“Really, it’s not Neris?”

Isabel fervently defended Neris. It wasn’t intentional, but if the conclusion of today’s chicken blood incident pointed to Neris as the culprit, she would be the first to face the consequences.

“Yes, Miss. It’s impossible. I’ve been watching her. She didn’t even glance at the first-year classroom, and when she briefly left her seat, I followed her.”

Hearing this, Valentin fell into thought. After a moment, her eyes flared up.

“Then the culprit is obvious. Megara, that wicked woman. Is this because of a few words I said? Unbelievable.”

Delma, who had been trying to somehow blame Neris for the crime, was dismayed, and Isabel was relieved. Valentin, while applying rose-scented oil to her hands, pondered in consternation.

How could she retaliate?

There wasn’t an immediate way to surprise Megara. So, Valentin decided to shift her focus slightly. Revenge didn’t have to be exact; it just had to be effective.

“There was a party scheduled for this weekend, where nobles, especially those from families considered ‘sufficiently prestigious,’ are invited. Megara was, of course, supposed to attend.”

Delma nodded.

“Yes, Miss.”

“Contact the organizer. Tell them that if Megara comes, I won’t attend.”

Both Delma and Isabel were left with their mouths agape.

In the social circle, such a statement meant openly challenging each other.

The two girls could fight, but revealing it to others was a different matter. Delma quickly begged her mistress.

“Miss, the party is just a few days away. How can you change things now? If you don’t want to be seen, why not make an excuse and skip it?”

“Delma, how can you say such a thing to me? Even Delma should be on my side.”

To somehow avoid an immediate confrontation, Delma suggested, and Valentin expressed her frustration.

Seeing her displeased face, Delma quickly retracted her words. Her power was, after all, derived from Valentin.

“Miss, I’m always on your side. Yes, I’ll do as you say.”

Delma began contemplating how to phrase her words to her direct employers, the Duke and Duchess, regarding this situation. Valentin, with an air of arrogance, declared,

“If the organizers can’t handle it, then we’ll host a party at our house soon. It will be an extraordinarily luxurious and prestigious party that no one in this school has ever experienced. If you want to be invited, then look straight and behave properly!”

“Yes, Miss. It’s a brilliant idea.”

Throwing in such bait would inevitably leave the organizers helpless. Delma also praised her Miss a few times. Valentin’s eyes turned to Isabel with a sense of accomplishment.
“Perfect timing. I can catch two birds with one stone. Isabelle, I’ll send the invitation in a few days, so make sure Neris gets it. She must attend.”

“Invitation?”

Didn’t they say it was a party inviting only ‘qualified’ individuals?

When Isabelle thought that Neris would be invited to such a place, she couldn’t help but ask, and Valentin lifted the corner of her mouth with confidence.

“A fake invitation. How would anyone know what my personal emblem looks like? Since I’m in a bad mood, let’s stir things up a bit.”

News of Valentine Ellandria diligently preparing for a party spread widely throughout the school.

Although invitations were sent out only a week ago, contrary to tradition, and preparations were now underway, no one doubted that the party would be splendid.

A curtain shop in Carten City stopped taking other orders and was bustling with making curtains for the party. Nearby markets ran out of high-quality ingredients, forcing footmen to run to the nearby city.

In the midst of the commotion, those who received invitations secretly felt proud, while those who didn’t were disappointed. As the list of invited children grew longer, the criteria for selecting guests became more apparent.

High-ranking nobles, especially wealthy children from families with the most profound histories.

Therefore, when Isabelle presented Valentine’s invitation, Neris didn’t need to determine its authenticity. Naturally, it had to be fake.

“Miss, Valentine insisted that Miss Neris must attend as well. Although you live separately, as both of you are from the Ellandria family, it would be nice if you could welcome the guests together.”

If Valentine had really said that, it would be a sign of the world’s end. However, since the effort was in vain, Neris opened the invitation.

As expected. Under the beautifully written invitation text, the emblem seemed similar to Valentine’s personal emblem at first glance, but a closer look revealed a clearly different design.

High-ranking nobles of the Imperial Vista created personal emblems when entering school. They imitated adults and often used their emblems for letters and the like.

Unlike family emblems, which required a small fiefdom to create separately, these personal emblems were objects of admiration.

Of course, Neris knew Valentine’s personal emblem. It was too ordinary and even cute.