“You. People are saying you stabbed yourself because you were about to get disowned.”

His words were soaked in mockery.

“I thought it was something serious when they said you were here. But it’s just that?”

I let out a quiet sigh and returned to my meal.

…Already finished? Huh.

“Um, excuse me,” I looked up at the boy still standing in front of me, “Does this cafeteria offer a refill?”

He blinked, baffled, and let out a dry laugh. “You’ve seriously lost it. No wonder you ended up like that.”

“Ugh.” I waved him off. “If you’re not going to answer, can you move?”

Without waiting for a reply, I stood and walked toward the kitchen counter.

“Hi, sorry to bother you. I haven’t eaten since yesterday, so… would it be okay if I had just a little more?”

Thankfully, the academy prepares food in generous portions, and I was allowed one extra serving.

Crispy skin, savory seasoning, and tender chicken beneath—just perfection. And that raspberry cordial? Refreshing, tart, the perfect finisher.

…Though, now I’m craving a Coke. Not that this world has anything like that.

When Aria Seren walked into the dining hall, silence rippled through the room.

Hair neatly brushed. Skin still pale from blood loss. Movements composed as she calmly accepted her tray.

The girl who vanished from class and was found stabbed during sword training—she was now back, perfectly normal.

Rumors had flown.

Some said heartbreak pushed her to the edge.

Others whispered she’d lost her mind after being threatened with expulsion.

A few claimed she’d always been unstable.

And now, the subject of all those rumors sat in the middle of the dining hall, quietly eating her lunch.

People waited—maybe for a denial, an outburst, or even a laugh.

Then someone finally provoked her.

“You. Got stabbed trying to dodge disownment, huh?”

Spite dripped from the words.

Everyone held their breath.

And Aria replied—

“Excuse me, does this cafeteria offer a refill?”

The boy gawked, clearly not expecting that. She walked right past him, tray in hand.

A beat of stunned silence. Then, a stifled laugh broke the stillness.

“What the hell… is she for real?”

No dramatic declaration. No tearful denial.

Just someone focused on her food.

And yet—it struck people. That calmness. That effortless poise.

For the first time, some students realized something odd:

The girl they’d dismissed for being a commoner carried herself more gracefully than most of the so-called nobles.

Aria Seren, who had barely existed in the academy’s social web, was suddenly impossible to ignore.

And far across the hall, someone else was watching.

Princess Estelle narrowed her eyes, her interest clearly piqued.