TORI FOUND herself standing around a handy number of common folks. Where am I? The last thing she remembered was she told Rowan to guard her while she took a nap under the Willow Tree that she found near the exam hall. Tori was sure she fell asleep under the shade of a tree with the chilly breeze that almost sang her to sleep.

"Where am I? Why is everyone gathered in the capital's plaza?" Tori recognized the crowded place. It was the capital's plaza where nobles and common folks usually meet.

The sun was almost setting as the fiery red hue flashed on the horizon; the bells kept ringing, and people were cheering for something. She was still wearing her black outdoor dress with embroidered red flowers of the spider lilies.

Tori looked around her body and she couldn't find any bruises. She was anxious about the lack of memory. She didn't know what happened to the entrance exam. Did she pass?

"Why am I here? Did someone abduct me?" No one answered her like no one cared to hear her.

Tori roamed her eyes to look for any sign of Rowan, but she couldn't see even her coachman. Her eyes were frantic as the cheering of the crowd became loud. They pushed her in front of the crowd when a carriage appeared together with the royal knights.

The royal knights!

Tori tried to push anyone in front of her as she tried to go where the royal knights were stationed. She cried when she got pushed back, but it seems that no one heard the noble lady's voice.

"Rowan!" Tori's voice got muted, which she wondered about. She was looking for the familiar cobalt eyes and sandy hair around her.

That was when she gasped as she covered her mouth with both of her hands when she saw who she was looking for.

"Sir Rowan Castaña!"

Tori immediately flinched and looked at the little commoner who was being cradled by his father as he was pointing at the stage, the stage that was a few meters away from where she was standing.

An older-looking Rowan was adorned with medals and a royal knight uniform. His serious form was one cause of the people's cheerful mood. Beside him was the Duke of Rozenreff Duchy, who was talking to him discreetly. The two of them were facing the crowd, but they were never looking.

"I have a bad feeling about this. This scene, this scene is eerily familiar."

Tori's heart pounded when a thought flashed in her mind. She visibly flinched, but her gaze toward those two never faltered. She was looking at them anxiously.

"Bring the evil witch here!"

"Kill her!"

"Punish her!"

Tori's head made a sharp turn in the direction where everyone was now looking. The crowd made a way when the royal knights dragged a battered woman toward the stage. The happy cheers of the common folks, the satisfied grin of Rowan, and the emotionless gaze of the Duke, their reactions momentarily froze Tori who just standing and unmoving in her spot.

Right in front of Tori, the original Victoria passed by her. Dread, pity, and deep anger resonated within Tori as she witnessed the original Victoria's bloody and dirty body.

They drenched her hair with pissed and blood, her nails got removed from both hands and feet, her tongue no longer existed, and her eyes hardly opened anymore. She couldn't even walk properly if it weren't for the guards that dragged her by the hair.

Even with her pitiful state, everyone around Tori celebrated the original Victoria's state like it was fucking holiday.

The next people who stepped out of the carriage caused a bigger commotion than the original Victoria's display. Tori's resentment skyrocketed when she witnessed a crowned Sabina together with the crowned first prince walk like they were on a fucking red carpet. But instead of the red carpet, it was the bloodied pavement from the original Victoria's body.

"Long live the Crown Princess Sabina! Long live the Crown Prince Lauren!"

The common folks cheered and clapped for the couple. Behind them was the serious-looking Zeno McMillian Larat, together with the noble-looking ladies Shena and Mia.

"With the countless suffering that the Crown Princess endured from her evil half-sister and the recently attempted treason against a member of the royal family, the Crown Princess, we are nowhere to witness justice unfold on behalf of the Goddess Gaia! To sentence the criminal, Victoria Rozenreff, the Crown Prince Lauren wished to do it himself as a show of devotion for our beloved Crown Princess Sabina." Zeno McMillian Larat started the execution process. All those times, Rowan dragged the weakened Victoria in front of the deck where he held her neck to be locked under the restraints.

A lone tear slipped from Tori as she witnessed the original Victoria glancing towards the setting sun as if she was so tired of her life.

Everyone clapped their hands when the executioner handed his sharpened ax to the crown prince. As the crown prince raised his ax, Tori saw the sick anticipation of everyone as if they were opening their presents from Santa.

The original Victoria resigned her fate when she just closed her eyes as she waited for the sharp kiss of the blade.

"I, Crown Prince Lauren Eckrett, sentenced you to die!"

A sudden drop of the ax and a sudden stop of the heart. The original Victoria's head rolled on the plaza's floor. It kept on rolling and stopped a foot away from Tori.

"Now, we have gotten rid of an evil being! May the Goddess Gaia rain as blessings eternally!" The crown prince declared, which resulted in everyone's cheers and shouts of victory. They were celebrating as if they didn't kill an innocent person. The Duke, the father of the said criminal, didn't even flinch at the sight of his daughter's death. Instead, he hugged Sabina to protect her eyes from the gory scene. Rowan and Zeno also used their bodies to shield the scene from Sabina.

No one, no one cared for the broken soul whom they killed.

No one asked if she was truly guilty of her crimes.

No one weeps for the death of Victoria Rozenreff.

Tori couldn't explain the deep hate she was feeling. She didn't even know anymore if it was because her heart belonged to the original Victoria or if she just genuinely hated everyone she was seeing right now. She hated the situation; she hated everyone around her; she hated the original plot, and she hated the author of this pathetic series.

"You all got your happy ever after, huh."

The scene in front of Tori was etched in her mind, a constant reminder of why she chose to trash the plot of the story.

THE MOMENT Tori opened her eyes, the waves of the Willow Tree's leaves welcomed her. Disoriented as she sat from sleeping on the ground, Tori's eyes were blazing with hate.

"Lady Tori, they already posted the results."

Rowan stood before her. His features were not as old as she witnessed in that memory. Tori knew that the Rowan she saw and the Rowan she knew was different, but she couldn't help but feel the deep-rooted anger.

Tori was boiling inside. She wanted to lash out, but she wouldn't do that. She would use this anger to destroy the plot one piece at a time.

Tori smiled sweetly at Rowan. "Lead the way, kind sir."

Tori caught the blush that Rowan showed, but she just kept smiling. "This way, Lady Tori."

As soon as Rowan showed his back to her, Tori's sweet smile vanished like it was never there. Instead, the blazing ruby eyes could freeze anything it seized.

The same way when she exited the exam hall, Tori strode towards the displayed results plastered on the grand wall where the faculty and the headmaster were also looking at.

The examinees surrounded the displayed results. Even students from Trifecta Academy were also crowding the results. Tori didn't care as she walked without even caring if she would step on someone. Luckily, commoners or nobles made way for her.

When she stood before the results, the headmaster also looked at her as if he knew her personally, which she never paid attention to. She was feeling rather devoid of any emotion after that nightmare.

"Is she the one?"

"She's the one who passed the exam paper first, right?"

Tori didn't bother to look for her name from the bottom list. She immediately looked for her name from the very top of the list.

Top 1: Victoria Rozenref - 99/100

Top 2: Corean Shuia Eckrett - 87/100

Top 3: Zeno McMillian Larat - 85/100

Huh, so I nailed the situational questions. Tori expected to be one of the best, but she didn't expect to be the best.

The headmaster together with the faculty surrounded her like she was a specimen from a laboratory. "We never thought we'd be welcoming another genius for today!"

Tori showed them her infamous sweet smile, "I still have a lot to learn, Headmaster. I am looking forward to learning everything from everyone here at Trifecta Academy. I'll be in your care."

Just wait and see, dearest Sabina and darling Lauren. I'll return the favor to you tenfold.