Elaine was speechless with anger.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Mr Yeardley's lips. "Mrs. Cole, if Miss Felicia is allergic to mango, why prepare so much of it? You could have chosen another flavor. Besides, if I remember correctly, Madam Riley prefers strawberries."
Riley nodded vigorously, her face innocent.
Nice one. What a teammate.
She silently praised Mr Yeardley for his words.
Elaine's expression darkened instantly. Supporting Felicia, who was still in the middle of an allergic reaction, she didn't dare say another word.
What's going on? Every time before, whenever we made mango cake for Riley, she would break out in rashes without fail.
So why had it failed this time?
Could it be—
Had Riley been pretending all along?
A flicker of suspicion rose in Elaine's heart, but she quickly dismissed it.
No one could fake being a fool for over ten years.
She had tested her before.
And every time, the result had been the same—Riley was truly a fool.
Felicia covered her swollen face, both furious and humiliated. "Riley, don't get cocky! You don't even know what an allergy is—you're just a fool! You'll never even get into college! Hmph. I'm starting university in a few days, and you? You're nothing but an illiterate. An illiterate!"
Mr Yeardley's expression turned cold. "Miss Felicia, mind your words. If you continue to disrespect Madam Riley, I wouldn't mind making sure you become an illiterate yourself."
Thomas and Elaine were startled. They quickly covered Felicia's mouth.
"Please don't take it to heart, Mr Yeardley," Thomas said hurriedly. "It's just children bickering. Nothing more. Felicia—apologize to your sister."
But Felicia was still burning with anger.
Even if she knew she had crossed a line, there was no way she would apologize.
Elaine's eyes flickered as she quickly stepped forward, forcing a smile. "Felicia did speak out of line just now. But I've been thinking—Riley is already married into the Yates family. She can't go on like this forever."
She glanced at Thomas before continuing, "Why not let her go to the university with Felicia? At least she can experience a campus environment. Even if she doesn't learn much, she can pick up some basic manners. It'll save her from embarrassing herself outside."
Thomas immediately caught on. "That makes sense. After she came back from overseas, we did try to send her to universities, but her temperament is too unruly. We couldn't control her. Now that Felicia is starting university, it's a good opportunity. She can try attending classes. If she's not interested, we'll figure something else out later."
Mr Yeardley fell silent, considering.
They may be right. But Madam Riley's situation… was far from ordinary.
He turned to her. "Madam, would you like to try out at the university?"
Inside, Riley felt nothing but resistance.
University? Absolutely not. I'm just a fool now.
A fool who didn't understand anything—only knew how to play.
So she tilted her head as if thinking, then nodded.
Elaine's lips curved into a faint smile. "That's good. Classes at Centralia University start tomorrow. Let Riley go with Felicia."
But before she could finish—
"There's no need for that," Mr Yeardley said calmly.
"Madam Riley is our distinguished lady at home. How could she attend a minor institution like Centralia University? If she's willing, we will arrange for her to enroll in Imperial University."
Silence.
"What? The Imperial University?!" Elaine and Felicia both froze in shock.
Why?
Why should a fool—
Get into one of the top universities in the world?