ILRP 05

 Chapter 5

Elizia’s expression darkened noticeably.

Anyone who wasn’t a fool could tell at a glance whether spilling ice cream on someone’s shoulder was an accident or intentional.

But instead of snapping back with sharp words, Elizia chose to sit back down.

She didn’t want to react to such childish bullying, and since the girl had already apologized, saying it was a mistake, arguing back would only make her look ridiculous.

Unless she was going to slap her across the face, it was better to just ignore it.

‘Good. Calm. Patient. Elegant me.’

She repeated the words in her mind. Then, above her head, Beth’s light voice drifted down.

“By the way, I thought the one sitting there was a cleaning maid.”

Beth looked over Elizia’s plain dress as she continued.

“Is the Kingdom of Ortigia lacking funds… or are you just lacking in taste?”

“…What?”

The remark came out of nowhere.

Elizia stared at her in confusion, but Beth simply said her piece and turned away.

The clear laughter of Beth and her group gradually faded into the distance.

Only after a moment did Elizia finally stand up abruptly.

‘What the hell is wrong with that princess?!’

She had already spilled ice cream on her, and now she was making personal attacks out of nowhere.

She had been too stunned to respond earlier, but the more she thought about it, the more absurd and infuriating it became.

“Next time I see her, senior or not, I might just grab her by the hair!”

With an irritated expression, she plopped back down.

Beth was already gone, and the confrontation had passed—much to her frustration.

She had endured it because of her nanny’s words, ‘Please live elegantly,’ but at this rate, she might soon end up grabbing that princess by the collar and shaking her.

If she were to lose her composure like that, she just hoped it would happen somewhere with fewer witnesses.

Sophie, who sat across from her, handed her a handkerchief with a worried look.

“It must be cold… wipe it off, Elizia.”

As Elizia wiped her damp shoulder, she bit her lip.

Why on earth did that senior, Beth, show her such hostility?

Tripping her while walking with her group, childish harassment like this—it happened often.

She couldn’t understand it.

Even when they first met and Beth picked a fight, hadn’t she been kind enough to compliment her outfit?

So why?

‘Well, it’d be strange if there were any logical reason behind that kind of blind hostility anyway.’

Letting out a small laugh, Elizia neatly folded Sophie’s handkerchief.

Dwelling on something like this and letting it upset her would only make things worse.

She glanced down at her clothes.

Though the material was high-quality, the dress itself was simple and plain.

Completely different from Beth’s, which was adorned with shimmering blue lace.

It was hard to believe they were both princesses.

Elizia herself was also of royal blood.

Naturally, in the Ortigia royal palace, she had lived surrounded by lavish attire, adorned as splendidly as anyone else. Through clothing and jewelry, royal authority had to be displayed.

But this place was one where she lived entirely on her own, without attendants.

Wearing heavy dresses by herself was a hassle, and putting on jewelry felt bothersome.

Having to remove and put on accessories every time she had swordsmanship class was also irritating.

Her nanny had packed plenty of luxurious clothes and ornaments for her, but she neither had the skill nor the desire to dress herself up, so they remained nothing more than decorative items stuffed in her wardrobe.

For that reason, Elizia always wore simple dresses.

And that was why Beth had mocked her—calling her a “cleaning maid” and asking if the royal treasury was empty.

Recalling the incident again, anger surged up once more.

She took a sip of the remaining tea.

The now-cold liquid slid down her throat with a chill.