The Price is Everything of Yours (76 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 153

Valentine Elantria was pleased with her life.

Whether as a child or now, she had always been treated well wherever she went. Even among ducal houses, House Elantria stood apart from the rest. The direct-line imperial princesses rarely appeared in society, so Valentine had grown accustomed to being first wherever she went.

Today, too, at the salon where her peers gathered, she was the first to be served tea and the first to recite a classical poem. The applause she received was the loudest, and the gown she wore was the most expensive by far.

This was how the world ought to function. Valentine was noble now—but would she not one day become the noblest person in the entire empire?

Still intoxicated by the perfection of her life, Valentine returned home by carriage, only to be struck with a shock so profound it felt as if the sky had collapsed when she saw Delma’s ashen face.

“What did you say?”

Delma spoke with a deeply indignant expression.

“She must not even know where she is! And a murderer, of all things! Good heavens! I always knew from childhood that her eyes looked like a viper’s—that she’d end up like this! She must have no conscience at all! Any criminal with a shred of decency would march straight into prison and lock the door behind them!”

“I know, right!”

Valentine despised Neris Trude more than anyone else in the world. Megara Rikeandros was also detested, but at least Megara was the daughter of a noble house. Moreover, ever since Neris Trude had worn the queen’s crown at their graduation ball two years ago, Valentine’s hatred for her had only grown!

“Those oblivious fools keep linking our house to that wretch!”

As the sole daughter of Duke Elantria, Valentine took immense pride in her lineage—and nothing horrified her more than Neris trying to associate herself with their name.

And yet—what was this? Just when Valentine had thought, “She’s leaving school early and disgracefully going off to do some menial ‘work’—good riddance! She’ll live forever among those common rabble!”—the audacity! To cause a scandal and then crawl right back here, of all places?

Worse yet, she was to stay here throughout the trial period?

The mere thought was humiliating. How the young noblewomen would laugh if they heard of this! Still dressed in her outdoor attire, Valentine stormed out of her room.

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