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I Am Searching for the Runaway Princess – Chapter : 8
What is going on?
Elijia stepped closer to the flower vase.
No matter how she looked at it, it was clear—her name was engraved on the vase.
‘I never applied for something like this.’
Confused, she tightened her grip on the stem of the flower she was holding. The delicate lily snapped with a crack.
Sophie, holding a bouquet against her chest, approached slowly. Her face was also full of confusion.
“Elijia, did you apply for this by any chance?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“But then this…”
“I don’t know what’s going on either. Besides, I don’t have many acquaintances or a strong enough social network to be receiving flowers like this.”
Elijia shook her head, still looking puzzled.
Because Svena, the neutral nation, was geographically close to the Empire, most students at the Royal Academy were from the Empire or its allied countries, rather than the Kingdom of Ortizia.
Sophie and Rakan themselves were Imperial citizens, and wasn’t Bess a princess from an allied kingdom?
In such a situation, it was unlikely that a princess from Ortizia—an enemy of the Empire—would receive many roses.
She knew that much, so she wasn’t naïve enough to apply just to become a “Rose.”
She also disliked being the center of attention like this.
And beside her large vase, there was another vase of the same size.
[Elizabeth Marché.]
It belonged to Bess.
Elijia stared at both vases for a moment, then turned away without hesitation.
She didn’t know what had happened, but it was already done. Being flustered wouldn’t change anything. It was time to regain composure.
She grabbed Sophie’s hand and moved further inside.
As she walked, the students’ gazes followed her.
The boys looked at her back with almost enchanted expressions, while the girls scanned her dress material and design.
“Elijia, you look pretty today.”
A compliment reached her ears. Elijia playfully winked at the girl who said it.
The girl laughed brightly.
Elijia and Sophie sat at a table beside the lion statue.
Elijia picked up a drink. Across from them, she could see Bess’s group.
Bess kept glancing toward Elijia while whispering to her companions, a mocking smile fixed on her lips.
‘I can roughly guess what’s going on.’
Elijia let out a faint smile. The outline of this awkward situation was becoming clearer.
Bess, who was almost certainly selected as a Rose. And beside her vase, Elijia’s own vase. The expected result—empty.
It was obvious Bess had orchestrated this to embarrass her, to humiliate her.
And she was the one left to endure it quietly.
Honestly, not receiving roses or not being selected didn’t bother or embarrass her much.
In the end, other people’s gaze was just that—other people’s gaze.
What annoyed her was simply the fact that she had been targeted by Bess again.
A childish and malicious act. She wasn’t sure how long she was supposed to tolerate Bess’s behavior.
If Bess had been a man, she would have thrown down a white glove without hesitation.
She would have demanded a proper duel to settle such ridiculous antics.
But unfortunately, Elijia was skilled enough to defeat even male students with the sword, while Bess was a delicate noble girl who had never even held one.
A quiet melody filled the hall, growing more lively.
The sunset outside had faded into night, and chandeliers lit the hall in brilliant light.
Now that not only students but also guests had arrived, the party had truly begun.
Elijia chatted and laughed with Sophie and her friends, as if she had already erased what had happened earlier from her mind.
It was her nature—not to waste emotion on problems she couldn’t solve.
“So, Elijia. During class, the professor asked, ‘In the late Plenet Dynasty of the Holy Ancient Empire, the streets were filled with fake capitals and wandering pilgrims. What was the symbolic phrase popular in that dark age, Rakan?’”
“And?”
“And Senior Rakan answered, ‘Isn’t it obvious? “Let’s kill all those trash royals and nobles.”’ The professor looked really shocked.”
Elijia chuckled at her friend Laila’s story. That was so like him it was almost funny.
Saying something like that despite being a noble himself.
Rakan really was a strangely misaligned person.
While they were eating finger food and drinking, a group of elaborately dressed girls approached.
“Hello, Elijia.”
It was Bess’s group. The greeting sounded polite, but their eyes were full of hostility.
Elijia sighed inwardly. Elizabeth Marché—she was becoming more and more tiresome.
As always, Bess looked perfect.
Unlike Elijia, who kept her hair short and neat for swordsmanship, Bess had elegant long nails, intricate embroidery on her dress, and beautifully maintained hair.
A striking beauty at first glance.
But Elijia knew better than anyone that Bess was not just her appearance.
Four girls stood behind Bess like attendants.
Elijia formed a practiced smile.
“Hello, seniors.”
“Rakan isn’t with you today? You’re always stuck to him.”
“We’re planning to meet later.”
It was true.
They hadn’t arranged anything, but if she went up to him saying “Hello, senior,” they would naturally end up together. So it wasn’t a lie.
Bess’s eyebrow twitched at Elijia’s words, spoken as if intentionally for her to hear.
A girl beside Bess fanned her face with a fan, but Bess slapped it away irritably.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? Even though you’re always glued to him, there’s no progress between you two.”
“Do there need to be progress?”
“Not necessarily, but… I’d say either you’re not attractive enough, or he’s not interested. Or both. That seems about right.”
At Bess’s words, Elijia smiled as if it wasn’t even worth responding, and took a sip of her drink.
“Have you considered the opposite?”
“Meaning?”
“For example, that I might not be interested in Senior Rakan at all.”
“……”
Elijia looked at Bess as she drank calmly.
“I am the heir to the throne of Ortizia. And I’m pretty, too. Why would I be someone waiting to be chosen by him?”
“…What?”
Bess hadn’t expected this reaction.
Elijia’s eyes curved slightly as she looked at her.
“Do you always live a life where you’re the one being chosen by men, senior?”
“You…!”
Bess’s face flushed red, then twisted with visible rage.
The mask-like elegance she usually wore was gone.
Elijia dropped her fake smile as well and calmly stared at her.
This had reached its limit.
From the moment she saw her name on that vase, any patience she had for Bess had already disappeared.
A small commotion began drawing attention.
Bess clenched her fist and stepped forward aggressively. Elijia made no move to stop her.
Even if that beautiful girl tried something, she wouldn’t even be able to touch her shoulder.
But someone stepped between them.
Sophie.
“That’s enough. Stop it and go back, Bess!”
Sophie’s usually gentle voice was firm.
Elijia watched Sophie’s back quietly as she stood in front of her. The coldness in her eyes melted away as if it had never been there.
Bess’s expression also smoothed out again.
She stepped closer to Sophie. Though shorter than her, she looked down at Sophie with contempt.
“Now I see… birds of a feather really do show their level. Hello, Sophie? Back when I wouldn’t even have been able to look you in the eye, now you act like a student of equal status. Neutral countries are fine and all, but treating low-born people equally is their biggest flaw.”
“……”
Sophie, daughter of a merchant family from the Empire, said nothing.
Bess seemed intent on venting her frustration at Sophie since she couldn’t direct it at Elijia.
She snatched a fan from one of her companions and fanned herself elegantly, smiling crookedly at Sophie.
More students gathered around her.
Sharp gazes poured in.
“What exactly did you come to this party to sell, Sophie?”
“……”
“Pottery? Dresses? Or… your body? I suppose entering this school was just an attempt to climb the social ladder by selling yourself.”
Laughter erupted around them.
Sophie lowered her head silently, expression calm as if she was used to it.
What instead flared with anger was Elijia.
She had been able to ignore insults directed at herself—but not at Sophie.
Especially when Sophie had done nothing wrong except stand by her.
“Senior Bess!”
Elijia stepped forward.
Her dress jewels shimmered violently with her quick movement.
But before she could reach Bess, a man from her group grabbed her shoulder to stop her.
He tried to shove her back.
His grip was strong—far too strong for a simple touch.
A man from the Kingdom of Noah, who had laughed the loudest at Sophie.
Elijia glared at his hand, then seized it firmly. Before he could react, she twisted his arm behind his back.
Pressing his shoulder down, the man bent forward with a groan.
“Agh!”
His face twisted in pain.
He tried to struggle free, but it was useless.
Elijia, who regularly faced trained knights in sword combat, easily subdued someone who had never held a blade.
Still holding him down, she looked up.
Bess, meeting her gaze, instinctively stepped back.
“Senior… you did this, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Putting my name on the rose vase.”
“……”
Bess neither confirmed nor denied it, only breathing heavily.
Elijia understood her silence immediately and let out a faint laugh.
“Ugh! My arm—please!”
The man kept whining in pain.
Elijia released his arm and shoved him away. He stumbled to the ground in a humiliating heap.
Thankfully, the lively music masked the sound.
“I wasn’t just sitting quietly because I was afraid of your childish tricks, so stop it.”
“…What?”
“I can tolerate insults directed at me. But I won’t tolerate ridicule toward the people around me. If you say something like that to Sophie again, I won’t stay quiet.”
Bess tightened her grip on her fan.
She wanted to say, what will you do if you don’t stay quiet?—but Elijia’s gaze was too cold.
Just then, a deep voice cut through the tense atmosphere.
“Elijia.”
It was Rakan.
He had arrived without anyone noticing.
Elijia turned toward him.
And in that moment, she wasn’t sure—if he sided with Bess or scolded her, she might actually feel hurt.
But what Rakan said was not what she expected.
