CHAPTER 3 : INNER STRUGGLE

*Sorry for very very late update*

"Have you apologized to Her Highness yet?" 

Aeri raised her head up, stopped her activities of cutting the piece of meat to look at Giselle's father, Earl Hendrik.

"Yeah, I have, I went to the castle when you were out of the village 3 days ago, dad." Aeri nodded slowly then put the delicious piece of meat into . 

"Are you sure? You're not lying to me, right?" 

Aeri groaned inside, why couldn't Giselle's father just let her eat in peace? She just wanted to enjoy this steak after she couldn't eat well before. 

"I'm not lying, I really have apologized to her. It also made me almost meet my death." She said the last sentence in a voice so soft and slow that Earl Hendrik couldn't hear it. 

"If that's so, good." Earl Hendrik nodded slowly, "I still can't figure out why you could do such an embarrassing thing, when I thought you liked Her Highness before." 

Aeri stopped what she was doing and looked at the Earl with a confused look. 

Earl Hendrik saw Giselle's gaze, his daughter really looked like him, "You always look excited when you talk about her, so I don't think there's anything wrong between both of you, I think you love her because I can see that from your eyes. But it turns out that I was wrong." 

Lady Giselle loves the princess? Impossible.

There was silence for a moment before Earl Hendrik smiled faintly, "No matter how bad your relationship with her is, I hope you fix it soon so we can discuss about your marriage without any problem. Don't be a burden to others." 

After that Earl Hendrik got up and left his daughter in the dining room alone. Aeri laughed madly then she hit the table hard enough. 

To hell with life here, Aeri had to back to her life. She was standing near the forest where Lucas and Ningning found her.

This forest is very far from the village. Dark forest, filled with trees that are so thick and tall, and dangerous because it is filled with enemies as people say. She didn't even notice that she had been standing there for half an hour. 

Aeri had an idea, if she get into this forest maybe she will get attack by whoever it was, and she will pass out then when she woke up she could go back to her original life. 

Right, haha. So easy.

The girl tightened her grip on the strap of the leather bag she was carrying. There were spare clothes as well as a bottle of water in her bag. She brought it just in case something happens. 

She made up her mind to get into the forest. 

---

"Your Highness." said Winter to princess Karina who was reading a book in her personal library.

The princess lifted her face up and smiled at the person who was so special to her. 

"You looking for me, Winter?"

Winter took a seat in front of the princess, "Yes, I looked everywhere for you, Your Highness." 

Karina chuckled softly, "You know this is my favorite place." 

Winter nodded slowly, "I want to talk something to you, something that is so important."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"It is about your relationship with Lady Giselle. A few days ago Her Majesty told me that you don't want to talk about your marriage with Lady Giselle at all. If I may ask, did something happen? Didn't you guys make up at that time?"

Karina's smile disappeared. There was silent for a long time. 

"Why?" instead of answering Winter's question, she threw the question back at the person who had been with her since then.

"Why? What do you mean, Your Highness?" 

"Why do you always talk about her when we're alone? Why don't we talk about something else?"

Winter sighed, "Because that's my duty as your 'close' friend, Your Highness."

"I don't want to be your friend anymore, I've told you before, right?" 

Winter clenched her fists, Karina started acting like this again.

"Then what do you want? Do you want us to be strangers?" she asked. 

"I love you, isn't that obvious? How many times do I have to tell you about my feelings?" 

"I can't, we can't, Your Highness." Winter shook her head in frustration, "I will never accept your feelings." 

"Why?! Do you like someone else?" Karina asked while slamming her book. 

"You already know the answer." Winter said in a weak voice.

"You're still thinking about our caste in society, huh?" 

Karina laughed sadly, all this time she lied to everyone including her parents. Saying that she only wanted to marry a pure blood, that was the reason why she had refused to marry Lady Giselle before.

Actually, this girl in front of her was the reason. She fell in love with Winter a long time ago and stupidly Winter never took her feelings seriously. And she even supports the matchmaking between Karina and Giselle.

Winter sighed roughly, "I'm not here to argue with you and I'm not here to discuss your feelings for me, Your Highness. You should know, you and I can never be together. So please, throw those feelings away."

Karina was so angry to Winter, does she think Karina's feelings can be thrown away that easy?

"Get out of this room." Karina turned her body, her back on Winter. 

"Your Highness..." Winter sighed, "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean--" 

"Get out." 

Like it or not, Winter had to get up and leave Karina with raging feelings.

---

Aeri didn't know how long she had to walk in this forest until she could meet the enemies? It seems she has come a long way. Everyone she met said that the forest was dangerous, but only the sounds of birds a