The Beauty

Ravenna's POV

"Are you okay?" Xevira asked softly.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Even she could feel the change inside me.

I nodded slowly.

"I am."

My voice sounded calm… but cold.

Xevira remained silent for a while before asking,

"What do we do now?"

"We follow their style," I replied, taking another sip of water. "Cruelty."

Xevira fell silent again, clearly stunned by my words.

---

Later that night, as I lay on my bed staring into the darkness, I whispered quietly to myself,

"I will pay back everything you all have done to me."

The deceit.

The humiliation.

The betrayal.

Every single bloody thing.

For once, Xevira said nothing.

---

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.

I prepared Luna Celery's tea like always.

I wasn't going to let them suspect anything.

I would destroy them while they remained completely unaware.

That kind of revenge hurt the most.

Once I was done, I sat before my mirror and dressed myself up properly for the first time in years.

A crop top.

Loose black pants.

My long hair tied into a ponytail that revealed my delicate features.

I stared at my reflection silently before nodding in satisfaction.

Even Xevira sounded amazed.

"Wow… you've dressed so horribly for so long that I almost forgot how beautiful you actually are."

A faint smirk formed on my lips.

I grabbed my backpack and walked out of my room.

The so-called perfect family was already seated at the dining table.

Nyran was proudly showing off a golden ring on her finger.

"Gosh, Lycon gave you something this valuable? He really loves you," Luna Celery said excitedly while admiring the ring.

"He was so happy when he found out I was his fated mate," Nyran said shyly.

"Good," Luna Celery replied with a laugh. "Now hurry up and get into his bed so you can officially become his Luna."

"Mom!" Nyran blushed deeply. "Stop teasing me."

Lowering her head shyly, she looked every bit like the innocent daughter they adored.

"Your mother is right," Alpha Andrew added seriously. "We need that alliance."

Nyran nodded obediently.

"I'll do my best, Father."

Alpha Andrew smiled proudly and patted her shoulder.

"That's my daughter."

The three of them burst into laughter.

Such a harmonious family.

A cold glint flashed briefly across my eyes before disappearing completely.

For a moment, I wondered what expression they would make when everything they treasured was ripped away from them.

I lowered my head and carefully put on a weak expression before walking toward the table.

"Good morning."

The moment they looked at me, all three of them froze.

Then Nyran's expression darkened instantly.

Especially hers.

"Sister… why are you dressed like that?" she asked sharply, barely hiding the irritation in her voice.

Inside, I smiled.

That was exactly the reaction I wanted.

But outwardly, I only blinked innocently.

"What does Sister mean?"

Nyran looked visibly upset, but she couldn't openly explain herself.

So she turned toward Luna Celery instead.

"Mom…"

Luna Celery immediately stepped in.

"Ravenna, what nonsense is this?" she snapped. "Didn't we agree that you'd dress less attractively so Nyran could make friends?"

Her voice carried righteous anger.

Xevira sneered inside my head.

Making me wear black powder and hide my hair like a ghost was supposed to make me look "less attractive"?

"Is this because Lycon announced me as his fated mate?" Nyran suddenly asked bitterly. "Are you trying to seduce him now?"

That single sentence immediately provoked Alpha Andrew.

"What are you trying to do?" he barked. "Become a homewrecker?"

Unlike the others, Alpha Andrew didn't truly care about appearance.

But he cared deeply about his interests.

If I became involved with Lycon again, his alliance with Frostclaw Pack would be affected.

And I understood perfectly what kind of man he was.

So I lowered my head as tears filled my eyes.

"I wasn't trying to seduce Lycon," I whispered weakly. "People have been talking badly about the murder case and distancing themselves from Iron Fang Pack… so I thought maybe if I looked prettier, people would focus less on the rumors."

Alpha Andrew's expression immediately softened.

"Oh…"

"But still—" Nyran tried to continue.

I looked directly at her.

"What now, Sister?" I asked softly. "If people keep talking about this case… they might discover things they shouldn't."

Nyran instantly went silent.

Fear flashed briefly across her face.

I was sure she was grinding her teeth in anger internally.

Luna Celery didn't look any happier either.

The atmosphere during breakfast became heavy after that.

Barely anyone ate.

---

The moment I entered Goldenclaw Academy, I immediately heard someone gasp.

"Who is that beauty?"

People turned toward me one after another before freezing in shock.

I acted as though I noticed nothing and continued walking calmly forward, casually flipping my long black hair behind me.

Effortlessly displaying my beauty.

The students unconsciously moved aside for me while whispering among themselves.

"Damn… when did Goldenclaw Academy accept someone this gorgeous?"

"She's stunning."

"Her aura is insane."

"She must be someone important."

They all stared at me in awe.

I wondered what their expressions would look like once they realized who I was.

But I didn't remain mysterious for long.

Someone suddenly blocked my path.

I looked up to see Lycon standing before me, his brows furrowed as he stared intensely.

Xevira immediately rolled her eyes.

"Here comes the fool."

"You…" Lycon hesitated before finally blurting out,

"Ravenna?"

The surrounding students instantly erupted into disbelief.

"No way."

"That's impossible."

"Ravenna is supposed to be ugly."

"Lycon, are you hallucinating?"

I smiled mockingly.

"Lycon's eyes are quite sharp."

Of course he recognized me.

He had known me for years.

He remembered what I truly looked like.

As for everyone else…

Shortly after I enrolled at Goldenclaw Academy, Nyran returned home.

Luna Celery begged me to dress poorly so Nyran wouldn't feel overshadowed and could make friends easily.

And because I felt guilty toward her back then…

I agreed.

Soon enough, people abandoned me and gathered around Nyran instead.

The hallway gradually fell silent.

Everyone looked shocked.

In the Wolf Empire, beauty naturally commanded unconscious respect.

Not necessarily love…

But superiority.

And that was exactly my goal.

To silence them.

I still had emotions.

Their constant humiliation made it difficult for me to focus on revenge.

But now…

I could finally begin planning properly.

I stepped forward to leave.

But suddenly, Nyran spoke.

She wrapped her arms around Lycon's arm and smiled sweetly.

"Doesn't my sister look beautiful after finally putting on makeup?"

Her voice sounded innocent.

But I knew exactly what she was trying to do.

And just as expected, the crowd's expressions immediately changed again.

"So it's makeup."

"I knew nobody could become this beautiful overnight."

Xevira sneered.

"She really knows how to manipulate people."

I didn't argue.

Instead, I calmly walked toward a nearby tap.

Turning it on casually, I washed my face thoroughly with water before drying it with a towel.

Then I slowly turned back toward them.

Bare-faced.

The crowd instantly fell

silent again.

Completely stunned.

Nyran's expression hardened immediately.

Watching Nyran's expression crack felt strangely satisfying. Perhaps revenge really could heal people.

Meanwhile, I simply smiled knowingly before walking away.

Xevira sounded thrilled inside my head.

"That's my girl."