Noelle Yoo arrives at St. Edmonds without the weight of a dynasty behind her name — and without any particular desire to acquire one.
The daughter of a respected Melbourne physician and lawyer, she comes from a comfortable and ambitious professional family rather
than the old dynasties that dominate much of the school’s social landscape.
Small, observant, and academically gifted, Noelle quickly establishes herself as one of the strongest students in her year. Her curiosity and work ethic earn her a reputation among teachers long before she fully understands the intricate social hierarchies operating among her classmates.
Unlike many of the girls around her, Noelle is not especially interested in status or reputation. She is far more interested in books, good food, and the quiet pleasures of everyday life — interests that sometimes leave her slightly out of step with the expectations of St. Edmonds’ tightly knit social world.
At fifteen, she has no reason to believe her life will become entangled with the dynasties that surround the school — or with one particular heir whose world operates by very different rules.