"So, Ivy Laurent… do you mind telling me the truth?"
Ivy's hands trembled. Her gaze dropped to the floor, voice barely above a whisper. "Three of them… they were bullying me. Every day, they forced me to buy their food… using my own money. If I didn't obey, they threatened to hurt me."
Seraphina Vale leaned forward, her sharp eyes never leaving Ivy's.
"Today, I was a little late," Ivy continued, "and the food had cooled. Vivienne Ashbourne made me buy another one. But I didn't have any money left, so I just bought her milk instead. She didn't like it… so she poured it over my head. And she tried to slap me—but Seraphina stopped her."
Ivy swallowed hard. "They… they tried to attack Seraphina after that, but she blocked them easily… and then kicked them."
Vivienne and her friends froze. None of them expected Ivy to speak so boldly. Even Mr. Principal and Lucian Ashbourne fell silent.
It doesn't look like she's lying. The faint smell of milk clung to Ivy's uniform, a silent witness to her ordeal.
"Yo-you… how dare you!" Vivienne hissed, her voice trembling with fury.
Seraphina tilted her head slightly, her expression calm. "So… you heard that, right? Goodbye."
[Seraphina Vale… I will remember your name. Just wait!] Vivienne's glare followed them as Seraphina and Ivy returned to class, trailed by Lucian and Vivienne.
"Thank you so much! I don't know how I can ever repay you, Seraphina," Ivy whispered once they were alone.
"I didn't do anything. It was all you," Seraphina said casually, shrugging.
The story spread through the school like wildfire. By the end of the day, Seraphina Vale had earned a new title: The Badass Queen. She had defeated Vivienne and Lucian from the Ashbourne Family—without getting expelled.
Meanwhile, in Seraphina's classroom:
"Look! It's the new student!"
"I don't think she's safe after picking a fight with Vivienne!"
"Did you hear the rumors? She defeated both Lucian and Vivienne!"
"No way… no one has ever done that before. Her name will go down in history."
"Bet. Hahaha."
"Wow, brave to pick a fight with her, Seraphina. Bravo. I didn't think anyone could do it," a student whispered.
Seraphina pretended not to hear them and returned to her nap.
A few minutes later, the teacher arrived.
"Alright, class. Open your textbooks."
The teacher's eyes landed on Seraphina, asleep in her chair. A smirk formed on her lips—students called her The Toxic Teacher.
"So… I hear someone picked a fight with the Ashbourne Family?" she asked, scanning the room.
The class froze, all eyes darting to Seraphina.
"Well, that's the kind of foolish thing someone would do," the teacher continued, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Anyway… can anyone answer this question?"
It was a question that no one had ever solved. Not even the brightest students. She knew Seraphina would fail.
"Seraphina Vale! You were asleep while I explained. Answer this—or I'll report you to Mr. Principal."
Seraphina stretched lazily and walked to the whiteboard. Whispers ran through the classroom.
"She'll never solve it…"
"Poor new student…"
Vivienne's smug expression radiated satisfaction.
"Seraphina…" she hissed.
But within thirty seconds, the impossible happened.
Seraphina wrote her answer and stepped back. "I'm done."
Silence.
The teacher's face went pale. "This… this can't be right. There's no way your answer is correct!"
Before anyone could react, an older man in a black suit appeared, accompanied by Mr. Principal.
"This is correct," he said. "Unbelievable…"
"Huh? Who are you?" a student asked.
"My apologies for the interruption. I am Sebastian Wren."
"Sebastian Wren? One of the smartest people in the world?!"
"Hahaha. Perhaps not anymore. It seems we have the true genius here. May
I ask… who solved this question?"
"It's… it's Seraphina Vale," the students stammered, eyes wide.
Sebastian approached her desk, holding out his hand. "Seraphina Vale,
may I ask how you solved this?"
"Just guessing," she replied, shrugging casually.
"Fascinating. Would you consider joining me? I need a partner like you—"
"I'm not interested," she interrupted.
Sebastian blinked. "Really? The smartest person alive asks her to join him, and she refuses?"
[If I were her, I'd say yes… lol. This is probably the only chance in my life.]
Vivienne gritted her teeth. [She's just seeking attention! Wait until after school…]
"Uhm… okay. Here's my contact information. Let me know if you change your mind," Sebastian said, handing her his card.
He left with Mr. Principal, who shot Seraphina a sharp gaze. She returned to her desk and resumed her nap, completely unfazed by the chaos around her.