The Price Is Your Everything - Chapter 9: The Disgustingly Obsequious Type

Mahradi’s eyes widened. He quickly glanced at Megara, and when she shot him a slight glare, he shrank back in dismay.

A handful of upperclassmen who understood the word’s meaning now looked at Nerys differently. Sir Voltaire, after reclaiming the baton from Nerys, turned to Megara.

“My classes proceed only with students who can keep up. You were recommended for this class by Madam Hoffman, weren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“We’ll conduct a brief Verlaine test after class. Don’t rush to your next lesson; I’ll provide you with a note to explain your tardiness.”

Megara’s face turned pale.

“What about Nerys? Is she taking the test too?”

“I believe Nerys Truydd’s skills have already been sufficiently proven.” (T/N: Damn, why is this so satisfying to read!)

The word “skills” caused Megara’s expression to darken. In a cautious, thinner voice than usual, she asked, “Professor, what happens if… I fail the test?”

“You’ll be moved to a class more suited to your level. The Academy prioritizes appropriate learning difficulties. After all, your seatmate can’t always supply you with the answers, can they? If your partner doesn’t know the answer, you’ll both fail.”

Both Megara and Mahradi’s faces turned ashen. Sir Voltaire clearly knew that Mahradi had been feeding Megara answers.

Nerys couldn’t help but find the situation amusing.

—

The rumor that Megara Lykeandros had been expelled from the advanced foreign language class due to her poor performance spread rapidly.

Megara’s followers retaliated by targeting both Sir Voltaire and Nerys, but not all freshmen joined the attack. Nerys, who was used to being criticized at the slightest opportunity, found this neutrality rather surprising.

Diane, in particular, showed a strikingly favorable attitude toward Nerys.

“She’s so weird. She only joined because she was jealous of you being top-ranked. Now she’s blaming you after being kicked out for lack of skill? What nonsense.”

“Jealous,” Diane said. The accuracy of that word amused Nerys, who stared at Diane with quiet curiosity.

There was also a hint of regret. Had it been that obvious all along?

As a child, Nerys had genuinely believed that Megara’s fixation on her was because she was strange and unpleasant to others.

Indeed, not just at school but also in social circles, Nerys’s presence often made others uncomfortable. The complaints were almost always the same:

“Ugly and scrawny, with no charm to attract anyone, yet brazen enough to expect admiration.”

“Not particularly talented yet insufferably arrogant, making her unbearable to watch.”

“Her usual expression is gloomy, but when she smiles, it’s so grotesque it scares people.”

“Well, all true.”

When Nerys first heard such comments, she hadn’t fully understood them. Having never paid much attention to others’ appearances, she had little concern for her own and never thought to evaluate herself as pretty or ugly.

Before entering the Academy, when she was very young, she had even been told she was pretty on occasion.

But after hearing complaints about her unpleasant appearance repeatedly, Nerys began avoiding her reflection. Each time she accidentally caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she was startled by how much she disliked her face and quickly looked away.

Even after becoming the crown princess, her portrait, which a painter had significantly beautified, still left her unsettled. Despite the improvements, her distinct features were evident enough to remind her of her insecurities.

Naturally, she became more careful not to smile carelessly.

Looking back now, Nerys realized that being “ugly,” “gloomy,” and “arrogant” didn’t automatically mean someone would face blatant ostracism like she had. No, unlike her, everyone else had friends.

Megara must have had an initial reason for disliking her, and Nerys now had a fairly good idea what it was.

Aside from excelling academically despite her humble origins, Nerys possessed another trait that drew Megara’s ire.

Though the Ja’an of the Elandria family had not appeared for over a century, children with violet eyes were still occasionally born to various noble families.

In social circles, violet eyes were seen as a marker of Elandria heritage, an ancient and prestigious lineage—a fact that many proudly touted. While the imperial family and the Elandria household knew what the true Ja’an entailed, they didn’t bother correcting the assumption, as no successor had been born in the main family for a long time.

When Nerys later awakened her gem-like eyes, revealing herself to possess the singular Ja’an described in Elandrian legends, it became clear that her violet eyes were more than just a rarity. Even so, the long-standing reverence for violet eyes didn’t disappear.

For someone as proud of her appearance as Megara, Nerys’s unique looks must have been bothersome.

“Exactly.”

Angharad Nine, who had been lingering nearby despite being previously rebuffed, eagerly agreed, seizing the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Nerys.

Though Nerys only spoke to Angharad when necessary and maintained a distant demeanor, Diane remained firmly on Nerys’s side.

To Diane, Angharad Nine was the kind of person whose obsequiousness was downright repulsive. Desperate to integrate into the group but lacking strong academic performance or high social status, Angharad clung to Nerys as the one she deemed approachable.

Growing up in a wealthy, well-loved household, Diane, even at her young age, was well aware of how flatterers operated. They acted subservient when in front of someone, only to abandon them without hesitation when there was nothing to gain.

To Diane, Angharad Nine embodied such a person and was thus contemptible. On the other hand, Nerys’s refusal to entertain such sycophants only reinforced Diane’s admiration for her.

“The fact she sees Nerys as easy prey is laughable.”

Nerys outshone even children raised under strict, privileged education in every way. Though her attire was modest, she had never once appeared anything less than perfectly composed.

Diane found herself growing more fond of Nerys. Her pre-admission worries about not making friends seemed utterly foolish now. After all, here was someone she genuinely liked.

“But it feels like Nerys doesn’t like me very much.”

This thought made Diane’s spirits sink. Why wouldn’t Nerys like her? She didn’t think she’d done anything to offend her.

Was it just shyness? Perhaps spending more time together would help.

That seemed like the most reasonable solution.

However, they didn’t share many classes due to Nerys’s exceptional intelligence, and their dormitories were far apart. Nerys’s quarters were in a shared housing complex with just enough room for one maid per student—a place Diane had never even considered an option.

“I’ll host a party next time.”

Diane made up her mind. Whether it was just the two of them or included other classmates, it didn’t matter. Besides, she had already received invitations to a few parties, so hosting her own was almost obligatory.

Spending time together would be fun. It had to be.

Meanwhile, Nerys found Diane simply puzzling.

Though she bore no specific grudge against Diane, she didn’t trust her either and thus made no effort to treat her warmly. Yet Diane persistently sat beside her and acted as if they were friends.

Who would like me?

Still, Nerys didn’t mind the temporary kindness. For someone who had almost never sat with anyone else in the school cafeteria, it was a refreshing change.

Even if Diane eventually turned on her like everyone else, it didn’t matter. Nerys had resolved to grow stronger, no matter what came her way.

—

“I hear there’s a remarkable freshman this year.”

Crown Prince Abelus’s remark drew a faint smile from Nellusion.

His gentle and intellectual smile worked wonders on the female members of the student council—and sometimes even the male members.

“Yes, there are a few.”

“It’s good to have talented students. They should grow into admirable adults who can strengthen the empire,” Abelus declared haughtily.

A red-haired girl with a charming expression approached him, and Abelus offered her a smile.

“Tashi.”

Natasha, with her fiery ginger hair, was not only the most beautiful girl in her year but arguably the most striking student the Academy had seen in recent years.

As the daughter of Duke Grünehals, it was only natural that she had entered the student council and grown close to Abelus. Barring extraordinary circumstances, Natasha Grünehals was the likeliest candidate to become the Crown Princess.

But we’ll see. Watching the two, Nellusion thought coldly behind his kind facade.

The Elandria family had ambitions. It didn’t matter who Abelus fraternized with until those ambitions were realized, but when the time came, the Crown Princess would be none other than Nellusion’s sister, Valentin. That was the decision of their house.

“Your Highness, here are the exam papers from the freshmen you mentioned,” Natasha said sweetly, handing him a stack of papers.

Nellusion’s interest was piqued. Since when did Abelus care about freshmen exams?

“What’s in the exams, Your Highness?”

“Thank you, my dear Tashi. Nellusion, take a look. That blonde girl your family sponsors scored a perfect mark.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The incident had already stirred up the student council. Abelus untied the stack of papers and quickly flipped through them.

“Let’s see, Rhiannon Berta, Alecto Islani… here it is, Megara Lykeandros. She begged Hoffman to let her into the class and made a fool of herself… disappointing… Ah, found it.”

Abelus pulled out several sheets bearing the name “Nerys Truydd” and placed them to the side. Nellusion, also curious, picked up the bottom sheet from the stack.

Confusion quickly spread across his face.

“Is this handwriting truly from a freshman?”

“All the answers look like this. When I asked her teachers, they said she writes like an adult. Even her chalkboard writing is beautiful. Nellusion, did your family teach her?”

“No, Your Highness. My family only recently learned of her existence.”

As a distant relative descended from a minor knight cast out of the family, there was no reason for the main house to keep track of her life.

If she hadn’t manifested the Ja’an, they would have continued living without contact.

Nellusion recalled Nerys’s face. Though her appearance was modest, her features were neatly beautiful—and she had the Ja’an.

She would be useful. His instincts had told him as much the moment he first saw her.

“But how could she write like this? Could you have written such an exam in your first year?”

Abelus handed Nellusion the Imperial history exam sheet.

Nellusion marveled at the answers—concise, clear, and packed with valuable information. Had he not known better, he might have thought it was written by a teacher.

Wait—a teacher? Nellusion’s face grew serious. Abelus smirked mischievously.

“Mahradi Ennim raised a complaint. How could there be a perfect score on a freshman aptitude test? He claims there must have been a leak or cheating involved and suspects a teacher’s corruption. He’s asked us to investigate.”

“If she memorized all this even from someone else’s answers, that alone would be impressive.”

“I agree. Still, since a complaint was filed, I called the teacher—Voltaire—to hear his thoughts. Do you know what he said?”

“What did he say?”

“She speaks Verlaine like a native and is proficient in Sacred Tongue. He even claimed she freely converses with Ren Fayel.”

Abelus watched Nellusion’s surprised reaction with amusement. It was rare to see his usually reserved demeanor crack.

“So, tell me—did she grow up in a temple?”

“If Your Highness is asking whether she’s an illegitimate child of a priest, the answer is no. Investigations into her hometown confirmed that her mother married her father before their lord and has lived there ever since. Even the timeline of Nerys’s birth is consistent.”

“Really? Then she’s a genius.”

Abelus burst into laughter, though there was something sinister about it.

“An outright genius, as they say.”