Reborn As An Extra : I'm gonna mess up everything

Selene's wide eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked around the arena. Her tiny hands gripped Maruti's head as she sat on her shoulders, marveling at the sea of colors in the crowd. 

"Woah… so many people with different hair colors!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with childlike wonder. 

Maruti sighed, glancing up at the little girl perched on her shoulders. "Why are you so surprised? Didn't you see plenty of people when we were on our way here?" she replied, her tone slightly exasperated. 

The arena was bustling with energy, divided neatly into three distinct sections. The center section was the most prestigious, reserved for high-status individuals. At the very top, special luxury seats gleamed, reserved for Lilith and other royals. The air around them felt distant and unreachable, a clear distinction between them and the rest of the audience. 

The second section catered to the academy's students and the wealthy. Rows of comfortable seats lined this area, occupied by neatly dressed nobles and merchants who had paid a hefty fee to witness the battles. For them, this was a thrilling form of entertainment, and their contributions helped fund the academy. 

The last section, at the bottom, was vastly different. It was a crowded standing area filled with commoners and non-awakened individuals. The fee to enter was low, allowing ordinary people a glimpse of the extraordinary world of battles. Yet, they had no seats to rest on and stood shoulder to shoulder, craning their necks to see the action. For many, this was a rare opportunity to witness power they could only dream of. 

Among the sea of commoners stood Maruti, towering over everyone else in her section. Her tall frame made her stand out, but she didn't seem to care. Sitting on her shoulders, Selene gleefully scanned the arena, her small hand steadying herself on Maruti's head. 

"Aunt, which one of them is my daddy?" Selene suddenly asked, her voice curious and filled with innocence. 

Maruti rolled her eyes and sighed deeply. Her pupils darted upward to glance at the child. "I already told you, none of them is your daddy. Why do you ask so many questions?" she muttered. 

Selene puffed her cheeks slightly, undeterred. "Hmm… figured. I have black and white hair, and Mother has black hair. So, my daddy must have white hair!" she declared confidently, nodding to herself as if she had solved a grand mystery. 

Maruti froze for a moment, the words sinking in. Her mind wandered to Kaelith, whose silver-white hair matched Selene's description perfectly. "Now that I think about it… Kaelith does have white hair…" she thought, her lips twitching slightly at the realization. 

Her gaze softened as she looked at Selene. "This kid is smarter than she looks," Maruti mused, feeling a mix of admiration and exasperation. 

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"Why the rush?" Esdeath asked, a playful smile curling on her lips. Yet her eyes remained cold and unfeeling, sending chills down anyone who dared to meet her gaze. "I'm going to win anyway." Her voice was casual, almost bored, as if this match wasn't worth her time. 

She was wearing her usual academy uniform, though, true to her personality, she had styled it in her own daring way—carefree and almost provocative. The outfit clung to her figure in ways that made heads turn, but Esdeath didn't care about the attention. 

From the royal seating above, Lilith let out a long sigh of relief as she watched Esdeath enter the arena. "Hah... thank the gods. My problem is finally over," she muttered to herself, slumping slightly in her chair. 

Esdeath had been missing for the past week, and her absence had caused chaos in the academy. Lortell, ever the unpredictable force, had threatened Lilith herself. She had made it very clear that if the academy didn't find Esdeath within ten days, she would personally turn the campus into a bloodbath. And knowing Lortell's reputation, Lilith had no doubt she would follow through with the threat.