The Price Is Your Everything

Nellis was momentarily confused when she saw Joyce McKinney's face, as memories flooded her mind.

Fortunately, he continued to focus on Diane, asking about her school life, giving Nellis time to think about the past.

"Are you uncomfortable? I told you to bring more servants."

"I'm fine, I'm having a great time."

"Still, do you want to bring Phione?"

"Don't be ridiculous. If I bring Phione, who will take care of the kitchen?"

"We can hire a new chef."

"No, I don't want to. Phione will be sad."

"Our little one only eats delicious food made by Phione, and everyone was worried that she wouldn't eat well at the Academy. Are you eating well? You're not losing weight, are you?"

"Don't call me 'little one'!"

"Okay, okay, I won't if you don't want me to. My sister, what happened while you were away? Uncle Sibna told me about a person named Riemart..."

Joyce often used affectionate terms like "our little one" or "our angel" when talking to Diane, which didn't match his solemn face.

Diane would glance at Nellis and blush whenever he used such expressions.

Nellis smiled faintly, finding Diane's embarrassed expression cute and a reflection of her bright personality.

Following his sister's gaze, Joyce also glanced at Nellis. This time, he spoke to her in a cold and formal tone.

"I've heard that my sister is being a burden to you."

"No, sir. I'm the one who's being a burden."

Nellis replied, looking at him with a strange feeling.

Joyce was taken aback by Nellis's flawless pronunciation and accent, which didn't match her supposed rural origins.

From the first letter Diane sent after leaving for the Academy, the name Nellis Truede had appeared, and Joyce had only half-believed the praise in the letters. He knew his sister's personality, and once she liked something, she would go to great lengths.

But now, seeing Nellis in person, he realized that there was no exaggeration in Diane's letters. Despite being the daughter of a low-ranking knight, Nellis's manners were more refined and elegant than those of many noblewomen in the capital.

Was this possible? Could he let his guard down? He silently looked at Nellis, the friend his sister had brought home and seemed to adore. Diane didn't like her brother's gaze.

"Brother, stop staring at my friend."

"I'm not staring."

Nellis knew that Joyce didn't like her, but she didn't particularly care. However, looking into his calm, green eyes made her heart flutter.

He, Joyce McKinney, was...

If her memories were correct, Joyce McKinney was the person who had been accused by Nellis in her previous life and banished from Vistia by the Duke of Elantria.

It was strange. The McKinney family had been a influential family in Vistia even when Nellis was a princess.

As the person in charge of foreign affairs, she hadn't had much contact with the McKinneys, who were involved in domestic commerce. However, she should have known the faces of the McKinney count and countess.

It was likely that she would have met the heir, Joyce, at some party or gathering.

But why couldn't she remember anything else about him?

And if he had been banished, why was the McKinney family still in Vistia?

Yes, now that she thought about it, she had heard his name back then. But Nellis had naturally assumed he was a distant relative...

'Why did I think that?'

Joyce had turned away, but Nellis's expression was still not calm. Diane apologized.

"Sorry, Liz. Everyone says my brother looks scary at first, but he's really kind."

Considering how he treated Diane, it was understandable that she would think he was kind. Nellis quickly looked away from Joyce and spoke calmly to Diane.

"I'm not scared. Diane, you said you only have one brother, right?"

"Yeah, but I have a lot of cousins. I have two uncles and one aunt. Originally, my youngest aunt, Muriel, was the youngest, but then I was born."

Joyce chimed in.

"Everyone was happy when the angel was born."

"Oh, brother!"

Diane was embarrassed, looking like she wanted to die. Nellis smiled faintly, then quickly returned to her calm expression.

It seemed like something had happened in the McKinney family, and it would be good to find out as much as possible during the Resurrection Day period.

***

"Welcome, miss."

The McKinney family's servants had gathered in front of the main hall as the carriage approached, and they welcomed Diane with happy faces.

Diane's importance to the family was evident from their joyful expressions.

"I'm home! How have you all been?"

Diane exclaimed, excitedly greeting the servants as Joyce helped her down from the carriage.

Nellis was surprised when Joyce offered his hand to her, but she gratefully accepted his courtesy. His escort was impressive, making every movement comfortable as she got out of the carriage.

"Miss!"

A plump woman with a large apron rushed out from the side of the main hall, her face filled with joy, as if she had just been reunited with a soldier who had returned from war. Diane waved at her.

"Phione!"

"Oh my, our little miss has lost weight!"

Phione, probably the head chef of the main hall, hugged Diane and spun her around. Next, a man in a butler's uniform hugged Diane, followed by an older maid...

"Let's go inside now. Di, are you tired? It would be best for both of you to take a bath and rest."

As Diane was busy hugging her favorite servants, Joyce intervened. The servants, laughing, led Diane and Nellis into the main hall.

The hall was decorated with red ornaments for the Resurrection Day.

A large tapestry, which would have required four or five people to reach its height, hung in the grand hall, depicting the resurrection of the god Timaios and the sacred tree that stood beside him.

The sacred tree was adorned with red flowers made of silk, gold thread, and seven-colored thread, making it extremely vivid and beautiful. The walls and stairs were also decorated with luxurious silk flowers, which shone brightly.

The tapestry was partially connected to the ceiling, covering the wall from the second-floor balcony to the first floor.

As they entered, several people came down the stairs next to the tapestry.

"Oh, Diane!"

"Diane's back!"

The people who came down the stairs were in their early twenties or a few years older or younger. Nellis noticed that two of them had the same dark brown hair as Diane, and another had the same green eyes as Joyce.

"Long time no see."

Diane greeted her cousins with a cheerful bow.

They burst out laughing. Nellis pretended to be demure, looking down, but observed their behavior closely.

Although the McKinney family was not known for its strict family rules, Diane was still a countess, and their fathers were younger sons or lower in rank, so they should have used honorifics when speaking to her.

However, their behavior suggested that they had grown accustomed to treating Diane like a child.

Or perhaps this family valued the lack of formalities among family members over their official status?

"She's cute, our Diane."

"Was school okay? Was anyone bullying you? I was so worried about you."

"School is fun. I'm learning a lot."

Diane replied with a proud face. The youngest-looking cousin, a bright brown-haired girl, looked at Nellis.

"Who's that? Is she your new maid?"

It was already known to the family members that Diane had brought a friend, but her cousin's attitude of pretending not to know was quite mischievous. Nellis smiled faintly and introduced herself.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Nellis Truede, Diane's friend."

Diane was about to get angry at her cousin's rudeness, but Nellis's words made her smile brightly. Nellis had called her a friend!

"I think I've heard of you."

Diane's cousin raised an eyebrow and slowly frowned, looking Nellis up and down.

Her gaze lingered on Nellis's eyes for a moment before moving to her clothes, where it stayed for a long time.

"I heard you attend the Academy, but I guess their famous classes aren't that great. Didn't you learn that it's not polite to interrupt noble conversations?"

Joyce frowned, trying not to show it, and Diane was about to get angry. However, Nellis responded quickly.

"What kind of noble?"

Diane's cousin looked confused.

Betty smiled to herself. It was satisfying to see someone else experience what she had gone through. Moreover, Muriel McKinney had always been mean to Diane, so it was only fair.

"What kind of noble? In a broad sense or a narrow sense? The Vistian 'Law on the Noble Registry and Parliamentary Composition' defines a noble in the narrow sense as 'a baron who has ruled a territory for three generations or more, or his direct descendants, or those of higher status.'"

And in the broad sense, a noble is 'the child of a knight or higher'. Of course, Nellis would fall under that category.

The room fell silent. Muriel started trembling, and Diane burst out laughing.

Nellis looked at Muriel with calm eyes. Muriel was about to say something, but Nellis's gaze made her feel a chill down her spine, and she felt even more humiliated.

The man with green eyes standing next to Muriel smiled and intervened.

"My friend is right. Muri, our friend is smart, being an Academy student and all. You're just being petty and getting nowhere."

The people who had laughed earlier laughed again.

Nellis seemed to understand the atmosphere. She glanced at Joyce, who seemed relieved, and let out a sigh of relief.

Muriel McKinney was mischievous, but she didn't seem to have any malicious intentions. However, the man with green eyes didn't give Nellis a good feeling.

His impression was relatively vague, but something about him was unsettling.

"I'm Nuallan McKinney. You'll be staying with us for the holidays, right?"

"Yes."

Nuallan, a name that meant "noble" or "exalted", was a bit too grand for a knight's son. Nellis replied, looking at Nuallan, who smiled warmly and waved his hand.

"Your eyes, and the way you speak, suggest a noble lineage that surpasses our family's. Enjoy your stay, even if it's short, and let's get along."

'Enjoy your stay'? That was not something a relative should say in the presence of the host.

However, Nellis didn't point it out and just smiled. Nuallan, with his piercing and transparent eyes, felt a bit uneasy, as if he was being treated like a child.

Just then, a group of people appeared next to the tapestry. Judging by their attire, they seemed to have taken a wrong turn on their way to their destination.

Nellis's attention was briefly caught by the lively woman at the front of the group, who was wearing work clothes and carrying a large load.

"Miss Morie! This is not the way. This is the hall!"

A man in a butler's uniform rushed over and shouted at the woman. Nellis felt a mix of satisfaction and dismay. How did her past connections end up gathering here?

The lively woman's name was Joanne Morie, the head of a prominent trading company that Nellis had brought down along with Angelo when she had him accused by the Elantria family in the past.