Chapter 05
“……”
Elizia’s expression darkened.
Anyone with half a brain could tell at a glance that spilling ice cream onto her shoulder had not been an accident.
Even so…
Instead of throwing back a sharp remark, Elizia quietly sat back down.
She disliked responding to such childish bullying.
Besides…
Beth had already apologized, calling it an accident.
If she argued now, she’d only make herself look foolish.
Unless she intended to slap Beth across the face…
Ignoring her was the better choice.
Be kind.
Be composed.
You endured it well.
How elegant of me.
She silently repeated those words to herself.
Just then, Beth’s lighthearted voice drifted down from above.
“By the way…”
“For a moment, I thought the one sitting here was one of the cleaning maids.”
Beth slowly looked over Elizia’s plain dress before continuing.
“Is the Kingdom of Ortigia struggling financially too…?”
“Or is it simply your sense of fashion that’s lacking?”
“…Pardon?”
The remark came completely out of nowhere.
Elizia stared at her in bewilderment.
But Beth had already said everything she wanted to say.
She simply turned her back and walked away.
The cheerful laughter of Beth and her companions gradually faded into the distance.
Only after standing there in stunned silence did Elizia finally leap to her feet.
Has that princess completely lost her mind?!
She had deliberately dumped ice cream on her…
And then attacked her appearance on top of that.
Earlier, she’d been too shocked to respond.
But the more she thought about it…
The more outrageous it became.
Anger boiled inside her.
“Next time I see her…”
“Senior or not, maybe I’ll just grab her by the hair!”
She dropped back into her chair with an irritated huff.
Beth was already gone.
The confrontation had already ended.
Infuriatingly so.
She had endured it only because she remembered her nanny’s constant plea—
“Please behave elegantly.”
But at this rate…
It wouldn’t be long before she found herself grabbing that princess by the collar and shaking her.
If she ever did lose control…
She only hoped it happened somewhere with as few witnesses as possible.
Sitting across from her, Sophie looked at her with concern.
She quietly offered her a handkerchief.
“That must be cold…”
“Here.”
“Wipe yourself off.”
Elizia dabbed at her damp shoulder while biting her lip.
Why does Senior Beth hate me so much?
She would deliberately trip her whenever she was with her group.
Or bully her in childish ways like this.
It happened far too often.
She genuinely couldn’t understand it.
Even the first time they met…
Hadn’t she simply complimented Beth’s beautiful outfit?
She had been nothing but kind.
So why?
Then again…
Trying to find a reason behind such blind hostility is ridiculous in itself.
A faint smile escaped her.
She neatly folded Sophie’s handkerchief.
Dwelling on something so petty would only make her feel worse.
She glanced down at her own clothes.
The dress she wore was made of fine fabric…
Yet its design was simple and modest.
Completely different from Beth’s extravagant gown…
Covered in sparkling blue lace.
It was hard to believe they were both princesses.
“Senior Sophie…”
“Do I look unfashionable?”
“…No, Elizia.”
“You’re just… a little more modest.”
Sophie hesitated before answering.
Her gentle nature could be heard in every word.
But Elizia immediately understood.
“Modest” was simply a kinder way of saying plain.
She, too, was a princess.
Back in the royal palace of Ortigia…
She had always dressed as magnificently as any royal should.
Lavish gowns.
Exquisite jewels.
A royal family’s authority was displayed through clothing and ornaments.
But this academy was different.
There were no maids here.
She had to dress herself.
Wearing heavy gowns by herself was troublesome.
Putting on countless accessories was equally annoying.
And every time swordsmanship class came around…
She had to remove them all…
Only to put them back on afterward.
Her nanny had packed countless luxurious dresses and beautiful pieces of jewelry for her before she left.
Yet…
Elizia neither possessed the skill…
Nor the desire…
To decorate herself so elaborately.
Everything remained untouched inside her wardrobe.
Nothing more than ornaments gathering dust.
That was why…
She always wore simple dresses.
And because of that…
Beth had mocked her.
Calling her a cleaning maid.
Asking whether the royal treasury of Ortigia had run dry.
Remembering those insults…
A fresh surge of anger welled up inside her.
She lifted the teacup before her and took a sip.
The tea had already gone cold.
Its chilly bitterness slid slowly down her throat.
Screech—
Elizia frowned slightly as the note cracked off-key.
The moment she let her concentration slip, her performance faltered.
She pressed firmly against the violin strings.
Blisters had formed on the tips of her middle and ring fingers.
She had spent the entire night practicing, pressing and releasing the strings over and over.
Her hands had long been hardened through swordsmanship…
But gripping a sword and pressing the unforgiving strings of a violin were two entirely different things.
Still…
It was better to let blisters burst and bleed from relentless practice…
Than to stumble helplessly through even the simplest notes and hold back the entire class.
That was simply the kind of person Elizia was.
The final notes of the harp faded away.
The music came to a stop.
“Let’s take a short break.”
The professor at the front lightly tapped his conductor’s baton.
A brief moment of rest.
Elizia set her violin down and rolled her neck from side to side.
She had played while remaining tense the entire time.
Now her shoulders and neck throbbed painfully.
As she turned her head…
Someone entered her field of vision.
Rakan.
She played the violin.
He played the cello.
Since they were both string instruments…
Their seats were surprisingly close.
He was adjusting the tuning of his cello, his brows faintly furrowed.
His lowered eyelashes looked remarkably elegant.
Then there were his fingers…
Long and refined as they rested around the cello’s neck.
They were clearly the hands of a swordsman—
Rough and calloused.
Yet naturally slender and graceful enough to keep drawing her gaze.
Even his fingertips are handsome.
No wonder he’s developed such a ridiculous level of narcissism.
Elizia nodded to herself before wrapping a handkerchief tightly around her fingers.
One of the blisters had finally burst.
The soft cloth was already damp with blood.
She let out something halfway between a sigh and a groan.
Just then…
A voice came from beside her.
“You really do live in a way I can’t understand.”
“You were already staggering during swordsmanship class…”
“Yet you never rest.”
“And now you’re doing the same thing again.”
It was Rakan.
Apparently finished tuning his cello, he quietly looked at Elizia.
His emerald eyes shimmered indifferently beneath the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Following his gaze…
Elizia looked down at her own fingertips before answering casually.
“Because I want to be good at everything.”
“Why?”
“You’re the future Queen.”
“You don’t even have any rivals.”
“That’s exactly why.”
“I have to become even more perfect.”
“I’m going to become a queen my people can be proud of.”
“I’ll make Ortigia…”
“And my people…”
“Happy.”
She smiled sincerely.
She had been fortunate enough to be born into the royal family.
Fortunate enough to become the future queen.
But she had never once taken the weight of that position lightly.
That was why she had traveled all the way to the neutral nation of Swena to attend the Royal Academy.
That was why she always gave everything her full effort.
Rakan tightened his grip on the cello.
His gaze quietly settled on her.
Usually…
His eyes looked indifferent toward everything.
Yet now…
They seemed as though they were trying to see straight into her heart.
“You’re a very strange princess.”
“Am I?”
“I’ve hardly met many royals.”
“So I don’t really know what the average is like.”
You’re the strange one.
An arrogant noble with an impossible personality.
She desperately resisted saying it aloud.
“You remind me of my younger sibling.”
“Then they must be beautiful.”
“He’s a man.”
“…A man?”
“That’s right.”
“We’re only half-related…”
“But he’s just as handsome as I am.”
“I’m sure he is.”
Elizia answered flatly.
Should she take being compared to someone’s younger brother as a compliment?
Did that mean she looked masculine?
No one had ever told her that before.
“My younger brother is just like you.”
“He works so hard it’s almost foolish.”
“And he loves his homeland enough to amaze me.”
“Is that so?”
Her response remained completely indifferent.
Perhaps sensing her lack of enthusiasm…
Rakan let out a quiet chuckle.
Yet the smile lingering on his lips didn’t disappear.
It was an unfamiliar expression.
Elizia quietly studied his face.
Warm sunlight poured through the window…
Illuminating his golden hair.
Why did this moment feel so strangely unfamiliar?
Awkward.
Uncomfortable.
That perfectly described the relationship between her and Rakan.
And yet…
Surprisingly…
She didn’t dislike talking with him.
It truly was a strange feeling.
The day’s classes finally ended.
Elizia lay sprawled across the carpet, drying her damp hair.
The gentle scent of orange blossoms filled the room.
Sophie flopped down beside her.
“Elizia.”
“The Academy Anniversary Ball is coming up soon.”
“You know about it, right?”
Elizia, who had been absentmindedly sniffing the fragrance of Sophie’s wet hair, turned toward her.
“Yes.”
“I received the notice.”
“Have you decided who you’re going with?”
“Which male student will escort you?”
A male student…
For some inexplicable reason…
Rakan’s face immediately appeared in her mind.
The thought was so absurd that she frowned and shook her head.
Me? Attending the ball with him?
Just because I don’t know any other male students?
Absolutely not.
She didn’t even want to accidentally walk into the ballroom beside him.
If they merely appeared together…
It would undoubtedly create endless trouble.
The jealous stares from countless female students.
Rumors that she had started pursuing Rakan.
She hated those kinds of baseless misunderstandings.
Sitting upright, she asked,
“I don’t have to attend with a male student… do I?”
“Of course not.”
“I’m not either.”
“But Senior…”
“Aren’t you dating Senior Frederick?”
“Won’t you go with him?”
“Well…”
“I’m only a commoner.”
“Entering an official event beside the son of a duke is…”
“A little difficult.”
Sophie smiled faintly.
It was a gentle smile…
Yet the bitterness behind it was impossible to miss.
Although she was the daughter of one of the wealthiest merchants in the country…
She was still, in the end…
A commoner.
Elizia…
Who had spent her entire life receiving the privileges of royalty…
Could never truly understand Sophie’s feelings.
Even so…
She couldn’t help feeling a little saddened.
Sophie tilted her head.
“Elizia…”
“If you haven’t chosen anyone yet…”
“Would you like to enter with me?”
“I’d love to.”
Elizia smiled brightly and nodded.
The Academy Anniversary Ball would take place only a few days later.
A masquerade had already been held several weeks ago.
Yet this celebration was expected to be every bit as grand.
The Royal Academy was located within one of the wealthiest nations.
Tuition alone was expensive.
And its students consisted almost entirely of the children of royalty and high nobility from every kingdom.
Naturally…
Its celebrations were magnificent.
Most students entered the ballroom in pairs.
Sometimes a man and woman.
Sometimes two women.
Sometimes two men.
Fortunately…
No one thought much of attending without a romantic partner.
That was a great relief for Elizia.
After all…
The only male student she truly knew…
Was Rakan.
“By the way, Senior Sophie…”
“I heard the ball has a rather unusual tradition.”
“It does.”
“Every year, the academy chooses the Rose and the Lily.”
“I heard it’s decided by a vote?”
“That’s right.”
The Rose represented the academy’s female students.
The Lily represented the male students.
Every Academy Anniversary Ball…
One of each would be chosen as the academy’s representatives.
In truth…
It was little more than a popularity contest.
“Isn’t that a little strange?”
“It feels like people are just being judged by their appearance.”
“That’s partly true.”
“But only students who volunteer are eligible.”
“Besides…”
“The winners are usually decided beforehand anyway.”
“They’re already decided?”
“Even though there’s voting?”
“Officially it’s a vote.”
“But connections matter just as much.”
That made sense.
Almost every student was either royalty or nobility.
Most were connected through powerful families.
Naturally…
Those with the strongest social circles had the advantage.
For someone like Elizia…
Who wasn’t especially sociable…
It was almost unimaginable.
Nodding in understanding…
She looked at Sophie with sparkling eyes.
“Do you know who’s expected to win?”
Sophie smiled awkwardly.
“The Rose will most likely be…”
“Beth.”
“Elizabeth Marche.”
“…Beth?”
“Senior Beth?!”
“Yes.”
“She’s royalty.”
“She has strong ties to the Empire.”
“And she has plenty of influential connections.”
“……”
Elizia’s face immediately twisted.
What?
Beth?!
That Beth?!
The very same princess who constantly bullied her…
Laughed mockingly…
And walked away?
She’s going to become the Rose?
The image of Beth standing proudly on stage saying,
“Thank you all for choosing me as this year’s Rose!”
Filled Elizia with irritation.
I hope she trips while stepping off the stage!
And I hope I’m there to laugh at her!
Even entertaining such petty thoughts…
She realized…
Perhaps she wasn’t nearly as generous a person as she’d like to believe.
Still glaring angrily…
She suddenly remembered something and turned back toward Sophie.
“Then who’s expected to become the Lily?”
“…It’s not Senior Rakan, is it?”
Surely not.
Then again…
He was practically the academy’s prince already.
If anyone could become the Lily…
It would be him.
Holding onto that suspicion…
She asked the question.
Sophie quietly shook her head.
“No.”
“He hates attracting that kind of attention.”
“Really?”
He hates attention?
That narcissist?
She had always imagined him climbing onto the stage with an expression that declared,
“Behold my beauty!”
“Admire me!”
It was unexpected.
Though…
Thinking about it…
It wasn’t completely unbelievable.
Aside from those occasional bursts of absurd confidence and narcissism…
He usually carried himself with an almost unnaturally quiet presence.
“Then who’s expected to become the Lily?”
“…Frederick Watts.”
“Frederick Watts?”
“Your boyfriend?”
Sophie nodded awkwardly.
Elizia pictured the man whose name she’d heard so many times.
Surprisingly…
She had never actually seen his face.
They were in different years.
Unless they happened to share an elective class…
They would hardly ever meet.
Frederick Watts.
The son of an Imperial Duke.
Sophie’s boyfriend.
Considering his noble birth…
And extensive connections…
It wasn’t surprising he was expected to become the Lily.
In only a few minutes…
She had learned quite a lot.
Thinking about Beth made her frown.
Thinking about Frederick made her nod thoughtfully.
Meanwhile…
Beth came to a stop while passing through the first-floor lobby of the girls’ dormitory.
Before her stood a magnificent crimson box.
Its glittering inscription read—
“We Are Looking for This Year’s Rose of the Royal Academy.”
Inside…
There was almost certainly already a slip bearing Beth’s own name.
Tilting her head slightly…
Beth stared at the box for a long moment.
Then she stepped closer.
A golden pen appeared in her hand.
In the dim lobby…
Only the scratching of its nib against paper could be heard.
The soft glow of the lamps shimmered across her pale skin.
The corner of her lips curled into a mocking smile.
“Let’s see you make a complete fool of yourself.”
Elizia Worder Ortigia.
That was the name Beth carefully wrote onto the ballot.
