Chapter 09
“I saw your name on one of the vases by the entrance… I knew you were ambitious, but I never imagined you wanted to become the school representative too.”
Speaking lightly, Rakan lifted a single rose.
Later, the roses and lilies would be used as ballots during the voting.
Elizia finally relaxed her stiff expression.
“Of course I have ambition. I’m a crown princess with a claim to the throne.”
A sigh escaped her lips.
She wasn’t sure what exactly she was feeling.
Was she grateful that he was helping smooth over the situation?
Satisfied that he hadn’t taken Beth’s side?
Or simply pleased that he had chosen to speak to her rather than Beth?
Rakan tilted his head slightly and looked toward Beth.
The playful expression had vanished from his face.
With an indifferent gaze, he spoke lazily.
“Elizabeth Marche. That’s enough.”
The words were simple.
No elaboration.
No unnecessary additions.
Yet Beth’s face immediately stiffened.
She took a step backward and reluctantly nodded.
The one surprised by that reaction was Elizia.
She was actually stopping?
Just because he told her to?
For someone who had been acting so arrogant and vicious moments ago, it was a remarkably obedient response.
Is it because Senior Beth likes him?
If you like someone, do you naturally become that conscious of their opinion?
A strange bitterness settled in her mouth.
Still, thanks to Rakan, the atmosphere was calming down.
She had been wondering how to end this unpleasant confrontation, so the outcome was welcome.
Looking exhausted, Elizia took Sophie’s arm and gave her a meaningful glance.
It was time to leave.
“Then we’ll be going now. Senior Beth, I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening.”
Before leaving, she did not forget to offer a proper farewell.
She disliked Beth, but rules were rules.
Beth was her senior.
Elizia had no intention of giving anyone grounds to criticize her behavior.
Beth glanced once at Rakan before responding with a reluctant,
“Fine.”
Music flowed through the ballroom like air itself.
The melody was so peaceful that the earlier disturbance almost felt like a dream.
As Elizia walked away, she casually looked around.
The surrounding students pretended to be eating finger foods or discussing unrelated topics.
But there was no way they had missed what happened.
Every one of them had been listening.
What kind of looks would she receive tomorrow?
The aggressive princess.
The unrefined princess.
That princess who threw a man to the floor.
Those kinds of whispers were inevitable.
Her nanny had repeatedly warned her to behave like a proper princess.
But Elizia quickly dismissed the thought.
…It can’t be helped.
She could laugh off attacks aimed at herself.
Beth’s insults had never hurt her.
But allowing Sophie to be targeted as well?
That was different.
Even if she could go back in time, she knew she would make the same choice.
Besides, what was done was done.
There was no changing it now.
Finding an empty corner, she sat down and took a bite of cranberry pie.
The turbulent emotions inside her gradually settled.
She glanced toward Beth.
Beth stood among several noble ladies, her lips pressed tightly together while they nervously watched her.
Rakan’s gaze landed on the vase bearing Elizia’s name.
“Elizia, you don’t seem like the type who would sign up for something like that.”
“Well… somehow it happened.”
She answered vaguely.
She had no desire to complain.
Someone registered me without permission! And that someone is probably the awful Senior Beth!
Saying something like that felt childish.
The chandelier lights shimmered above Rakan’s head.
Watching his brilliant blond hair glow beneath the crystal light, Elizia suddenly thought of the Imperial Crown Prince.
He possessed the same golden hair as Rakan.
The prince was probably somewhere among the countless guests gathered in the ballroom.
Yet she made no effort to find him.
Instead, she found herself looking at Rakan again.
Holding his glass, he gazed down at the table.
The chandelier’s light scattered along the tips of his eyelashes.
He was doing nothing more than drinking water.
Yet her eyes were naturally drawn toward him.
As always, his appearance was almost unfairly beautiful.
Suddenly, she felt worried.
What if Senior Rakan catches the Crown Prince’s displeasure?
She was the princess of an enemy nation.
Beth was the princess of an allied kingdom.
Under those circumstances, deciding which side an Imperial noble should support ought to have been obvious.
Yet Rakan had not sided with Beth.
One could even call it reckless.
What if the Crown Prince reprimanded him?
What if people accused him of fraternizing with an enemy nation?
The thought bothered her.
Apparently, she had grown attached to the irritating senior.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, Rakan suddenly looked up.
Then, as though remembering something, he called over two men.
They had been chatting nearby.
“Frederick. Nigel.”
The two men, standing roughly ten paces away, approached immediately.
Though she had never spoken with them before, Elizia had seen them accompanying Rakan from a distance several times.
Setting down his glass, Rakan placed a hand on the shoulder of the brown-haired man.
“Elizia. These are Frederick and Nigel, my close friends and your seniors. Frederick, Nigel. This is my direct junior, Elizia Woder Ortigia.”
“Hello. I’m Elizia. It’s nice to meet you.”
The introduction was sudden, but Elizia greeted them calmly.
She already knew who Frederick was.
He was Sophie’s boyfriend.
Frederick had soft brown curls and intelligent eyes.
He looked remarkably clever.
After smiling warmly at Sophie, he greeted Elizia.
“It’s a pleasure, Princess Elizia. Since academy rules are academy rules, may I speak casually? …I’m Frederick Watts, eldest son of the House of Watts.”
“Of course. Nice to meet you. I’m Elizia, Princess of Ortigia.”
“I’ve seen you around several times, but this is our first proper introduction. I look forward to getting along with you.”
Perhaps because he was Sophie’s partner, his personality seemed similar to hers.
His gentle voice and pleasant manner left a favorable impression.
Next came the red-haired man named Nigel.
He possessed a large, sturdy frame.
Judging from the thick calluses on his palms, he clearly spent a great deal of time holding a sword.
He spoke bluntly.
The easy smile he usually showed around Rakan was completely gone.
“Nigel Travis. Second son of House Travis.”
“Elizia Woder Ortigia. Princess of Ortigia.”
“…”
Nigel’s greeting was short.
Elizia’s response was equally brief.
And her expression clearly conveyed:
A mere duke’s second son dares to act this way?
Nigel’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
Elizia did not care.
Meanwhile, Frederick had already moved beside Sophie and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
He even leaned down to whisper a greeting into her ear.
Sophie seemed visibly embarrassed by his public display of affection.
She turned her head uneasily.
Then her eyes met Nigel’s.
Immediately, she lowered her gaze again.
Nigel looked at her with the expression one might use when observing a passing stray dog.
He disliked the fact that she was a commoner.
But because she was his friend’s lover, he tolerated her existence.
It was the arrogance of someone who had spent his entire life among the highest ranks of nobility.
Elizia instantly noticed the tension between them.
Nigel disapproved of both herself and Sophie.
An enemy princess and an Imperial commoner.
Neither appealed to him.
If someone disliked her presence, there was no reason to remain nearby.
Elizia gave Nigel one last sideways glance before walking over to Sophie.
Sophie had been absentmindedly rubbing her clasped hands together while staring downward.
“Senior Sophie, let’s go somewhere else and have fun.”
“…Okay.”
Sophie nodded cautiously.
She looked relieved to be leaving.
Frederick appeared somewhat disappointed by her reaction, but there was nothing he could do.
“Well then, Seniors, enjoy the party. It was nice meeting you.”
After offering a brief farewell, Elizia turned away.
Now it was time to escape this uncomfortable atmosphere and return to her cheerful friends.
The hem of her dress swayed gently as she walked away.
Rakan watched her retreating figure.
Then his gaze shifted to the rose resting on the table.
Its color reminded him of her pink lips.
The lively music had gradually softened.
The headmaster’s speech, detailing the academy’s history, marked the beginning of the next event.
Student ballet performances and musical recitals followed.
The atmosphere grew warmer.
Laughter became louder.
Time passed.
Then the music abruptly stopped.
All the lights in the ballroom went out.
A brilliant spotlight illuminated the stage.
Students stopped talking.
Couples stopped dancing.
Everyone turned toward the platform.
Standing there was the headmaster of the Royal Academy.
Dressed in blue robes, the elderly man stroked his white beard.
He wore a proud smile, clearly pleased with the gathering before him.
Although everyone was already paying attention, he still tapped his glass twice with a small rod.
Clink.
Clink.
Then he gestured toward the left side of the entrance.
The spotlight shifted.
It illuminated four flower vases.
[Frederick Watts]
[Darren Valeri]
[Elizabeth Marche]
[Elizia Woder Ortigia]
The names of the Rose and Lily candidates.
Elizia narrowed her eyes.
Seeing her own name there still felt strange.
The headmaster’s cheerful voice rang through the hall.
“Now then! It is time to choose this year’s Rose and Lily!”
The voting had begun.
The ballroom brightened once more.
Lively music resumed.
Perhaps it was the quick tempo of the strings.
Or perhaps it was something else.
But Elizia felt her heart beating slightly faster.
I don’t care about the voting.
That was what she had told herself.
Yet standing before the possibility of a very public defeat felt different.
Especially since she had never volunteered for this.
And especially because Beth was responsible.
At least Sophie, my friends, and the others will vote for me.
Altogether that should be six or seven roses.
Elizia twirled a lock of hair around her finger and nodded.
That would be enough.
Even if Beth’s vase ended up overflowing with hundreds of roses.
The first person to approach the vases was Beth.
With graceful elegance, she placed a rose into a vase.
Naturally, it was the one bearing the name Elizabeth Marche.
Then she added a lily to one of the Lily candidates’ vases as well.
Voting itself was casual.
There were no orderly lines.
People simply approached whenever they wished—between conversations, dances, and refreshments.
When should I go vote?
She was watching Beth’s friends place roses into Beth’s vase while deciding on her own timing when a shadow suddenly fell across her face.
Then she heard Rakan’s low voice.
“Did you know something, Elizia?”
“What?”
She looked up at him.
The chandelier light poured down over his head like a halo.
Strangely enough, his eyes seemed gentle.
The usual detached smile felt like a distant memory.
“Today, I think I can finally act like a proper direct senior.”
“A proper direct senior?”
“Yes.”
He nodded.
“I haven’t exactly been a very good one so far.”
“I’m glad you’re aware of that.”
Elizia looked at him curiously.
What exactly did he intend to do?
Instead of answering, Rakan lightly tapped the rose in his hand.
“I’ll be back.”
With those brief words, he walked toward the vases.
And though he was doing nothing more than walking—
Everyone watched.
Students.
Professors.
Invited guests.
People pretended not to stare.
Yet every gaze followed him.
Finally, Rakan arrived before the vases.
For a moment he stood there alone.
Then he placed his rose inside one.
The stem touched the water with a soft splash.
It was Elizia’s purple vase.
Elizia tightened her grip around the rose she was holding.
Beth was the princess of a kingdom allied with the Empire.
Naturally, everyone expected Rakan to vote for her.
Murmurs spread through the ballroom.
Some stole glances at his profile.
Others leaned close to whisper among themselves.
What did it mean?
Surely there was some deeper intention.
Yet Rakan ignored all of them.
As though his task were complete, he simply picked up a lily.
Then he placed it inside Frederick’s vase.
Elizia suddenly remembered his earlier words.
I’ll act like a proper direct senior today.
So that’s what he meant.
But… is this really okay? I’m from an enemy nation.
And he’s doing it so openly.
At the same time, she felt deeply grateful.
Even if it only meant adding one more rose to the six or seven she expected.
A smile threatened to spread across her lips.
She bit down on them to hide it.
At first, she had thought of him as an unfriendly senior who ignored his juniors.
An arrogant man obsessed with himself.
Yet after growing somewhat closer, he was actually looking out for her.
Because it was so unexpected, the gesture touched her even more.
After casting both votes, Rakan turned around.
Others immediately stepped forward to vote.
Elizia offered him an awkward smile as he walked back toward her.
Thanking him directly felt strangely embarrassing.
Yet simply pretending nothing had happened felt wrong as well.
Then she noticed what was happening behind him.
Her smile vanished.
Confusion filled her face.
…What is going on?
The people who approached the vases after Rakan—
Every single one of them—
Was placing flowers into Elizia’s vase.
