The Price is Everything of Yours (76 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 157

Dowager Lady Muriel.

In her previous life, Neris had drawn many people to serve House Elantria and the imperial family, but among them, she was special.

The daughter of the late emperor and sister to the current emperor, she was a wealthy noblewoman who had inherited vast lands from her late husband, and unusually among the robust imperial-born, she had suffered illness in her youth.

After becoming crown princess in her previous life, Neris frequently visited Dowager Lady Muriel’s estate for her husband’s sake. By diligently pleasing the dowager, she eventually managed to transfer several crucial territories from the dowager’s holdings into Abelus’s name.

Thinking that, since the dowager had no children, her estates would naturally revert to the imperial family upon her death anyway, Neris was taken aback when Kaymil—the very person who had instructed her to approach the dowager—said,

“Sister-in-law, our aunt doesn’t particularly care for the imperial family. For all we know, she might bequeath her lands to some lunatic after her death. And haven’t you heard how harshly she treats merchants on those lands? We already have more than a few ventures registered under your and Abelus’s names—must we really pay her such exorbitant taxes too?”

It was shameless. After all, it was entirely the dowager’s prerogative to decide who would inherit her lands or how she treated anyone while she lived.

Yet Neris, newly married into the imperial family and painfully aware that everyone—including her husband—disliked her, was deeply cowed. Her husband hadn’t even come to their bridal chamber on their wedding night; she feared she might be cast out at any moment.

Thus, she followed Kaymil’s words to the letter—Kaymil, who had encouraged her and treated her like family.

Dowager Lady Muriel was widely regarded as eccentric, and indeed, she was to some extent. She was discerning in judging people and utterly devoid of kindness—she had initially coldly driven away the crown princess, Gilbu.

Yet Neris persisted in following this aloof sister-in-law and came to realize the dowager was not a bad person at all.

Though icy as frost, the dowager was never cruel. She had once expelled a physician who pretended to be her son’s assistant in order to hawk overpriced poultices—but only because he had attempted to defraud her. In most cases, she treated her servants fairly.

Indeed, aside from Kaymil, who later betrayed her, the dowager had been the kindest person Neris ever encountered within the imperial family.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Even now, Neris could hear Dowager Lady Muriel’s voice whenever she closed her eyes.

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