The Princess, unlike the pompous nobles Lilith had imagined, did not ignore the common folk. She moved with a trained, almost effortless grace, offering smiles and small waves that looked astonishingly genuine. She even paused to greet a few older adventurers—apparently longtime acquaintances of the crown… or simply old friends.
As the Princess walked away, disappearing into the lavish inner gates of the academy, Lilith remained rooted to the spot, frozen, staring at the space where that majestic figure had stood only moments before.
A loud snap of fingers right beside her jolted her out of her half-catatonic state.
"Pretty, isn't she? But don't be fooled," said a voice dripping with dramatic heartbreak. It was Brann—he and his group had ended up right beside her. "Behind that cherub face hides a cruel, merciless personality."
Isabela, the girl from the party, burst into a short, wicked little laugh. "He got rejected by her, Lilith. A massive rejection. Don't mind the tantrum."
"Ah, that explains it," Lilith replied, laughing too—this time with genuine amusement. Their drama was far more entertaining than the gilded carriage had been.
"Hey! Stop that, Isabela! Don't expose my secrets to a stranger," Brann protested, though without much energy. He seemed more focused on looking cool than maintaining any mystery.
While Brann and Isabela spiraled into a pointless squabble, Brutus—the third member of the group—remained quiet. He looked at Lilith, then at the gate where the Princess had vanished, and slowly scratched his chin.
"That look she gave the Princess was weird… not admiration, but… attraction?"
Brutus wondered, his thick eyebrow arching in honest confusion while the rest of the group kept laughing.
"But it's already late, isn't it?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow. She gestured toward the now-vanished carriage. "What was she doing here? Classes are already over for today, aren't they?"
Brutus, who had been quiet until now—mostly busy, in Lilith's mind, pondering her questionable attraction to princesses—finally spoke in a surprisingly calm, deep voice.
"The academic term starts today," he explained, straightening up. "She probably came to handle something important for the academy. She has influence here, so schedules don't really apply to her."
"Well, that makes sense… she is a princess," Lilith sighed.
She looked up at the sky; the sun was sinking into the horizon, washing the clouds in shades of orange and red. Only then did Lilith realize how exhausted she was. For a short day, it had been packed with life-changing events—escapes, suspiciously easy registrations, and encounters with dazzling royalty.
So many epic events just to end the day hunting for a mattress.
"Guys, I'm heading out," she announced, hoping to end the conversation before Brann began lamenting shattered hearts again. "I need to find a place to stay for the night. I'll look for something permanent later."
She waved. "See you around."
Lilith didn't even wait for the group to answer. She waved once more and walked off quickly. The adventurers' chaotic energy — full of yelling about princesses and heartbreaks — was far too much for her head at that moment.
Walking under the bluish glow of dusk, she didn't have to search for long. She already had a place in mind, one she had spotted on her way into the city: not the loud tavern, but a discreet, well-kept inn with clean windows and flower pots arranged by the entrance.
When she stepped inside, the contrast with the Guild's Registration Hall was almost jarring. Instead of the smell of sweat and cheap liquor, a soft fragrance of pine and lavender lingered in the air. The wood of the counter shone as if it had been freshly polished, and the receptionist was quiet and efficient.
Lilith secured a room easily. Relief hit her with the force of a punch. At least something went right today, she thought as she took the brass key.
Inside the room — small but spotless — she shed the clothes she'd been wearing since she had fled. The first thing she did was run a bath. As hot water filled the small space with steam, Lilith finally felt her tense shoulders begin to loosen.
Submerged in the warmth, the events of the day replayed in her mind. She had escaped, avoided capture, reached Ernas, enrolled at the academy, and found herself shelter for the night.
A resounding success, she mused dryly. For someone exiled from her own home, her first night was turning out to be surprisingly civilized.
Yet the calm was only superficial. Satisfaction wasn't enough to erase the cold, unsettling feeling twisting in her stomach. She knew that from now on, her days would be filled with the persistent sense that someone powerful was hunting her — and that the tranquility of that bath was nothing more than a brief, expensive pause before the real chase began.