She swallowed hard, glancing at the spoon in her hand. "Maybe I can fake choking? No, too dramatic. Or maybe I could just faint? But what if she makes me confess while unconscious?!"

She cleared her throat and plastered on the most awkward smile ever seen. "Y-You… look… very, um, shiny?"

Caramel blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "Shiny?"

Maruti nodded frantically, beads of sweat flying off her forehead. "Yes! Like, you know, the sun? Very… radiant! Blinding, even!"

Caramel's expression softened slightly, but her curiosity remained. "Radiant, huh?"

Maruti quickly nodded again, adding, "Absolutely! So radiant, I couldn't even speak! That's why I was quiet!"

Caramel studied her for a moment longer, and Maruti held her breath, praying to every deity she could think of. "Please buy it, please buy it…"

But everything can't go as you expect.

Caramel's eyes narrowed, her voice rising in frustration. "That's it? That's all you have to say?" She slammed her palm on the table, a small but sharp sound echoing in the cafeteria.

Everyone froze, the tension between the two thick enough to cut with a knife. Maruti, who had been panicking a moment ago, suddenly went quiet. Her expression shifted, and her once frantic eyes turned cold—blank, even.

Why?

Because now, Maruti was angry.

Maruti had always been a free spirit. She thrived on living her life on her own terms, her easy-going and careless attitude giving her the freedom she valued above all else. She hated rules, orders, or anyone trying to force her into submission—especially when there was nothing in it for her.

If you are giving something that meets her expectations like money or women then it's fine but Or else FUCK YOU!

This situation felt all too familiar. It reminded her of Kaelith, who always tried to boss her around. Every time Kaelith forced herself into Maruti's space, it felt suffocating, as if someone had taken a leash and tied it around her neck. And now Caramel was doing the exact same thing.

Her jaw clenched as irritation boiled over. Caramel's high-and-mighty attitude, her demand for validation—it was unbearable.

Without thinking, Maruti stood up abruptly, the chair screeching against the floor. Her grip on her plate tightened, her knuckles white.

"You know what?" Maruti muttered under her breath. Then, louder, "FUCK YOU!"

BAM!

In one swift motion, Maruti slammed the plate of meat directly onto Caramel's perfectly groomed face. The impact was so strong that pieces of food splattered everywhere, and the plate itself shattered into pieces.

The cafeteria collectively gasped, the room falling into stunned silence. All eyes were on Caramel.

Her face, once flawless and radiant, was now smeared with grease, meat chunks, and sauce. Strips of vegetables hung awkwardly from her hair like decorations. Her wide eyes stared straight ahead, completely still, as if her brain had temporarily shut down.

Time seemed to slow down for her.

Shock. Pure, unfiltered shock.

Her mind reeled, fragments of thought crashing together." Did that really just happen?"

The sticky mess dripping down her face wasn't just food—it was a metaphorical slap to her reputation.

And, in that frozen moment, flashes of her past began to resurface.

--------------

The memory was as clear as day.

A few months ago, Caramel's carriage had been ambushed by bandits. It was a brutal attack, leaving everyone else dead. The carriage was destroyed, the broken pieces scattered across the mountain trail alongside the lifeless bodies of the guards and servants who had been with her.

Caramel stirred awake as the afternoon sunlight hit her face. Slowly opening her eyes, she winced at the sharp pain on her forehead.

Her hands instinctively went to her head, rubbing the spot gently. "Ugh, what...?" she mumbled. The pain was unbearable, but as she sat up and glanced around, the memories came flooding back.

The attack. The screams. The chaos.

Her heart pounded as anger, fear, and pain overwhelmed her. But amidst it all, the pain was the strongest.

Suddenly, a realization hit her. "I... I remember now," she whispered, touching her forehead. "I got shot in the head with an arrow!" Her voice quivered as the image of the arrow flashed in her mind.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Yet, she was alive. Somehow, she had survived. A small, bitter laugh escaped her lips as she thought, "Well, that's lucky, I guess."

But luck didn't seem to be on her side anymore. She was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but rugged mountain terrain.

With no other choice, Caramel began to walk. Each step was agony, her head throbbing, her clothes in tatters, and her body caked in dirt and mud. She stumbled over rocks and roots, hungry and exhausted, but her sheer will kept her moving.

Hours passed, and just as she felt like she couldn't go any further, she saw it—a small village nestled in the valley below.

Relief flooded her. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought, "Thank the heavens! I can survive this. My dream of making everyone love me... it's not over yet!"

The villagers, however, had a very different first impression of her.

As Caramel walked into the village, the people stared at her, their expressions a mix of curiosity and pity. To them, she looked like a beggar—her once elegant dress was now little more than rags, her face smeared with dirt, and her hair a tangled mess.

Ignoring their stares, Caramel headed straight to a water fountain. She cupped her hands, splashing the cool water on her face to wash away the grime.

When she glanced at her reflection, she noticed the faint, spiral-shaped scar left by the arrow. "A spiral?" she muttered. A small, ironic smile crept onto her lips. "Well, that's... unique."

But what happened next left her completely stunned.

As she lifted her head, the atmosphere around her shifted. People began approaching her—at first just a few, then the entire village.

"Miss, I must say, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," one man declared, dropping to his knees.

"No, no! She's an angel! Please, let me serve you, my lady!" cried another, practically shoving the first man aside.

Even women and children weren't immune.

"Miss, I love you!"

"Please accept my loyalty!"

The crowd swelled, villagers abandoning their daily chores, their families, and even their dignity to profess their love for her.

Caramel's mouth hung open in shock. "What... what is happening?!" she stammered, backing away. But the more she moved, the closer they followed.

"Stop! Please stop!" she yelled, but it was no use.

One man grabbed her foot. "Please, my lady, let me massage your feet!"

"I'll massage your hands!" another woman exclaimed, pushing her way forward.

Caramel was overwhelmed. Her fear turned to awkwardness, then to something much stranger. This wasn't normal—this was something else entirely.

Within hours, the villagers had crowned her as their leader.

Now she sat on a crude throne, made of wood and cloth, but still commanding authority. Despite her exhaustion, she let out a deep sigh of relief.

Caramel used these villagers to reach her home again.

When Caramel finally returned home, she thought everything would go back to normal. But she quickly realized her life had taken a strange, irreversible turn.

No matter who saw her, whether it was family, friends, or strangers, they all fell in love with her instantly. Even her cousins, who had always been jealous of her and treated her with disdain, were no exception. Their hatred melted away, replaced by obsession and adoration.

At first, Caramel was overwhelmed by the attention. But as the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, she began to embrace it. People from all walks of life showered her with gifts, devotion, and unwavering affection. Her once modest life was now filled with luxury and abundance.

She stood at the grand window of her newly acquired mansion—a mansion far beyond what someone of her status could ever dream of owning. She wasn't a noble, yet the sheer number of people offering their properties and wealth just to earn her favor had made her richer than most aristocrats.

The world around her had changed, but so had she.

Her delicate features, once soft and innocent, now carried an air of superiority. Her lips curled into a wicked smile as she gazed at the sky, her reflection shimmering faintly in the glass.

"This is it," she whispered, her voice dripping with arrogance. "This power... it was given to me by the gods themselves."

Her laughter echoed through the room, cold and confident. "Yes, this is my destiny! To create a utopia—a utopia filled with my harem. Men, women—it doesn't matter. They will all belong to me!"

The thought sent a rush of excitement through her. She believed it was a divine rule, an unchangeable law of the universe: everyone had to love her. Everyone was meant to adore her.

Her mind repeated the same mantra over and over:

Love me. Worship me. Compliment me.

Her once simple dreams of being liked had twisted into something much darker.

"This is how it should be," she thought. "Everyone should love me. Everyone has to love me!"

The obsession consumed her. To her, love wasn't just a feeling—it was a command, a rule that the world was bound to obey.

But what was happening right now?

Caramel's body trembled as she pressed her palm against her stinging cheek as she slowly stood up. Her thoughts were a chaotic mix of anger, disbelief, and humiliation. Her face, once a picture of pride and control, now looked distorted with rage.

"What the hell just happened?" Caramel muttered under her breath, her voice shaking.

The cafeteria was thick with tension, the other students glaring at Maruti with bloodshot eyes. They looked ready to pounce, their rage boiling over as if Maruti's audacity had insulted them personally.

But before anyone could make a move, a sharp, authoritative voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

"What's happening here?"

The voice was calm yet icy, carrying an undeniable weight. Everyone froze. Even Maruti, who had been bracing herself for whatever was about to come next, felt her heart skip a beat.

Turning around, Maruti immediately recognized the source. Kaelith.

Kaelith stood just inside the room, her silver eyes cold and piercing. She wasn't much taller than Maruti, but her presence was towering. Her gaze swept across the room like she was sizing up everyone's worth—and finding them all lacking.

Maruti's eyes darted to the door behind Kaelith. The two students who had been guarding it earlier were now sprawled on the ground, beaten to a pulp. Maruti swallowed hard, her annoyance with Kaelith momentarily overshadowed by a twinge of unease.

Caramel, on the other hand, was frozen in shock.

"Kailith?" she murmured, her voice cracking.

Everyone knew who Kaelith was. You didn't need to see her to know her reputation. If someone at the academy didn't know her, they were either new or clueless idiot.

Caramel's eyes widened further as realization dawned—Kaelith wasn't affected by her. "Why isn't she in love with me?"

"Are you deaf?" Kaelith's voice snapped Caramel out of her daze. It was low and chilling, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

Caramel hesitated, her voice trembling as she stammered, "D-Do you not like me?"

Kaelith raised a brow, her expression unreadable but faintly tinged with amusement. "What?.."

Meanwhile, Maruti stood silently, still fuming but now with added frustration. Her earlier rage with Caramel had yet to fade, but Kaelith's sudden involvement wasn't helping her mood. Kaelith's silver eyes shifted to Maruti, catching her annoyed expression.

For a moment, Kaelith narrowed her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips. She seemed to piece together her own version of events.

"Are they fighting over me?" Kaelith thought, her amusement growing.

Without missing a beat, Kaelith stepped closer and casually wrapped an arm around Maruti's shoulders, pulling her close like they were old friends.

"But I like her more though," Kaelith said smoothly, tilting her head toward Maruti. Her voice was light, almost teasing, but her words hit Caramel like a thunderclap.

The room fell silent.

Maruti blinked in confusion, her annoyance momentarily replaced by disbelief. "What is she even talking about now?"

Kaelith, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease, her arm still draped around Maruti's shoulder as if they were the closest of friends.

Caramel, however, wasn't so calm. Kaelith's casual statement echoed in her mind like a cruel taunt. "Is she saying I'm less beautiful than her?" Caramel's gaze shifted to Maruti, her mind racing. "Even Kaelith chose her over me?"

Her hand trembled as she placed it over her chest, where an unfamiliar tightness was growing. Complicated emotions churned within her—envy, disbelief, frustration And something else. It felt like her carefully constructed pride was being torn apart.

Meanwhile, Maruti saw her chance and seized it. "I just remembered something urgent I need to do. I'm going!" she said hastily, twisting out of Kaelith's grasp and practically bolting toward the door.

"Wait! I'm coming too!" Kaelith called, her voice filled with amusement as she strode after her, leaving Caramel and the others behind.

Caramel stood frozen, her hand still on her cheek where the plate had struck her earlier. Her other hand clutched her chest as she stared at the ground, her expression unreadable.

"Don't be sad, Ms. Caramel! You don't need her. We're here for you," one student said gently, his voice filled with sympathy.

"Yeah, I've always loved you!" another chimed in eagerly, trying to comfort her.

A small crowd gathered around her, offering their words of devotion and support. But Caramel wasn't hearing them. Their voices faded into the background as her thoughts spiraled deeper.

"Inferior..."The word echoed in her mind like a curse. Her cheeks flushed red as unfamiliar heat rose within her. Slowly, she lifted her head, her watery eyes fixed on the doorway through which Maruti and Kaelith had left.

Her fingers grazed the edge of her cheek where the dish remnants still clung. Her lips parted slightly as she rubbed the spot absentmindedly, smearing the sauce further.

Then, as if possessed by a strange longing, she brought her finger to her lips, licking the mixture with an almost sultry deliberation. The taste mingled with her chaotic emotions, fueling the realization dawning upon her.

Her cheeks deepened in color, and her breath hitched. "I know this feeling..." she murmured,

Her lips curved into a small, dazed smile as her heart pounded uncontrollably.

"It's love, isn't it?"