The Price is Everything of Yours - Chapter 24

“Here it comes again.”

Neris raised her head at the awaited voice.

As if returning from sword training, Cledwin was wearing a tough leather shirt and pants. A red line peeked through the dark teal shirt, revealing white skin, as if freshly wounded.

“Who hurt you?”

Neris asked inadvertently. Cledwin raised one eyebrow.

“Why? Are you worried?”

“Why would I be? I’m asking because I need to know if there’s someone in this school capable of hurting a senior.”

As far as Neris knew, there was no one in the academy at this time skilled enough to hurt Cledwin Maindlant.

At least, among the people she had heard of until she became the crown princess. Cledwin smiled, his eyes so cold it hardly looked like a smile.

“It’s not someone from school.”

Ah. Neris understood. As she closed her mouth, Cledwin tilted his head slightly. His face, leaning against the pillar, looked like a statue carved there. That’s how exquisite it was.

“Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“Why? Do you want to satisfy my curiosity?”

Not a single word passes easily.

He could have been angry at the bold retort from a much younger child of lower status and wealth, but Cledwin just laughed. And after a moment, he answered, looking into Neris’s face.

“Because I want you to satisfy my curiosity, I’ll pay the price if needed.”

“What curiosity?”

Neris asked, leaning comfortably into the chair now confirmed to be Cledwin’s. At her leisurely attitude, Cledwin crossed his arms.

“I don’t think you’ve forgotten.”

Well, that’s true, but sometimes people can learn more from the attitude of giving an answer than from the answer itself.

I don’t know why someone is so picky. Mercilessly pointing a sword at others while trying not to lose anything themselves.

Neris complained inwardly and opened her eyes wide.

“There’s something I desperately want. But I can do it without your help, senior.”

“Lie.”

Cledwin dismissed it immediately, without even time to think. Neris raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“Your movements are precarious, great lady Trude. You’ve been lucky to hang on so far, but there have been several dangerous moments, and your victims are hostile to you. One misstep and you’ll fall off the cliff.”

That was correct.

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

She had moved cautiously to avoid others’ eyes, but not being caught yet was mere luck. No, since Cledwin knew, it was clear she had been witnessed at least once each time.

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

Cledwin spoke leisurely, just like Neris’s attitude earlier.

“I don’t think your goal is to bully two trivial children. They wouldn’t be worth dealing with for someone as smart as you. What’s the reason? Who are you trying to face? Nine and Berta have no common enemies. The Berta count and son say they’ve never met you before. What’s your grievance?”

The answer came before Neris could think.

“I’m dissatisfied with myself that they ruined.”

As soon as she blurted it out, Neris immediately regretted it.

She should have kept her mouth shut, but with so much pent up, she spoke without realizing. Cledwin smiled a strangely distorted smile.

“Not the opposite?”

“Yes, I misspoke. They’ve never ruined me. I just don’t like them. They irritate me. So I’m going to make them pay for offending my feelings.”

Even considering past events, Angarad and Rhiannon hadn’t really ‘ruined’ Neris. At least not intentionally.

They probably just found it fun. They probably just wanted to feel reassured.

That they weren’t the most wretched beings in this terrible school.

Cledwin’s eyes glinted coldly.

His gray eyes were so clear that everything inside seemed visible, but his actual emotions were hard to read. Perhaps there are few people in this world who can read his emotions.

“Whatever you want, I won’t make value judgments. But it doesn’t seem like your ‘payment’ is completely over.”

“How do you know that, senior?”

“There were others hostile to you from the first day of school, and you know that fact too.”

Why had Cledwin, who was much higher in grade and different in status, investigated Neris to this extent? Neris was dumbfounded.

Is this how idle the heir to a grand duke’s family is these days?

“Why are you so interested in me?”

Cledwin shrugged.

“I told you. I need talented people. You still have many shortcomings, but they’re all improvable. I’ll pay you well, so sell your abilities to me.”

“Will you really judge me as necessary talent after hearing my price?”

After saying this, Neris smiled.

Even the usually composed Cledwin showed a moment of surprise at the sinister light that flashed across the child’s face for an instant. He narrowed his eyes.

“Tell me. To negotiate, one must know the other’s price.”

“Then I’ll tell you. There are several people, ones I want. I want them to be broken.”

Cledwin’s face was covered with his usual unreadable, cold expression. He continued to stare into Neris’s eyes.

“I want them to suffer inexplicable harassment. I want them to be insulted for every trivial characteristic they never even noticed. I want them to experience all the cruel acts that multiple people can inflict on one person. I want there to be nowhere for them to escape.”

For their secret hideout, barely escaped to, to be tainted with betrayal.

For the days to increase when they wish they had neither mouth, nor eyes, nor ears.

“I want them to build up their own efforts year after year, but nothing improves, and the brief hope that arose soon crumbles. I want them to eventually blame themselves, unable to believe that people can be so malicious to others without reason. I want them to break down until they can’t believe it even when people who should love them say they’re precious. I want them to never shake off those memories for life. I want the child to become an adult, and the adult to become elderly, unable to respect themselves, becoming the easiest target for venting. I want those who tormented them to soon forget that fact!”

For them to suffer exactly what they did, and only then to resent the world.

For them to be unable to look at windows because their reflection in the glass is too ugly.

‘…Like me. Just the same. Exactly.’

Neris’s words were full of malice and refreshingly violated the doctrine of the god worshipped by all people of Vista.

Cledwin was momentarily at a loss for words.

On the surface, Neris seemed to be doing well in school life. Although she didn’t seem to have close friends among her classmates, there were some who secretly admired her, and she had a good reputation among teachers.

But what she just said could only come from experience, from a child who had been thoroughly bullied for a long time.

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

If so, whom?

When Cledwin didn’t respond, Neris suddenly seemed to lose strength and smiled, looking down. That appearance looked so much like that of an adult who had endured sorrow for a long time that Cledwin narrowed his eyes again.

“I know. It’s a bad thing. I think I’m a bad person too for being like this. No one should receive such treatment. But I really want it.”

If not, she felt like she would break.

Neris had nothing she wanted to do.

She had already experienced most of what she had dreamed of as a child by the time she died as the crown princess. Going to balls and dancing, eating the delicious foods mentioned in books, conversing with friends from foreign countries.

She hadn’t experienced making eternal friendship vows with friends or living a lifetime of beautiful love with one person, but she no longer yearned for those either. Because she already knew they didn’t exist.

So all that remained was revenge.

Against all those who had brought harm to her life.

She couldn’t even mention here what she would do to those who had ruined not just her ‘childhood’ but beyond that.

It would raise suspicion!

However, as if reading her mind, Cledwin asked in a low voice.

“What about Nelrysion? Is he included? You seemed to dislike him.”

“He’s included in the range, but what I’m preparing for Nelrysion will take some time. Anyway, I can’t make the heir of an influential duke’s family get bullied at school.”

The sword will only enter after stripping away the duke’s family’s armor.

Neris knew that she didn’t have the ability to do that right now. But what about after a long time has passed?

After Neris, who knows all his weaknesses and personality, has gained enough power.

Cledwin didn’t know yet, but her final spearhead was aimed at the imperial family. By then, she would be able to stab the knife directly, not leaving it to peer bullying.

If it had been another noble, Neris wouldn’t have told such a story, let alone hinted that she had grievances against the duke’s family. However, she knew better than he did that the Grand Duke of Maindlant had no interaction with other nobles.

Now, how would he react to someone who revealed such terrible desires?

Neris straightened her back and neatly folded her hands, putting strength into them. It was a habit she had developed to avoid criticism when she was the crown princess.

Maintain a straight posture when tense and mentally complicated. Keep a calm expression. Because a person’s attitude affects their impression.

Cledwin lowered his head. As his expression was hidden in the shadows, Neris deliberately pulled her chin in more. She didn’t want to be looked down upon. In any position.

“Even so, using feminine wiles would be much more disadvantageous for you.”

Feminine wiles? Neris slightly opened her mouth. No.

“Nelrysion wouldn’t fall for a woman and ruin his life, would he? And who would fall for me if I used feminine wiles? With this appearance?”

At least no one would fall for her now. After the jewel eyes were revealed, the situation was slightly different, but even then, Neris Trude had never attracted attention for her beauty.

Thinking this to herself, Cledwin slightly raised his head at her words. At his dumbfounded expression, Neris opened her eyes wide. Her face turned slightly red.

“Are you serious?”

Cledwin asked in an unbelieving voice. By the end of the question, the corners of his lips had even lifted slightly.

Neris pouted her lips. Cledwin was more vicious regarding this topic. Because if Cledwin looked in a mirror once, there would be no faces left in the world that looked human.

“You don’t need to be polite. Let’s make a straightforward deal. As you can see, I’m actively working to fulfill my wishes, and honestly, it would be much easier if I could get help. But if I think you’re making arbitrary value judgments about my goals or won’t help in the way I want, that’s the end of the conversation. Instead, if you make things happen as I wish, I’ll do anything.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, within reasonable limits. You’ll become my employer. If I receive wages, I have to work, right?”

The corners of Cledwin’s mouth remained lifted.

“Looks like you’re trying to make me pay quite a high price.”

Neris flinched. −It’s not that she thought she wouldn’t be caught.

“If you don’t like it, forget it.”

“No, I agree. I already said I wouldn’t make value judgments. I have the ability to realize any wish, so I should seize this opportunity.”

He finally grinned, slightly showing his teeth.

“I promise, Miss Trude. I won’t spare any support needed to make all your targets suffer the fate you just described.”