The Price Is Your Everything - Chapter 4: Isn't That a Prohibited Item?

How much farther was it to the dormitory? Nerys found herself passing through an area filled with houses where the low fences allowed clear views of the yards.

Some of these homes were occupied by the residents of Carten, while others were used for educational purposes. A few were even utilized as dormitories for wealthy students.

One such house, which appeared to be a dormitory, was a two-story building with a garden full of white egret orchids.

A boy sat in a small gazebo in the garden on the first floor.

With slightly curly dark pink hair falling messily over his forehead, the boy seemed no older than seventeen.

His peach-colored cheeks and long lashes made him look young, but the boredom and anger etched on his face as he chewed on a blade of grass gave him the air of an adult.

“What do you want?”

The boy frowned as he noticed Nerys standing still and staring at him from beyond the fence.

“Who are you, and why are you staring at me?”

“I’m a new student,” Nerys replied.

“How does a new student even know this road?”

“I came here by accident.”

Nerys lied without batting an eye. The boy gestured dismissively with his chin.

“Then leave by accident. Why are you staring?”

It was a fair point. Nerys didn’t have a habit of staring at strangers.

If not for the red tint visible between his lips and the blade of grass he was chewing, she wouldn’t have paid him any attention.

“Isn’t that a prohibited item?”

At her cold question, the boy’s eyes widened.

The number of illicit items used by high society was countless. More than half of noble households dealt with their own secret poisons passed down through the family line.

However, there was only one recreational herb that produced an ominous red tint when chewed, like the one that boy was holding.

‘Pejalcho’.

Named after its place of origin, the Pejal region, this herb was renowned for its potent sedative effects. Even when chewed raw, it was highly effective.

Occasionally, foreign doctors prescribed it. However, physicians within the empire rarely used it because—

“It’s poisonous.”

Additionally, it was addictive, making it a highly controlled substance.

“You, how did…? No, never mind. What does it matter? You don’t even know who I am,” he muttered.

“You’re Ren Fayel,” she replied.

The boy’s face immediately flushed red at her words. Annoyance furrowed his brows deeply. He spat out the blade of grass and glared at her.

“How do you know me? I’ve never seen you before. Wait.”

Ren squinted his eyes at her.

“You’re Ja’an, aren’t you? The second child of the Elandria family? Nellusion’s sibling?”

“I’m a distant relative.”

“Ha.”

Nerys felt a surge of anger at the mention of being called Nellusion’s sibling but answered calmly. Ren sneered.

“There must’ve been quite the uproar. It’s been ages since a Ja’an was born in the main family, hasn’t it?”

In fact, the most recent portrait in the Elandria estate’s gallery featuring a Ja’an dated back to over a century ago.

What wasn’t widely known outside the Elandria family and the imperial lineage was that Ren seemed to know more than expected for his age.

Finally, Ren broke his gaze away from Nerys. He grumbled as he stepped on the blade of grass he had spat out.

“Damn it, I wasted a good one because of you.”

Ren grumbled and stood up. Before he could leave, Nerys spoke quickly.

“It would be a shame to die young from Pejalcho addiction. If you stay healthy, better days will come.”

Nerys had heard as an adult that Ren Fayel, the younger brother of the former pope, had been exiled and died before graduating.

According to rumors in high society, his debauched lifestyle had weakened him, and he was eventually found emaciated and dead.

Pejalcho was a substance that only a handful of authorized doctors could handle. It was impossible for a boy like him to acquire it so easily.

Based on the year she entered the academy, the current Pope Omnitus III had only recently taken office. He must have been erasing all traces of his predecessor, including Ren.

Despite his reputation as a reckless and arrogant boy, Ren was merely another victim of adult politics.

Still, anyone who opposed Omnitus III wasn’t an enemy in Nerys’s eyes. After all, the enemy of her enemy could be her ally.

“Don’t meddle.”

Ren, who had likely just lost both his family and his allies at the temple, wasn’t in the mood to be moved by kind words.

Nerys sighed, which made Ren look at her oddly.

“Such a small thing sighing like an adult.”

“If a senior student is here on the day of the new student orientation, it means you didn’t have a home to return to for the summer vacation. You’ve probably always been someone who wasn’t welcomed. That must be tough. But don’t hurt yourself. Get revenge instead.”

Ren stood frozen in place. He stared at Nerys with a suspicious gaze, his pretty eyes trembling for reasons beyond the herb or mistrust. Nerys held his gaze without flinching.

After a moment, Ren abruptly turned away.

“I told you not to meddle.”

But his voice sounded weaker than before.

Ren strode back into the house with large steps. Nerys watched his retreating figure before continuing on her way.

—

Noble Academy was divided into two main divisions: the Theological Department and the General Department.

The Theological Department, led by the Pope, trained students under the guidance of priests to become the next generation of clergy. The General Department, supervised by the Emperor, was attended by noble and imperial children to study subjects necessary for their future lives.

Even though both divisions existed within the same academy, their curricula and atmospheres were entirely different.

On the first day of class, all the students gathered in the same classroom as Nerys were part of the General Department. Unless there were major changes, they would likely remain together until graduation.

Nerys was already familiar with everyone in the room, except for Diane.

Diane naturally took the seat to Nerys’s right, while the other students hesitantly introduced themselves to their neighbors, clearly unfamiliar with each other.

“Nerys?”

The voice calling her name from her left was warm and familiar, and Nerys suppressed a bitter smile.

She had expected this the moment the girl saw her and approached to sit down. Though her memory was hazy, she was certain this was how their first meeting had unfolded in her previous life as well.

“Do you know me?”

But Nerys reacted as if she were surprised that someone recognized her. The girl with chestnut-brown hair sitting beside her responded shyly.

“It really is you, Nerys. It’s me, Angharad Nine. Do you remember me?”

How could she forget?

– “Were we ever that close? Don’t talk to me; people might get the wrong idea.”

– “I saw everything! It was Truydd! She’s the thief you were looking for! And now she’s acting like nothing happened and trying to talk to me. Unbelievable!”

Angharad Nine was the daughter of a noble family ruling the estate neighboring Nerys’s own.

Nerys’s father had served Lord Wilmot, who once invited the Nine family to visit their castle. Since Nerys and Angharad were the same age, they had been made playmates during that visit, sharing some childhood memories.

When Nerys first arrived at Noble Academy, Angharad had approached her again. But shortly after, when Nerys found herself accused of something she didn’t do, Angharad had quickly turned on her.

Later in life, Nerys discovered that it was Angharad who spread nasty rumors about her background in high society. Megara’s meddling might have played a part, but the betrayal had been devastating for the young Nerys.

In hindsight, it was Angharad who had first set the tone for ostracizing Nerys.

Perhaps Angharad had wanted to avoid becoming the weakest member of the class. Nerys, uninterested in anything beyond books and unable to read the social cues of her peers, had been an easy target due to her modest social status.

“I’m sorry, I don’t really remember,” Nerys replied.

The Nine Barony was not particularly wealthy or influential, even compared to other baronies.

Most likely, Angharad’s parents had drilled into her how important relationships forged at the academy could be. But Nerys knew that any expectations Angharad might have had about the school would eventually betray her.

If Nerys wasn’t the weakest in the class, Angharad—with her lack of influence—would naturally become the new target.

Still, Angharad persisted, lowering her voice even further.

“We used to play together when we were little…”

Yes, they had. Though for Nerys, it had been over twenty years ago, for Angharad, it was likely a more recent memory.

The twilight landscapes of the Rohen Forest they had wandered until dusk, the golden ripples breaking against the sides of leaf boats they floated down streams—it might all still be vivid in Angharad’s mind.

A sharp pang pierced Nerys’s chest, and she hesitated.

What should she do?

The current Angharad hadn’t done anything wrong yet.

And petty childhood betrayals hardly mattered to the adult Nerys…

Then she caught sight of students across the room glancing her way and whispering to one another.

Her chest tightened as if gripped by an invisible hand. She knew the feeling all too well.

Fear.

Fear of every glance directed her way, of every voice murmuring behind her back. It had become second nature to her after so many years.

This classroom had shaped that fear.

Despite the fond memories, it was they who had betrayed her first.

How could she possibly dismiss everything as insignificant when the wounds of the past had grown with her?

– “Did you think what I went through was nothing? If so… then what happens to you from now on should mean just as little.”

Rest assured, nothing worse will happen to you than what you did to me.

Fire seemed to roar in her belly. Nerys looked at Angharad with an expression so serene it was devoid of any emotion as she said,

“Sorry. I’ll ask my mother about it later.”

“Ah… okay.”

It was a soft refusal that left no room for further conversation.

Angharad awkwardly glanced around, but the other students were already engrossed in their own conversations.

“Riz.”

Diane addressed Nerys by her nickname. If Nerys hadn’t told her that nickname, Diane would have insisted on calling her “Nell,” and Nerys couldn’t trust herself to keep a straight face hearing it. So, she had no choice.

Nerys turned to Diane and asked indifferently,

“What?”

“Who’s that? Someone you know?” Diane whispered, her voice so low it barely reached Nerys’s ear.

Nerys frowned and replied,

“I told you, I don’t remember.”

“It doesn’t seem that way.”

If Nerys truly didn’t remember someone, she would’ve asked how they knew her and started a conversation about their common connections. Diane, sharp as ever, pointed this out.

Nerys curtly dismissed her.

“I really don’t remember.”

“Okay.”

With that, Diane backed off.

Diane, who had experience mingling with peers within her family and was naturally observant, had already developed a better understanding of interpersonal dynamics than most in the classroom.

To her, Nerys seemed like an exceptional friend.

First of all, Nerys was impressive. Diane, accustomed to distant relatives from the MacKinnon family eyeing her possessions with envy, found Nerys’s detached attitude noble.

Moreover, Nerys exuded elegance. She was beautiful, her speech and pronunciation impeccable, and her demeanor flawless.

Whatever Nerys did, Diane trusted there was a good reason for it. Convinced, she turned her attention to the front of the classroom—and her eyes widened in surprise.

A boy with long silver hair had entered the room.

His perfectly sculpted features and sharp nose gave him the appearance of a marble statue, while his graceful stride exuded energy.

“Riz, look over there. Isn’t that Nellusion from the Elandria family? Your maternal cousin.”

Everyone in the first-year class had seen him during the student council introduction on orientation day. The Elandria siblings’ almost otherworldly beauty was well-known in high society, so there was no mistaking him.