“With this much now, can we grow a lot in that field next year?”

“Of course, young lady.”

“Do we plant seeds from this pot?”

Neris had never grown plants herself except for those flower seeds in her previous life.

After Rhiannon, who sent fake letters, found out Neris’s secret place at the time and tore up all the flowers, she never grew anything again.

“That works too, young lady. For things like nettle bags, if you cut off the branches that grow on the side like this and bury them, they grow in no time.”

Rob found Neris’s question cute, like something his youngest sibling might ask, but he dared not express it that way.

She was a young lady as precious as a princess, and such young ladies might only know about delicate flowers that are carefully cultivated like himself.

Neris was very satisfied with his words.

“Well, that’s good. Lord Givnen, isn’t it good? I’m glad I introduced you to a good person.”

Aidan was so unresponsive that it was unclear if he was even listening, but he nodded at just the right moment when Neris addressed him.

Neris felt satisfaction looking at the field while Rob was bringing the pot back inside.

Since it was her first time doing this, she was prepared to fail several times. But already it had sprouted like that, and regarding the nettle bags, the best expert she could find was giving such assurances.

Generally in business, the hardest part was not obtaining goods but selling them well. However, if the supply was sufficient, Neris wasn’t worried about sales.

She had Joan Morie in her hands, a talented individual who had grown an excellent merchant group despite all kinds of interference from that villain Angelo Railing.

Joan was currently working for the McKinnon family. In fact, Neris was the one who had recommended her to the McKinnon family.

However, before Joan started work, Neris had attached a condition.

That she had something she wanted to do, would Joan help her? Even if it meant giving up the coveted job at the McKinnon merchant group that everyone envied, if that was okay.

The diligent Joan assured her that she would come running and do her best whenever called.

Neris had no intention of just satisfying the existing demand for nettle bags. She would change the landscape of medical care in high society.

Everything needed for that was prepared, and now all that remained was for time to pass.

“You don’t know how to do anything.”

Isabel was thoroughly irritated by the cold assessment.

This little thirteen-year-old brat, not content with ordering adults around with a nod of her chin, even evaluates and criticizes. In any case, there was nothing about Neris Trude that could be seen favorably.

However, Isabel’s experience over the past few days proved that protesting would be useless. She bowed her head to Neris and apologized.

“I’m sorry, young lady. I’ll do it again.”

“Forget it.”

Even sitting in an old chair in the narrow dormitory room, Neris’s gesture of drinking tea was elegant. Although she had just given a scathing assessment of the tea Isabel had just brewed.

Thinking it unchildlike and unpleasant how even her fingertips were perfectly composed, Isabel kept her mouth shut.

She had certainly brewed the tea carelessly. She thought, what would a child who had never tasted expensive tea know anyway?

After finishing the slightly astringent tea, Neris silently pushed the teacup aside. Having learned that a stern reprimand would follow if she just stared blankly at this point, Isabel quickly cleared away the teacup.

And as Neris opened a book to prepare for a pop quiz, Isabel hesitated before asking.

“Um, young lady. Yesterday you told me not to come, so I didn’t, but I was wondering if anything happened… I was ordered to do my best to help if you have any troubles.”

Yesterday, at the start of the weekend, Neris had told Isabel she had an errand to run so there was no need to come unnecessarily. Even when Isabel had asked indirectly several times what the errand was, she never answered.

In the end, Isabel trudged off to report this fact to Delma and was severely scolded, “Shouldn’t you have found out what that errand was anyway?”

Finally, coming to Neris’s dormitory this morning with orders to find out what that errand was no matter what, she desperately tried to read Neris’s mood.

Was the question subtle enough? What if this cunning little girl notices something?

Since she’s a nasty girl, she might go complain to young master Nelrysion if she feels she’s being watched. Then Isabel alone would take all the blame.

“Yesterday?”

Meanwhile, Neris, who of course knew Isabel was monitoring her, found her attitude refreshing.

Being monitored by Isabel was something she had experienced quite a bit in her previous life, but Isabel’s current obsequious attitude had been limited to dealing with other members of the Elandria family, excluding Neris, in her previous life.

Isabel would need news to take back to the Elandria siblings’ dormitory this evening. And Neris had already prepared something suitable.

She smiled faintly.

“It wasn’t anything troublesome, I just had a lot of busy work yesterday so I didn’t have time to put up with your stupid behavior. I had to go do research needed for class with a senior, so I was bound to be exhausted.”

Isabel internally gnashed her teeth at the thorough disregard felt in every word.

This impertinent thing. Using me conveniently as much as you like, where do you get off talking about putting up with things? I’m the one putting up with things!

“I see.”

But that was all she could say out loud. Seeing Isabel’s eyebrows, which failed to fully hide her indignation, Neris laughed inwardly as well.

In any case, the fact that she had left Caten riding in a carriage with a senior of striking appearance would have been witnessed by someone. All sorts of people come and go at Caten Station where she met Aidan.

Then it was better to leak a certain amount of information as if it were an event not even worth investigating.

And if you could mix in information you want to leak to the other party, that was even better. Neris’s small lips exhaled an adult-like sigh ostentatiously.

“In my position, I can’t afford to be lazy for even a moment. You probably wouldn’t understand, but even just attending school isn’t an easy thing.”

Ha, says the one who shamelessly borrowed money from a distant relative just to desperately attend school?

Isabel thought that if given the same opportunity, she herself could have done much better than this little girl.

They were both daughters of knights, both from poor backgrounds… Why could that one spend a happy and enjoyable school life while complaining about being full?

She’s jealous.

Suddenly such a thought welled up. Isabel felt like she really wanted the thirteen-year-old girl in front of her to just die right now. Only then would she feel better.

Before Isabel’s hand could move to do something, Neris quickly continued in a voice that clearly revealed emotions of self-pity.

“Last semester, I even… No, never mind.”

Isabel thought she had fully grasped Neris Trude’s personality.

An arrogant girl who doesn’t know her place, who complains stupidly thinking she’s some noble body.

Such a desperate child would probably spill all sorts of pitiful stories about herself if coaxed properly. Even past incidents that could become weaknesses for the esteemed Lady Valentine to scold her with.

It was precisely because she believed in her own interpretation that Isabel asked exactly the question Neris wanted.

“What happened, young lady? If you had any difficulties, please tell me. Since I’m older, I might be able to give you some helpful advice, don’t you think?”

How could it be so predictable?

Neris blinked innocently as if she had just realized for the first time that Isabel was older than her. Then slowly, as if recalling a painful past, she opened her mouth.

“Last semester…”

Watching Valentine’s face turn red and blue, Isabel was convinced that the information she had “obtained through great effort” was valuable.

Mulling over what she had heard, Valentine shouted like a thunderbolt.

“Delma! No, how could this be? That lowborn thing, so impudently! How dare she flirt with His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“Oh my, young lady. Please calm down. It’s not certain yet, is it?”

The person Valentine called lowborn was a high-ranking noble and born into a prestigious family, but neither Delma nor Valentine cared about such facts.

In any case, people from families lower in rank than the Elandria ducal family were all lowborn to Valentine.

Despite Delma’s restraint, once her temper flared up, Valentine didn’t know what to do with her anger.

“At least elder sister Natasha is a duke’s daughter, so that’s one thing, but someone like Megara! When she should be keeping her mouth shut and bowing her head given her status, she has no shame!”

Indeed, there were few places in this world where Megara Likeandros should keep her mouth shut and bow her head, but no one pointed out that fact.

Delma still didn’t trust the rumor Isabel had brought today, saying she heard it from Neris.

She was well aware that Megara and Neris were not on good terms, and thought that Neris’s alleged statement that “Megara went to the Crown Prince in her nightgown and acted coquettishly” could have been made up.

However, Isabel was elated at the prospect of gaining Valentine’s trust, so she could only enthusiastically agree.

“That’s right, young lady. No matter how young she is, shouldn’t she be able to distinguish between what’s acceptable and what’s not? Like our young lady!”

“Exactly!”

Valentine agreed and fumed. She knew well why she was angry. Although she couldn’t say it out loud anywhere.

From a young age, Valentine had grown up hearing from her family that the position of the finest woman in this country was prepared for her. Valentine vaguely understood what that expression referred to around the time she came of age.

Empress.

In terms of age, Natasha Grunehals was more suitable for Crown Prince Abelus. However, even though they were both ducal families, the Grunehals family was clearly lower in rank than the Elandria family. Because they did not carry on the bloodline of the three heroes.

As the person with the best family background among the currently unmarried noble young ladies, Valentine had always thought that someday she would marry Abelus and rule Bista.

Long ago, when Valentine was anxious upon learning that Abelus was dating Natasha, her brother Nelrysion had smiled and assured her.

If she hid such feelings well now and stayed quiet, when the time came, that position would be given to her.

Her brother always kept his promises to Valentine. So Valentine decided to wait patiently. For the day she would grow into a beautiful woman, and for the day her brother would make that promise a reality.

But now Megara dares to intervene and try to snatch everything away?

Valentine gritted her teeth and abruptly stood up.

“Where are you going, young lady?”

Since it would be a big problem if Nelrysion found out about the relationship between Isabel and Valentine, the three of them – Valentine, Isabel, and Delma – were gathered in Valentine’s luxurious room in the Elandria siblings’ dormitory with the door tightly closed.

When Delma asked, Valentine answered with flashing eyes.

“I’m going to Megara! I’m going to ask her if she really acted so vulgarly, and if it’s true, I’ll scratch her face!”

If an ordinary child had said this, those around would have sighed, but for Valentine, it was quite a concession. At least she says she’s going to ask if it’s really true.

It would be troublesome if Nelrysion found out about the situation. If Valentine really did such a thing to Megara’s pretty face, the Likeandros family wouldn’t just sit quietly.

It’s not like Megara crawled into the Crown Prince’s bedroom or anything, right? She’s still just a young girl.

While Delma was worrying about how to stop this, finding it difficult, Isabel egged Valentine on.

“That’s right, young lady. Who are you! You can do whatever you want.”

Delma glared at Isabel in disbelief. Isabel pretended not to notice that sharp gaze.

Valentine ordered in a voice that allowed no objection.

“Come with me, Delma. We need to find Megara. Right now!”