Chapter 45
The moment Brian’s voice dropped, the entire banquet hall suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
No one could quite believe what they had just heard.
This five–star colonel came here, not to attend the Fuller family banquet, but to deliver an acceptance letter to Raven?
And, Regalhold University? Is it really the Regalhold University they were thinking of?
Before everyone could recover, the girl from earlier took a step forward and looked at Brian cautiously.
“Sir, may I ask if the acceptance letter you came to deliver is from one of the colleges in Regalhold or from Regalhold University itself?”
The moment the girl finished speaking, all eyes were on Brian.
Everyone hoped he would give the answer, making it clear that it was from one of the colleges in Regalhold.
But when Brian Jennings heard the question, he looked at the girl as though she were a fool.
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“Besides Regalhold University, is there any other college worthy of Miss Valor?” his brow furrowed slightly, and he said with an edge of amusement.
Of course, in his mind, even Regalhold University may not be worthy of Lieutenant General Valor.
Just because he knew that Lieutenant General Valor had decided to go to Regalhold University, he didn’t dare to say anything to belittle Regalhold University, so he omitted the second half of the sentence directly.
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However, even though Brian had only said the first half of the sentence, everyone present felt like his words were a bomb that had suddenly exploded in their heads.
The realization hit like a thunderclap.
Raven, who everyone had thought wasn’t even worthy of the most basic college in Regalhold, was being handed an acceptance letter to the top university in Vyrdenia.
Some of the people who had ridiculed Raven the most now looked as though they’d been slapped across the face.
They had just been saying, not even two minutes ago, that she wasn’t even qualified to enter the lowest–tier colleges at Regalhold.
And now, a five–star colonel was personally delivering her an acceptance letter to Regalhold University!
The slap of reality was sharp, and it had come far too quickly.
Amber, still reeling from the shock, managed to gather herself.
Her eyes locked on the Regalhold University acceptance letter in Brian’s hand, and a wave of jealousy surged through her.
She couldn’t understand why. Why was Raven, an ex–convict just out of prison, able to get into Regalhold University, when Amber herself, who had ranked among the top three in the city’s entrance exams, wasn’t even eligible?
The tall, thin girl, who had spoken so dismissively of Raven earlier, suddenly wished the ground would swallow her up.
What had she just said to Raven?
She had just made herself look utterly foolish, and now all she wanted was to disappear.
But she couldn’t leave–not without risking the Fullers‘ displeasure and possibly damaging her family’s standing with them. She couldn’t afford that price.
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Chapter 45
She lowered her head, trying to make herself as invisible as possible, praying Raven wouldn’t notice her.
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Raven, however, seemed completely uninterested in the drama unfolding around her. She simply nodded at Brian and took the golden acceptance letter
from his hand.
“Thank you for your hard work,” she said, her voice calm and sincere.
Brian, visibly flattered, bowed his head. “It was no trouble at all, Miss Valor. It’s truly an honor to serve you.”
Patriarch, who had been observing the exchange, couldn’t help but take a more serious look at Raven.
Meanwhile, Preston’s gaze softened with a hint of pride. This was the person he admired–the one who could stand tall no matter the circumstances, shining brightly even in the darkest of times.
Turning slightly, Raven’s eyes fell on the tall, thin girl who had mocked her earlier.
“Normally, I wouldn’t waste my time arguing with someone as immature as you,” Raven said, her tone light but sharp, “but since I’m in a good mood today, I’ll make an exception and teach you a lesson in life.”
The tall girl froze, horrified. She slowly raised her head and met Raven’s gaze. Raven’s faint smile made her wish she could slap herself.
She bit her lip and stammered, “Raven… what I said earlier… it was too much. I apologize.”
“Well, I accept your apology,” replied Raven.
The girl blinked in surprise. But before she could feel relief, Raven’s voice interrupted, cool and cutting.
“But whether I accept it or not doesn’t change the fact that you still need to fulfill your promise,” added Raven.
The girl’s eyes widened, her mind racing. She looked around for help, her gaze landing on Amber, who was glaring at Raven with visible resentment.
Amber’s eyes met hers, and the taller girl caught the almost imperceptible nod Amber gave her.
Amber wasn’t about to let Raven win this moment, For the sake of having one more follower in the future, and to prevent Raven from being too complacent, it was time for her to stand up and let Raven know the consequences of offending her.
With that in mind, she trotted over to Brian and took his arm intimately.
“Brian, I remember you said no one is allowed to wear military uniforms without permission, right?” she asked.
Brian’s eyes dropped to the uniform Amber wore–the one Raven had designed herself. His heart sank.
In an instant, a buzzing sound suddenly rang out in Brian’s mind.
The next moment, his mind raced, and he nearly panicked. He had never been willing to let anyone wear that uniform, not even his sister. And now Amber was trying to use it against Raven, Lieutenant General Valor herself, the one who had designed it?
It was over. He was done. Brian felt a wave of fear.
But Amber didn’t seem to notice the change in his expression. She continued, her voice full of mock sympathy.
“Brian, my classmate just got out of Bastion Prison. She doesn’t understand the rules. If you send her back, her life will be ruined forever…”
Upon hearing this, Brian was even more dumbfounded.
He couldn’t believe his sister had just suggested that, Raven, who had worn the uniform designed by Brian himself, should be the one in trouble?
But the crowd–those who had been watching–had their own thoughts. Everyone looked at Raven with mockery and pity in their eyes.
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They remembered what Raven had said earlier about Amber being punished for wearing the military uniform. And now, with Brian here, they thought Raven would be the one in trouble.
How could there be such a stupid person in the world? They were all feeling a sense of amusement.
Seeing that Brian did not reply, Amber’s voice softened, almost pleading,
“Brian, can you please just let this go today?”
However, before Brian could recover from his extreme fear, the people around him hurriedly began to persuade him.
“Amber, you’re too soft! That’s why she’s bullying you like this!” one suggested.
“That’s right! If she got away with wearing the uniform, what else would she get away with?” the other agreed.
“Don’t let her off the hook, Amber. She’ll only get worse!”
“Amber, you have to be careful who you are being soft–hearted to. You can’t be soft–hearted to her!”
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Amber seemed to waver under their words, torn. After a few seconds of hesitation, she looked at Raven and sighed, as though making a painful decision.
“Brian, they’re right. You should do what’s necessary. We have laws for a reason. I’ll step back and let you handle it.”
Brian’s eyes flicked to Raven for a moment, his fear growing.
Seeing Brian’s action, the onlookers thought he was about to attack Raven. Their eyes were filled with mockery as they looked at her.
What if she received the acceptance letter to Regalhold University? They all thought.
When Raven was thrown back into prison, not only would she lose the common school admission qualification that Preston provided, but they might even get their hands on this acceptance letter to Regalhold University.
And all of this is the result of her asking for death. She couldn’t blame anyone else.
Amber’s eyes were fixed on the golden Regalhold University acceptance letter in Raven’s hand, and a strong greed surfaced in her eyes.
Once Raven is locked up, won’t this acceptance letter belong to her? She almost laughed out in her mind.
No matter how arrogant Raven was, what could she do? Amber was sure that Raven had nothing to compete with her.
However, under the increasingly smug and greedy gazes of the crowd, Raven looked at Brian lightly and slowly curled her lips.
“Colonel Jennings, your sister has already said that she will be dealt with in accordance with Vyrdenian law. Do you need me to teach you what to do next?” she spoke up.
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