THE MASK OF THE HEIRESS
The morning light felt like an interrogation lamp. Kei stood in the kitchen, her thumb tracing the angry, purple crescent of teeth marks on her forearm. The "truce" of the midnight fried rice felt like a fever dream now that the sun was up.
"Vicious little brat," Kei muttered, pulling her sleeve down as she heard the rhythmic clack-clack of heels.
THE GRACIOUS LADY
Ma'am Elena entered the dining room, looking as elegant as a porcelain doll. Her eyes softened the moment they landed on Kei.
"Good morning, Kei," Elena said, her voice a soothing balm. "You look a bit tired. Did the storm keep you up? I hope the manor wasn't too drafty for you."
"I'm quite well, Ma'am. Thank you for your concern," Kei replied, offering a polite bow. She made sure to keep her left arm tucked slightly behind her back, her heart hammering against her ribs. If Elena saw the bite, she'd ask questions. And if Sofia got in trouble, she'd make Kei's life a living hell.
"You're such a diligent girl," Elena smiled, reaching out to adjust Kei's collar with a motherly touch. "Make sure you have a proper breakfast after you drop Sofia at the academy. You're far too thin."
THE COLD FRONT
The warmth in the room plummeted the moment Sofia swept in. She was draped in her expensive school blazer, her chin tilted at an angle that suggested she was sniffing for a bad smell.
"The car is waiting, and my tea is cold," Sofia snapped, ignoring her mother's cheerful greeting. She didn't look at Kei not even a glance.
"Sofia, dear, don't be so cross with Kei," Elena chided gently. "She was just about to pour your fresh cup."
Sofia let out a sharp, mocking huff. "She's slow, Mother. It's a trait of her... background. Honestly, I don't know why we keep someone so incompetent on the personal detail."
Kei's jaw tightened. Incompetent? This was the same girl who had been sobbing behind Kei's palm only hours ago, begging for egg-fried rice. But looking at Sofia now with her icy eyes and perfect posture you'd never know she was capable of being anything other than a spoiled monster.
THE ACADEMY GATES
The drive to the elite Vance Academy was suffocatingly silent. Sofia spent the entire trip staring out the window, scrolling through her phone as if Kei were part of the upholstery.
As the car pulled up to the grand marble arches, Sofia's usual circle of "friends" the inner circle of the wealthy and the heartless were already waiting. They had seen Kei dozens of times before, and they never missed an opportunity to treat her like a piece of lawn furniture.
"Ugh, Sofia, is she still your shadow?" Chloe, a girl with a high ponytail and a designer bag, asked as she sauntered over.
Sofia stepped out of the car, her entire demeanor shifting into one of effortless superiority. Kei followed a step behind, carrying Sofia's heavy leather satchel.
"Mother insists," Sofia said, casting a bored, sideways glance at Kei. "She has this misplaced sense of charity. It's exhausting, really."
"She looks even more haggard than usual today," another girl, Mia, giggled, stepping closer to Kei. "Look at her eyes. Did you stay up all night scrubing floors, or were you just staring at the wall?"
The group erupted into high-pitched giggles.
"Probably the wall," Chloe sneered, reaching out to flick the collar of Kei's uniform. "She doesn't exactly look like the thinking type. Honestly, Sofia, I don't know how you stand having someone so... common following you around. It's a blemish on your aesthetic."
"I just ignore it," Sofia said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she snatched her bag from Kei's hand. "Like a stray dog you can't get rid of. You eventually stop noticing the smell."
Kei kept her eyes fixed on the horizon, her knuckles white. She could feel the sting of the bite mark under her sleeve the very mark Sofia had left while acting like a "stray dog" herself.
"Wait, look at her arm!" Mia pointed, noticing the slight bulge of the bandage under the fabric. "Is she injured? Did she get into a fight in the slums?"
Sofia didn't defend her. She didn't even flinch. She just laughed along, the sound as cold as the moon they had sat under just a few hours before.
"She's probably just clumsy," Sofia said, turning her back on Kei. "Come on, let's go. I need to get away from this car before the 'poor' rubs off on me."
As they walked away, their laughter echoed back through the arches. Kei stood by the car, watching the "princess" disappear into the school. The fried rice was definitely going to be saltier tonight.