The Price is Everything of Yours - Chapter 68

Megara was annoyed by the news that Valentine had suddenly visited without notice.

Megara didn’t like Valentine. In fact, not many people in aristocratic society liked Valentine.

Everyone tried to please her since she was the daughter of one of the most prominent families in the empire, but how many people in the world would like someone who was willful and stupid?

At least she seemed to do what her elder brother told her to do, and she was still young, so who knows how she might grow up.

Anyway, to appear so suddenly like an accident. It would be nice if she gave some notice so one could prepare mentally to meet her.

Of course, it would be better not to meet at all… but that’s not possible in aristocratic society.

‘There are uses for her too.’

Would the hot-tempered Valentine be fighting well with Neris Trude? Thinking about that out of curiosity, Megara greeted Valentine who had just entered the reception room.

“Welcome, Valentine. Thank you for visiting first. Have you been well?”

There was nothing to fault in Megara’s dignified response. Elegant gestures and tone that would have made Lord Sheridan of the social studies class applaud if he had seen them.

Valentine, who had received etiquette education since childhood, recognized that excellent posture. However, Megara’s lovely behavior only angered Valentine more.

Acting delicate in front of men while wearing only pajamas, what a hypocrite. Does she think other women can’t see through such tactics?

In reality, Megara had only chosen that outfit to pretend she had ‘rushed out of the dormitory’ during the exam paper incident, and Abelus had no interest in a first-year student’s pajamas.

Abelus liked beautiful women, but he was a normal teenager who liked beautiful women his own age.

However, in the mind of Valentine, currently a first-year student, Megara’s behavior seemed like some extremely seductive tactic.

With such thoughts, Valentine’s gaze could not be kind. Despite the polite response, Megara habitually put on a pretty smile upon receiving such a look.

‘What’s wrong with her?’

“What is it, Valentine?”

Valentine sat in the chair Megara offered and asked pointedly.

“I heard there was an interesting incident last semester.”

“Last semester?”

Megara tilted her head. Well, there were always interesting things happening last semester, and the semester before that. At least from her perspective.

Valentine lit both wicks.

“That, the exam paper…! I heard it went missing!”

“Ah, that interesting incident.”

So that’s what she meant. Megara thought Valentine had come to question her about ‘why she couldn’t frame Neris during that good opportunity’.

It was really tiring. She should do better herself.

“It wasn’t much. I really thought Neris had stolen the exam paper, but it turned out Idalia had lied to me. Dali betraying me, it really hurt my heart so much.”

Megara’s explanation was circumlocutory, leaving no evidence while conveying the key points that those who should understand would understand.

Valentine hadn’t entered the academy yet last semester, but she had heard rumors in the imperial capital’s social circles that Megara had pushed out Idalia.

At the time, she thought it was just useless fighting among subordinates, but now it seemed Idalia Kendal had betrayed Megara and sided with Neris.

The situation was understandable. However, the reason why Valentine had come all the way here remained unresolved. She hadn’t come to ask why Megara didn’t properly frame Neris then.

Valentine spoke with both wicks lit.

“I heard you were walking around in just pajamas?”

Megara’s hand, which was holding a small pink teacup, paused. Megara’s pretty purple eyes narrowed slightly, drawing something like a smile.

“…You mean me?”

“Yes, I mean you, elder sister.”

Valentine, having brought up the main point, now glared quite boldly.

“How did that happen? I was so shocked when I heard.”

That ‘how’ wasn’t really an interrogative to ask about the circumstances. It was an accusatory ‘how’.

Megara was irritated. When you think about it, all the problems she was currently facing were caused by the Elandria family.

Why did they provide tuition support to someone like Neris Trude in the first place? If the duke’s family hadn’t done such unnecessary things, Megara would never have had to face Neris in her lifetime.

Naturally, Megara’s words became thorny.

“My dear, do you think I did that because I wanted to? I ‘heard’ the news about the missing exam paper during breakfast. There was no time to dress properly in the rush.”

She hadn’t expected to be criticized now for a choice she had made to appear as if she had rushed over as soon as she heard the news.

Megara’s mood worsened. What does it matter to others whether she wears only pajamas or armor?

Valentine’s arrogant voice retorted as if in disbelief.

“Elder sister, you are a lady of a noble family. You should refrain from actions that violate etiquette. I really couldn’t believe my ears when I heard. I thought you were really demure. But how could you approach someone like His Highness the Crown Prince with such lack of etiquette and decorum? That’s the method used by mistresses of lowly birth when they can’t compete with noble ladies like us.”

Megara almost gaped. Although she used expressions like ‘noble ladies like us’, who wouldn’t understand that Valentine’s words carried the meaning ‘you’re just like a lowly-born mistress’?

Did she come all the way here to discipline someone else’s current conduct? Has she lost her mind?

Moreover, the Crown Prince?

Is she now concerned about what clothes other women wear in front of the Crown Prince, and chasing after women who wear inappropriate clothing to discipline them?

Everyone knows he’s dating Natasha Grunehals, but this little brat?

“Valentine, I’m embarrassed that you would say such…”

“Of course, marquis families may have different education methods from duke families. I suppose they’re more free-spirited. And what can we expect from ‘that person’ who educated you? But I believe you’re someone who understands at least the basics of dignity. Right?”

A spark flashed momentarily in Megara’s eyes.

The ‘that person’ Valentine just mentioned referred to the woman who was brought into the household by Marquis Likeandros, Megara’s father, after his wife’s death and now acted as if she were the marchioness.

Megara detested that woman of poor birth terribly.

The punishment for Valentine was decided in Megara’s heart. However, outwardly she put on her usual lovely smile.

Even when angry, it wasn’t difficult to smile. If one thought about the expression Valentine would show later.

Valentine chattered on for a few more words, then sipped her tea and left Megara’s reception room. Megara instructed the footman to see Valentine off, then went to her own room.

And she called the person who was there.

“Did you wait long? Alecto.”

The room, where no lights had been turned on, was bright due to sunlight but wasn’t a space to leave a guest alone. However, Megara didn’t care.

Alecto Islani couldn’t demand guest treatment anyway.

Megara had hidden Alecto, who had come just before Valentine barged in, in her room for the time being.

There wouldn’t have been any problem even if Valentine had seen Alecto, but information becomes more valuable the fewer people know about it.

“I’ve thought about what you asked me.”

To Alecto, who couldn’t even look at Megara properly, let alone protest ‘What were you thinking, leaving a guest alone in the room?’, Megara smiled and opened her mouth.

Alecto’s expression had darkened and she had become less talkative since being ostracized last semester. Alecto’s gloomy eyes looked down at Megara’s feet.

Megara looked at that appearance with satisfaction and continued speaking.

“Saying ‘please accept me’ was honestly a bit hurtful. What is there between us that I need to accept or not? We’re classmates, so of course it’s no problem for me to help you a little.”

The reason Alecto had come to Megara was to ask her to at least allow her to attend school until graduation without problems, as the ostracism from her classmates was difficult.

Even if a student had been trying to kill Alecto yesterday, they would quiet down with just a few words from Megara.

Looking at Alecto’s eyes filled with hope, Megara spoke gently.

“But since we’re friends, you can grant my request too, right? Um… actually, I’d like you to play a simple prank…”

“Kyaaak!”

Who could be screaming so undignifiedly where everyone can hear? It doesn’t sound like a third-year voice, must be a first-year? First-years indeed.

When a young scream was heard from the next classroom, the second-years lamented politely, as if they had forgotten their own behavior from last year.

Amidst this, Megara smiled softly. She recognized the screaming voice as Valentine’s.

Neris also smiled. She had been waiting for a reaction anyway.

‘I wonder if it’s a bag again, or if they put a spider in it.’

It didn’t matter what it was. The important thing was that Valentine seemed to have properly provoked Megara’s temper, and Megara had done the same to Valentine’s.

Isabelle, who had been waiting for her mistress to get up like the other attendants at the back of the classroom, of course recognized the voice of her master’s young lady.

Her face became slightly anxious. She was dying of curiosity about what had happened. If something had happened to Lady Valentine, wasn’t this a good opportunity to rush over and please her?

“Let’s go out.”

When Neris and Diane headed towards the classroom door, Isabelle and Betty quickly followed. The second-year students walked along the corridor pretending to be very proper, but didn’t forget to peek into the next classroom. Neris did the same.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, young lady!”

The maid serving Valentine was begging, pale-faced, to Valentine who was much smaller than her.

“How can you not even do your job properly! Do you know how surprised the young lady was?”

Delma stood next to Valentine and scolded loudly as if this place was not a classroom with other students around, but as if it was Valentine’s room in the Elandria mansion and only Valentine was present.

The other first-year students were watching the scene with eyes half filled with incredulity and half with admiration.

The maid was at a loss. Valentine stood blankly with a pale face. Something red was sticking to her hand and dripping.

Isn’t that blood? A few sharp-eyed people whispered.

Neris gestured to Isabelle with her chin.

“Go find out what happened.”

Isabelle, who had wanted to run to Valentine as soon as she saw her anyway, quickly entered the first-year classroom.

Valentine, who looked towards the classroom door at that presence, frowned her pretty face when her eyes met Neris’s. Neris smiled.

“Oh no, young lady. What happened? Are you hurt?”

At Isabelle’s tone, as if she were Valentine’s personal maid, Delma looked at her incredulously even in this situation. The maid who had been begging in front of Valentine was about to burst.

Valentine glared at Isabelle who had asked in a loud voice.

“There was an envelope of chicken blood in my bag. Do you know anything about it?”

The children were horrified at the word blood, but were relieved that Valentine wasn’t injured and bleeding. If the duke’s daughter had been hurt, it would have become a major incident involving the entire lower grades.

“What?”

Isabelle blinked at the unexpected words. How could there be someone who would play such a terrible prank on the only daughter of Duke Elandria? How would they deal with the consequences?

As far as Isabelle knew, there was only one person that crazy. However, Isabelle, who had momentarily thought of Neris’s name, soon realized that it was impossible.

For the past few days, Neris had been with Isabelle constantly. And she didn’t have anyone else to order around either.

Delma, who had been observing Isabelle’s expression, saw her confused face and knew that Neris was not the culprit. Then who could it be?

In Delma’s mind, the name of a noble girl whom Valentine had visited and provoked a few days ago came to mind.

Having irritated Megara Likeandros’s sore spot, and since she had many people she could order around, what couldn’t she do?

Anticipating the terrible war that would break out between the two haughty young ladies in the future, Delma held her forehead.