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Looking for the Runaway Princess – Chapter : 4
Elizia shook her neatly tied hair in frustration. Stray strands stuck out messily in all directions.
Rakan, watching her, lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and smiled.
“Protecting beautiful women is both a duty and responsibility that men should have.”
Just as expected. Elizia bit her lip tightly.
“Next time, please try facing me with full strength. Let’s see if you can still win so easily then.”
“….”
“And for the record, I will defeat you someday. I promise.”
Rakan fell silent at her aggressive tone. He only looked at her with an indifferent expression.
Elizia met his gaze calmly.
After a moment, he crossed his arms. Instead of saying yes or no, he simply remained silent.
Elizia pointed slightly under her eyes.
“I may be worse than you in stamina, but I have very good observation skills. That attack you aimed at my neck earlier—you pulled it back on purpose, didn’t you?”
“….”
“So next time, let’s have a proper spar. Even if I lose, I want to lose honestly.”
Rakan tapped his arm lightly with his fingers, as if thinking.
Then he looked up at the sky, then back at her face, and let out a small sigh-like laugh.
“Fine. I understand what you mean. And if you felt offended earlier, I’ll apologize. It wasn’t my intention to toy with your effort.”
“…Yes.”
Elizia stared at his face with a strange expression.
Royals and nobles often shared certain traits. Not all, but most were selfish and self-centered. They were used to being served.
Even if she didn’t like admitting it, she also had a bit of that nature inside her.
So Rakan’s apology surprised her slightly.
His clean, straightforward apology made her think he might be arrogant, but not as narrow-minded as she expected.
In any case, there was nothing more to say.
“Then I’ll head back now.”
She needed to wash up and change.
After a simple goodbye, she turned without hesitation.
Rakan stood in the afternoon sunlight, watching her walk away. Her tied-up hair shimmered under the sun.
His transparent green eyes looked faintly amused.
Her whole body ached.
Compared to the royal palace where sword training was freer, the academy’s classes were strict and structured.
By evening, Elizia could only collapse onto her bed and groan.
Her roommate Sophie sat on the opposite bed, and they chatted casually.
“How was your class, Elizia?”
“It was fun, but I fell asleep during the first lecture… it was a bit embarrassing.”
And I got humiliated by Rakan’s gaze too, she thought—but didn’t say it out loud.
“That was Ancient History, right? I can see why you’d fall asleep.”
“But still… anyway, the next class was sword training, and I completely lost to a male student.”
She also swallowed the part where she wanted to say, he was Rakan’s senior.
“That so?”
Sophie replied as if it was obvious. In her mind, it made sense—a slender princess couldn’t possibly beat a man.
Elizia recalled her spar with Rakan.
It wasn’t boasting, but she had never been weak compared to male knights before. She usually fought on equal terms even if she lost.
But Rakan’s skill was on an entirely different level—so overwhelming she couldn’t even feel envy.
Then she thought of the Imperial prince again.
The one who was said to have achieved military success from a young age on various battlefields.
The ugly portrait man with a twisted smile—Prince Nobila Herbe Karund.
He was young, noble, and from a prestigious bloodline.
If such a prince had been in battlefields all that time, even a few achievements could easily turn into exaggerated rumors.
Until now, she had thought so.
But now she wasn’t so sure.
If even a mere noble like Rakan was that strong, how strong would the prince be?
If war breaks out again… wouldn’t that be dangerous? If even Imperial nobles are like that…
A chill ran down her spine. But she quickly shook the thought away.
It was pointless to worry about something that might never happen.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen the prince today.
Well, the academy was huge, and they weren’t even in the same year or building. It made sense.
Still, she was curious.
“Senior Sophie, what kind of person is the Imperial prince like?”
Sophie’s expression turned strange.
“You haven’t met him yet?”
“No. The school is big.”
“…Is that even possible?”
“I guess it is?”
Elizia tilted her head, confused.
Sophie muttered something like, “Did he skip class?” then shook off her confusion.
“The prince… he’s basically very popular.”
“…Is that so?”
Elizia repeated Sophie’s earlier words.
She recalled the ugly portrait in her wardrobe.
That level of ugliness isn’t something you see often…
But if he was popular, then he must have something as a prince.
Power could overshadow appearance. Or perhaps he had a different kind of charm.
Even Elizia had once felt her heart race when a not-so-handsome gardener carved a tree into a swan shape.
“He’s the Imperial prince, after all. And he’s unmarried at nineteen. If you become connected to him, you’d enter the imperial family.”
“I see.”
Elizia answered casually.
Things like love or becoming part of the imperial family felt too distant from her life to take seriously.
Especially since she and the prince were from enemy nations and had no personal connection.
“And he’s practically the future crown prince.”
“Then wouldn’t he have a political marriage anyway? Even if we met here, it would only be temporary.”
“Still, there’s always a chance. And he doesn’t even get close to female students. That makes him feel like a beautiful unreachable flower on a cliff—so people want him even more.”
“…Ah.”
Elizia let out a small laugh at the description.
A flower? From every angle, I don’t think you could call him a flower… maybe a sword at best.
She thought of someone else instead—Damian.
“Come to think of it… I wonder how Damian is doing.”
Damian. The duke’s son one year younger than her. Her unofficial fiancé.
It wasn’t officially decided yet, but it was practically understood.
When he came of age, a formal engagement would likely be arranged.
And yet, he was someone who loved another girl.
Since childhood, Elizia had believed they would end up together.
But reality had been cruel.
It had all been her misunderstanding.
She had never imagined his heart belonged to someone else.
She recalled a memory.
“I really like you, Damian. I think I’d be happy doing anything with you.”
When she said that with a bright smile, Damian had only smiled gently as always.
But he never once said, “I feel the same, princess.”
He would say things like, “I like this food, princess,” or “I enjoy horseback riding too, princess,” always politely matching her words.
And then she saw the truth one day.
At a party hosted by Damian’s family.
She went out alone to the garden to cool down.
Under the moonlight, red roses bloomed beautifully—and within the rose bushes, she saw a couple whispering to each other.
One of them was Damian.
“Princess Elizia is inside.”
“It’s fine. The only person in front of me right now is you.”
“….”
“And Princess Elizia can’t resent me. She loves me too much.”
“Damian…”
“Melissa, I’m sorry I can’t be with you. Please focus only on me right now.”
Listening from afar, Elizia’s legs trembled.
Damian already knew her feelings. And yet he loved someone else.
And he was suffering from a love that could not be fulfilled.
He refused his family’s order to marry the princess, yet also lacked the courage to express his true feelings.
Normally, she would have called him a coward.
But in love, Elizia could only continue to like him unconditionally.
Telling herself he was just trying not to hurt her.
“I like you so much, Damian. I feel like I could be happy with you forever.”
When she said that, Damian had simply smiled gently.
But he never returned her feelings.
She had been naive.
“…Anyway, I’ll end up marrying him.”
She turned away from the rose garden, wiping her tears under her gloves.
And yet, she continued to stay near him—until she finally came to the academy and was able to distance herself.
Elizia pressed her chest.
Just the memory made her heart sting.
She thought of Damian’s gentle face… his soft blue eyes.
Then she thought of Rakan.
Both had blond hair, but their atmospheres were completely different.
Rakan’s golden hair felt cold somehow, his emerald eyes sharp and distant.
Maybe it was his arrogance. Or the way he looked down on people even when smiling.
“Come to think of it… I haven’t thought much about Damian since coming here.”
Instead, she kept thinking about Rakan.
She lay down on her bed, exhausted.
Covering herself with the blanket, she recalled their spar.
Next time, I really want to beat him… maybe throw sand in his eyes? No, that would be humiliating if I still lose.
She pulled the blanket over her head.
After saying goodnight to Sophie, the lights went out.
Soon sleep came.
That night, Damian’s face no longer appeared in her dreams.
Elizia was in the school cafeteria with Sophie, waiting for the next sword training class.
“Ah!”
She suddenly stood up.
Something cold and melting slid down her shoulder—ice cream spilled onto her.
Someone had bumped into her while passing by.
A laughing voice came.
“Sorry, Elizia. I’m not used to carrying things myself instead of a servant.”
Elizia slowly turned her head.
Bess was holding an empty ice cream cup.
She didn’t look sorry at all.
As always, she was surrounded by three female students like attendants.
