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Chapter 10
“Honestly, you’re so stubborn! If you’re going to argue, at least pick the right things to insist on.”
Andrew already looked as if he had won, lounging with an air of ease.
“Ah! Whatever.”
Richard turned his head away, clearly irritated.
‘This…’
Marco’s silent encouragement didn’t seem to matter at all. The way Richard was so quick to flare up was proof enough—his mental state was already shaken.
“Haha. Already regretting it?”
“Forget it. I’ve got class.”
Leaving Marco and Andrew—who were, in any case, heading to the same lecture—Richard walked out of Pearl Square.
And late that night, Richard returned to the estate completely drunk, reeking of alcohol, stumbling as if his body could barely hold itself together. It was only the natural conclusion of the day.
* * *
The first-floor lobby of the Academy’s main building was livelier than usual.
Students reading books, engaging in discussions or casual conversation, and groups of heavily dressed young women filled the space in bright clusters.
“Do I look okay?”
“Yes. You’re beautiful. The prince will definitely fall for you if he sees you.”
“Oh my! What are you saying? You’re the pretty one. Hohoho. Your hair looks especially nice today!”
“Really? This is a secret, but… just between us girls, okay?”
They kept praising each other, lowering their voices and giggling among themselves.
“Ah! Over there!”
“It’s the prince!”
Someone shouted loudly.
Through the tall central window connecting to the second floor, sunlight poured into the lobby and illuminated the chandelier above. Walking through the grand archway between the entrance hall and the central hall was Franz.
Even though Franz was always the finest subject to look at, today the light itself seemed to fall upon him with reverence.
“……”
“……”
Everyone froze at the sight before them, breath caught in their throats. They stared blankly, unable to speak, not even swallowing audibly.
Crossing the center of the hall bathed in sunlight, his golden hair shimmered into a platinum hue. His cool blue eyes and noble posture, along with his radiant hair, were enough to mesmerize anyone watching.
After his entrance, the silent lobby erupted into murmurs within three seconds.
Whispers spread rapidly—people no longer just stealing glances but openly staring. Yet Franz’s steps remained unhurried. As he crossed the wide arched lobby, he casually nodded at those whose eyes met his, as if it were a habitual gesture.
Then it happened.
Franz’s smooth stride came to a halt.
A strange gaze had been prickling at him for some time—different from the usual attention he was accustomed to. It felt oddly persistent.
He was used to the admiration and attention of others, yet this was something he could not ignore.
‘What is it?’
Standing in the center of the lobby, Franz turned his head toward the right corridor extending from the hall.
“……”
Between the marble columns lining both ends, the long corridor showed nothing unusual. Aside from the usual admiring gazes, there was nothing that matched that strange sensation.
* * *
‘Whew… almost got caught on the first day.’
Ela exhaled in relief as she looked at Loren.
‘Loren, you really are my lifelong friend.’
If Loren hadn’t spoken to her just before Franz turned his head, she might have been discovered.
‘No, even if we had made eye contact, I wouldn’t have been caught. I wasn’t the only one looking anyway.’
She convinced herself it was nothing to worry about and relaxed.
Two hours earlier, Central Hall
Ela had been waiting for Prince Franz for hours. She didn’t know exactly when he would arrive, so she had simply waited.
Finding out his schedule wasn’t difficult. All she had to do was listen to the girls constantly gossiping; useful information came easily that way. And once a week when the prince came to the Academy, the place was always crowded with girls trying to see him—so she wouldn’t stand out.
‘Ugh… I’m hungry. Why isn’t he here? His class is about to start. Seriously, I don’t like him.’
Her stomach growled loudly as she skipped lunch, clutching it in frustration while mentally complaining about Franz.
Then, at some point, the atmosphere around her changed.
The air that had been calm began to stir with energy and excitement.
And then she saw him—Prince Franz walking through the doors with effortless grace.
He filled the space simply by existing. Not even the blatant stares of others caused him to look away. He walked as if none of it mattered.
‘Well… this makes things easier.’
Ela observed him carefully, freely staring now that she wouldn’t stand out.
Honestly, her first thought was: He looks even better than in pictures.
So unreal it almost felt artificial.
She once scoffed at people who said it was a blessing that their country even had a prince like him, but now she understood.
And then another thought came to her: Could I even draw him better than reality?
Honestly, she wasn’t sure she could even capture him accurately. Distorting him would be a relief. Seeing him up close had strangely weakened her confidence.
An unexplainable discomfort settled in her chest as she looked at him. She bit her lip absentmindedly.
Then a voice called her back to reality.
“Ela.”
“….”
“Ela.”
“Huh?”
She turned toward the voice. It was Loren.
“Oh… Loren.”
“What are you spacing out for? Didn’t class already end today?”
“Yeah, it did.”
“Then why are you still here at the Academy? Don’t tell me you stayed just to see the prince?”
“W-what? No, I was—”
Before she could come up with an excuse, Loren continued.
“Ahh, you were in the art studio drawing, weren’t you?”
“Y-yeah. Something like that.”
“It’s really unfair that women can’t enter the Royal Academy of Arts. Someone as talented as you…”
“There are plenty of people better than me.”
“I don’t know them. In my eyes, you’re the best.”
“Thanks, Loren.”
Loren’s sincerity always gave Ela strength.
‘But seriously, why is the prince still here?!’
Ela tried to act indifferent, but when she glanced over, she still felt Franz’s blue gaze lingering in her direction. The moment their eyes almost met, she quickly looked away.
It felt like a flash of blue light piercing through her.
Realizing that, she straightened her posture unnecessarily and nodded vigorously at Loren’s words, swallowing her relief.
“By the way… you were looking at Prince Franz earlier, right?”
Loren asked with amused curiosity.
“Huh? Did it show that much?”
Ela admitted it without hesitation. There was no point in hiding it.
“Most people here are looking at him anyway. I was just surprised you were one of them.”
“I saw him properly for the first time today, and honestly… he really is handsome. I understand why everyone’s so obsessed, despite all the rumors about him. I get it now.”
“Just ‘get it’?”
“…Okay, I completely get it.”
Loren widened her eyes, then burst out laughing.
“I didn’t expect you to say that.”
“I mean, how does someone with such an angelic face live like that?”
“Haha. You mean his reputation with women? Well, he’s the classic case—face good, personality complicated. Still better than being ugly and arrogant.”
“Both sound terrible.”
“My brother’s worse, honestly. At least the prince owns it.”
Loren complained about her older brother, fanning herself in irritation.
Ela quietly patted her shoulder in sympathy.
* * *
Franz stood in the corridor with one hand in his pocket, staring ahead.
A faint smile crossed his lips.
‘…Am I imagining things?’
Unable to find anything unusual, he resumed walking.
But then, something shifted.
‘Who was that?’
The source of the feeling was undeniably a girl he had never seen before.
As he ascended the stairs, he recalled her face.
‘Was she even a student here?’
He knew very well how people looked at him—admiration, reverence, fascination, jealousy, even hostility.
But there was one thing that never appeared.
Indifference.
Yet in that fleeting moment, he had felt exactly that—complete indifference.
‘That blank expression… what was that?’
His instincts told him clearly: the strange gaze was hers.
Still, he acted as if he hadn’t noticed and continued up the stairs.
He made sure to remember her face.
An unremarkable face—one he would normally forget immediately.
