“You!”
Emily was even angrier now because she finally realized she didn’t exist in Shu Yue’s eyes at all.
‘Even though I don’t like him, why doesn’t he like me?’
A girl’s thoughts were sometimes strange; emotions often took a higher priority than logic.
However, she was a refined lady from a prestigious family after all.
She wasn’t the type of pampered, arrogant young miss with “princess syndrome.”
If she were, she wouldn’t have been able to make a name for herself in Grey Pine City’s high society through her exceptional talent.
She glared at Shu Yue, looking as if she wanted to kill her with her gaze alone.
Shu Yue felt the burning stare.
Her eyes shifted from Vanessa to Emily behind her.
Meeting the pair of eyes that looked ready to devour her, she wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
She even went as far as to directly ignore Emily’s aura, which left Anna, standing behind her, feeling quite uneasy.
Shu Yue was immune to the pressure, but pressure didn’t just vanish into thin air.
Instead, it transferred to another person.
Anna was now taking the brunt of a noble lady’s hateful glare in Shu Yue’s place.
Even though her strength had reached Tier 1, the gap in status caused her to feel instinctive dread.
This was a genetic submission to a more superior and powerful “other.”
In this world, commoners who could stand calmly before a noble were a minority among minorities.
Most were like Anna, forcing their bodies to endure their natural fear.
People like Shu Yue, who didn’t care at all, were very, very rare.
At least, Anna had never seen anyone like her before.
There were many things about Shu Yue that exceeded her understanding…
Shu Yue also noticed Anna’s condition.
Her brow furrowed, and her gaze toward Emily grew cold.
In that instant, Emily felt a sharp pang in her heart, and her skin erupted in goosebumps.
A sense of fear hammered at her soul, and her gaze retreated.
The change startled even her; she didn’t understand why she would lose in a staring contest.
When Emily looked up again, she continued to stare at Shu Yue, but she had lost the sharp edge she had at the start.
Their interaction was very brief — so brief that an ordinary person wouldn’t have noticed the clash between them.
But Vanessa saw everything.
She also felt the chill within those amber eyes.
Despite seeing it, Vanessa pretended she hadn’t noticed.
“Since you’re interested, let’s talk. Emily has some things she wants to clarify with you. It would be better for both of you, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
“…”
Both Shu Yue and Emily fell silent.
Emily did indeed have things she wanted to say to Shu Yue.
She had been so blinded by anger just now that she had temporarily forgotten her original purpose.
She turned her head away from Shu Yue, but her small lips were still pouted, clearly showing her anger hadn’t subsided.
Shu Yue essentially gave her silent consent.
She felt that if she didn’t make things clear to this Emily, she might be harassed constantly.
That wouldn’t be good for her future escape plan.
She might as well lay everything out on the table here.
With both of them in agreement, no one else had any objections.
Shu Yue told Anna to prepare the carriage, saying she would be out soon and that it would be more convenient to head straight back to the manor afterward.
Then, she followed Vanessa and Emily to a parlor.
After the maid closed the door, only the three of them remained inside.
Shu Yue looked at Emily with a calm expression.
Seeing her look over, Emily gave a cold snort but remained silent.
Vanessa knew that if she weren’t there, these two would probably stop communicating altogether.
She immediately stepped in to open the conversation for Emily.
“Master Liya, Emily wants to discuss the matter of your engagement with you.”
“Oh.”
Shu Yue responded simply.
She wasn’t surprised by this; the engagement was the only reason Emily would come looking for her.
“So, what do you want?”
“You…”
Emily still only managed to spit out the word “you.”
She was extremely displeased with Shu Yue’s attitude.
Vanessa patted her shoulder from the side, telling her not to get worked up again.
Emily snorted coldly once more and said, “I will absolutely not accept such an absurd engagement. I don’t like you. We’ve never even met before. It’s impossible for us to be together.”
“Oh,” Shu Yue replied blandly.
“And then?”
Indeed, and then what?
Shu Yue didn’t give Emily a chance to answer, continuing, “Young Lady, have you ever considered that our engagement is nothing more than a transaction? What you or I think doesn’t matter. Your father traded you for something he craves. You are merely being sacrificed.”
“You’re talking nonsense!”
Hearing Shu Yue mention her father, Emily instinctively refuted her words.
“Heh,” Shu Yue chuckled coldly.
“Do you think I like you?”
“…”
It was obviously a no. From start to finish, Shu Yue hadn’t shown even a hint of admiration for Emily.
“I don’t like you, and I can’t be bothered to hate you. Like you said, we’ve never met. I won’t accept a single marriage contract binding my future to yours.”
“Of course, you don’t need to try and convince me to break the engagement with Baron Leicester. If you want to go, go yourself. Don’t drag me into it, and don’t talk about who is or isn’t worthy of whom.”
“The only reason I’m willing to say this much to you is because you’re annoying. Don’t bother me in the future. Elope with whoever you want, have an affair with whoever you want — just don’t get in my way.”
Shu Yue’s voice grew colder as she spoke.
She truly didn’t care about Emily, and she never had.
It was only at this moment that Emily realized the young man before her had never actually looked at her as an equal.
It wasn’t that he looked down on her, but rather that he didn’t care whether she existed or not.
To be so disregarded by someone, she should have been incredibly angry, wishing to kill the fellow who dared act this way on the spot.
But when she met Shu Yue’s amber eyes, a sense of fear took root.
Only now did Emily truly begin to consider a question: just what kind of person was this Liya White who had suddenly barged into her life?
Vanessa was also somewhat stunned.
She was an intelligent woman who had known how to read people since she was a child.
Her hobby was watching the changes in the human heart, and she was skilled at seeing the whole picture from small expressions and movements.
This was the first time she had ever felt such intense curiosity toward a man her age.
The young girl’s heart began to throb violently, and her face flushed along with it.
Vanessa noticed her best friend’s state; this foolish girl had been moved.
Emily appeared to be a strong young woman who had refused to lose to anyone since she was a child.
Coupled with her superior talent, she was the darling of Grey Pine City, and no one could act arrogant in front of her.
Everyone believed that Emily would definitely be the dominant one over her future husband.
But Vanessa knew that Emily subconsciously longed to be conquered.
She hoped for someone stronger to shatter her everything and make her realize once more that she was a woman.
However, when it came to Shu Yue, Vanessa was at a loss.
She only felt that Shu Yue was incredibly mysterious.
She had already sent people to investigate Liya White’s previous place of residence.
She believed there would be news soon.