While I was lost in thought, the infirmary door burst open.

A girl with ginger twin pigtails and bouncy curls—

the very first person who spoke to me after I woke up in Arie’s body.

“Arie…!”

It was Judy.

Tears glimmered in her eyes, ready to spill as she rushed to my bedside.

“What happened? How did you get hurt like this?

Do you have any idea how worried I was?”

Judy Holton—my roommate… and the watchdog the Seren family planted.

Her job? Make sure I never skipped class, never caused trouble, and

report every breath I took “for the family’s reputation.”

Arie must have thought she’d finally found a friend:

someone to eat with, sleep beside, laugh with, share secrets with—

until the day she spotted a single envelope sticking out of Judy’s desk.

The Seren family seal burned red on the wax.

That moment, Arie’s world shattered all over again.

The friend was just a role, bought and paid for.

Wow, when you line it up, Arie’s life really is just one disaster after another.

“Judy Holton.”

I called her full name, voice low.

Her shoulders flinched.

“You don’t have to say anything you don’t mean,” I added, curling my lips into a smile.

“I already know who sent you—our gracious head of house.”

“W-what are you talking about, Arie…?” Judy stammered, forcing her face blank.

“Your little sister’s medical bills. Right?” I held her gaze. “I know.”

“How did you—”

“Must’ve been hard, dancing around me every day.” I tilted my head, still smiling.

“Well, no need to keep up the act. The mask is off.”

Judy bit her lip, words dying in her throat.

“Oh, and don’t worry about the money. None of this is your sister’s fault.

I’ll cover everything myself.”

Silence dropped like a stone.

“You can go,” I said, closing my eyes.

She opened her mouth, closed it, then left without a word—only footsteps echoed behind her.

Once the healer cleared me to leave the infirmary, I headed back to the dorm.

The healer told me a student council member had found me bleeding under a tree by the greenhouse and carried me in.

Surprisingly, she never scolded me.

Instead, she squeezed my hand and whispered:

“When it’s too heavy to bear alone, come find me.

This place will always be open to you, Arie.”

…She must think I tried to take my own life.

Don’t worry. Won’t happen again!

First thing back in the dorm, I kept my promise to Judy.

I slipped a pouch of gold—half of the money Arie had—and a short note into her desk drawer.

The Seren family, at least, still wired the allowance like clockwork.

For them, that little fortune was pocket change.

My stomach growled—loud.

I hadn’t eaten a bite since I arrived in this world.

Time for lunch.

Academy Cafeteria

The academy didn’t serve lavish noble banquets, but it was hardly slop.

Today’s menu: roasted chicken with a drizzle of cream sauce, potato purée with grilled carrots & asparagus, warm butter rolls, and a tiny yogurt cup topped with raspberry jam.

In. Credible.

The potato purée melted like silk; the chicken was crispy on the outside, juicy inside.

What did they put in this?

Maybe it was just skill.

Compared to the convenience-store kimbap and cup ramen I lived on… this? A royal feast.

Of course, the moment I entered the dining hall, whispers started.

Students kept their distance, throwing side-glances my way.

But—honestly? The food was too good to care.

A male student finally stomped over.

“Hey, Arie Seren!”

Malice dripped from his face.

Seriously? Right now? Even a dog is spared at mealtime.

“I’m almost done eating,” I said with my best polite smile, rage simmering under the surface.

“Can this wait till I’m finished?”

Please…

(And that, dear reader, is where today’s tale pauses—because even the most cursed heroine deserves to finish her lunch.)