Chapter 04

Elizia irritably pulled apart the hair she had painstakingly tied up moments ago.

Loose strands immediately sprang out in every direction.

Watching her, Rakan curled the corner of his lips into a smile.

“Showing consideration to a beautiful woman is both a man’s duty and his responsibility.”

Just as I thought.

Elizia bit her lip.

“Then next time, fight me with everything you’ve got.”

“Let’s see if you can still win as effortlessly as you did today.”

“……”

“For the record…”

“One day, I’ll defeat you.”

“Without fail.”

Rakan fell silent for a moment at her openly challenging tone.

He simply looked at her with his usual unreadable expression.

Elizia calmly returned his gaze.

After a while, he folded his arms.

Yet instead of saying ‘Alright’ or ‘No,’ he merely remained silent.

Elizia tapped beneath one of her eyes.

“I may lose to you in stamina…”

“But I’m very observant.”

“That attack aimed at my neck earlier…”

“You deliberately pulled it back, didn’t you?”

“……”

“So next time…”

“Let’s have a real duel.”

“Even if I lose, I want to lose fairly.”

Rakan lightly tapped his arm with his fingertips.

He looked as though he were deep in thought.

After glancing up at the sky once, he looked back at Elizia and let out something between a sigh and a laugh.

“Very well.”

“I understand what you’re trying to say.”

“And… if my actions earlier offended you, then I apologize.”

“I never intended to make light of your efforts.”

“…I understand.”

Elizia stared at him with a strange expression.

Royalty and nobles all possessed a certain disposition.

Not every one of them…

But most were selfish and self-centered.

It was only natural for people who had always been served by others.

Much as she hated to admit it…

She herself wasn’t entirely free of those tendencies.

That was precisely why Rakan’s apology surprised her.

He had apologized so cleanly.

Without hesitation.

For a fleeting moment…

She realized that although Rakan was certainly arrogant…

He wasn’t nearly as narrow-minded as she had assumed.

In any case…

There was nothing left to say.

“Then I’ll be going.”

She still needed to wash up and change clothes.

After saying,

“I’ll see you in our next class,”

Elizia gave him a polite bow before turning away without hesitation.

Rakan remained standing on the afternoon pathway…

Watching her growing figure disappear into the distance.

Her tied-up golden hair swayed beneath the sunlight, glittering brilliantly.

His transparent emerald eyes…

Tinted ever so slightly with blue…

Shone with unmistakable interest.

Every muscle in her body ached.

Unlike the freedom she had enjoyed training in the royal palace…

The academy’s swordsmanship classes were systematic…

And almost brutally demanding.

As a result…

By evening, Elizia could do nothing but collapse onto her bed with a miserable groan.

Her roommate, Sophie, sat down on the bed opposite hers.

Soon the two quietly began chatting.

“How were your classes, Elizia?”

“They were fun…”

“But I fell asleep during the first lecture…”

“It was so embarrassing.”

Senior Rakan looked at me with that humiliating expression too…

She swallowed those words before they escaped.

“Your first class was Ancient History, wasn’t it?”

“It’s understandable. That lecture makes everyone sleepy.”

“Even so…”

“After that we had swordsmanship.”

“And I was completely defeated by one of the male students.”

That male student was Senior Rakan…

She swallowed those words as well.

Being defeated by a man from the Empire…

Was humiliating for the Princess of Ortigia.

“Really?”

Sophie’s expression practically said,

“Isn’t that only natural?”

She clearly couldn’t imagine a slender princess defeating a man.

Elizia recalled her duel with Rakan.

She wasn’t trying to boast…

But even when sparring against male knights back home…

She had never fallen behind in skill.

Even when she lost…

The matches had always been close.

But today…

Rakan’s ability had been overwhelmingly superior.

So overwhelming…

That she couldn’t even bring herself to feel jealous.

Suddenly…

The Empire’s Crown Prince came to mind.

The prince who was said to have earned countless military achievements despite his young age.

The one whose portrait she had seen before—

Prince Novila Herve Karund.

A rather ugly man with a twisted smile.

He was born of the Empire’s noble bloodline.

And he was still young.

How much battlefield experience could someone like him possibly have?

How many achievements could he really have earned?

She had always assumed…

That he’d merely happened to kill a few enemies…

And the rumors had exaggerated everything afterward.

Until now.

But somehow…

She was beginning to think those rumors were closer to the truth.

If even an ordinary imperial noble like Rakan is this strong…

Then just how powerful is the Crown Prince…?

If another war breaks out…

Wouldn’t Ortigia be in serious trouble?

Even an ordinary imperial noble is this frightening.

Maybe that’s exactly why the Empire became… an Empire.

A chill ran down her spine.

But she quickly shook away the thought.

There was no point worrying about a war that hadn’t even begun.

Come to think of it…

She still hadn’t seen the prince everyone talked about.

Though that wasn’t surprising.

The academy had countless students.

Different grades.

Multiple buildings.

Still…

She found herself growing curious.

“Senior Sophie…”

“What kind of person is the Empire’s Crown Prince?”

Sophie’s expression turned oddly complicated.

“You still haven’t met him?”

“No.”

“The academy is huge.”

“…Is that even possible?”

“I suppose it is?”

Elizia answered with a puzzled look.

Sophie seemed to think for a moment.

“Did he skip class today…?”

she murmured quietly before shaking off the thought.

“The Crown Prince is…”

“Extremely popular.”

“…Really?”

Elizia immediately repeated the very same question Sophie had asked moments earlier.

She remembered the prince’s portrait sitting inside her wardrobe.

Someone that ugly isn’t exactly easy to forget…

Still…

If he was truly that popular…

Then perhaps being the Empire’s Crown Prince carried far more weight than appearances.

Or perhaps…

His personal charm simply outweighed his unfortunate looks.

Then again…

She herself had once felt her heart race over an average-looking gardener…

Simply because he had sculpted trees into magnificent swans.

“Of course His Highness is popular.”

“He’s the Empire’s Crown Prince.”

“And at nineteen, he still has no fiancée.”

“If someone were chosen by him…”

“She’d become a member of the Imperial Family.”

“That’s a dream future for many girls.”

“I see.”

Elizia answered absentmindedly.

Love.

Marriage.

Joining the Imperial Family.

They all felt incredibly distant from her own life.

Especially considering…

She was the princess of a kingdom…

And he was the prince of an enemy empire.

Their paths would never truly cross.

“Besides…”

“He’s practically guaranteed to become the next Emperor.”

“Wouldn’t that mean he’ll eventually have a political marriage anyway?”

“Even if someone meets him here…”

“Wouldn’t it just be a passing encounter?”

“Maybe.”

“But people always cling to ‘what if.’”

“Besides…”

“He doesn’t grow close to any of the female students.”

“That only makes him seem like a beautiful flower blooming atop an unreachable cliff.”

“Which makes everyone want him even more.”

“Ah…”

Elizia couldn’t help laughing quietly.

A beautiful flower…?

No matter how you look at that portrait…

Calling him a flower seems impossible.

A magnificent sword, perhaps…

But a flower…?

As she quietly repeated the words,

“Something you can’t have…”

Another face surfaced in her mind.

Come to think of it…

I wonder how Damian is doing…

Damian.

The duke’s son.

One year younger than Elizia.

He was also the man everyone expected would eventually become her fiancé.

Nothing had been officially arranged yet.

But everyone treated it as though it were already decided.

Once he came of age…

Formal marriage discussions would surely begin.

Yet…

He loved someone else.

Ever since childhood…

Elizia had believed Damian belonged beside her.

They had grown up together.

Shared countless memories.

She had always believed…

They would spend the rest of their lives together.

Reality…

Had been cruel.

Everything had only been her own misunderstanding.

She had never imagined…

That his heart already belonged to another woman.

“Damian…”

“I’m so happy you’re my person.”

“As long as we’re together…”

“I feel like I’d be happy doing anything for the rest of my life.”

She had smiled brightly as she said those words.

Looking back now…

What expression had Damian worn then?

Elizia quietly recalled the past.

He had smiled gently…

As he always did.

Yet…

He had never once replied,

“Me too, Princess.”

Whenever she had said,

“This food is delicious, Damian!”

He would smile.

“I agree, Princess.”

When she said,

“I love horseback riding!”

He would answer,

“So do I, Princess.”

Always kind.

Always gentle.

But never…

To those words.

Then one day…

She witnessed the cruel truth.

It was during a party hosted by Damian’s family.

After dancing with several nobles…

Feeling overheated…

She stepped alone into the garden.

Under the moonlight…

The crimson roses bloomed beautifully.

Hidden among them…

A pair of lovers whispered to one another.

It would have been a beautiful sight…

If one of them hadn’t been Damian.

“Damian…”

“Princess Elizia is still inside.”

“It’s alright.”

“The only person I see right now… is you.”

“……”

“Princess Elizia could never hate me.”

“She loves me far too much.”

“Damian…”

“Melissa…”

“It breaks my heart that I can’t be with you.”

“So… for now…”

“Please think only about me.”

The ground beneath Elizia’s feet nearly disappeared.

Damian had always known.

He knew how deeply she loved him.

Even so…

He loved someone else.

Yet lacked the courage to abandon the dukedom awaiting him…

Or defy his family’s wishes.

The Elizia of the past…

Would have condemned him as a coward.

But the Elizia who loved him…

Could only make excuses.

He simply didn’t want to hurt me…

She kept telling herself.

Normally…

She was decisive.

Proud.

Strong.

Yet before her first love…

She had become nothing more than a confused young girl.

In the end…

You’ll still marry me…

Thinking that…

She quietly left the rose garden.

Wiping away the hot tears streaming down her cheeks with her white gloves.

Even afterward…

She continued chasing after him.

Until finally…

Coming to the Royal Academy allowed her to separate herself from him.

Turning onto her side…

Elizia pressed a hand firmly against her chest.

Simply remembering those days…

Made it feel as though icy thorns were piercing her heart.

She pictured Damian’s gentle face.

Those kind blue eyes that had always looked at her so warmly.

Then…

Without realizing it…

Rakan’s face replaced Damian’s.

Though both men had golden hair…

They gave completely different impressions.

Rakan.

Despite his honey-colored blond hair…

Somehow always looked cold.

Perhaps it was because of his emerald eyes.

Or his arrogant bearing.

Or the peculiar feeling…

That even when he smiled…

He seemed to be looking down on everyone.

Come to think of it…

Since arriving here…

I haven’t thought about Damian very much.

Is that… a good thing?

He’ll enroll here next year.

Will I really be alright…?

Back at the palace…

She had spent countless sleepless nights suffering over Damian.

Yet after entering the academy…

That pain had eased.

Instead…

The person occupying her thoughts most often…

Was another man.

That irritating…

Arrogant imperial noble.

Rakan.

She collapsed onto her bed.

The day’s swordsmanship training had exhausted her completely.

Pulling the blanket up beneath her chin…

She thought of Rakan once again.

And of the humiliating defeat he had handed her.

Next time…

I really want to beat that man.

Maybe I should throw sand into his eyes…

…No.

If I resorted to something like that and still lost…

That would be even more embarrassing.

Smiling bitterly at the ridiculous thought…

She buried herself beneath the blanket.

After exchanging a final,

“Good night,”

with Sophie…

The room fell dark.

Sleep gradually overtook her.

That night…

For the first time in a long while…

Damian’s face never appeared in her dreams.

✦ ✦ ✦

While waiting for their next swordsmanship class…

Elizia and Sophie were relaxing together in the academy cafeteria.

“Ah!”

Suddenly…

Elizia shot up from her chair.

Cold ice cream had spilled across her shoulder…

Sliding down her body in sticky streams.

Someone passing by had bumped into her.

As Elizia looked down at herself in surprise…

A voice full of amusement reached her ears.

“Sorry, Elizia.”

“I’m not used to carrying things myself instead of letting servants do it.”

“So I accidentally slipped.”

“……”

Slowly…

She turned her head.

Beth stood there holding an empty ice cream cup.

Despite saying she was sorry…

Not a trace of apology could be seen on her face.

Just as before…

She was surrounded by the same three female students who always seemed to act as her entourage.