Lately, everyone had been singing Sienna’s praises.

  Since Elena moved into her own place, she rarely went out. She had no idea that outside, everyone was gushing about Sienna—how she was beautiful, kind-hearted, and efficient. Everyone loved her.

  It took a whole week before these rumors finally reached Elena’s ears.

  Likely because Sienna was "too perfect," Anita found herself being squeezed out at the barracks. For the past two days, she’d been moping around while working in the fields.

  Anita was much more mature than most girls her age, but she was still only seventeen—just two months older than Elena. Being isolated hurt, and she was starting to feel a real grudge against Sienna.

  "She’s recruited all the veteran soldiers to her side. What exactly is she trying to do? I haven't even offended her," Anita grumbled, finally reaching her breaking point. she ran to Elena and Lucy to vent.

  Lucy felt bad for Anita but didn't know how to comfort her. "Don't be mad. She’s not worth the trouble."

  "When you eat someone’s food, you’re beholden to them. If you were as willing to throw money around as Sienna is, those people would be worshipping you too," Elena said, tossing a handful of weeds onto the ridge.

  Sienna had been exactly like this in their past life—spending lavishly and surrounding herself with sycophants. Back then, Elena had truly seen Sienna as a trusted older sister and had constantly advised her not to be too flashy. She’d told her to keep her wealth hidden so people wouldn't start targeting her.

  Back then, Sienna would agree to her face, then turn around and spread Elena’s words to everyone else, making Elena look like a backstabbing villain.

  This life was different. Without a fool like Elena around, and with Anita being the quiet type, Sienna had resorted to openly isolating Anita just because she wasn't "generous" enough.

  Why were the female veterans so quick to shun someone? Because they were all at an age where they wanted to marry but couldn't. Stuck in the barracks all day, they’d bicker and eventually start full-blown fights. Unless they found a common target to pick on, they had no reason to bond.

  Anita being targeted was almost certainly Sienna’s doing.

  Still, Elena couldn't quite figure it out. Why was Sienna bothering with Anita? Anita wasn't in her way.

  Anita understood the logic, but she was still bitter. "But why? My family scraped money together to buy those snacks and sent them all this way because they care about me. Why should I share them with those low-lifes?"

  If they hadn't isolated her and everyone had just gotten along, would she have been stingy? Probably not. But now, Anita wouldn't give them a single crumb.

  "Call me stingy if you want, but if you’re going to shun me, why are you still eying my treats like a pack of hungry wolves?"

  Elena had a thought—maybe Sienna was doing this on purpose. Having been put on a pedestal, she couldn't step down, so she wanted Anita, who also had a well-off family, to come out and share the "generosity" burden?

  She probably hadn't expected Anita to prefer being isolated over being a fool. In a time of famine, giving away food unconditionally was madness. That food was bought with Anita’s parents' hard-earned money.

  "Your stuff is yours to manage. Those people might call Sienna kind and generous to her face, but behind her back, they’re probably calling her a rich idiot," Elena said, leaning down to pull a weed from next to a rice seedling.

  Of course, Sienna’s spending did buy her some perks. There were endless chores in the barracks, and cooking was the one nobody could escape. Usually, everyone took turns daily, but because Sienna was always handing out snacks, people "forgot" to put her on the cooking rotation.

  Elena broke down the pros and cons for Anita. Sienna thought she was winning friends, but she was actually planting a landmine. The day she stopped sharing snacks, those friendships would vanish—and those people might even end up hating her for stopping the "charity."

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  After hearing this, Anita felt much better. Sienna was just a rich idiot. A total moron!

  The "rich idiot" Sienna was currently using her money to buy grain from the rice shop to pay back what she owed Camila. Finally, she didn't have to worry about going hungry.

  When she went to buy the rice, Camila had actually suggested she buy directly from the farmers. The rice the farmers kept for themselves was usually fragrant jasmine rice—delicious and the same price as the ordinary rice on the street.

  But after her last encounter, did Sienna dare deal with the farmers? Not a chance.

  Because Sienna went to the shop on her own, Camila was secretly annoyed. If Sienna had listened to her, Camila would have pocketed a "kickback" in the form of a basket of sweet potatoes from the farmers.

  But no matter how annoyed she was, Camila had to bite her tongue. Sienna was a big spender; as long as sucking up to her brought benefits, Camila didn't mind playing the part of the devoted friend.

  For a moment, Sienna was feeling quite smug.

  As for Roan not appreciating her gesture? He was just stupid. Why choose to suffer? Were her red dates not sweet enough? Getting on her good side would have led to much more than just a handful of dates; there would have been endless benefits.

  Even though Elena hadn't had much contact with Roan lately, his coldness had actually triggered Sienna’s competitive streak.

  "You like Roan? What do you like about him? His family is dirt poor!" Camila thought Sienna was losing her mind. But for the sake of the goods in Sienna’s hands, she had to fulfill her duty as a "good friend" and talk her out of it.

  Sienna had just bought a pound of sponge cakes and a pound of assorted candies for 95 pesos, intending to take them to Roan’s house. She’d done her research: Military status since sixteen. Now nineteen, a three-year veteran. No training records, no records of merit, no records of punishment.

  A blank sheet of paper...

  Sienna planned to use these treats to win over Roan’s siblings. They were just kids; no child could resist a "sugar-coated bullet."

  Of course, she wouldn't put it that way. Saying that would be a mistake that could get her scolded by the battalion commander. She was "showing concern for the disabled."

  But before she could even leave, Camila’s question stopped her cold. Right, Roan is so poor. Do I really want to throw myself into that pit? The thought that if she actually won Roan over, his young siblings would become her responsibility sent a shiver down her spine. Her feet felt like lead.

  Seeing her hesitate, Camila breathed a sigh of relief. "His family isn't just poor; they lack manpower. Never mind Roan’s stubborn, arrogant personality—if you two got married, just imagine the kind of life you’d lead."

  Sienna hadn't thought that far ahead yet. She was just annoyed that Roan hadn't given her face, which made her want to win him over even more. But Camila’s words woke her up.

  "Sister Camila, you’re so good to me. If you hadn't stopped me, I really would have been a fool." Sienna reached out and handed a fistful of candy to Camila, then locked the rest of the treats in her cabinet.

  Camila’s eyes darkened slightly as she watched Sienna lock the cabinet, but she didn't say anything. Locking it was fine; it kept those greedy women in the barracks from smelling the treats and coming over to mooch.

  She took Sienna’s hand. "We’re from the same hometown. I gave my word to the battalion commander that I’d look after you."

  Sienna curled her lip. She might be a soft touch, but she wasn't an idiot. She knew exactly why Camila and the others were nice to her. But she didn't mind giving out some benefits—as long as they kept putting her on a pedestal.

  Isolating Anita was nothing. The one she truly wanted to isolate was Elena.