“…”   

I stare at Reagan with a frown.   

Turn my school into a kingdom ruled by me? What does she mean by that?   

Before I could ask her anything, Reagan starts speaking again.  

“And for that, we will be admitting around twenty members of our gang into this school along with Chloe. They will be adept at combat skills, obviously, and beautiful enough to be able to help you uphold your image as a playboy,” she continues.   

“But before we discuss further on this topic, I need to ask you a few questions. And I want you to truthfully answer me everything. While Amelia has already given me the gist of your current standing and image inside this school, I want to hear it from you directly,” She says, her gaze getting more intense and intimidating.   

“So, tell me, boy, are you popular? Unpopular? Or maybe, your present is considered non-existent in this school? Do you have any friends? Acquaintance? Enemies? Which teacher favors you and which one dislikes you? If any of them even notices you, that is. Were you ever involved in any big fights, arguments, or any major incidents that other students might remember?”  

Reagan throws a barrage of questions at me and I just stare back at her without replying.   

“Don’t look so confused. Take your time and answer everything one by one. And yes, don’t miss out on any important detail, we don’t have a clock ticking above our heads,” Reagan says, leaning back on the sofa.   

“Okay…” I answer, taking a deep breath.   

Just for a tiny moment, a savage thought of lying to her comes inside my mind. But almost immediately, I kick this thought out, knowing that it’s only going to come back and painfully bite my ass later.   

“I… I cannot say that I am popular exactly, but I think almost everyone knows me. Though it’s only because I always hand out with Lily and they assume that I am her boyfriend,” I say.   

Obviously, me and Lily are an actual couple now, but we haven’t made it official yet.  

“So, both of you are generally liked as a couple?” Regan asks.   

“Oh, no, not at all. I mean, most of them like and adore Lily, but whether it be boys or girls, they completely hate me. They think that Lily is out of my league and I shouldn’t be even talking to her,” I answer, unable to hide the bitterness in my voice.   

“Good, that’s favorable,” Reagan says with a small nod.   

What!? Me being hated is favorable!?   

“And why is that?” I ask with a frown.   

“I will tell you later. For now, continue…” she says.   

…   

“Okay… Eh… So, I don’t have any friends but there is this guy in my class named Luke and his girlfriend Sofia who behave decently to me,” I say.   

“You have no friends?” Reagan asks, her eyebrows raised.   

“No,” I answer with a shrug.   

“That’s great. It’s almost as if you were made for this,” she says with a small laugh.   

“I was a bit worried about what to do with your friends, to be honest. I mean, I had some ways to sort them out but I guess there is no need for that anymore.”  

“Wait, sort them out!? What were you planning to do if I had friends?” I ask  

“I am not here to answers meaningless questions, boy. You have no friends, I don’t need to do anything. Continue,” she says, closing the matter.   

Bitch…   

“I don’t remember the rest of the questions. Repeat them,” I say.   

“Tell me about the people who dislike you, or are disliked by you. Teachers and students both,” she says, ignoring my slightly raised tone.   

“Well, as I already told you, no one actually likes me—but, if I have to tell you the names of people who absolutely loathe me and those whom I also consider my enemies, then there are three of them,” I answer.    

“First is Pig— I mean, Johnny Bristow, second is David Neustadt (he’s my class teacher), and last one, Ava Leawitt.”  

“Wait, you don’t like Ava Leawitt?” Reagan asks, showing a slightly surprised expression for the first time since we have met.   

“Yes, why?” I ask, frowning.   

“I thought she’s your side-woman or something. Or, why would she invite to The Royal’s base in the middle of the night and drop you home unscathed?”  

“H-How do you know that!?” I ask, bewildered.   

“Why are you sounding so shocked, boy? Do you really believe that we leave you alone at your house? Of course, not. There are people keeping tabs on you 24×7,” she answers with a shrug.  

Fuck…   

“So, why did you go there?” Reagan asks.   

…  

I do not answer her immediately.   

Should I tell her?   

“Speak up, boy!” she urges me impatiently.  

… Fuck it.   

“She… She was blackmailing me to act as her boyfriend in front of her father,” I answer with a sigh.   

“Blackmailing you, huh? What does she have on you?” Reagan asks, amused.   

“Photos of me and Lily having sex. She took them secretly,” I tell her.   

“Hmm… Okay. So, about my last question, have you ever been involved in any big fights or arguments? Well, with someone other than the three people you mentioned,” She asks, moving on.   

Wait… Okay?   

That’s all she has to say about me being blackmailed!?   

…  

“Well, I have had some fights with Pig—Johnny, and many huge arguments with Neustadt and Ava. But as far as I can remember, nothing much ever happened with anyone else,” I answer.   

Giving me another nod, Reagan moves forward on the sofa again, resting her elbows on her knees and interlocking the fingers, plainly thinking about something.   

“Hmm… Well, this is going to be much easier than I thought,” she says, finally looking back at me.   

“Chloe will start attending the school one week from now. And thus, we have one weeks’ time to completely change your image inside this school. You will not be hated anymore, but feared.   

“And to make this happen, the selected twenty members of our gang will have to join the school from tomorrow itself and work alongside you on this matter. Just a little demonstration of power will be enough to instill this fear we are talking about.  

“Now, as you have got no friends, I don’t think there should be any student who might be aware of your life outside school. Molding their views and their existing knowledge about you is also going to be easy.  

“Now, the last and the most important task, we need to take care of your three enemies. They might prove to be troublesome later. So, Zoe—”   

Zoe jumps us from being addressed suddenly.   

“—gather intel on those two men: Johnny Bristow and David Neustadt, and give me a report on them today. Amelia will help you,” She orders.   

“Y-Yes, madam,” Zoe replied quickly and Principal Steele nods.  

“As for Ava Prewitt, she will be taught a lesson in a different way,” Reagan says, her lips twitching scarily.   

“Anyway, that’s all. Now, Zoe and Amelia, both of you will be staying here, doing the work I have given you. Boy, you will be coming together with me to the base,” she says, standing up.   

“Me? To the base? Why?” I ask, surprised.   

“Because your girlfriend’s waiting there for you. You see, I have been helping her recover from the shock she received that day. And the good thing is, she’s better now. Better in a way I want her to be…” Reagan says with an evil smile.