The Price Is Your Everything

"You're here again."

Neris looked up at the familiar voice.

Cledwin was wearing a tough leather shirt and pants, indicating that he had just come from a martial arts class. A red line was visible on his pale skin through the dark blue shirt.

"Who hurt you?" Neris asked casually. Cledwin raised an eyebrow.

"Why? Are you worried?"

"Why would I be? I just want to know if there's someone in this school who can hurt you, so I'm asking."

As far as Neris knew, there was no one in the academy who could hurt Cledwin at this point.

At least, not among the people she had met in her life as the crown princess. Cledwin smiled, but his eyes were cold.

"It's not someone from school."

Ah, Neris understood. When she closed her mouth, Cledwin tilted his head slightly. His face, leaning against the pillar, looked like a sculpture.

"Is that enough to satisfy your curiosity?"

"Why? Do you want to satisfy my curiosity?"

Not a single word was easy to get past.

Cledwin could have gotten angry at the bold response from a young and low-ranking child, but instead, he laughed. Then, he looked at Neris's face and replied.

"If you satisfy my curiosity, I'll pay the price."

"What's your curiosity?"

Neris asked, leaning comfortably against the chair that belonged to Cledwin. Cledwin crossed his arms, seemingly relaxed by her attitude.

"I don't think you've forgotten."

That's true, but sometimes people can learn more from the attitude behind the answer than the answer itself.

Who is this person, so demanding and unwilling to give in?

Neris complained inwardly and rolled her eyes.

"I have something I want to ask, but I can do it without your help."

"Lie."

Cledwin immediately rejected her statement. Neris raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Your movements are precarious, great lady Truede. You're lucky to have made it this far, but you've had several close calls, and your victims aren't hostile towards you. If you slip up just once, you'll fall off a cliff."

It was a true statement.

At Angarad's party, someone could have seen who put the spider there, and in the laundry room, someone could have seen who stole the ribbon. And in the student council room, someone could have seen Neris's entry.

She had been careful to avoid being seen, but it was a miracle that she hadn't been caught yet. Or rather, since Cledwin knew, it was clear that she had already been seen at least once.

But there was no other way, was there? Neris's eyes cooled.

Cledwin spoke as casually as Neris had earlier.

"I don't think your goal is to bully two insignificant kids. People like you are too smart for that. What's the reason? Who are you trying to target? There's no common enemy between Nain and Vertha. The Vertha family didn't even know you before. What's the problem?"

The answer came out before Neris could think.

"It's those who ruined me."

As soon as she spoke, Neris regretted it.

She should have kept her mouth shut, but she had said it without thinking. Cledwin smiled strangely.

"Isn't it the opposite?"

"Yes, I misspoke. They didn't ruin me. I just don't like them. They annoy me. So, I'll make them pay for ruining my mood."

Considering past events, Angarad and Lianon didn't really "ruin" Neris. At least, not intentionally.

They were probably just having fun. They wanted to feel at ease.

That they weren't the lowest of the low in this terrible school.

Cledwin's eyes gleamed coldly.

His gray eyes were very clear, but his emotions were hard to read. Perhaps only a few people in the world could read his emotions.

"You want something, and I won't judge its value. But it doesn't seem like your 'payment' is over yet."

"How do you know that, sir?"

"There's someone who's been hostile to you since the first day of school, and you know that too."

Why was Cledwin, a high-ranking student with a different social status, so interested in Neris? Neris was puzzled.

Does the current heir to the dukedom have nothing better to do?

"Why are you so interested in me?"

Cledwin shrugged.

"I said I need talented people. You have many flaws, but they can be fixed. I'll pay you well, so sell me your abilities."

"Do you really think I'm a necessary talent after hearing my story?"

After speaking, Neris smiled.

The sinister light that flashed on the young girl's face for a moment made even Cledwin, who was not easily surprised, look taken aback. He narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me. To negotiate, I need to know your value."

"Okay, I'll tell you. There are a few people I want. I want them to be ruined."

Cledwin's face returned to its usual expressionless state. He continued to stare at Neris's eyes.

"I want them to be bullied for no reason. I want them to be insulted for every small feature they're not even aware of. I want them to experience all the cruel things that multiple people can do to one person. I want them to have nowhere to escape."

I want the secret place they barely escaped to be tainted by betrayal.

I want them to wish they had no mouth, no eyes, no ears.

"I want them to try to improve themselves year after year, but get nowhere. I want their brief hopes to be crushed. I want them to be so hurt that they can't believe people can be so malicious, and eventually, they'll blame themselves. I want them to be ruined to the point where they can't believe that people who love them say they're precious. I want them to be unable to shake off the memory for the rest of their lives. I want them to be the easiest target for others to vent their frustrations on, even when they're adults, even when they're old. I want the person who bullied them to forget about it soon!"

I want them to experience the same pain they inflicted on others, and only then, to resent the world.

I want them to be unable to look at their reflection in the window because it's too ugly.

"...Like me. Exactly the same."

Neris's words were full of malice and went against the teachings of the god that everyone in Vesta revered.

Cledwin was speechless for a moment.

Neris seemed to be doing well in school on the surface. She didn't seem to have any close friends among her peers, but there were children who admired her, and she had a good reputation among the teachers.

But the words she spoke now were something that only a child who had been thoroughly bullied for a long time could say, something that came from experience.

Where was she bullied? And when? Or was it knowledge gained from observing someone?

If so, who was it?

Neris looked down, seemingly exhausted, and smiled when Cledwin didn't respond. Her expression looked like that of an adult who had experienced a long period of sadness, and Cledwin narrowed his eyes again.

"I know. It's a bad thing. I think I'm a bad person too. No one deserves to be treated that way. But I really want it."

If not, she would fall apart.

Neris had nothing she wanted to do.

When she was young, she had dreamed of many things, and she had done most of them as the crown princess. She had attended balls and danced, eaten delicious foods from books, and talked to friends from foreign countries.

She had never experienced making a lifelong promise of friendship with someone or living a beautiful life with one person, but she didn't even long for it anymore. She knew it didn't exist.

So, all that was left was revenge.

Against everyone who had wronged her in her life.

Even her "childhood" wasn't the only thing that was ruined, but also the people who had wronged her in every way. She couldn't even mention what she wanted to do to them in this place.

Mark my words!

But as if he had read her mind, Cledwin asked in a low voice.

"What about Nellusion? Is he included in the scope? You seem to dislike him."

"He's within the scope, but it'll take some time to prepare for Nellusion. Besides, it's not possible to bully the heir of a powerful dukedom like that in school."

The armor of the dukedom would have to be stripped away before the knife could be inserted.

Neris knew that she didn't have the ability to do that yet. But what about after a long time had passed?

With her knowledge of his weaknesses and personality, and after she had grown in power.

Cledwin didn't know yet, but her final target was the royal family. At that time, she wouldn't leave it to her peers to bully, but would personally stab them.

If she were dealing with a different noble, Neris wouldn't have even hinted that she had a grudge against the dukedom, let alone told them about her terrible desires. However, she knew better than Cledwin himself that the Maindlandt dukedom didn't interact with other nobles.

So, how would he react to someone who had revealed such a terrible desire?

Neris straightened her back and clasped her hands together, gathering her strength. It was a habit she had developed as the crown princess to avoid being criticized by others.

The more tense and complicated the situation, the more she would stand up straight and maintain a calm expression. After all, a person's attitude affected their impression.

Cledwin bowed his head. When his expression was hidden in the shadows, Neris deliberately lifted her chin. She didn't want to be underestimated. Not in any situation.

"Even so, using your charm would be a huge disadvantage for you."

Charm? Neris's mouth opened slightly. No.

"Nellusion wouldn't fall for a woman and ruin his life, and who would fall for me with this face?"

At least, no one would fall for her now. After her gemstone eyes were revealed, things were a bit different, but even then, Neris Truede had never drawn attention with her beauty.

Cledwin looked up slightly at her words, his expression bewildered. Neris's eyes widened, and her face turned slightly red.

"Are you serious?"

Cledwin asked in a disbelieving voice.

His lips curled up slightly at the end of the question, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Neris pouted, her lips pursed in annoyance. She knew that Cledwin was being sarcastic, and she didn't appreciate it. In this conversation, Cledwin was the one who was being more outrageous, and Neris was just stating the obvious.

Cledwin's face was a masterpiece of mockery, and Neris knew that if he looked in the mirror, he would see a face that was anything but ordinary. His features were chiseled, his eyes piercing, and his smile could charm the birds from the trees. He was a man who knew his own worth, and he wasn't afraid to use it.

Neris, on the other hand, was a different story altogether. She was a girl who had been broken and rebuilt, her confidence shattered by the cruel words and actions of those around her. She had learned to rely on her wit and her cunning to survive, and she had developed a thick skin to protect herself from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

But despite all this, Neris was still a girl, and she was still vulnerable. She had feelings and emotions, and she was capable of being hurt. And Cledwin, with his careless words and his mocking smile, was pushing her buttons in ways that she couldn't ignore.

"You're not exactly a beauty queen yourself," Neris said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I suppose you're used to getting by on your charm and your good looks, aren't you?"

Cledwin's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, I think I can hold my own in the looks department," he said, his voice low and husky. "But I'm not here to talk about my looks. I'm here to talk about you, and what you want."

Neris's face went red again, and she looked away, her eyes flashing with anger. She knew that Cledwin was trying to provoke her, and she was determined not to let him get under her skin. But it was hard, oh so hard, when he was being so deliberately infuriating.

"I want what I said I want," Neris said, her voice firm. "I want revenge, and I want it now."

Cledwin's smile never wavered, but his eyes seemed to gleam with interest. "I see," he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "And what makes you think I can help you with that?"

Neris's eyes locked onto his, her gaze fierce and determined. "Because I know you're not like the others," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know you're different, and I know you can help me."

Cledwin's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, I'm different, all right," he said, his voice low and husky. "I'm very different. And I think I can help you, Neris. But it's going to cost you."