It Must Be Tough

Maruti stared at the absurdly long love letter, then at Caramel, completely dumbfounded.

"What the hell happened to her?" she thought, her mind spinning as she tried to make sense of the bizarre situation.

How could she not be surprised? Just yesterday, Caramel had forced Maruti to compliment her. Annoyed, Maruti had done the opposite—humiliating her instead.

"Is she… a masochist?" Maruti wondered in disbelief, shaking her head.

But in the end, who cared? Maruti casually threw the love letter onto the ground and said plainly, "No." Without another word, she walked past Caramel.

Before she could take more than a step, Caramel blocked her path, her face a mix of desperation and frustration.

"What do you mean, no? You didn't even bother to read it! Do you know how much love I poured into that letter?" Caramel's voice trembled with anger, her eyes pleading.

Maruti glanced at her shoulder, where Caramel had placed her hand, and shrugged it off. Her tone turned cold, devoid of any sympathy. "I don't care."

With a swift motion, Maruti grabbed Caramel's wrist and effortlessly flipped her over using Aikido. Caramel wasn't trained or flexible like some of the academy's top students, and her head slammed hard against the floor as she landed with a thud.

Maruti snorted, brushing her hands off like she'd just swatted away an annoying fly. "Hmph. Come back when you're stronger," she said coldly, turning and walking away without a second glance.

Caramel groaned, sitting up slowly, her face red with embarrassment and anger. Her hands trembled as she gritted her teeth.

"Maruti!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the corridor. "I'm expressing my love with sincerity! Don't make me use force!"

Maruti didn't even flinch. She kept walking, completely ignoring Caramel's outburst.

Caramel's scream grew louder, more guttural, as rage consumed her. The spiral-shaped scar on her face began to grow, twisting and turning as more layers were added to it.

Her body trembled with unrestrained anger, and something within her shifted. Caramel was inching closer and closer to becoming a full-fledged anomaly.

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In Lortell's room, the atmosphere was heavy with the scent of ink and parchment. Lortell sat slumped at her desk, her chin resting on her palm as her other hand reluctantly scribbled on a document. A tall stack of paperwork loomed before her, an endless sea of obligations.

Her face twisted with frustration as she muttered under her breath, "Why do I have to do this boring stuff? I'd rather be on a date with Esdeath!"

Lorraine stood beside her, her gaze scanning the documents. Unlike Lortell, Lorraine looked calm and collected. With a patient smile, she replied, "You're going to be the next arch-duke, Lortell. Learning how to handle paperwork is part of the job. Don't worry; it feels overwhelming now, but with practice, you'll finish this in no time."

Lortell groaned, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Can't I learn all this after I become the arch-duke? Why so early?"

Lorraine's eyes sparkled mischievously as she delivered her reply with a knowing grin. "So that you can spend more time with Esdeath after your marriage."

The mention of Esdeath worked like magic. Lortell's face flushed bright red, and she quickly turned back to her work, her pen moving faster than before. "Fine, fine! No need to manipulate me. I'll do it!"

Lorraine chuckled softly, her innocent smile masking her satisfaction. "Using Esdeath always works," she thought, barely hiding her amusement.

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Meanwhile, outside the academy, Esdeath walked through the bustling streets, her expression tinged with mild annoyance. The reason for her mood was perched atop her head—Selene.

Selene, tiny and full of energy, sat on Esdeath's shoulders like a queen on her throne. Her little hands clutched Esdeath's hair as if they were reins, tugging left and right to "guide" her.

Esdeath sighed. The only reason she wasn't attending today's lecture was because Selene had begged her nonstop to see the outside world. Giving in, Esdeath decided to spend the day showing Selene around.

The morning had been a whirlwind of activity. Esdeath recalled their first stop—a magical roller coaster.

"Woahhhhhh! I'm flying!" Selene had screamed, her eyes tightly shut in a mix of fear and excitement.

Esdeath, on the other hand, remained utterly calm. As the ride twisted and turned at breakneck speed, her long hair whipped behind her. Yet, she held a coffee in one hand, sipping through a straw as if she were on a leisurely stroll.

"A dragon being this thrilled about flying… what a strange freeling," she had thought, her expression as neutral as ever.

After the ride, the duo explored various attractions: swings, a ghost villa, climbing challenges, and even an eating competition. Selene's energy seemed endless, bouncing from one activity to the next without a hint of fatigue.

Now, sitting atop Esdeath's shoulders, Selene spotted another attraction. Her small fingers tugged excitedly at Esdeath's hair. "Mother! Look, that shooting game over there!"

Esdeath sighed deeply but didn't protest. "Yeah, yeah… I see it," she muttered, her voice flat as she adjusted Selene's weight and headed toward the shop.

The balloon shooting stall was lively, with bursts of laughter and excited chatter filling the air. Esdeath stood before it, arms crossed, her expression tinged with mild exasperation.

She let out a sigh. "This has to be the easiest game for me," she muttered under her breath.

Selene, still perched on her head, tugged at her hair eagerly. "Mother! Do your best!"

With a gentle motion, Esdeath grabbed Selene and placed her on the ground. "Watch and learn, little dragon," she said with a sly smirk, her confidence radiating.

She handed a bronze coin to the shop owner, who handed her a toy gun and three bullets.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sound of precise shots rang through the air. Esdeath didn't waste a single bullet, hitting the three long-range balloons effortlessly.

Selene's jaw dropped in awe. Her golden eyes sparkled as she stared at Esdeath with a newfound admiration.

Esdeath picked up the prize—a plush dragon toy half the size of her arm. She held it with pride, her smirk widening as she handed it to Selene.

But their moment was interrupted by a hand gently resting on Selene's head.

Selene turned to see an older woman in her fifties, with long brown hair tied back neatly. She wore a simple robe and squinted through tiny eyes that seemed almost shut. The woman's fingers brushed against Selene's horns.

"Are those... horns?" the woman asked, her tone filled with curiosity.

Selene froze for a second before scurrying behind Esdeath, clutching the edge of her skirt. She peeked out cautiously, her cheeks puffed up in annoyance.

"Only Mother can touch my horns! Hmph!" she declared with a cute pout, crossing her arms as she glared at the old woman.

The woman's gaze shifted between Selene and Esdeath. Her sharp eyes scanned Esdeath's black hair, then Selene's half-black locks. A light bulb seemed to go off in her head.

"So that's how it is..." the woman mumbled to herself, convinced she had solved a great mystery.

"It's not a horn," Esdeath explained with an awkward smile, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. "It's just a hairband."

But the old woman ignored her entirely.

Her face softened with pity as she turned to Esdeath. "You've had a child at such a young age... Poor girl, it must be so tough for you!"

Esdeath blinked, stunned by the sudden leap in logic. "What?"

Before she could say more, the woman continued, her voice rising with indignation. "And you're wearing an academy uniform! How could your parents allow this? And the academy hasn't punished the father for this? What is the world coming to?"

The woman paused dramatically, her face filled with righteous fury. "Tell me, child, who's the father? I'll hunt him down and beat the shit out of him! ",

Esdeath's patience snapped. A vein throbbed on her forehead as her face flushed with both anger and embarrassment.

She leaned forward, her voice booming, "YOUR HUSBAND, YOU OLD HAG! NOW SHUT UP AND GET LOST!"

The woman flinched, covering her ears from the sheer volume. She crossed her arms and sniffed indignantly, muttering as she walked away. "Kids these days... no manners, no patience. And they're raising children like this? Unbelievable..."

She disappeared into the crowd, still grumbling.

Esdeath stood there, fuming. Her face was red as a tomato, her fists clenched tightly at her sides.

"First, Wasn't being a yandere enough?, that now people think I'm a teenage mother!" she muttered under her breath, glaring at the space where the old woman had vanished as she stomped her feet on ground several times.

Selene tugged at her sleeve gently. "Mother... are you okay?"

Esdeath sighed, forcing a small smile as she patted Selene's head. "My whole mood got ruined, Let's go back to academy before I lose my sanity completely."

Selene nodded, clutching the plush dragon tightly as they walked away, leaving the chaos behind.