"Will this be enough to grow a lot in that field next year?"
"Yes, miss."
"Are you going to plant the seeds from this pot?"
Neris had never grown any plants before, except for the flower seeds in her previous life.
After Lianon had sent fake letters and found out Neris's secret location, destroying the flowers, she hadn't grown anything since.
"It's okay, miss. For something like the pouch grass, you can just cut off the stems that grow next to it and plant them, and they'll grow in no time."
Rob found Neris's question to be cute, like something his little sister would ask, but he didn't dare express it.
The princess-like miss was a precious person, and she might only know how to grow delicate flowers like herself.
Neris was very satisfied with his answer.
"Good, that's great. Lord Gaven, isn't it great? I'm glad I could introduce you to a good person."
Eidan didn't react at all, as if he wasn't even listening, but he nodded his head at exactly the right moment in response to Neris's words.
Neris felt satisfied as she looked at the field while Rob put the pot back.
Since it was her first time, she had prepared herself for the possibility of failure several times. But already, the seeds had sprouted, and the expert she had found for the pouch grass was making such a promise.
Generally, the hardest part of business was not finding goods, but selling them well. However, if the supply was sufficient, Neris wasn't worried about sales.
She had Joanne Mori, a talented person who had built a great trading company despite all the obstacles from that villainous Angelo Lailing, working for her.
Joanne was currently working at the McKinnon house. Neris had been the one to recommend her to the McKinnon house in the first place.
However, before Joanne started working, Neris had attached a condition.
I have something I want to do, will you help me? Even if it means giving up the job at the McKinnon trading company, which everyone coveted.
Joanne, who was diligent, promised to come running and do her best whenever Neris called.
Neris didn't plan to just satisfy the existing demand for pouch grass. She was going to change the landscape of medical care in the social circle.
Everything she needed to do that was ready, and now all she had to do was wait for time to pass.
***
Izabelle's anger flared up at the cold evaluation.
She was frustrated that a thirteen-year-old kid like her was being treated like an adult and evaluated critically. No matter what, there was no way to please Neris Trude.
However, Izabelle's experience over the past few days had proven that protesting was useless. She bowed her head and apologized to Neris.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'll do it again."
"It's fine."
Even though Izabelle was sitting in a narrow dormitory room, Neris's elegant hand movements while drinking tea were refined. Although Izabelle had just given a harsh evaluation of the tea, Neris didn't seem to mind.
Izabelle thought that Neris's perfect demeanor, down to her fingertips, was not childish at all, and it made her feel uncomfortable. She quietly closed her mouth.
Neris, who had finished drinking the tea, silently pushed the teacup aside. Izabelle, who had learned that if she just stared, she would be scolded, quickly took the teacup.
As Neris opened her book to prepare for the written exam, Izabelle hesitated and asked,
"Um, ma'am. Yesterday, you didn't come, so I didn't come either... Did something happen? If you have any difficulties, I'll do my best to help you."
Yesterday, when the weekend started, Neris had told Izabelle not to come, saying she had something to do. No matter how many times Izabelle asked what that something was, Neris didn't answer.
In the end, Izabelle reported the fact to Delmare and got scolded, saying, "You should have found out what that something was."
In the end, Izabelle received an order to find out what that something was and came to Neris's dormitory this morning. She was desperately trying to read Neris's expression.
Was her question clever enough? What if this sly kid noticed something?
As she felt like she was being watched, Izabelle thought she might go to Lord Nellurion and complain. Then, everything would be turned upside down, and it would all be her fault.
"What about yesterday?"
On the other hand, Neris, who knew that Izabelle was watching her, was refreshing her attitude.
Izabelle had experienced being watched by others in her previous life, but her humble attitude was limited to when she dealt with the Elantria family members, excluding Neris.
Isabelle needed to bring some news to the Elancia siblings' dormitory this evening. Neris had already prepared something suitable.
She smiled faintly.
"I couldn't help it, and yesterday was busy, so I didn't have time to tolerate your foolish behavior. I had to attend classes with my seniors, and I would have been exhausted."
Isabelle felt a thorough sense of resentment from every single word.
This impudent thing. She was taking advantage of her circumstances and doing as she pleased, but who was she to judge?
"That's right."
However, those were the only words that could come out of her mouth. Neris also laughed inwardly, seeing Isabelle's eyebrows, which couldn't hide her anger.
The fact that she had taken a carriage with a senior who was known for his good looks and had left Katen Station was something that anyone could have witnessed. After all, many people came and went at Katen Station, where she had met Aiden.
So, it was better to release a certain amount of information and mix in what she wanted to convey to the other party.
Neris's small lips let out a sigh, as if she were an adult.
"If I were in your position, I wouldn't be able to be lazy at all. You might not understand, but going to school isn't easy either."
Ha, borrowing money from a distant relative to desperately attend school, and then...
Isabelle thought that if she had been given the same opportunity, she would have done much better than this kid.
They were both daughters of knights, and they both came from poor backgrounds... Why could that kid enjoy her school days and make arrogant remarks?
Jealousy surged up.
Suddenly, such a thought occurred to her. Isabelle felt like she wanted to kill the 13-year-old kid right in front of her. That would make her feel relieved.
Before Isabelle's hand could move to do something, Neris quickly continued speaking in a voice that revealed her pitiful emotions.
"Last semester... No, never mind."
Isabelle thought she had fully grasped Neris Truede's personality.
She was impudent, didn't know her place, and thought she was noble, making foolish complaints.
If she was treated kindly, she would pour out a sad story, making herself look pitiful. Even the esteemed Lady Valentine would be able to find a weakness in her past.
Because Isabelle believed in her own interpretation, she asked Neris the exact question she wanted to hear.
"What's wrong, Lady? If you have any difficulties, please tell me. Even though I'm older, I can give you helpful advice, can't I?"
Perhaps it was just as expected.
Neris looked at Isabelle with a naive expression, as if she had just realized that Isabelle was older than her. Then, slowly, she began to speak, recalling a painful past.
"Last semester..."
***
As Isabelle saw Valentine's face turn red with anger, she confirmed that the information she had obtained through her hard work was valuable.
Valentine, who had been listening to Isabelle's words, shouted like thunder.
"Delmia! How could this be? That lowly thing is so impudent! She dared to flirt with the Crown Prince?"
"Oh no, Lady. Please calm down. It's not certain yet."
The person Valentine was referring to was a high-ranking noble and a member of a prestigious family, but Delmia and Valentine didn't care about that fact.
Anyway, to Valentine, people from lower-ranking families like the Elancia dukedom were all inferior.
Despite Delmia's attempts to calm her down, Valentine's anger had already flared up.
"My sister Natasha is the duke's daughter, so that's understandable, but someone like Megara! She should be grateful for her position and bow her head in shame, but she doesn't even know shame!"
It was true that there were few people in the world who would dare to criticize Megara Rikandros, but no one pointed out that fact.
Delmia still didn't trust the rumor that Isabelle had brought from Neris today.
She knew that Megara and Neris didn't get along, and she thought that Neris might have made up the story about "Megara visiting the Crown Prince in her nightclothes and flirting with him."
However, as Isabelle was eager to gain Valentine's trust, she enthusiastically agreed with her.
"That's right, Lady. Even if you're young, you should be able to distinguish between what's possible and what's not, like our Lady."
"Exactly!"
Valentine nodded in agreement, still seething with anger. She knew the reason for her anger, even if she couldn't express it anywhere.
Valentine had been told by her family since she was young that she was destined to become the greatest woman in the kingdom. Valentine roughly understood what that phrase implied as she grew older.
The Empress.
In terms of age, Natasha Grunehalst was more suitable for Crown Prince Abelrus. However, the Grunehalst family, although a ducal family, was inferior to the Elancia family. They didn't have the bloodline of the Three Heroes.
As the most promising unmarried noble lady, Valentine had always thought that she would marry Abelrus and rule Vista one day.
A long time ago, when Valentine heard that Abelrus was involved with Natasha, she became anxious. Her older brother, Nellusion, comforted her with a smile.
"If you hide your feelings well and wait patiently, the position will be yours when the time comes."
Her brother kept his promise to Valentine, so she decided to wait. She would wait for the day she would grow beautifully, and for the day her brother would fulfill his promise.
But now, Megara was trying to take everything away from her.
Valentine gritted her teeth and stood up from her seat.
"Where are you going, Lady?"
If Nellusion found out about the relationship between Isabelle and Valentine, it would be a big problem. So, Valentine, Isabelle, and Delma gathered in Valentine's luxurious room in the Elancia siblings' dormitory, closing the door tightly.
When Delma asked, Valentine replied with a burning gaze.
"I'm going to see Megara! I'll ask her if she really did that, and if she did, I'll scratch her face!"
If a normal child had said that, it would have been a ridiculous statement, but by Valentine's standards, it was a relatively moderate remark. Anyway, she was going to ask Megara if she really did it.
If Nellusion found out about the situation, it would be troublesome. If Valentine really did something to Megara's pretty face, the Rikandros family wouldn't just sit back.
What was Megara thinking, sneaking into the Crown Prince's bedroom? She was still so young.
While Delma was worried about how to handle the situation, Isabelle encouraged Valentine.
"That's right, Lady. You're who you are! You can do whatever you want."
Delma glared at Isabelle, who pretended not to notice the sharp gaze.
Valentine commanded in a voice that allowed no opposition.
"Follow me, Delma. We're going to find Megara. And we're going to do it now!"