Sairenne's Point of View 
The silence inside Celestia’s room is deafening.
Thick curtains cover the tall windows, shutting out the world beyond them. Xavier isn’t here either—Mom ordered him to leave the house for now.
If I want revenge, I’ve realized I need to stay on Celestia’s mother’s good side.
She holds the power—because she is Celeste Fontaverde.
And I need that power.
“Celestia, may I come in?” her voice calls out, followed by a soft knock on the door.
I clear my throat. “Yes, Mom.”
The door opens, revealing her wide smile—as if she’s just won an argument.
“You did great earlier. I never thought you’d be on my side this time,” she says cheerfully, making my eyebrow twitch.
Didn’t she just force me to sit beside Vrent de Villa earlier?
And now she’s thanking me?
Ugh. Even my thoughts are starting to resemble Celestia’s.
This mother-and-daughter pair is seriously strange.
“But… I thought—”
“Well, I’m finding a way for you not to marry a de Villa. I want Xavier for you, Celestia. I just hope he won’t distance himself after what he said earlier.” She sits beside me on the bed. “But look at the bright side—he defended you.”
No.
She humiliated Xavier in front of her guests. Whether it was an act or not, she had no right to do that.
I fix my gaze on her. Her crimson lips curve slightly as she brushes my hair aside— Celestia’s hair.
Her eyes glimmer.
“I know I can count on you sometimes,” she says softly. “Now, can you do what I want—just like earlier?”
I always thought Celestia was just a spoiled brat.
But now I see it—she’s nothing more than her mother’s puppet. Even her feelings for Xavier were molded by Celeste.
And she believed it.
But this isn’t the time to dwell on that. What matters now is earning her trust.
I nod and smile. “What is it, Mom?”
“My best friends’ daughters want you to go shopping with them. Do as they wish… and tell them how good I am as a mother.”
The audacity.
She uses her own daughter just to polish her image as a model mother. No wonder Celestia vents her frustration on me—she has no power against her mother.
That arrogant witch is pitiful after all.
“I have one condition, Mom…”
Her brows immediately knit together—the same brows that were celebrating just moments ago.
She rolls her eyes, crosses her arms, stands up, and turns her back on me. The air grows heavy, as if this body itself remembers the pain of defying her.
I smile unconsciously.
Poor Celestia. Beautiful, rich—and terrified of her own mother.
“Just a request,” I add. “I want to keep meeting Revecca…”
And I want her to kneel before me—just like how they humiliated me at her party. I’ll crush Father’s heart through her. I’ll make him feel the pain he caused Mama, Ruxe, and me.
“…If everything earlier was part of your plan,” I continue smoothly, “then there’s no need to guess. You hate her. We share a common enemy, Mom.”
She turns back to me, one brow raised, eyes narrowing.
I stand and take a deep breath.
“I don’t know why you hate her, Mom. What matters is—we have the same enemy.”
“And why do I feel like you want to tear her apart?” she asks. “Did she offend you somehow?”
I freeze.
She’s right. If Celestia doesn’t really know that mistress, why would she hate her so deeply? And that woman doesn’t seem like the type Celestia would care about.
I laugh lightly.
“Like I said, Mom—Sairenne Gomery is her husband’s daughter. And do you know? It’s Sairenne’s father’s fault why her life turned out that way.”
“You mean Rixon Gomery?” Celeste scoffs. “So that nerd wants to be top of the class because of him? What—does she think her father will acknowledge her if she becomes successful?”
Her mocking laughter fills the room.
I clench my fists, staring at her. I want to grab her hair and scream that she’s a terrible human being.
But I can’t.
Not yet.
“You see, Mom,” I say calmly, “Sairenne is poor. She needs scholarship rewards. She has no choice but to compete—to survive in this cruel society.”
Her laughter stops.
She adjusts the fur on her clothes and smooths her hair.
“So… if Rixon hadn’t abandoned his family to starvation, that nerd wouldn’t dream of being number one.” She smirks. “You’re right. I can use this too.”
“Use it how?”
“You can tell my friends’ daughters that we allowed Sairenne to take first place because of her situation.” She waves a hand dismissively. “Now prepare yourself—you still have an important engagement. I should leave as well. I hosted a tea party today.”
With that, she exits Celestia’s room.
I release a deep breath and clutch my chest as my heart pounds violently. My chest tightens, forcing my eyes shut.
Good. I survived this round.
But this is only the first step.
Brace yourself, Revecca. I won’t return to my old life—
not until you kneel in the dirt.
I open my eyes and walk toward Celestia’s closet at the foot of her bed. I open it—rows of dresses hang neatly inside. A smaller compartment catches my eye, so I open it.
I frown at what I find.
A pair of eyeglasses?