Chapter 06
The first day of the week.
The first class of the day was Understanding Ancient History.
But today, the atmosphere was noticeably different.
Because Rakan—who normally kept his distance—had taken the seat right beside Elizia.
Just before class began, he strolled into the lecture hall at an unhurried pace and, as though it were the most natural thing in the world, sat next to her.
Naturally, everyone’s eyes turned toward them.
Yet Rakan looked perfectly calm.
The only one flustered…
Was Elizia.
Is he trying to put me in an awkward position because I’m the princess of an enemy kingdom?
As if to confirm her suspicion, Beth, seated several rows ahead, was glaring at her as though Elizia had murdered her father.
Pretending not to notice, Elizia quietly turned her head.
Only to find Rakan beside her, wearing his usual detached expression.
“…The High Pontiff of the early Ancient Empire possessed religious authority as its supreme leader. However, as a symbol of holiness, he did not participate in politics. But as time passed…”
The professor continued lecturing.
Unfortunately…
Almost none of it reached Elizia’s ears.
Because of Rakan.
Suppressing a sigh, she found herself staring at his hands.
His long, elegant fingers—rough from swordsmanship yet surprisingly refined—held a slender metal pen with effortless grace.
And what was he drawing?
Circles.
Triangles.
Clouds.
Meaningless doodles.
“…”
Elizia silently looked away.
His face and posture were those of the most attentive student imaginable…
Yet his hand was busy doodling because he was obviously bored.
She glanced back at him.
His expression remained perfectly serious.
…Just who is this man?
Her brows knit together slightly.
She barely remembered how class ended.
Elizia packed her books as slowly as possible.
Mostly because she hoped Senior Rakan would simply leave first.
Instead…
After gathering his belongings, he stood beside her and patiently waited.
The moment she finished packing, he spoke as though it were obvious.
“Let’s go.”
Why…?
Just go already.
Is he planning to walk with me all the way to swordsmanship class?
With obvious reluctance, Elizia looked at him.
“Are you asking me to walk with you?”
“Is asking obvious questions your hobby?”
“And is answering a question with another question your specialty?”
“…”
“…”
Silence settled between them.
A moment later, Rakan let out an incredulous chuckle.
“You’re my direct junior.”
“I’ve decided it’s time I started looking after you.”
“So come with me.”
At last…
A proper answer.
Yet Elizia still looked dissatisfied.
Now he wanted to take care of her?
After ignoring her for two entire weeks?
The complaint lingered at the tip of her tongue.
Swordsmanship class proceeded much as usual.
The only difference…
Was that instead of training across the field,
Rakan was practicing right beside her.
“Enough.”
“Take a short break.”
At the instructor’s command, Elizia bent forward while wiping sweat from her forehead.
Her heavy breathing escaped no matter how hard she tried to hide it.
As she stared at the ground…
Someone approached.
She didn’t even need to look to know who it was.
With a quiet sigh, she straightened up.
She didn’t want him seeing how exhausted she was.
Sure enough…
Rakan stood before her.
Once again, he looked perfectly composed.
His stamina really was monstrous.
As Elizia forced herself to breathe normally,
Rakan glanced at her.
“Elizia.”
“A sword is meant to slice.”
“Not to chop.”
“Hm?”
“Compared to men, you’re naturally at a disadvantage in raw strength.”
“So instead of meeting force head-on, you should redirect it.”
“Don’t take offense.”
“I’m not offended.”
“So?”
“Right now, you’re tensing your wrist every time you swing upward.”
“Instead of redirecting force…”
“You’re only damaging your own wrist.”
“Hmm…”
It was…
Unexpectedly detailed.
And surprisingly kind advice.
Elizia looked down at her wrist.
Relax my wrist…?
As she tilted her head, thinking over his words,
Rakan lifted one corner of his mouth.
“Your fingers are already covered in blisters.”
“And now you’re abusing your wrists too.”
“At this rate you’ll only make yourself suffer.”
“Is tormenting yourself some peculiar hobby of the princess of an enemy kingdom?”
There it is.
Just when he seemed genuinely helpful…
He always had to end with sarcasm.
As if mocking people isn’t your own hobby.
Elizia shot him an annoyed glare.
But having finished speaking,
Rakan simply clasped his hands behind his back and stepped away.
Elizia lowered her gaze to the wooden sword in her hand.
Come to think of it…
Her wrists had been aching lately.
She’d simply assumed it was because of the intense training.
But maybe that wasn’t the reason…
She raised the sword.
Whoosh.
She made another upward cut.
Just as he said…
Her wrist remained completely stiff.
Rakan shook his head with an expression that almost looked pitiful.
Why does that annoy me so much?
Biting her lip,
Elizia slowly rotated her wrist.
Trying to remember the feeling,
she swung again.
This time…
Keeping her wrist relaxed.
Making the motion smoother.
Only then…
A faint smile appeared on Rakan’s lips.
A heartbeat later,
it vanished.
His usual impassive expression returned.
“…”
Absentmindedly rubbing her wrist,
Elizia stared at her sword.
That fleeting smile…
For some reason…
It poked strangely at her heart.
Something itched inside her.
She couldn’t quite tell where.
Maybe somewhere deep in her chest.
It felt…
Odd.
Training must really be exhausting me.
That had to be it.
* * *
Time passed quickly.
Little by little,
Elizia adapted to life at the Royal Academy in the neutral Kingdom of Swena.
Aside from ignoring Beth’s constant provocations…
She genuinely enjoyed her days there.
She had grown up pampered inside the royal palace.
The fact that she could manage so well entirely on her own…
Still amazed her.
Humming softly,
Elizia quickened her pace.
She was walking toward a familiar head of golden hair in the distance.
In her hand was a small box of cookies.
Sophie had given it to her during the lunch break.
“These are cookies we baked during today’s elective class.”
“They’re surprisingly good.”
“Please deliver a box to His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.”
“I already left your box in our dorm room.”
Having said that,
Sophie hurried off to her next class.
Leaving Elizia standing there…
Staring blankly at the cookie box.
The Crown Prince?
The Empire’s Crown Prince?
Why ask me?
I don’t even know him.
No matter how much she questioned it,
Sophie was already gone.
Only the box remained in her hands.
Maybe she’s trying to help me build friendly relations with the Empire’s heir…
Future rulers meeting peacefully for the sake of continental harmony…
Muttering to herself,
Elizia wandered across campus.
Then…
Near the philosophy building,
she spotted a blond man turning the corner.
Could that be the Crown Prince?
She couldn’t see his face very clearly.
But somehow…
She had a feeling.
Call it intuition.
Gripping the handle of the cookie box tightly,
she thought perhaps this would be a good chance to introduce herself.
Eventually they would meet anyway.
Why not let these cookies serve as an opening?
Just as she hurried after the shining blond figure—
“Elizia.”
A familiar deep voice called from behind her.
Rakan.
By now,
that low voice had become strangely familiar.
Stopping mid-step,
Elizia turned around.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun,
Rakan approached at an easy pace.
“What brings you over here?”
“I didn’t think you were taking any philosophy classes.”
By the time he reached her,
he leaned down slightly—
Simply to match her eye level.
The afternoon sunlight caught gently on the tips of his golden hair.
Without realizing it,
Elizia found herself staring.
His shining blond hair.
His long eyelashes.
Snap out of it!
She suddenly came to her senses.
She’d been chasing the Imperial Crown Prince.
But Rakan’s appearance had made her forget completely.
She’d gotten distracted…
By that absurdly handsome face.
Quickly turning her head,
she searched again.
The blond man was already gone.
“He’s gone.”
She muttered to herself.
“Gone?”
“Who?”
“Oh…”
“It’s nothing.”
She answered casually before turning away again.
Rakan narrowed his eyes slightly.
His gaze shifted between the cookie box in her hands and her face.
Then he asked,
his expression suddenly serious.
“Who are those for?”
“A man?”
“Yes.”
“A man.”
“…Someone you like?”
“Huh?”
Why did that question suddenly come out of nowhere?
Someone she liked?
She was already struggling just to keep up with classes.
She barely had time to exchange greetings with male students,
let alone develop feelings for one.
Besides…
There was still Damian.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
She dismissed the idea with an absent shake of her head.
Looking up,
she found Rakan wearing his usual relaxed expression.
Leaving the philosophy building behind,
they naturally began walking together.
Rakan followed leisurely,
his hands clasped behind his back.
Is he following me?
She briefly wondered.
Then dismissed the thought.
Looking down at the cookie box,
Rakan asked,
“What’s that?”
“Cookies.”
“Cookies?”
“Yes.”
“Cookies.”
“For His Great Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Looking intrigued,
Rakan took the box from her hands.
Elizia stared at him as though asking,
Why are you taking that?
Then she simply assumed,
Maybe he’ll deliver them for me.
“Did you make them?”
“Of course not.”
“Senior Sophie asked me to deliver them.”
“They made them during an elective class.”
“Maybe I’ll take that class next semester too.”
“Go ahead.”
Rakan answered casually while rustling the box.
He was opening it.
Startled,
Elizia immediately smacked the back of his hand.
“Senior!”
“Why are you opening it without permission?”
“…I can’t?”
Rubbing the reddened back of his hand,
Rakan looked genuinely puzzled.
Elizia shook her head.
‘I can’t?’
Those are meant for His Imperial Highness!
How could an ordinary noble open them first?
Back home in Ortigia,
that alone would deserve punishment.
Then again…
The senior standing before her had never exactly been a normal person.
This was the same man who had accused a princess of trying to seduce him the first time they met.
So…
Elizia generously decided to forgive his ignorance.
“Anyway…”
“Don’t open it.”
“It’s rude.”
“…”
Rakan simply stared at her,
wearing an expression that clearly said,
I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.
Still…
He obediently closed the half-open lid.
“Perhaps Ortigia’s customs differ from ours.”
Whether it was a question,
or merely a quiet observation,
his murmur drifted away on the breeze.
How broad-minded of him to respect cultural differences.
Satisfied,
Elizia continued walking.
Then,
a thought occurred to her.
She still hadn’t met the Imperial Crown Prince.
Quite a bit of time had passed since enrollment.
She hadn’t even seen his face once.
She wasn’t sure whether to consider that fortunate or unfortunate.
There were plenty of students she hadn’t met.
But he wasn’t just another student.
He was the heir to the Empire—
Her homeland’s greatest rival.
Whether for good or ill…
They would inevitably meet someday.
Turning toward Rakan,
she asked,
“By the way…”
“What kind of person is the Empire’s Crown Prince?”
Rakan looked momentarily dumbfounded.
“That’s… actually a surprisingly difficult question, Elizia.”
“Is it?”
“I was only asking.”
“What do you think of him?”
Rakan asked with an amused smile.
Without even looking at him,
Elizia answered thoughtfully.
“I’ve heard he’s rather arrogant.”
“But he’s royalty, so that’s only natural.”
“And everyone says he’s extremely popular…”
“But?”
“Personally…”
“He’s not really my type.”
“…”
“I imagine he must have some hidden charm that outweighs his appearance.”
“I just haven’t discovered it yet.”
“Oh—and that’s only my personal preference.”
“So please don’t take it as an insult.”
“…”
As she pictured the portrait of the Crown Prince,
Elizia gradually slowed her pace.
The dormitories had already come into view.
How did we end up walking all the way here together?
Either way…
It was time to say goodbye.
Looking up,
she found Rakan staring silently at her.
He always looked relaxed.
But now…
There seemed to be the faintest trace of disbelief on his face.
Smiling brightly,
Elizia gave him a cheerful farewell.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Take care on your way too, Senior.”
“I’ll see you again if we happen to run into each other!”
Without the slightest hesitation,
she turned and walked away.
The hem of her dress fluttered gently in the breeze.
“…”
Rakan remained standing alone on the sunlit path,
silently watching her retreating figure.
Above him,
a lone pigeon glided peacefully across the evening sky.
