The Price is Everything of Yours (76 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
If it had been any other freshman, they would have been startled—but for Neris, who had already seen beyond life and death, it was merely annoying. After all, she sensed no killing intent.
She looked up at Cledwin with indifferent violet eyes. A flicker of interest briefly appeared in his gaze.
“So you’re the bastard of House Elantria?”
As the Duke of Maindlant, Cledwin would certainly know about bastards of House Elantria. Neris gave a cold smile.
“You think I’m Nelusion’s sister?”
“Are you going to deny it?”
Just like with Len, she wanted nothing to do with such misunderstandings.
After all, she never wanted to be considered Nelusion’s younger sister again.
“Absolutely not.”
Apparently, even someone like him didn’t know that a disowned branch daughter had borne a child of the main line. Then again, House Elantria itself had only recently become aware of her existence.
Suddenly, she felt this argument was meaningless. Neris stared directly at Cledwin and commanded, “Put that away, Cledwin Maindlant.”
Students were strictly forbidden from attacking one another in the first place. Since students from rival houses often ended up in the same class, such a rule was necessary—otherwise, many parents would refuse to send their children to the academy.
Yet he’d drawn his sword merely to ask her name. Though Neris wasn’t fazed, another freshman might have carried this as emotional scars.
In the next moment, the blade slid back into Cledwin’s sheath at his waist. Neris slowly rose to her feet.
Standing straight before the boy a few years her senior, she adjusted her skirt. Watching her composed, precise movements, Cledwin smiled.
It was that same faint, mocking smirk that only lifted the corner of his lips.
“So you knew who I was after all. Now tell me your name—only fair, isn’t it?”
“No. Since I learned your name thanks to my own cleverness, you’ll have to figure out mine on your own.”
At Neris’s defiant reply, Cledwin’s eyes narrowed slightly. After a brief pause, he gestured toward her.
“Go ahead.”
“Why? Can’t figure it out?”
“Next time we meet, I’ll call you by your name.”
His voice carried both an inexplicable confidence and certainty. Neris left without the slightest haste.
It had been a pointless provocation—she knew that well.
Antagonizing someone in power now was hardly wise, yet for some reason, meeting his eyes stirred an almost childish agitation within her.
Beneath the brilliant summer sky, the cold face that had filled her vision lingered stubbornly in Neris’s mind.
[This is the timeline separator]On one side of Cartac Hall’s vast campus, near the stone wall separating Aine Hall and Cartac Hall, stood the ancient and dignified Caesar Building—a structure hinting at the academy’s original modest scale.
Built in the simple style favored during Princess Catherine’s time, the building had undergone multiple renovations and expansions over the centuries but retained its historical significance.
Neris paid no attention to the relics and tapestries decorating the lobby, nor to the graduation speeches left behind by alumni in lofty positions. She headed straight to the second floor—called Level C in academy parlance.
Amidst the tall male students crowding the hallway, small and delicate Neris stood out clearly.
“First-year basic magic class held here? I didn’t hear anything about that.”
“Hey, little one, this is Cartac Hall. Lost? Need an escort?”
Though upperclassmen’s puzzled voices poured in from all around, Neris pretended not to hear.
“Which house is she from?”
The boys exchanged glances, trying to place her.
Even before formal debut into society, noble families usually maintained early acquaintance with one another. Yet none present had ever seen this golden-haired child.
It was strange. Platinum blonde hair, rare violet eyes, an upright posture with not a single finger out of place, and intelligent eyes brimming with pride—her attire might be plain, but she was unmistakably from a distinguished lineage. Someone here should have been her relative.
“Oh.”
Just then, someone recognized her.
The surrounding boys flinched at the sight of his unusual pink hair. Len Feyel of the Theology Department, younger brother of the previous pope, had once been incredibly popular but now resembled a discarded love charm.
Theology Department? An associate of Len? Rapid calculations and guesses flashed through the upperclassmen’s minds.
Yet Len approached Neris without the slightest regard for their reactions and spoke directly to her.
“What are you doing here?”
Hearing Len’s voice, Neris turned around. Seeing her calm, composed eyes, he raised an eyebrow.
“Lost again?”
Neris frowned—she hadn’t expected to run into him again.
“I’ve never been lost.”
“You were last time.”
“I never said I was lost. I said I happened to wander in.”
“Same thing.”
“Not at all. Getting lost means wandering without reaching your destination, but that path led me straight to where I needed to go.”
Len looked utterly baffled.
“Is this another shortcut?”
“I have class here. Verlenne 3.”
“Already?”
Since Verlenne wasn’t a required foreign language but an elective, few students enrolled in its advanced levels. That was why students from various years and majors gathered in the same classroom.
Len, having grown up in the Papal States and acquainted with foreign diplomats since childhood, naturally held interest in rare languages—but it was still surprising to see a freshman in such a class.
“What class are you here for, senior?”
“Verlenne 3.”
Neris, not expecting to share a class with him, furrowed her brow slightly, unsure whether he was joking or serious.
But Len seemed genuinely pleased. Had he been teasing, he’d have just laughed—so this must be the truth.
No one had ever shown joy at sharing a class with her before. Everyone else only complained about their rotten luck.
Feeling oddly unsettled, Neris walked ahead stiffly. Len fell into step beside her casually and asked, “Freshmen exams are over—how’d you do?”
“Well enough.”
“You must’ve done quite well. That’s why you’re taking an elective foreign language, after all.”
“Why are you taking Verlenne? It’s not common for Theology students.”
“What don’t you know?”
Len blinked his round eyes. Neris gave no reply.
As they neared Room 4 on Level C and Neris remained silent, Len grumbled, “My maternal uncle lives in Verlenne. I’ve picked up some basics, so I want to learn properly. It’ll be useful when I visit.”
Neris remembered well that this uncle—brother of the late pope and Len’s maternal uncle—was the man who, in her previous life, had allied with Pope Omnitus III, then taken all the blame when the pope’s corruption was exposed and died by suicide.
But he’d deserved it—he’d been a villain through and through. Since Neris herself had orchestrated the incident that brought Omnitus III to House Elantria’s side, she vividly recalled the uncle’s true character.
In no way would that man ever help Len. If anything, he’d probably seize the chance to eliminate the last surviving member of House Feyel. Yet here Len was, pinning hopes on him.
Neris sighed inwardly. It wasn’t her concern what happened to Len—but she refused to let Omnitus III have the satisfaction of a good deed.
“Are you close to your uncle?”
“Not really.”
“I thought so.”
“Are you picking a fight?”
Len’s pretty face twisted into a scowl.
Neris stared at him with sharp eyes. He’d been ready to snap back in his usual temper, but found himself unexpectedly biting his tongue—and then flinching at his own reaction. The fact that a child’s gaze had shaken him felt shameful.
“If your uncle truly cared, you wouldn’t be in this situation. I don’t know the details of when your brother, Tacitus VI, passed into God’s embrace, but I’m sure it was chaotic. Anyone who genuinely cared would’ve sent you somewhere safe long ago.”
Len, who’d been ready to snap at her meddling, turned pale halfway through her words.
Neris was right. If his uncle had felt even a sliver of concern—or simply acted with basic social awareness to avoid public criticism—he would’ve protected Len far more visibly.
But leaving his nephew like this clearly meant he was trying to curry favor with Omnitus III.
Len had never actually believed his uncle would welcome him in Verlenne. He’d just been young, overwhelmed, and desperate to believe he had somewhere left to lean on.
Lost in thought, Len fell silent—and in the meantime, Neris entered the classroom as if nothing were amiss.
Inside, seven or eight students had already arrived—most appeared to be upperclassmen, except for one girl clearly Neris’s age.
Several upperclassmen were chatting amiably with Megara. She seemed as natural as a youngest daughter beloved by her family.
Her effortless charm, carefree smile, and the fact that she was already taking advanced classes despite her young age had already won her classmates’ goodwill. Turning to the newly arrived Neris, she offered an angelic smile.
“Neris, you’re in this class too? I didn’t know.”
She probably didn’t. Neris knew Megara wasn’t yet skilled enough for this level.
All other freshmen were currently in their required foreign language classes—choosing between Rundic, the common tongue, and Diamish, the two most widely used languages on the continent besides Imperial.
Neris, however, had aced both required language exams—scoring perfect marks—and even appended a note in Verlenne requesting advanced classes and offering to take extra exams if needed. That was how she’d entered an upper-level class as a freshman.
Indeed, she’d been the only freshman to achieve perfect scores in both required language exams this placement test.
It was obvious—Megara must have used the influence of House Rikeandros to force her way into the advanced class, desperate to prove she wasn’t inferior to Neris.
“A friend of yours, Maggie?”
Sensing the tension between the two girls, an upperclassman asked Megara.
Neris recognized him as a distant relative from House Ennim—and remembered from her past life that he’d been one of Megara’s lifelong admirers.
“We’re both freshmen, Oppa. Everyone knows Neris’s name already because she’s so clever.”
The way Megara said “clever” made everyone in the room understand exactly what she meant:
Neris was arrogant and always showing off.
Though the atmosphere in the classroom had already turned slightly chilly toward her, Len merely raised an eyebrow. Neris’s expression, however, remained unchanged. She spoke gently to Megara.
“Thanks for saying that, Megara. I was wondering what I’d do if I were the only freshman here—but with you around, I feel reassured. Though… isn’t this the time for required foreign languages?”
Megara’s expression turned slightly stiff.
“Madame Hoffman said I didn’t need to attend.”
It almost sounded like she’d added, “Unlike you.”
Provoking her was pointless. Neris smiled genuinely.
One could squeeze into a class above their level—but the Noble Academy’s courses weren’t that forgiving.
Just as the academy didn’t reteach what students already knew, it also had a system for demoting those who couldn’t keep up.
“Really? I’m looking forward to it. I’ll count on you, Megara. Hmm… I’d like to sit together, but—”
“I already promised to sit with Brother Mahradi.”
Judging by Mahradi Ennim’s expression, that was clearly a lie—but Neris smiled anyway.
Megara probably thought she’d answered calmly, but the defensive look that flashed across her face the moment Neris finished speaking was unmistakably strained.
Neris replied with exaggerated generosity—she hadn’t actually wanted to sit together at all.
“Well, if you already promised, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
Language classes usually required pairs. Megara, assuming Neris would sit alone, scowled subtly when Len Feyel naturally took the seat beside her—out of sight of others.
Hmph. Outcasts sticking together—how fitting.
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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. 💔