be enjoying lavish parties and events elsewhere on campus. 

But that is about to change thanks to one child.

Because Christopher is a soon-to-be Duke and arranged to be engaged to a princess of a royal family, it wasn't difficult to use his influence towards the academy to let the 3-year-old Ranran make full use of it. Even though the 7-year-old is a former student, let alone, didn't have a good relationship with his cruel evil fiance who is into diabolical things, including the student council of the academy.

However, he had one trump card at his disposal: He is the God-son of the principal of the academy.

Through him and much to the horror of the student council, the Court of the Edgewood Academy officially barred those students from misusing of the courtroom. It was no longer a forgotten corner; it was now a place of reckoning.

And to the shock of many, he named a 3-year-old to be put in charge of the said courtroom.

Of course, putting Ranran's real-life name would not do good for her socially, as tempers and vendettas would be directed onto her, Christopher would be safe since he is homeschooled, but it won't do him good to endanger his apprentice's life. So the only solution in the paperwork was that they put the name 'The Fox' since. The student council, accustomed to their unchecked authority, watched in dismay as their playground of power was dismantled. They had no choice but to adapt to this new reality.

And usually, whenever Ranran took over the courtroom, it was a full house jampacked with students for some unusual reason. Today was a different kind of exception. "How can you simply consider this gaslighting!? I demand a fair trial, not this mockery!" Landon's voice rang out, his indignation palpable. 

He had been summoned to the courtroom to address allegations brought against him, and he was clearly not pleased with the turn of events. The 7-year-old prince was outraged as he slammed his fist on the table in front of him, his face a mix of frustration and disbelief. The courtroom, once a forgotten corner of the academy, was now a focal point of attention, and all eyes were on Ranran, wearing a Fox Mask.

The reason for the lack of people in particular was the fact that since this case involved a gaslighting Prince of Norway, they are currently at a 'mediation stage' between him and his soon-to-be ex-fiance, Lucretia. This is the early stage where one settles things amicably, so only a few trusted people are allowed in the courtroom. That way, both of them can keep their reputations as students of the academy.

If both parties can't accept the settlement, however, under the rules of Edgewood Academy, the case would progress to a more formal and public trial.

Today, the video is publically played in the courtroom, showcasing the encounter between Landon and the mysterious girl. The people in the courtroom who were present at the moment included the discipline teacher, the school counsellor, and a few trusted students who were acting as observers. The atmosphere was tense, charged with anticipation for what would unfold.

And surprisingly, the jury consists of little girls between the ages of 6 to 12 years old from royalty to nobles alike. The members of the jury, composed of young girls from various backgrounds, were observed with wide-eyed intensity while the discipline teacher and the school counsellor, both trusted figures in the academy, watched the proceedings closely.

"To the ladies of the jury, if you were in Lucretia's shoes, being told things like that behind the scenes, while being unloved by your parents since they are out at work overseas most of the time, you all wouldn't be able to tell that this isn't love, right?" The second voice coming from Christopher out of The Fox's mask, held a sombre tone, its words resonating in the courtroom.

Landon, the 7-year-old prince, fumed in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the turn of events, while Lucretia, sat at the opposite end of the room, her expression a mixture of determination and anxiety. She listened intently, knowing that this moment could be pivotal for her.

"That sounded very one-sided," Landon scoffed, clearly unimpressed by the emotional appeal.

With a sly smile, The Deer spoke from his bedroom, "Alright then, Fox. Tell Lucretia to submit that video of his words towards her."

Ranran nodded beneath her Fox mask, signalling to Lucretia to proceed. The young girl approached the front of the courtroom with a determined expression. She held out her smartphone, displaying the video for all to see.

"He told me I am the only one he could ever trust." A little girl whose face is blurred is revealed to be sitting on her chair, in her Edgewood school uniform as the video plays. The girl's voice, clear and unwavering, echoed through the courtroom. The screen displayed the scene of Landon and Lucretia, their faces tense with emotion.

"He said these words to me, and I believed him," the voice continued, "I thought he truly cared for me beyond as a friend, I mean this is our science project after all. 'You are the only one I could trust' was the only words he said when it came to answering questions he couldn't answer."

The video played, capturing the attention of everyone in the courtroom. Lucretia's voice held a mixture of vulnerability and conviction as she recounted the words Landon had spoken to her. The raw emotion in her voice was palpable, and it resonated with those who listened.

Soon, another video played, this one is another little girl.

"We've known each other since kindergarten, he says he will have our parents set up an arranged marriage. But then when my father's business went broke, it went a different direction....and the word he used to tell me was 'You are the only one I could trust'."

The second video further emphasized the pattern of behaviour exhibited by Landon. The voice of the girl, clear and resolute, echoed through the courtroom, recounting her experiences with him. The weight of her words hung in the air, painting a vivid picture of manipulation and deceit.

As the video played, the atmosphere grew even more sombre.

The jury of young girls just listened intently. They were witnessing a pattern, a repeated abuse of trust and promises. The evidence was mounting, and it was becoming increasingly clear that Landon's actions were deliberate and calculated.

After everything had ended, it was time for Christopher as The Deer to deliver his own words through The Fox.

"The good thing is that nobody has died, nor the fact that any money was scammed, nor parent custody issues had taken place, or even the fact that people ended up murdering each other since the parties involved are children. The bad news about this however is that it ain't doing good for Lucretia's side, being falsely accused as somewhat of a villainess who stood in the love between Landon and the girl he truly loves, Helena."

Christopher paused for a moment in his bedroom, the 7-year-old was trying not to be angry as he continued on, "Both Landon and Lucretia are victims of their own making in the name of love. However, it ain't doing good for Lucretia's part, being gaslighted by Landon constantly just to avoid paying alimony for breaking the engagement for his part to speak."

His assessment cut through the tension in the courtroom, Christopher's words were measured and delivered with a solemn gravity that commanded attention. "I did not-"

"You knew deep down that if you were the one who chose to break the engagement, your family would've been forced to fork out the money to pay for the alimony for Lucretia's part, which is why you gaslighted her to that point, that as soon as she gains a bad reputation for being the 'villainess fiance' to the entire campus of this very school if she announced breaking it, her family would be force to pay out of your allowance. So, here is what is going to happen, you are going to man up, and pay not only alimony, plus the emotional psychological damages you had caused to those little girls whose hearts you broke with your lies!"

Christopher's words resonated through the courtroom, cutting through any attempts at denial or deflection. He addressed the heart of the matter, exposing the calculated actions that had led to this point. Landon's attempts to interject were met with an unwavering resolve.

The courtroom, though filled with children, held an atmosphere of solemnity. The weight of the situation hung in the air, and it was clear that this was a pivotal moment for everyone involved.

"As for you, Lucretia," Christopher continued, his voice gentle yet firm, "You deserve better. You should never have been subjected to such treatment, and it is my hope that you find someone who will treat you better than this low life."

"Hey!" Landon snarled.

"Silence! This is a courtroom!" Christopher's voice channeled through Ranran as The Fox, carried a potent mixture of authority and empathy. He had cut through the facade, exposing the manipulations and deceit that had woven a web of suffering for Lucretia.

Landon's attempts to defend himself were met with a stern rebuke. The courtroom held its breath, the gravity of the situation sinking in. The Deer, speaking through the Fox, was a force to be reckoned with.