When Victoria was little, she thought she had everything.
Her house was bigger than her friends'. Her father wore heavy rings and rich fabrics. She had servants who brushed her hair and polished her boots. Her father often brought her sweets or dolls, and she'd parade them around like treasures.
"Papa got me this tea set. It's from the capital," she'd say, even if it wasn't.
The village girls would gasp and compliment her, wide-eyed with envy. She loved that. She lived for that.
She believed she was a princess in a kingdom of dirt.
But that illusion shattered when she was nine.
That year, her father had pulled every string he could to secure an invitation to the 10th birthday party of Lady Adeline Marceaux, the daughter of Count Ephraim Marceaux for business. He wanted to impress the Count and forge a partnership. And to do that, he brought her along.
"Now listen here," he had said that morning as she fixed a wrinkled bow to her hair. "Be on your best behavior. Smile a lot. This is very important to me and our future. Don't cause any trouble. Got it?"
But her confidence shattered the moment she saw the Count's mansion.
She wasn't worried. She thought her father was important. More important than a count. After all, no one in her village had a bigger house than theirs.
But the moment she saw the Count's estate, she knew she was wrong.
It was massive. No palatial. White marble arches, a gate with intricate golden engravings, servants in spotless uniforms. Inside, the floors were polished to a mirror-like shine. Grand staircases curved upward like wings. Chandeliers dripped with crystals.
It was nothing like her house with a roof that leaks when it rains and curtains that are patched.
Victoria had never seen anything so beautiful. Her own house suddenly felt like a barn.
They went inside the mansion and after admiring the indoor decor she was separated from her father and taken to a room filled with children. they were all surrounding a girl sitting on a chair.
It was Adeline.
She was breathtaking. Golden curls, perfectly placed with mother-of-pearl clips. Her birthday dress was layered silk and fine lace, the bodice stitched with real silver thread. Rings sparkled on her fingers. Diamond studs glittered on her ears.
Victoria stared, stunned.
Why does she get to have all of this? Why is her life better than mine?
And the girls surrounding Adeline were also stunning. Dressed in silks and brocades, their perfumes sweet and expensive, their hairstyles done by professionals. They all looked like paintings from a storybook.
Still clinging to her pride, Victoria stepped forward, lifted her chin and introduced herself.
"I'm Victoria. Daughter of Viscount Kevin Bridge," she said, proud.
The girls fell silent.
Then snickers.
"Viscount?" one said, raising a brow. "That's it?"
Another tilted her head. "Why is a low-ranked noble being so arrogant?"
Victoria blinked. "Low…?"
A taller girl stepped forward with a confident smirk. Her red hair was tied in an intricate braid, decorated with tiny rubies.
"I'm Lysandra," she said, sweetly cruel. "Daughter of Marquess Callahan Leontyne."
She gestured to the others. "That's Marcia, daughter of Count Verril. That's Ophelia, daughter of Countess Evenhart. And Junie's from the House of Baron Junal."
Lysandra's smirk widened.
However, she was still confused
Lysandra's was at first puzzled then sneered, "Oh my God, don't tell me you didn't understand what I just said." She rubbed her temple
Maria said, "Let me explain it to you so that you can understand. The noble hierarchy refers to the structured ranking system within the nobility, traditionally found in monarchies and aristocratic societies. It outlines the different levels of power, privilege, and status among noble families. Though the specific titles and ranks can vary by country and era, the general hierarchy in Vanchester is from Duke to Baron. The highest rank is Duke, second Marquess, third Count, fourth Viscount and lastly Baran."
"You're second-to-last on the noble hierarchy, sweetheart," Ophelia said. "Second. To. Last."
The other girls burst into laughter.
"How did you not know this?" Lysandra sneered. "Are you stupid?"
"Is she illiterate. Does she not have a tutor?"
"Look at her shoes, are those from the market?"
Lysandra faked concern. "Adeline, is your family that desperate? Associating with a viscount's brat?"
Victoria stood frozen, shame crawling up her neck. Her cheeks burned. Her vision blurred. She didn't cry, not then, but the crack had already formed.
"No! You're lying!" Victoria shouted.
Lysandra tilted her head, amused, just as Victoria marched up and shoved her with all her strength.
The older girl stumbled back. Marcia caught her effortlessly, while the others gasped.
Victoria was breathing hard, fists clenched at her sides, trembling from the mix of rage and humiliation boiling under her skin.
Seeing this, Adeline stood up, marched infront of Victoria and slapped her across the face.
Victoria staggered from the slap, the sting blooming across her cheek. Adeline stood over her, her usually elegant face twisted in disdain.
"How dare you," she said coldly.
And then she pushed her.
Victoria's feet slipped, and she landed hard on the polished floor. The room was so silent she could hear the awful rip of her dress as the zipper split wide down the back. Gasps and muffled laughter erupted around her.
"She ripped it?" Ophelia asked, peering closer.
"It tore so easily," Junie snorted. "Was that made from curtain fabric?"
The girls howled.
Victoria's face burned. But she still wasn't ready to accept it.
She remembered what Lysandra said.
She pointed at Junie, the smallest girl in the group.
"What about her?" she shouted. "She's a baron's daughter. That's lower than mine! Why aren't you making fun of her?"
Junie tilted her head, looking entirely unbothered. "My father leads an A-rank adventurer party," she said smugly. "He's the one who slayed the red-scaled dragon terrorizing the East Province."
Gasps filled the room, followed by impressed murmurs.
Junie smirked. "He was granted the baron title, a mansion, all the dragon's treasure, and ownership of the gold mine the beast lived in. So yeah, my title might be low, but my family's richer than yours'll ever be."
Then she stepped forward and grabbed Victoria's dress by the sleeve ripped it off her!
The fabric tore away.
"You're pathetic," Junie sneered. "Did your father spend all his gold just to buy his rank? No wonder you can't afford a real dress."
The laughter exploded again, louder this time.
Marcia, not wanting to miss out on the fun, sauntered to the refreshment table. She poured herself a glass of grape juice, walked over with slow grace, and stared down at Victoria.
"I think you need to cool off," she said sweetly.
Then she tilted the glass and poured it over Victoria's head.
Purple liquid soaked her hair and dripped down her ruined dress.
The laughter became louder.
Even now, Victoria remembered how it rang in her ears—how she sat on the floor, sticky and humiliated, while everyone in the room mocked her.
She remembered the way the maids watched her with disdain, doing nothing. If anything, they were sneering too.
She had never felt smaller in her life.
Then
"What's going on in here?"
The room froze.
Every eye turned to the entrance of the grand hall.
A girl stood there, look to be around Victoria's age at the time.
She was beautiful.
Long blue hair cascaded in silky waves down her back, her bangs neatly framing her round face. Her eyes were a striking shade of red, glowing gently in the light. She wore a pale cream dress embroidered with little gold stars and a soft pink ribbon around her waist. In her hands, she held a glittering red gift box tied with a velvet bow.
Even Victoria forgot her misery for a second. The girl was like a porcelain doll. Perfect. Ethereal.
Adeline stepped forward, her face lighting up.
"Selene! You made it!" she exclaimed.
The other girls immediately dispersed from around Victoria and swarmed the blue-haired girl instead.
"You look so pretty!"
"Is that a new dress from the capital?"
"Your hair is amazing!"
But Selene wasn't looking at them.
She was looking at Victoria. And Victoria met her gaze.
There was no malice in her gaze, but to Victoria, it felt like the girl was looking down on her anyway. She quickly wiped her face, trying to sit straighter.
Adeline noticed Selene's gaze and followed it.
"Oh, that?" she said, flipping her hair. "Ignore her. Anyway, is that box for me?"
Selene blinked, then looked back at her.
"Yes. Happy birthday," she said quietly and handed the box over.
Adeline opened it and gasps echoed through the room.
Victoria couldn't see inside so she stood up slowly, trying to get a better look.
Inside was a jewelry set: a necklace, earrings, and a matching bracelet, each one crafted from delicate rose-gold vines, with tiny ruby droplets shaped like teardrops. The metal shimmered in the light. The necklace had a small rose pendant that looked as if it had been carved from living fire.
It was beautiful.
And Victoria wanted it.
Despite the torn dress, the sticky juice, and brusied face she stayed inside the room, watching the box, waiting… hoping for a chance to snatch it.
But Adeline never let go of it.
She smiled, snapped the box closed, and handed it to her maid.
"Take this to my room," she ordered.
Victoria quietly slipped away, following behind the maid.
But the corridors were long. She turned one corner… then another… then realized she'd lost sight of the maid completely.
She stopped in the hallway, shoulders trembling. The tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over.
And then she heard the same gentle voice from earlier.
"Are you okay?"
She spun around and Selene stood behind her.
Her eyes weren't mocking. Her expression wasn't cruel.
Victoria wanted to scream at her. But then she remembered the jewelry.
She wondered, maybe… just maybe, if she got close to Selene… then she could get gifts like that too.
So instead of lashing out, Victoria wiped her face and forced a smile.