The Price is Everything of Yours (76 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 3
The entrance ceremony was held in a solemn atmosphere.
One hundred twenty years ago, led by Princess Catherine—a figure from the past—the Empire’s nobles resolved to seek out the learned and study under them. The gathering they formed then had evolved into what was now known as Catten.
Traces of emperors from history remained throughout the city, and the Saints had left behind accounts of their miracles. Now, every noble of baronial rank or higher was required to send their children to the Academy for education between the ages of twelve and nineteen.
Formally, it was voluntary learning—but in reality, it was a compulsory summons akin to taking hostages.
This rule applied even to the imperial family. Standing at the podium to preside over the ceremony was the seventeen-year-old Crown Prince, flanked on either side by members of the student council.
The prince’s navy-blue eyes held a peculiar reflective gleam that seemed to emit its own light, leaving even the children standing at the very back deeply impressed.
It was the jewel-like eye that symbolized his lineage as the heir of House Visto, the Empire’s most exalted bloodline.
Among the descendants of Visto, one of the Three Ancient Heroes, at least one child in every generation was born with eyes bearing this distinctive trait. Perhaps it was precisely this uniqueness that had led the other two heroes to willingly serve Visto when he was crowned emperor.
In the current imperial generation, the prince’s elder sister, Princess Kaymil, also possessed these eyes—a fact worthy of admiration.
Crown Prince Abelus scanned this year’s new students with a piercing gaze.
“How could the Three Heroes, in mere human form, possibly achieve such a feat as slaying the evil dragon Kian?”
Most students exchanged bewildered glances at Abelus’s unexpected question, though a few brightened with excitement. Abelus took careful note of them. Whether or not they possessed genuine ability, those eager to answer were useful to the imperial court.
“Because they used magic!”
A girl shouted out. Abelus turned his attention toward her.
“In school, you must follow the rules. Raise your hand, wait, and only speak when called upon.”
The girl closed her mouth sheepishly. Abelus watched with satisfaction as other children began raising their hands.
Abelus, groomed since a far younger age than these students to make subjects obey rules, had long learned that openly shaming subordinates was an effective way to silence them.
“Miss Megara. Please answer.”
Among this year’s entrants, Megara Rikeandros stood out above all others. Abelus, already acquainted with this fair maiden—the pride of Marquis Rikeandros—called her name without hesitation.
Well-bred Megara was slightly surprised that the prince, not even her fiancé, addressed her so familiarly at an official event.
Even that hint of surprise enhanced her beauty, drawing the eyes of every boy nearby.
“I believe it was because they possessed courage.”
It was an answer that honored Visto—the brave among the Three Heroes—and ancestor of the imperial line. Of course, if questioned directly, she would likely say, “All three heroes were courageous enough to confront the evil dragon.”
A clever girl. Abelus smiled contentedly. Beautiful and intelligent—once grown, she would surely stir high society.
“You’re not wrong. But that’s not the answer I was seeking.”
Abelus’s eyes swept across the auditorium, briefly taking in the children who hesitated before lowering their hands.
They weren’t bad either. Once matured, they might prove useful as well.
At that moment, his gaze fell upon a small girl seated in a corner.
Her platinum blonde hair was neatly tied into a ponytail, and though she stood among children of the lowest status, her presence felt oddly distinct from those around her.
Her upright posture and squared shoulders were qualities even girls raised under the strictest discipline rarely achieved at her age. Yet her clothes were too shabby and bore no jewels to suggest noble birth.
Most strangely, the girl kept her eyes lowered.
Her expression was rigid, indifferent, and cold.
Amidst children desperately vying for the prince’s attention with every glance, she alone seemed to inhabit another world entirely.
Quite a pretty child.
Abelus concluded she came from no notable family and dismissed her from further consideration.
Megara’s glossy honey-blonde locks were captivating, but in noble society, platinum blonde was rarer and more esteemed.
Her petite face was delicately shaped, her nose finely arched—she might even surpass Megara in beauty if she continued to mature as she was.
Her beauty was flawless rather than showy, though if her expression remained so somber, such loveliness would never truly shine.
Soon, no student in the auditorium showed eagerness to answer. Satisfied, the prince spoke slowly.
“I’ll reveal the answer. It is a lesson all students of this institution must engrave upon their hearts for life. The Three Heroes defeated the evil dragon, and the Empire of Vista grew mighty—all because of the drive for self-improvement. Only this drive continually propels human culture forward, and only self-improvement elevates one above others. It is because of relentless self-improvement that the descendants of the courageous Visto are honored as masters!”
Students whose eyes had brightened at the noble answer clearly found it inspiring.
Abelus smirked. He had a gift for stirring others.
Though he lacked his younger sister’s prudence or his elder sister’s talent for intrigue, it was precisely this charisma that had led his father the emperor to choose Abelus as heir among his three children.
“From the moment you entered this school, you are bound by the student council’s regulations. Indulgence granted by your families will be treated seriously here. Violations will be disciplined according to school rules, while efforts toward learning will be fully supported.”
Suddenly, Abelus felt a sharp gaze boring into his face and turned to find its source. His eyes flickered in the direction of the pretty girl he’d noticed earlier.
It was strange—the platinum blonde girl still wasn’t looking at him. Yet he felt as though she had just been glaring at him intensely.
A faint intuition brushed Abelus—perhaps he ought to think about her a little more. But in truth, he had always been dull to such hunches.
Thus, Abelus decided not to waste time on a poorly dressed child and addressed the entire student body.
“That concludes the entrance ceremony. Those wishing to review the school regulations, come to the student council office. The rest of you, proceed to the main hall. The dormitory supervisors will guide you.”
Catten housed dormitories of varying quality, depending on what each student could afford. Though countless halls bore countless names, the student council paid attention only to where noteworthy students resided.
Abelus slowly observed the students clustering together as they filed out of the auditorium.
[This is the timeline separator]Neris took Diane’s hand and headed toward the main hall. Diane walked fine on flat ground, but on slopes, she risked falling without someone to hold onto. Passing students were already staring openly at her.
“Do people always stare like that?”
Neris recognized every one of those children passing by. How could she forget the contemptuous glances and casual cruelties they’d once shown her?
Though they were still young now, such “children” were fundamentally as cruel as adults. Thus, each time someone glanced furtively at Diane and Neris, Neris’s mood plummeted.
“They do, the first time they see me.”
Diane answered maturely. Neris voiced no complaint. She simply entered the main hall in silence.
The main hall, paved with alternating black-and-white diamond-shaped marble tiles, bustled with new students, their attendants, and teachers. Neris scanned the teachers with cold eyes.
Two or three high-ranking teachers and dormitory supervisors were prioritizing guidance for noble-born young ladies and gentlemen. Shyer, lower-status children stood timidly, glancing around uncertainly.
During her own school days, teachers had seemed fearsome and authoritative to young Neris. But now, having risen to become crown princess after graduation, she regarded them as nothing.
Her eyes locked onto the most conspicuous girl in the main hall—the unforgettable honey-blonde hair, doll-like features.
It was Megara.
Beside Megara stood Mrs. Hoffman, the highest-ranking teacher present.
Though she’d seen that face during the entrance ceremony, seeing the girl up close—chin held proudly high—triggered an ingrained reflex: Neris’s head bowed involuntarily.
Megara had been the prince’s favorite concubine, while Neris, his official wife, had always behaved as though invisible in every setting.
The prince’s clear favoritism toward Megara—and Neris’s lifelong habit of shrinking before her since their school days—had cemented that dynamic.
Every child here was Neris’s enemy. Though they now wore innocent, wide-eyed expressions, they would soon seek out the weakest among them to torment as their plaything.
And it was Megara—this year’s entrant from the most exalted family—who would “designate” who that weakest child was. Neris knew this all too well.
Suddenly, as if sensing her gaze, Megara glanced briefly in Neris’s direction.
Those violet eyes would later be endlessly praised throughout high society after graduation. Even now, at such a young age, they sparkled beautifully.
“Just sharing space with you is an insult. I don’t understand—why do you even live? Who could possibly like someone like you?”
“You stink. No matter how much you wash, you still stink. Did you really think living among commoners wouldn’t leave its mark on you?”
Memories surged—of those violet eyes, older now, staring directly at her while speaking those words.
The vividness was so acute it felt as though someone whispered them in her ear right now. Neris flinched, lowering her eyes. Unconsciously, cold sweat beaded on her brow, and her grip tightened. Diane whispered, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Neris shook her head. What good would honesty do? Even Diane, kind now, would surely change her attitude with time—just like everyone else.
The two girls waited patiently. Finally, after the Head of the Language Department—a teacher popular for her kindness—finished giving instructions, Neris immediately approached her.
“Madame Alex.”
“Oh!”
Madame Alex looked startled at Neris’s precise form of address, then even more surprised when she met the girl’s eyes.
“You know me?”
“I heard your introduction earlier.”
Neris hadn’t actually listened to Madame Alex’s orientation speech, but she offered the excuse casually. Madame Alex smiled warmly.
She remembered Neris’s demeanor from the entrance ceremony. Though her clothes were unremarkable, her bearing radiated the dignity possible only in the highest bloodlines.
After all, she was a child of that House—what else could one expect?
“Young lady, you’re a remarkable noblewoman—your pronunciation is flawless.”
Neris’s accent was the kind only those tutored rigorously from early childhood in the imperial capital ever mastered. Diane, unaware of this nuance, looked at her in admiration.
But Neris didn’t particularly seek praise from Madame Alex. Her poise was the result of years of effort—far exceeding that of others after adoption—and rigorous training to meet Duchess Elantria’s exacting standards.
To Neris, precision was simply expected.
“I am Neris Trude, and this is Diane MacKinnon. Please tell us our dormitory assignments.”
Neris already knew where she’d be staying but asked formally nonetheless.
As she’d anticipated, Madame Alex named first the old communal dormitory—slightly removed from the main campus—and then the beautiful lakeside dormitory, also a short distance away.
Their paths now diverged. Diane left regretfully with her maid to find her own lodgings, while Neris set out indifferently toward hers.
Catten basked in summer sunlight, trees in full bloom, lush green branches draping over brick walls.
It was a familiar path—and a tiresome one. Knowing a shortcut, Neris walked down a quiet alley, avoiding other new students.
Once the term began, children would swarm this route to torment her—but for now, she was free.
And this time, she intended to make those who had tormented her pay dearly.
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
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The male lead being so proud of his wife is honestly adorable, even when he gets jealous.
And the female lead is so elegant and beautiful—I can’t wait to see this scene illustrated
Haha, did the ML really just say that to the FL? He’s so cute when he gets a little jealous.
Can’t wait for next chapter
The ML is so considerate of his wife. He treats her with so much care and gentleness, even when she doesn’t say a word—he just understands her. He’s honestly so perfect, I can’t 😭
I really hope the FL can overcome these painful feelings soon. I can’t bear to watch her suffer this much. 💔