The present time.

 

 

“Where do you want me to start?”

 

“Why did you hide it from me? Why did you let me believe that you’re a commoner?”

 

She put the cup in the table before looking at me.

 

“Not my fault that you don’t know me. I didn’t know who you are then.”

 

“But, why?”

 

“Same as you, I want to rest and relax in a place where nobody knows me, where nobody will treat me as a Princess. A place where I can do whatever I want and nobody cares. A place where I’m a nobody, just a regular citizen. I was planning to tell you who I am before your vacation ends. But when I saw the magazine, that you’re to be wed to my sister, I decided not to.”

 

“Why?” Why is my favorite word today. Please don’t ask why.

 

“Because I don’t want to complicate things.”

 

“Or is it because you’re the Crown Princess? And you're Bom's sister?”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

“You wore revealing clothes, you cook, you go to the market. Who would have thought that you are a Crown Princess.” I can’t believe this!

 

“I don’t call it revealing. It’s fashion. Being a royalty doesn’t mean that you have to box yourself. That we should always follow what they expected us to be, what they expected to see from us. My parents thought me to express myself, it may be in the form of art or the way I dress. But I always make sure that I will not ruin our family’s name.”

 

“You said you studied in London, and that you were in a boarding school.”

 

“True. I am in a boarding school in London and still in a boarding school when I transferred to the Royal Academy in UK. They want me to be independent, different from the other Princesses.”

 

I fell silent. She is just so amazing. How can I hate her? Tell me!

 

“Why didn’t I know you, the real you? What’s wrong with me? I should know you. You are the Crown Princess. Where was I when the big news that Princess Bom declined the succession was all over the nation?”

 

“In Africa.”

 

“Seriously?” She has the time to joke now?

 

“Maybe you were too busy with what you were doing back then. Besides, we belong to a different nation, Chaerin. Your kingdom has nothing to do with ours. So our problem doesn’t matter to you, or to the other kingdoms.”

 

I guess she’s right. I don’t care if it doesn’t involve our nation, our kingdom, our land. I don’t even know the scandal of Prince Harry of Britain, not after 8 months after that happened. I mind my own business, so if you’re not my business, then I don’t know you. We may all be royalties, but we have different lives, different worlds and different priorities. We are just different.

 

After a minute of silence, I just can’t take it. I need to ask her now. Or I’ll go insane.

 

“Why did you left? What happened to US?”

 

She smiled at me again. I miss that smile, and I miss her laugh.

 

“I left so you can fulfill your duties and to fulfill mine. There is no more US Chaerin. I thought I made it clear?”

 

I shivered. Why did she become so cold? This is not the Dara I know. She doesn’t have feelings, no emotions, nothing at all.

 

“Why are you being like this? You know I love you damn much. Why are you doing this to me?”

 

“This is the real me Chaerin. This is the real Sandara. Dara Park is just an illusion, a projection of someone that I wanted to be. She’s just an image that you thought was real. I am not that person Chaerin. And what we had was left in the island.”

 

I wanted to cry, I want to shout, I want to scream at her for being so cold. But I can’t. I don’t want to end up dead you know. Shouting at the Crown Princess will send me to hell. And I don’t want that, I still want to be with her.

 

“Why do you want me to forget you? To forget you ever existed in my life?”

 

“Because I want to.” She firmly said without blinking. But before I could reply, Bom arrived.

 

“Hey, serious talk you got? Lots of catching up, I guess.” A smiling Bom approached us with the album of clothes for the wedding.

 

“I have to go, I’m tired from the trip. I better look on this in my room Sis. I heard you’ll be staying for a week here, Chaerin. I’ll be seeing more of you here then. Bye for now. Excuse me.” Dara stood, took the album from Bom and went inside the Palace.

 

“Isn’t she acting weird?” I ask Bom.

 

“Weird? No. She’s just stress from all the responsibilities on her shoulder. I feel bad about it, I am the main reason why she’s suffering now.”

 

“Why did you decline the succession?”

 

“Because I don’t see myself as the Queen of Sephiro. I can’t handle all the responsibilities of a Crown Princess. I am a coward Chaerin. I was so afraid to fail, so afraid to disappoint my parents. I can’t handle the people who are doing everything to put shame to the Royal Family. So when I met Minzy, I got the courage to give-up everything, for me and for her. But looking into it, I just made Minzy an escape from my cowardice, an escape from the Throne and from all responsibilities. But I truly wanted to be with her.”

 

“And Byul?”

 

“Oh, she has no talent at everything.” She chuckled. “She only wants to be with her husband. They’ve been in a relationship for five years before getting marri